NO MORE - The Box [self-released]

And now we're in for a treat. Self-released in early December of 2k21 by Kiel-based Goth- / Wave- / PostPunk-legends NO MORE is "The Box", a special extended CD-r box set predominantly aiming at the fans and collectors of the bands early works, making two of their early albums available once again - and for the first time in CD-r format with additional tracklists, artwork and gadgets. Talking "Laughter In The Wings" and "Hysteria" here, released in 1985 and 1987 respectively on two different labels from Bochum / Germany, all tracks were retrieved and salvaged from original master tapes of the time, bringing forth dramatic, haunted and massively spooked out big hair Goth bang0rz like "I Still Bear The Scars" or the even more uptempo "Kalo" which still causes havoc on Batcave floors after all these years whereas the theatrical, slightly oriental-infused "Salome" might in hindsight be seen as a parallel development to bands like X-Mal Deutschland, "Laughter In The Wings" presents a, given the time and context of its production, quite unusual take on cascading joy and even a certain funkiness not necessarily prevalent in other Goth outfits of this era just to pick a few takes from the first album featured in here. Furthermore we see "Hysteria" providing a next step in the bands sonic evolution leading towards a deeper, inward-looking approach with the opening skit "The Golden Heart" which evokes distant memories of bands like Eyeless In Gaza before "Secrets" takes every PostPunk dancefloor by storm with its relentless forward attitude and dramatic vocal performance whereas NO MORE's variation of "Venus In Furs" pays homage to one of music history's all time greats, both "Arabesque" and "Bouree" sonically point to a fever'ish dancefloor delirium and the whirling rituals of shamanic dervish people whereas "Seven Years" brings forth a darker, psyched out and desolate variation of more minimalist, 4/4-based PostPunk before the concluding "(Suicide C.) - Last Waltz" makes for a most experimental outro just to name a few. A highly recommended journey back in time. Treat yourself with a copy.