Ghost Dance ‎- Stop The World

Ghost Dance ‎- Stop The World 2CD
(1989/2013) Cherry Red

I wasn't aware of this fabolous re-release of my favourite Sisters Of Mercy spin-off project. It's basically the 1989 CD plus a second CD collecting the b-sides and single versions of the songs released in 1989. There's still no CD release of the 1987 "A Word To The Wise" EP that I'm aware of. Where do I send my complaints?

The Hiram Key - Escape From Tzolk'in

The Hiram Key - Escape From Tzolk'in (2013)
Spiral Staircase

The Hiram Key continues on with their light weight goth rock sound, this time sounding even more like The Cure than on their previous 2011 album "Amerikafka". "Escape From Tzolk'in" is a much better album. The album has The Cure's guitar sound, and some of the vocal melodies too, all over. But the songs are great, and they aren't just rip offs. For starters, the bpm is much higher than your average The Cure track, and this level of  experimentation and variation has never been a part of Robert Smith's albums. Great album, great band!

Loomec - Personal Drugstore

Loomec - Personal Drugstore DD
(2013) Thyx Records

This is the third Stefan Poiss project, besides Mind.In.A.Box and Thyx, that I know of (and somewhat enjoy!). It's finally been made available in decent download quality (flac), after eager persuasion attempts from Thyx and Mind.In.A.Box Facebook followers (yes, me!). I don't buy mp3's, but I have no problem paying for flac or wav files.
This is the most rock-like of all Poiss' albums. Heck, the track "Tijuana" even reminds me of Motörhead at times. But make no mistake, it's not a rock album. There's plenty of electronic sounds to fulfill all your needs!

Spiritual Front ‎– Black Hearts In Black Suits

Spiritual Front ‎– Black Hearts In Black Suits
(2013) Rustblade

A new dark and theatrical album from my favourite Italian neofolk band. This is a concept album, more akin to an opera or classic music, than to the traditional Spiritual Front style of music.
If you want something mellow and beautiful to listen to, why not try this one out?
The album is also released in two different limited editions, a 2CD Box and a ridiculously expensive 3CD+LP bag.

Ikon - This Quiet Earth (Re-Issue)

Ikon - This Quiet Earth
(Re-Issue) 2013 4CD/Box
Nile

This is one of my all time favourite albums. I love everything about Ikon, but I'm especially fond of Ikon's sound from 1997 (No official Ikon releases this year, I know. But both the Crimes Of Passion CD and the excellent Jerusalem Syndrome CD helped me get my Ikon fix) to 1999.

The re-issue has been both remixed, remastered and re-sung and I love the new sound! The regular 4CD edition includes the original album on CD1. The second CD has a couple of B-sides and CD3 has outtakes and remixes - including one of my favourite tracks from this era "Triumph Of My Will", previously only released on a somewhat forgotten Metropolis Records sampler "Electropolis Volume II". The most interesting CD is the fourth one, called "The Hollow Earth". It includes a complete unreleased album with 12 previously unheared tracks from 1997/1998.

The box also includes an USB stick with a set of 12 early 8 track demos, the "Subversion" promo video (HD) and all the tracks in .wav format, a t-shirt, two embroidered patches, a necklace, two postcards an a 26-page photo booklet with information about the recording and every track.

Ginger Snap5 - Snapped By You

Ginger Snap5 - Snapped By You
(2013) skyQode

Oh yeah! Former Soviet is where the future lies for futurepop! The Russian band Mental Discipline is one of my current faves and here's Ukraines Ginger Snap5. This album isn't as good as Mental Discipline's work, but it sure has some great songs. "Shadow gHost" is the one I like best at the moment, but there are other nice tunes like the album openers "Polaris" and "Ginger Girl". The single "Break Me Down" is awesome as well.

