- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Shadow of Fear
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS30
- Release Date
- November 20, 2020
-
Vinyl 2×LP, Limited Coloured
$29.49 -
CD
$13.49Read More- + MP3
CABS30CD
- Gatefold sleeve
-
Download
$9.99320 kbps, LAME-encoded
Genres
After two decades away, Richard H. Kirk’s decision to reboot industrial pioneers Cabaret Voltaire was fraught with risk. Yet “Shadow of Fear”, the first Cab Vol album since 1994 (!), is a triumph, as Kirk calls out state-sanctioned cruelty and stomps through the shadows with impish defiance.
Success was by no means assured. After all, the Sheffield band’s trailblazing in the 1970s and 1980s was intractably married to their youthful vim and ability to procure beauty out of ‘orrible noise. More pressing, the present-day Cabaret Voltaire are a band in name only: co-founder Stephen Mallinder absconded when Kirk began touring again in 2014. Rock history is pockmarked with egotists going it alone to severely diminished returns. There was a fair chance that “Shadow of Fear” might have bricked – or simply been anonymous.
Yet the album feels alarmingly in tune with the unrelenting grimness of 2020. In a press blast for “Shadow”’s announcement, Kirk was keen to establish distance with Cab Vol mk.I and double-underline how he wishes his art to be perceived today: “It's nice that people appreciate what you've done in the past, but it's a dangerous place to dwell.”
The conditions into which the ostensibly final Cab Vol album, “The Conversation”, was released are markedly different to today – and this is key to grapple with. The soot-and-sleaze of Thatcher’s day was fading and the seeds of Cool Britannia, Britpop and Girl Power had either been planted or were beginning to bloom. Had “Shadow of Fear” been released in that climate, it would have been comically dissonant. Instead, Kirk feels like a critical envoy from the last time society was this profoundly mangled by poverty, loss of industry, disharmony and the iron first of Conversative perma-rule.
So when Kirk gives us all 64 years of his experience, we listen intently. He possesses the authority to tally the Tories’ body count without blinking, or to command jet-black clouds of paranoia and doom. He sounds almost gleeful doing so: ‘Vasto’’s interpolation of the iconic riff from Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ is an unexpected treat, and you can imagine Kirk flashing a wry grin while pairing such a well-loved jewel of synthpop to clangorous percussive assault.
Some songs on the album keep their foot on the neck of tension throughout; no resolution, just alternating shades of purple and puce. Elsewhere we’re allowed to breathe, and perhaps even wiggle – see the beat and bassline on ‘Papa Nine Zero Delta United’, which throb in a manner not wildly dissimilar from The Cure circa ‘A Forest’.
“Shadow of Fear” is full of moments where Kirk drags the past into the present, updating a template he is primarily responsible for building in the first place. It’s akin to a long-dormant volcano shooting out a mix of choking pyroclastic flows and luridly bright lava: fascinating to observe from a distance, pretty terrifying the closer you get. Which makes “Shadow of Fear” one of the most welcome surprises of the year. Go ahead and mark your calendar for 2046 already.
Digital Tracklist
-
1
Be Free
6:25
Buy
Be Free
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
2
The Power (Of Their Knowledge)
6:30
Buy
The Power (Of Their Knowledge)
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
3
Night Of The Jackal
6:38
Buy
Night Of The Jackal
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
4
Microscopic Flesh Fragment
6:03
Buy
Microscopic Flesh Fragment
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
5
Papa Nine Zero Delta United
7:43
Buy
Papa Nine Zero Delta United
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
6
Universal Energy
10:58
Buy
Universal Energy
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
7
Vasto
7:40
Buy
Vasto
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
-
8
What's Goin' On
6:24
Buy
What's Goin' On
-
WAV (24-bit)
$2.19 -
WAV / FLAC
$1.99 -
MP3
$1.35
-
Cabaret Voltaire
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- BN9Drone
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS32
- Release Date
- April 23, 2021
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Dekadrone
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS31
- Release Date
- March 26, 2021
- LP (special)
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Shadow Of Funk
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- IMUTE622
- Release Date
- February 26, 2021
- EP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Chance Versus Causality
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- CABS29
- Release Date
- August 30, 2019
- LP
- CD
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Groovy, Laidback and Nasty
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS28
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- CODE
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS27
- Release Date
- August 4, 2017
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- #7885 (Electropunk to Technopop 1978-1985)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS26
- Release Date
- June 23, 2014
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- #8385 Collected Works 1983 - 1985
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS21
- Release Date
- April 14, 2014
- Download
Mute
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- Will Gregory Moog Ensemble
- ReleaseProduct
- Heat Ray: The Archimedes Project
