I've listened to In Strict Confidence off and on for several years now, but Mistrust the Angels is the first full-length album I've had the opportunity to listen to. In some ways, the album reminds me of Delerium's later work, especially with the breathless female whispering and some of the chord progressions. However, don't listen to this expecting Delerium.

It's more like Front Line Assembly, and on "Herzattacke", a bit like Front 242.

Is it any wonder In Strict Confidence was snapped up by Metropolis once Zoth-Ommog kicked the bucket?

Although Mistrust the Angels does have soft, feminine sounds, it has a more aggressive and sinister sound, with minor chords and rough male vocals. The album a multi-lingual journey to an unsettling world of temptation and electronic warfare. The energy level doesn't seem as high as on previous In Strict Confidence, but it's still quite pleasant and dancey. I can see myself leaving this CD on play quite often, and really, I've been listening to nothing else since last night without becoming even a little annoyed with it. That's surely a good sign.

In Strict Confidence have also made great advances in ensuring their album will be purchased rather than merely ripped by unscrupulous music-mongers. They have included gorgeous liner notes. I think this is something many artists overlook, but it really adds a lot to the whole package. With Mistrust the Angels comes the photography of Stefan Weimbs and Michel Nicolas. Although many of the photos feature nudes, they are not pornographic at all, but beautiful and thought-provoking.

The album, however, is not without its problems. "Der Vampir un Dessen Verwandlung" devolves into ubiquitous female orgasm samples. In addition, In Strict Confidence have decided to play an annoying trick on their listeners. They go with a hidden track, "Les Miroirs", which is not listenable on every CD player. It's not listenable because it is track 0. What a grand idea, to include a track so hidden some people won't be able to listen to it.

Ah well....