Ikon - Requiem 3CD

Ikon - Requiem 3CD (2013)
Not On Label

This is a compilation of 3 hard to get Ikon sampler CD's featuring rare tracks from 1994-1998. If you like the old Ikon sound, before Chris McCarter began singing, this is definately worth checking out. I like all Ikon eras, but maybe I favour the "This Quiet Earth" sound. I can't wait for the 2013 re-issue to reach me. It should be in my mail box any day now!
The first CD of this compilation "Other Side Of The Angel" was released as a bonus CD on the vinyl reissue of "In The Shadow Of The Angel" in 2011.
The second CD "Requiem" was released as a bonus CD on the vinyl reissue of "Flowers For The Gathering" in 2012. And the third CD, Crimes Of Passion - "Rites Of Burial Complete" was previously only available on the limited edition "This Quiet Earth" 2CD (released exclusivly for the European Tour Sept-Oct 2009).

Aaimon - Aaimon

Aaimon - Aaimon (2013)
Artoffact

Yes! The album of the year is here! I haven't gotten my limited 2CD yet, but the nice people at Storming The Base provided me with a Bandcamp download code for the album. I don't really know what to write about this album. All has already been written, by other bloggers and in reviews all over the net. If you're not yet familiar with Aaimon's sound, you need to check them out! This is so much better than ordinary witchhouse! Aaimon has progressed tremendously since their earlier releases.

Schwefelgelb ‎– Dunkel Vor Den Augen Uns DDEP

Schwefelgelb ‎– Dunkel Vor Den Augen Uns
DDEP (2013) Enfant Terrible

The awesome rhythms and the cool, strange and funny noises makes this EP a favourite of mine! Sure, the vocals are kind of weak, but that doesn't make this release less enjoyable. Listening to it on max volume, while driving on the highway, makes you never want to reach your destination. Essential!

Dead When I Found Her - Fingerprints Vol.1

Dead When I Found Her - Fingerprints Vol.1
(2013) Artoffact

This is the first cassette release I bought since the 80's. I'm not particularly happy with it. Don't get me wrong. I like the songs. And I love the fact that I got all the songs as freely downloadable wav files. But why release a cassette?
Maybe I got it wrong? I bought this just to get the wav files. Perhaps the files are available as a separate purchase? Anyway, all these songs are cover versions that DWIFH has recorded through-out the years. Some of them were available to download on Soundcloud and some of them were available on the bonus disc of the 2012 album "Rag Doll Blues".

Patenbrigade: Wolff ‎– Freunde Der Technik EP

Patenbrigade: Wolff ‎– Freunde Der Technik EP
(2013) Zweieck

The latest Patenbrigade: Wolff is a real gem. Sometimes reminiscent of Kraftwerk on steroids, but full with surprises and cool sounds. I really like how they have evovled on their latest releases. The psysical CD haven't arrived yet, but I got a Bandcamp download code which included a 20 minute promo/trailer of the songs, as well as the complete EP. The trailer is really neat. Well worth checking out. But nothing beats hearing the individual tracks!

System Syn - No Sky To Fall

System Syn - No Sky To Fall
(2013) Metropolis

Another System Syn album enters the "worst album cover ever" awards. I do think that the european version of "Strangers" is slightly more unpleasing to my eyes...
Just like last weeks Solar Fake album and System Syn's 2011 album "All Seasons Pass", this is an album that's supposed to be enjoyed from start to finish, without stand-out hit songs. Buy the album, but consider taking a nice picture of your girl/boy friend or maybe a nice sunset to replace the hideous artwork with! I'm just kidding, of course. Clint makes the artwork himself, and I really like that he's such a complete artist. Maybe I would like to have some different themes on his art - but this what he chooses to do. Respect!

Solar Fake - Reasons To Kill

Solar Fake - Reasons To Kill (2013)
Synthetic Symphony

Third album from the solo project of Sven Friedrich (from Dreadful Shadows, Zeraphine). This is a better album all-together, than the previous albums; "Broken Grid" (2008) and "Frontiers" (2011). But it lacks of stand out tracks. Immediate hit songs like "The Shield" or "No Apologies" are nowhere to be found. But that doesn't matter. I really like to listen to this album from start to finish. Well done, Sven!