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ISTUMM510
- Release Date
- June 14, 2024
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- Mick Harvey
- ReleaseProduct
- Five Ways to Say Goodbye
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ISTUMM494
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- Laibach
- ReleaseProduct
- Opus Dei (Remastered Deluxe Edition)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ILSTUMM44
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- LP
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- A Certain Ratio
- ReleaseProduct
- It All Comes Down to This
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ISTUMM492
- Release Date
- April 19, 2024
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- These Immortal Souls
- ReleaseProduct
- EXTRA
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ISTUMM268
- Release Date
- April 12, 2024
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- These Immortal Souls
- ReleaseProduct
- I'm Never Gonna Die Again
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ILSTUMM98
- Release Date
- April 12, 2024
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
Pre-order
- Artist
- These Immortal Souls
- ReleaseProduct
- I'm Never Gonna Die Again (2024 Remaster)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- IL0STUMM98
- Release Date
- April 12, 2024
- Download
-
- Artist
- Will Gregory Moog Ensemble
- ReleaseProduct
- Young Archimedes (feat. BBC National Orchestra Of Wales)
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- I1STUMM510
- Release Date
- March 26, 2024
- Download
Minimal Wave, Post-punk and EBM
-
- Artist
- Matias Aguayo & The Desdemonas
- ReleaseProduct
- Cold Fever
- Label
- Crammed Discs
- Catalogue Number
- CRAM2794
- Release Date
- September 1, 2017
- 7″
- Download
-
- Artist
- Various Artists
- ReleaseProduct
- Trax Test (Excerpts From The Modular Network 1981-1987)
- Label
- Ecstatic
- Catalogue Number
- ELP030
- Release Date
- September 15, 2017
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Zov Zov
- ReleaseProduct
- Fata Morgana
- Label
- Berceuse Heroique
- Catalogue Number
- BH45
- Release Date
- February 2, 2018
- Download
-
- Artist
- Simon Shreeve
- ReleaseProduct
- The Healing Bowl
- Label
- Downwards
- Catalogue Number
- LIN070
- Release Date
- April 8, 2016
- EP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Helena Celle
- ReleaseProduct
- If I Can't Handle Me At My Best, Then You Don't Deserve You At Your Worst
- Label
- Night School
- Catalogue Number
- LSSN043
- Release Date
- June 14, 2016
- Download
-
- Artist
- Perc & Passarella Death Squad
- ReleaseProduct
- Temperature's Rising
- Label
- Passarella
- Catalogue Number
- PTRISING1
- Release Date
- July 8, 2016
- EP
Top 10 Albums of the Year 2020
-
- Artist
- Arca
- ReleaseProduct
- KiCk i
- Label
- XL Recordings
- Catalogue Number
- XL997
- Release Date
- July 17, 2020
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Oneohtrix Point Never
- ReleaseProduct
- Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
- Label
- Warp Records
- Catalogue Number
- WARPCDD318
- Release Date
- October 30, 2020
- LP
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Eartheater
- ReleaseProduct
- Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin
- Label
- PAN
- Catalogue Number
- PAN112
- Release Date
- October 16, 2020
- Download
-
- Artist
- K-LONE
- ReleaseProduct
- Cape Cira
- Label
- Wisdom Teeth
- Catalogue Number
- WSDMLP001
- Release Date
- April 24, 2020
- Download
-
Sale
- Artist
- Speaker Music
- ReleaseProduct
- Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry
- Label
- Planet Mu Records Ltd.
- Catalogue Number
- ZIQ424
- Release Date
- June 19, 2020
- LP
- Bundle
- Download
-
- Artist
- Actress
- ReleaseProduct
- Karma & Desire
- Label
- Ninja Tune
- Catalogue Number
- ZENDNL271
- Release Date
- October 23, 2020
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- Cabaret Voltaire
- ReleaseProduct
- Shadow of Fear
- Label
- Mute
- Catalogue Number
- ICABS30
- Release Date
- November 20, 2020
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Tara Clerkin Trio
- ReleaseProduct
- Tara Clerkin Trio
- Label
- Laura Lies In
- Catalogue Number
- LLI007
- Release Date
- January 24, 2020
- LP
- Download
Album of the Week
-
- Artist
- Jlin
- ReleaseProduct
- Akoma
- Label
- Planet Mu Records Ltd.
- Catalogue Number
- ZIQ460
- Release Date
- March 22, 2024
- LP
- CD
- Bundle
- Download
-
- Artist
- Four Tet
- ReleaseProduct
- Three
- Label
- Text Records
- Catalogue Number
- TEXT056D
- Release Date
- March 15, 2024
- LP
- CD
- Bundle
- Download
-
- Artist
- Soichi Terada
- ReleaseProduct
- Apes In The Net
- Label
- Far East Recording
- Catalogue Number
- FER 06903
- Release Date
- February 23, 2024
- EP
-
- Artist
- Squarepusher
- ReleaseProduct
- Dostrotime
- Label
- Warp Records
- Catalogue Number
- WARPDD366
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- LP (special)
- CD
- Download
-
- Artist
- Sandwell District
- ReleaseProduct
- WHERE NEXT ?
- Label
- Point Of Departure
- Catalogue Number
- PODR011
- Release Date
- February 23, 2024
- LP
- Download
-
- Artist
- The Future Sound Of London
- ReleaseProduct
- By Any Other Name
- Label
- WeMe
- Catalogue Number
- WeMe083
- Release Date
- February 16, 2024
- LP
-
- Artist
- Mark Van Hoen
- ReleaseProduct
- Plan For A Miracle
- Label
- Dell’Orso
- Catalogue Number
- EDDA64LP
- Release Date
- February 9, 2024
- LP
-
- Artist
- The Future Sound Of London
- ReleaseProduct
- Presents Pulse Five
- Label
- De:tuned
- Catalogue Number
- ASGDE044
- Release Date
- January 26, 2024
- LP (special)