Please note that the views expressed in these fan reviews are not necessarily those of SIS OnLine.

John Robb, Goldblade

Its the artwork that gives it away.
It looks fucking great!
A black spider.

Sinister, misunderstood, a bit dangerous, dark and deadly...spiders are not for the squeamish and neither are the reborn Stranglers. Its the perfect symbol for the band, the best since the ever classic rat and ushers in the band's latest definite late period statement. A statement of intent that tops "Norfolk Coast'' and could quite easily fit next to those early albums that mean so much to us.

Suite XVI- with a bit of luck- should see the band back in the mainstream proper. This album is just what the Stranglers should sound like in 2006. A great mixture of tough rockers, some great melancholic slowies and a good dollop of eccentricity and quirkiness. There's a real attention to detail as well and that mystery that makes all the great Stranglers songs lend themselves to endless playing over and over.

But, all the time lots of great tunes..

There's a lot of Baz on here. He plays loud and aggressive and it gives the Stranglers a real aggression. His and JJ's vocals give the band that twin singing attack that has been missing since the Cornwell days. A switch in tone and intensity that gives the album that real Stranglers feel.

The other good news is that JJ's bass is still rasping away, Dave's bubbling keyboards are there as well with some weird noises and genuine off the wall stuff giving the tracks a real edge whilst Jet and his drum machine give the whole thing a solid backbeat...

Unbroken kicks the album off...Baz sings, a powerful song with a killer chorus where Baz sings about wearing suspenders..."Oooh! ooh! baby slap my thigh, I'll wear these suspenders if it makes you high...!" ...back to the leery bizarro Stranglers of old- what the fuck are they singing about here!!!!! This has live favourite stamped all over it...got to be in the set soon...

The Spectre of Love...fantastic neo Doors swoon of a tune...commercial enough for a single, great catchy guitar riff and more Baz singing..he was born to be a Strangler! This could be a hit.

She's Slipping Away,....another stomper...keeps the pressure up...classic Dave bubbling keyboard vaguely reminiscent of "Sweden" in the middle and a twangy guitar break...Baz sings this - he's got that Strangler snarl down perfect.

Summat Outtanowt...we've all hear this live...album version is even better, the bass sounds like the classic Burnel growl. It has the twang of the "No More Heroes" era Stranglers...JJ sounds suitably psychotic on the verses; then, combines with Baz for the incessantly catchy chorus...so far so good....This is the Stranglers at full pelt...Everyone is sounding fully fired up and the twin JJ/Baz vocal attack really works...Oh, and Baz's little guitar licks in the verses are as eccentric as you want on a Stranglers album..

Anything Can Happen...the first of the two ballads...lush and wistful, great breathy vocal from JJ - tears apart the Bush regime in America over a bossa nova beat..Very European...

See me Coming... bass chords intro, strummed gently then it all comes piling in...sinister vocal from JJ - something about "you won't see me coming...until I strike..." sung in his Raven style vocal - a sixth dan black belt prowl of a vocal - track is somewhat reminiscent of the Stone Roses/Manc baggy psychedelia of the early nineties but with added Stranglers menace...

Bless You (Save you, Spare you, Damn you)...the ballad...and a stunner...this will have them crying in the aisles. Each play of the album makes this one stand out more and more...the band are so confident now they can do a ballad like this...Baz vocal...in "Don't Bring Harry" territory here...great, great chorus...

A Soldier's Diary...fast and furious...Baz takes the vocal on an almost punk rock rush with top chorus with classic bubbling Dave keys...bits of the song have that made fairground feel to them...

Barbara (Shangri-La)...Baz sings this great piece of Strangler pop, more top keyboards from Dave in the style of "Englsih Towns" ...

I Hate You...JJ sings this Johnny Cash pastiche...sounds really menacing...someone has really pissed him off....this songs sticks in your head; you find yourself singing "I Hate You" at off-the-wall moments...could be a great second or third single if the meninblack want to mess with everybody's heads...

Relentless....oh yes! we have waited a long time for a classic Stranglers twangy guitar workout- one of those Shadows on acid things that are the hallmark of the band...and hear it comes...not as heavy as "Toiler on the Sea" but it works in a different way...hypnotic chords...great guitar line and another great vocal from Baz...got an absolute classic Stranglers middle section...I'm playing this one over and over...

Don't panic! Norfolk Coast wasn't the last stand...the 2006 Stranglers are even better...there will be no justice if this album disappears into the void...let's get the word out...

Yuka Takahashi, SIS Japan
Original (in Japanese) at: www.stranglers.jp.

