Pitchfork

Punks and new wavers alike know it well: Thou shalt not wrangle with the Stranglers. In all likelihood, the legendary UK quartet has been kicking out the jams since before you were born, and in a few cases, before your parents were born. And they still bring the fury.

In fact, they brought it to the UK just this past fall, in the form of their latest longplayer-- and sixteenth LP overall-- Suite XVI. The audience across the pond has had to hold its breath for some time, but we may all exhale at last on January 16, when Suite XVI arrives Stateside in all its accessibly ferocious glory.

The Capitol/EMI LP runs 11 tracks and features the present Stranglers lineup, which includes founding keyboardist Dave Greenfield, white-maned original drummer Jet Black, original bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, and 2001 addition Baz Warne on guitar. Burnel and Warne handle vocals.

Still a live force to be reckoned with, the Stranglers frolic around Europe this spring, playing gigs in Iceland and Italy, and hitting up every last crêpe-stand and pay-toilet in France.

Suite XVI:

01 Unbroken
02 The Spectre of Love
03 She's Slipping Away
04 Summat Outtanowt
05 Anything Can Happen
06 See Me Coming
07 Bless You (Save You, Spare You, Damn You)
08 A Soldier's Diary
09 Barbara (Shangri-La)
10 I Hate You
11 Relentless

Dates with the Stranglers:

03-06 Reykjavik, Iceland - NASA
03-15 Milan, Italy - Transilvania
03-16 Colle di Val d'Elsa, Italy - Sonar Club
03-17 Rimini, Italy - Velvet Rock
03-24 Cleon, France - La Traverse
03-27 Lyon, France - Le Transbordeur
03-29 Istres, France - L'usine
03-30 Nice, France - Theatre Lino Ventura
03-31 Annecy, France - Le Brise Glace
04-03 Nancy, France - Chez Paulette
04-04 Lille, France - Sebastapol
04-05 Hérouville Saint-Clair, France - Big Band Cafe
04-06 Paris, France - La Cigale
04-07 Montivilliers, France - TBA