Apoptygma Berzerk

As I said, the only actual present I got this year was APB's Welcome to Earth album. It was while compiling a Christmas list that I noticed all their old albums - including the otherwise impossible to get hold of Soli Deo Gloria - have been reissued with bonus tracks, and all are now available on Amazon for just £11.99. Too bad this now completes my collection of studio albums (well, I don't actually have the aforementioned SDG, but this compilation covers most of the band's early hits).

It's an interesting time to reflect on their progression, from the earlier more industrial/gothic songs like Deep Red to their current, far more commercial, synthpop incarnation, as revealed in In This Together and Unicorn (sadly, can't find the duet version). The change is even more evident when you look at their videos.

Welcome to Earth must count as 'mid-period' APB. While I'm sure that, like their other albums, it's a grower, it's currently my least favourite by some distance. Highlights, however, include Kathy's Song and the cover of Metallica's Fade to Black (which is a must see, just because it's so different from the original).