Orbital Orbital

A double-disc compilation of over two and a half hours of remixes, Auntie Aubrey's Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty, Pt. 1 includes Orb reworkings of well-known bands (Primal Scream, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke) and more obscure acts (Keiichi Suzuki, Love Kittens). Several mixes sound a bit dated, and the scattershot quality of the set can distract listeners, but the inclusion of several epiphanous moments (Material's "Praying Mantra," Primal Scream's "Higher Than the Sun," and Sun Electric's "O'Locco") makes the album worthwhile for fans.

Next month Depeche Mode will release Violator: The 12″ Singles, the seventh box set in the ongoing series which will showcases the remixes and B-sides across the four UK singles pulled from their 1990 album.

Sixteen years and five albums after the Pennsylvania band’s formation, progressive death metal progenitors Rivers of Nihil are upping the ante with their 2025 self-titled album Rivers of Nihil. Traditionally, a self-titled record can signal a return to basics and/or a fresh beginning, and in 10 powerful songs, it’s clear that both those factors are in play. Founding bassist Adam Biggs became the band’s new lead vocalist/bassist in 2023; the same year marked the appearance of additional guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently on Rivers of Nihil. Producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio captured the new dynamics across more than 50 minutes of music…

The progressive German death metal band OBSCURA was founded in 2002 by guitarist/vocalist Steffen Kummerer and drummer Jonas Baumgartl. The band caused a stir when they - out of nowhere - toured as support for SUFFOCATION on their European tour in 2006 and when they independently released their debut album 'RETRIBUTION' that same year…