Ministry - The Squirrely Years (2025)

What no one thought would ever happen until recently has happened. Ministry have released a new album with reworkings of the much maligned new wave, synth pop era. I always defended With Sympathy as having some great songs and I'm glad that The Squirrely years is now a reality. 

The reworkings don't stray too far from the originals. This is not Ministry turning the old pop songs into a heavy dark industrial metal. But, while being respectful to the original songs, the updated songs have a darker tone, a rougher edge, that the sanitised With Sympathy always lacked, elevating the songs. 

The Squirrely Years is a great collection of new wave, post punk and synth pop songs and it's, certainly, the most surprising and creative album that Al Jourgensen has put out in a long while. 

Now, we need to wait for the new (and possibly final) Ministry album with Paul Barker back in the band. I can't wait to hear what dark alchemy Al and Paul will do. 

Karl Bartos - Off the Record (2013)

Karl Bartos joined Kraftwerk in 1975 and left the band in 1990. He is credited in some of the best Kraftwerk songs and was an integral part of the best years of the band. This new release is made up of old songs that Karl apparently found in a diary he had written at the time. So yeah, it sounds retro. 

Most of the songs of the album don't break with Kraftwerk and explore similar sounds and territories. The single, Atomium (see the video below) is an example of this, a song that could've easily been in a Kraftwerk release. 

The album is uneven and it some forgetful moments, particularly The Binary Code and Musica Ex Machina right in the middle of the album. But the album doesn't just look at the past and it's at its best when it explores new territories.

My particular highlights are International Velvet and Without a Trace of Emotion which go into more electro-pop territory, The Tuning of the World with its metaphysical questioning, .

Kraftwerk fans should find a lot to like here and whilst uneven the album holds up pretty well with occasional moments of brilliance.

Rating: Good Vibrations

Mesh - Automation Baby (2013)

Mesh is a seasoned synth-pop band and their latest release is arguably one of their best. The album starts strongly with Just Leave Us Alone, an incredibly catchy, infectious, dance tune and, from that point, it never lets you down.

Automation Baby delivers great song after great song. The band have managed to write a good number of very varied songs that flow between synth-pop, electro-rock and little touches of EBM. In fact, considering the CD packs 14 songs, with eight tracks more in the bonus CD, this is an incredibly generous offering. Mesh were clearly inspired in the making of this album.

The band really has gift in creating catchy hook and anthemic choruses that never feel obvious nor formulaic. An excellent album that has a huge number of potential singles.

Rating: Heavy Rotation