The new release from Italy’s Tourdeforce is upon us and follows up the success of 2022s EP “Six in the key of death” which had the band breathing new life into Death In June classics by powering them up with injected synthpop / synthwave soundscapes. For the new album they have delved further into neofolk and reworked classics from Sol Invictus, Coil, Death In June, Current 93 and Above the Ruins with the songs restrung in the key of New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, with some touch of early Nine Inch Nails.

The album opens with A Ship Is Burning  – a damn catchy gothed up synthpop classic which will become a hit on the dancefloor. In The Wake of the Wolf  – nice mix of industrial Depeche Mode Colliding with NIN will ignite the dancefloor! Death of The West – Pet Shop Boys swimming through New Order. Lovely! Fire of The Mind  – reminds me of New Order’s Temptation with  vocals that have the essence of Pet Shop Boys making it something completely new and beautiful with a strong 80s new wave / power pop sound to smash any dancefloor! Media – has almost Halloween film score opening ,sounds a bit like early Depeche Mode it could easily have graced MTV if there was a video.Nice! CrowleyMass  – industrialised with hints of NIN, Ministry,samples of Crowley reminds me of Men Without Hats and “the Safety Dance” Poptastic! Gold Is King  – classic 80s pumped up with a cyberpunk Donna Summer– I Feel Love beat . Wow! All Pigs Must Die  – turned into a new synthwave classic with hints of Depeche Mode and Aha Great! Murder Made History – a great piece of darkwave which reminds of Decoded Feedback. In Days To Come  – a mix of Kraftwerk, Scott Aitken and Waterman washed with techno. A dancefloor hit! Stormclouds Over Europe  – Features some Putin samples “Feel The Hate, Feel The Tyranny” seems quite apt. Darkwave industrial beat drives this to an end. The album is a great synthwave / New wave album and nice to hear a band putting their own stamp on the arrangements rather than just a cloned cover versions.

 

Hail The Electronic Sun is released on April 17, 2024 via SPQR label and you can catch the band live at this years WGT in Leipzig
Order The Album At SPQR