The Stranglers seemed to have just completed mastering and luckily, I got to listen to the brand new Suite XVI. As you have already heard, “Spectre Of Love” will be released as first single, I am going to give my brief impression and introduction of the album as of today.

Of a total of 11 tracks, I think lead vocals are taken by Baz on 6 tracks and the rest by JJ. The album opens with “Unbroken”. Now this is a very strong one. JJ takes the brilliant lead vocals on this. Also his bass, especially from the second phrase, is edgy and sounds so cool, and it comes in with solid aggressiveness again at a latter part of the song.

The Stranglers version of the ending theme from Japanese anime “Gankutsuou” is also included. Some of the futuristic electronic sound in the original song has been taken away and the title has been changed to “See Me Coming”. This new version sounds more like them, particularly if you think of them playing this live.

Overall, you get the impression that there are at least a few catchy tracks and they could all be singles however, there is much more to it. Some are slow ballads, and “Barbara (Shangri-la)” which is one of my favourites so far gives a fabulous collaboration between Baz and Dave on the introduction. On “I Hate You”, JJ sings forthrightly but with such venom. It appears to have pretty harsh lyrics but you might grin with its cynicism. I wonder if Baz plays harmonica on this…

The last track is “Relentless”. This is another great tune and Baz sounds fantastic on voice and guitar, and it remains lodged in your brain with a dark and beautiful melody which is very Stranglers.

I listened to Baz sing at Guilfest last month but obviously you can really listen clearly to him on CD, and I realised again how good a voice he has. You can hear Dave all over the album, and Jet sounds as strong as ever.

I have not listened to the album so many times yet and can’t get all of the lyrics, so the above impression is mainly from the music, however I can say that this album is going to be another masterpiece, as expected.

Is this better than Norfolk Coast? Well it’s very very different, so I would not even try to compare, for now anyway.

Lastly, the spider on the front sleeve is a “Black Widow”. I was told that they are poisonous but create the most beautiful web to attract their prey. Editors note: For the entomologists out there, the spider is actually a female Red-Backed Widow, native to Australia and related to the Black Widow of North America.

David Johnson

The first listen of Suite XVI is a little strange. Its like being with a new girlfriend for the first time; she’s gonna be good, just different!!! First reaction is the sheer quality of the 11 tracks. These are superbly written songs, some real gems in here. I sat analysing each track and it is impossible for any loyal fan to offer any sort of opinion on that first listen. Baz’s vocal style is totally different to Paul’s. For one big muthaf**ker, he’s got quite a soft voice, which does complement JJ’s distinctive dulcet tones. You will initially wonder what Paul’s gritty voice would have sounded like on a couple of tracks, but you will soon put that question to one side, and get immersed in this album. I’m hooked. The disc has not been out of my CD player for the past fortnight.

“Unbroken” rips into the proceedings a la “Norfolk Coast”. “Ooh ooh baby, slap my thigh, I’ll wear these suspenders if it makes you high”. Sure conjurs up a scary image Mr Warne!!, but a great opener. The single, “Spectre Of Love” is not an obvious single release like “Big Thing Coming”, but another great track which has really grown on me. Pick of the tracks are: “Summant Outanowt”, played during last year’s dates, now given the Burnel treatment. This is classic JJ -- short fast and furious, a stomping headbanger of a track. “Anything Can Happen”, a beautiful cross between “In The End” and “Northwinds”. “See Me Coming”, a revamp of a track originally written for the “Gankutsuou” soundtrack, is another gem. Hits you like a ton of bricks with some great swirling keyboards from Dave. It is Jet and Dave’s work that is really noticeable across this album. Solid drumming and trademark keyboards and more that really supplement these excellent songs. “Bless You” is pure genius. If any of the typical trendy bands of today had come up with a song like this then they’d have Norvellos hurled at ‘em left, right and centre. Occasionally songs like “Still Life” and “Tuckers Grave” show the subtlety the boys are capable of, and this stands right there alongside. Brilliant lyrics, beautiful song. “I Hate You” is this album’s “Santfe Kuss”, a bit of double bass/skiffle style. Great fun: “I hate you now, I always will, and when you’re dead, I’ll hate you still” snarls JJ (Who are you singing about JJ?). “Relentless”, I just can’t stop playing. Absolutely love it. Dave’s instantly recognisable keyboard break, classic guitar, make this an instant Stranglers classic.

”Norfolk Coast” was a hard act to follow, but bearing in mind the changes that have gone on, Suite XVI will not disappoint. In fact, in some aspects, it is even better. The Stranglers have upped the ante, and proved that in 2006 they are capable of creating challenging, fresh and very pleasing music.