by Aaron BadgleyThis is the album that Marc Almond has been trying to make since leaving Soft Cell. He has managed to fuse together all of his influences: pop, disco, dance, electronic, R&B and cabaret all thrown into the mix to produce this incredibly diverse and entertaining album. Perhaps it was the freedom of recording and releasing the CD as a semi-independent release. It was initially to be released in 1998 on the British label Echo, and in fact the first single release from the album, "Black Kiss," was released on that label. Echo released Almond from his contract and he decided to go the independent route; for him, this was a good move. He has produced a very original work that still falls into the Marc Almond mold. Although fans will love this CD, it is accessible enough to attract new listeners as well. Almond has surrounded himself with very talented guests on this album, including Siouxsie Sioux (of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Creatures), who duets with Almond on the brilliant "Threat of Love." Song topics are the usual for Almond (death, sleaze, love, lust and the like) but what makes this album so interesting is the music: beautiful, well-crafted melodies with heavy dance beats. Not an easy task, but he does it very well. Almond is very talented and a great deal deeper than he has been given credit for. This is a great example of just how creative he is when given the artistic freedom. [Open All Night is also available in an import release.]