Devils by Xmal Deutschland

Devils, released in 1989, was the fourth and final album from Xmal Deutschland, the Hamburg band that started out in 1980 as an all-female gothic rock outfit. By now singer Anja Huwe was the last founder standing, with Wolfgang Ellerbrock, who had taken over on bass early on, still at her side, and the post-punk gloom has been polished toward something sleeker and closer to pop rock. Henry Staroste recorded it at Hammertone in Düsseldorf and Pilot in Munich, and Paul Corkett mixed it at Chateau du Pape back in Hamburg.

"Dreamhouse" is the track that crossed over to the countdowns, glossy and moody, with Huwe's voice cutting through the sheen. It closed the book on a band whose early single "Incubus Succubus" had made them cult heroes, and what came next was a look back: the Early Singles (1981-1982) compilation.

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