TEST DEPT. – Industrial Overture - 4CD-Box

TEST DEPT. – Industrial Overture - 4CD-Box

Formed in London in the early 1980s, Test Dept are regarded as one of the pioneering forces of ‘industrial music’, recognised for their groundbreaking sound and powerful performances that pushed the boundaries of music, art and protest while exploring political and social issues.
Centred around the founding duo of Paul Jamrozy and Gray Cunnington since resurfacing in the mid-2010s, the group recently signed to the Artoffact label and plan to issue a series of carefully curated box sets along with a brand new album targeted for 2026.
 
The first of the catalogue sets is scheduled for release on 5th December, with ‘Industrial Overture. Studio & Live Recordings 1982-1985’ consisting of 40 tracks across 4 CDs. It includes a first ever reissue of the group’s 1983 cassette-only debut album ‘Strength of Metal in Motion’, the classic ‘Ecstasy under Duress’ and ‘Atonal & Hamburg’ albums (both unavailable for over three decades), plus a disc of hitherto unreleased studio recordings that incorporate two sessions recorded for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1.
In total, 26 tracks are new to CD and digital formats, of which 12 have never been previously available at all. All contents have been compiled by Test Dept and are newly remastered by Paul Lavigne (Kontrast Mastering).
 
Housed in a 5-panel ecopak designed by Paul Jamrozy and Stefan Alt (Ant-Zen), the set also includes a 24 page booklet featuring a specially commissioned essay by Test Dept expert Alexei Monroe, as well as period photographs.

Tracklist:

CD 1 "STRENGTH OF METAL IN MOTION (2025 Remaster)"
01 Last Rites^  
02 Shockwork/Workshock^  
03 Prokofiev’s Dream^   
04 Drum and Body^  
05 Death Of God^  
06 Dawn of Humanity^
07 Blood and Sweat (Stakhanovite)^  
08 WWBC^  
09 Kindergarten^  
10 Interlude*  
11 Disneyland^  
12 Feeling It All^  
13 On Pain^

CD 2 "ECSTASY UNDER DURESS (2025 Remaster)"
01 Hunger  
02 Compulsion   
03 In Uniform  
04 Slow Hunger  
05 Spring Into Action  
06 Gdansk  
07 Shockwork  
08 Efficiency  
09 Beating Retreat

CD 3 "JOHN PEEL SESSIONS & STUDIO RECORDINGS"
01 Blood and Sweat*  
02 Shockwork* 
03 Gdansk*  
04 Efficiency^  
05 Shockwork*  
06 State Of Affairs*  
07 Hunger*  
08 Operation Prayer Power*  
09 Massive Kamikaze Attack*  
10  Shockwork^  
11 Gdansk*  
12 Gdańsk Dub*

CD 4 "ATONAL & HAMBURG (2025 Remaster)"
01  The Fall From Light  
02 Total State Machine  
03 Shockwork  
04 Gdansk  
05 Kick to Kill  
06 Fist  
07 51st State of America  
08 Corridor of Cells*

^First time on CD
*Previously unreleased