NO MORE - Love, Noise & Paranoia (1979 - 2019) [Rent A Dog]

Ten years in the business is a long time for a band. Twenty years is a dream most of them never even can aspire to reach. Double that and you'll get to an astounding four decades on stage, an impressive achievement that our Kronshagen-based friends of NO MORE are celebrating in 2019 with the release of their new album "Love, Noise & Paranoia (1979 - 2019)",  a compilation piece which caters a selection of 13 tracks spanning their entire musical career to their fanbase - their monster hit "Suicide Commando" included amongst previously unreleased material and re-recordings of beloved classics. Whilst the collage'esque opener "Inside 1979" feels like a dark, brooding time capsule perfectly depicting the intense, greyscale atmosphere the band was born into in the late 70s  / early 80s which is also reflected in songs of this era like the raw "So Unreal" and "Our Dreams" whereas "It Feels Like 1925" indulges in a certain take on melancholia meets JazzNoir. On the other hand recent re-recordings of pieces like the highly dramatic "Istanbul", the krautsy "Teenage Years" or the tense, dancefloor smashing "Do You Dream Of Angels In This Big City?" provide a careful touch up for songs well known and appreciated by NO MORE's fanbase and previously unreleased cuts "What About Us", another thundering peaktime affair, and the dark'ish PostPunk ballad "A Different Kind Of Woman" defo prove why the band's signature sound still remains relevant up to this day and after all these years. Defo an impressive collection of songs, this. Highly recommended.