Happy Monday, kids! As you may have noticed, there’s a crazy glut of high profile new releases dropping right now. Tomorrow will see the release of new records from Assemblage 23, Skinny Puppy, iVardensphere, Heimataerde, Decoded Feedback, and Aesthetic Perfection…and that’s just what’s coming out on Metropolis. Gah. Keeping our heads above the rising tide of new stuff has been taxing even with our new contributors Kathleen and Matt signing on (hell, I haven’t even had a chance to talk to Alex about Prometheus yet), and we’re not sure how many of those records (amongst others) we’ll have the time and space to talk about. But, rest assured we’ll tackle the ones we feel we have the most to say about with our trademark pluck and pro wrestling references (“At least one Lex Luger diss per month: that’s the ID:UD guarantee!”). Okay, on with this week’s tracks!

Vomito Negro, “Emerging Souls”
While having the same hypnotic repetition of most of their classic jams, as well as other recent cut “Factory Child“, there’s a smooth electro bounce to “Emerging Souls” which sounds very modern. It’s a very good look for Vomito Negro, grafting well to the icy vibe they’ve always had. If the forthcoming Fall Of An Empire has as much range as this and “Factory Child” suggest, I’ll be very pleased.

∆AIMON, “Low”
You probably don’t need to rely on lil’ old us for news about ∆AIMON at this point. Their celebrated Flatliner EP’s legs have brought it hosannas from across Our Thing and well outside of it – a very informal “What’s the best act you discovered this year?” poll we saw on FB had ∆AIMON miles ahead of all other comers. Still, there’s no reason for punishing success, and ∆AIMON keep on rolling; here’s a new cut which quickly points to how and why their sound’s worked so well this year, kicking between walls of distortion and their elegant male/female harmonies.

IMPAKT!, “For Our Lost Empire”
On the heels of “We Own The Night“, the Finnish newcomers pitch another strong synthpop entry. Getting a bit of a “Great Commandment” type feel from this one, possibly buoyed by the video (which also has a heavy schmear of The Navigator).

In Strict Confidence, “Morpheus”
While I wasn’t quite as nuts about iSC’s 2010 LP La Parade Monstrueuse as Alex, I did enjoy it a good deal (seriously, you’d think that record did his taxes or helped him move by the way he talks it up). A stylish tour de force, that record showed the German outfit shifting capably between multiple genres with flair and polish. New single “Morpheus” pulls off that everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach in under four minutes, working in shades of synthpop, NDH, and neoclassical without ever stepping on its own toes. Hell, with German verses and Russian choruses yr even getting two languages for the price of one.

SN-A, “Transmission 350-100-2”
A bit of a different turn from the X-Marks The Pedwalk side-project than the last tune we heard: far spacier and more in the neighbourhood of yr Jarres, Vangelises, and the like. These are still the only two tracks to have surfaced from the project, and there’s no talk of a larger release yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Element, “Skeletons”
…And from the “wait, what?” file, Shane Talada of Marching Dynamics (the awesome but apparently on hiatus woofer-rattling IDM project) has a new goth rock band on the go. From the cursory skim we’ve given to debut LP It’s A Wonderful Night For An Evening (stay tuned for a full review), there are some glammy and darkwave moves which call Manuskript to mind, but this lead track has a far more melancholy feel. I like! Tip o’ the hat to Rev.John for alerting us to this one.