In Strict Confidence announce ‘The Final Kiss’ album for 20 November
In Strict Confidence announce “The Final Kiss,” their first studio album since 2018, due November 20, 2026 via Minuswelt on CD and vinyl LP.
German electro-industrial act In Strict Confidence will release “The Final Kiss,” its first studio album since 2018’s “Hate2Love,” on November 20, 2026, through Minuswelt. The album follows “Fever,” released as the lead single on October 16, 2026, with an official video and remixes by Controlled Fusion and Italian darkwave act Ash Code.
“The Final Kiss” also includes “Blasphemous Rumours,” In Strict Confidence’s cover of the Depeche Mode song, which the band released as its own single and video in February 2026.
The album mixes dark electro, driving rhythms and atmospheric arrangements, following the direction of “Fever” and “Blasphemous Rumours.” It is available for pre-order on CD, as a limited-edition clear, marbled vinyl LP with the exclusive bonus track “Digital Cage,” and digitally through the band’s official shop.
“The Final Kiss” tracklist:
- “Fever”
- “Heartbreaker”
- “Fallen Angel”
- “Blasphemous Rumours”
- “The Ocean’s Roar”
- “Fake Love Again”
- “Watch Us Fall”
- “Where Is Your God Now?”
- “No Secret”
- “Schattenmelodie”
The vinyl edition adds “Digital Cage” as an eleventh, exclusive track.
In Strict Confidence are performing live again, with shows already held across Europe in 2026 and further dates, including Austria, Germany and Spain, planned for 2027.
About In Strict Confidence
In Strict Confidence formed in Germany in 1989 as a quartet under the name Seal of Secrecy, renaming itself In Strict Confidence in 1992 after keyboardist Thomas Steiger left, narrowing the group to the duo of Dennis Ostermann and Jörg Schelte. Founding drummer Stefan Vesper also left in 1992 and returned around 2001, in time for “Mistrust the Angels.”
The band released its debut album, “Cryogenix,” in 1996 on Zoth Ommog, followed by “Face the Fear” (1997) on the same label and “Love Kills!” (2000) on Bloodline. “Mistrust the Angels” (2002) and “Holy” (2004) both charted on the Offizielle Deutsche Charts, and “Exile Paradise” (2006) reached number three on the German Alternative Charts. Heidi Pulkkinen, credited as HayDee Sparks, joined on guitars in 2008, and Nina de Lianin joined on vocals and lyrics in 2009, completing the band’s current line-up alongside Ostermann, Schelte and Vesper.
“La Parade Monstrueuse” (2010) and “Utopia” (2012) followed before the band moved to Minuswelt for “The Hardest Heart” in 2016, which reached number two on the Deutsche Alternative Charts. The band issued “Hate2Love” in 2018, followed by the “Mercy” EP the same year and a limited double-vinyl edition pairing the two. In 2021, the band marked the 25th anniversary of its debut with “Cryogenix (25 Years Edition),” and in 2023 reissued “La Parade Monstrueuse” as a 3CD set. Dennis Ostermann also records as Controlled Fusion, who remixed “Fever.”
Eight years after “Hate2Love,” In Strict Confidence returned in 2026 with the single “Fever,” followed by the Depeche Mode cover “Blasphemous Rumours,” ahead of “The Final Kiss,” due November 20, 2026, through Minuswelt.
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For almost 15 years I’ve been writing about music, interviewing artists and reviewing releases for Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Recently, I also launched my own WordPress website, where I continue to share interviews, reviews and news from the underground scene. The darker side of music has been part of my life for more than 30 years, with a passion for everything from ’80s synthpop and New Wave to EBM, Futurepop and dark electronic music in general. Also Metal and Rock is part of my world. Away from the scene, I work in a public library, where books are part of my everyday life. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on politics, religion, health and travel. I’m also a fan of thrillers and horror films. When I’m not listening to music or reading, you’ll usually find me exploring nature, enjoying a good sauna, experimenting with vegan cooking, or travelling to my second home, Finland. I’ve always believed the underground has the best stories. My job is simply to help tell them
