NEW label, new album and new outlook. Death In Vegas, Aka Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes, release their fourth album, this time on their own label.

In a sharp departure, Satan's Circus features no guest vocals favouring instead stripped down bass and keyboards. It oozes Krautrock influences and, more importantly, it oozes class. It is brooding and intense - you almost dare not breath for fear of missing something - rather than uplifting, but it's an understated gem. If that were not enough, a limited edition of Satan's Circus includes their live recording of Death in Vegas at Brixton. Apart from a few crowd whoops and whistles, it's often hard to tell it's a live recording such is the nature of Death In Vegas' sound. But, if nothing else, with all the old favourites featured it serves as an overview of the three previous albums. You could do a lot worse for Christmas. Satan's Circus should be a Santa's certainty.

Updated: 08:59 Thursday, November 25, 2004