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Acumen Nation
What the F**k?

Cracknation / WTII Records

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor

As one of the leading forces in the burgeoning coldwave movement of the mid-to-late ‘90s, Acumen Nation has endured much to achieve their status as one of the heroes of industrial rock. From their tumultuous beginnings as Acumen (being forced to change their name because of another band with the same name) and releasing their first two albums on the legendary but ill-fated Fifth Column Records, to the inception of Cracknation at the start of the millennium, this band has been through much to gain the level of respect they now receive, having toured with the likes of Curve, C-Tec, Cubanate, KMFDM, Claypeople, 16 Volt, Skrew, and Lords of Acid. Now, after leaving Underground, Inc. and signing with WTII Records, the band celebrates “10 years of armed audio warfare” with What the F**k?.

What the F**k? is no ordinary retrospective, for while most bands are content to include the requisite hits list, Acumen Nation have taken a different road. This collection does indeed showcase some of their best-known songs, but rather then presenting them in their original album versions, they are offered in alternate remixes, lost demos, and original versions never before heard by fans, especially the renowned Acumen track “Gun Lover.” Also noteworthy is the vocal version of Grabmiller’s remix of “Bastard vs. Monster Zero,” which really adds to the already ominous nature of the original remix. Another track worth mentioning is the remix of “Queener” for Fifth Column Records, which features some never-before-heard vocals, making an already great song even better. Two new tracks are also included, taken from sessions for the supposedly upcoming album Anticore. The first track, “The Wreck of Us” is the Acumen Nation sound in full swing, a high-energy track with pulsating synthesizers and heavy guitar riffs, and 16 Volt’s Eric Powell lending some backing vocals. “Life’s Last Breath” is given as an Acucrack remix with KMFDM’s Lucia lending her sultry yet venomous voice to a kicking drum & bass rocker.

Longtime fans of Acumen Nation will find much to behold on What the F**k?, as they are treated to these alternate versions of some of their favorite tracks, while it also proves to be a good introduction to the band’s legacy for those unfamiliar with them. Never ones to stoop to convention, the band have assembled quite the collection to commemorate their first decade, with hopes for another fruitful decade before them. The fate of their new album Anticore may yet be uncertain, but perhaps signing to WTII Records will provide the album a proper release as the band enters a new era of industrial rock mayhem.