"Oh, no, not Nukleopatra AGAIN!" I've heard this from more than one DOA fan since the US release of Nukleopatra recently. And it's an understandable reaction. Ever since "Nuke" first appeared in its Japanese incarnation, people who love the band have been hoping for something new to appear. Although there has been a flood of remixes, some brilliant, some not so hot, what people really yearn for is something totally new and different.

And yet, and yet....I suspect that DOA fanatics have become somewhat spoiled in the last few years because things HAVE been happening for the band: records have been coming out all over the world and the band has appeared in far flung corners of the globe. This is a far cry from the dark days following Fan the Flame when the band seemed to just disappear and most of us didn't know if we would ever see or hear Pete and Steve ever again. Compared to those dark days, this is practically a Golden Age.

I think we're being a bit selfish as well. DOA operate in the real world, and they have to achieve the level of commercial success that will give them the means to push on to new creative heights. And if this means repeatedly releasing the Nukleopatra album in different territories to achieve the breakthrough they need, I think we have to back them on that all the way.

Commercial success in the US would give the guys the clout and backing to fully implement their creative vision as only they can. Wouldn't it have been great to have more videos from Nukleopatra, videos for the title track, for example, and I'm A Star? (I've often mentally pictured Pete acting out those lyrics...what a hoot!)

But there was only one video (Rebel Rebel) because that's all Sony Japan would finance. If DOA were the international stars they surely deserve to be, there would have been loads of videos, and also arena tours with wild sets and costume changes and spectacular lighting.

These are the kind of things that the band and their following ALL want to happen, and Steve and Pete are smart enough to know what to do to make these dreams a reality. They just need enough industry backing so they can show the members of the public who don't even realize the band still exists that DOA are not only still around, but they're twice as exciting and far more outrageous than bland pantomimes like Culture Club or a warmed-over Human League. In the Billboard interview posted on the Right Stuff, Pete states that music should be INSTANT...it should be made professionally but quickly, not labored over in a precious fashion. It should then be enjoyed and appreciated, following which WE ALL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING. I'm sure nobody is more frustrated than Pete at the fact that they're still working the Nukleopatra project. But if that's what it takes to achieve their greater aims, he and Steve are disciplined enought to put themselves through it.

So, in my opinion, if you have the money, you should buy the US Nukleopatra (give it to an friend if your Nukleopatra cabinet is already full!) and help the guys achieve as big a splash in America as possible. Because when they do move on to the next thing, you know it will all be worth it.