Bruderschaft - Return 2CD

Bruderschaft - Return 2CD
(2013) Alfa Matrix

After ten years of waiting, the first full length release of this massive futurepop all-star charity project is finally released.
Some tracks on this album has been released beforehand. I have enjoyed both "Trigger (Edge Of Dawn Remix)", "Return (Imperative Reaction Remix)" and a single version of "Falling" for a long time. There's also a new version of "Forever", called "Forever 2013", with Tom Shear on vocals, featured here. That leaves just four new songs (as the track "Goodbye" is present in two versions. One Ien Oblique Vocal version and one Colony 5 Vocal version) on disc one. Three if you don't count the The Human League cover "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of". Disc two has 12 remixes of varied quality. If you're just a tiny little bit interested in futurepop, this is the release to get - and to win you over!

Blume - Autumn Rains

Blume - Autumn Rains DD
(2013) WTII

Just like last weeks album, I got the flac version. But this tim mostly because I was lazy. The CD is still available, and maybe I'll buy it, as well... This download is awailable on Bandcamp, together with their stunning "Western Rust" EP. The album is just as good as "Rise From Grey", and I still now just as little about this band. Check it out! Support Bancamp and the band!

VNV Nation - Transnational

VNV Nation - Transnational (2013)
Anachron Sounds

I've hit a futurepop streak! Last week there was a new Covenant album, the week before that a new Cryo EP (well, that one wasn't maybe futurepop? - but the KLF samples were!), the new Pride And Fall album a week further back and now the masters are back.
I really like this new VNV Nation album. Sure, there's far too many instrumentals (3!) and not as much of the hard, angry'ish club stompers I love them for. But sometimes a happy, uplifting album filled with VNV Nation's familiar anthemic post-"Empires" sound is all my ears need! Instant buy!

Covenant - Leaving Babylon

Covenant - Leaving Babylon 2CD
(2013) Dependent

Covenant are back on Dependent Records again. Sadly, Daniel Myer aren't. He left the band before this album was released, but some of his compositions are featured. This album is much better than "Modern Ruin" (2011). Heck, I even like some of the slower songs! But please don't waste your money on the limited 2CD edition. The bonus CD is one 74 minute "song" filled with background noise and the reading of some poem - in Swedish!

Ruined Conflict - Justified DDEP

Ruined Conflict - Justified DDEP
(2013) Not On Label

I can't understand how they manage to release a 14 track album plus two EP's, 7 and 9 tracks respectively, in just 6 months. This is a hard working band, and maybe it's really clever of them to release a bunch of stuff now - just days before the next VNV Nation album will hit the stores? Anyhow, this is a great EP with some new songs and a remixed song of the, soon to be released, second album. More releases? Hell yeah! Why stop now?

Cryo - In Your Eyes EP

Cryo - In Your Eyes EP (2013)
Progress

I got this new Cryo EP in the mail today. It's a great little teaser for the, soon to be released, "Retropia" album. If this is the new direction Cryo is heading I can't wait for "Retropia" to be released!
The sound is more in the vein of Martin's pre-Cryo project SoundSequence. This is really promising because the two SoundSequence compilations "Climbing The Mountain (1997-2007" and "Top Of The Mountain: 1997 - 2012" are huge favourites of mine. Also thumbs up to Progress Productions for delivering a never ending stream of quality releases.

Pride And Fall - Of Lust And Desire

Pride And Fall - Of Lust And Desire
(2013) Dependent

Finally a new Pride And fall album! It's been six years since the fabolous "In My Time Of Dying". Was it worth the wait? I really don't know. This new album sounds like Pride And Fall, but it lacks in both the songs and arrangements. Some songs, like the fantastic "Reborn", are really well executed, with great sounds and twists, and then there's songs that seems to be no more than demos. So, all in all, this record is a bit of a disappointment to me. But it has it's moments. And some fantastic songs.