Bernard Sumner, reflecting on New Order’s unconventional journey, once remarked, “If you do it the way everyone else does it, you might have more success. But it’ll be a short burn, whereas with the way New Order did it, it made us more interesting. But it wasn’t intentional, though; we just did what we wanted to do and didn’t really listen to anyone.” That ethos has certainly shaped New Order’s legacy — a defiant, sometimes chaotic dance along the edges of post-punk’s decay and electronic music’s rise, where art and accident often intersect.
Now, nearly four decades on, it’s time to cast another long look back. Warner Music is preparing to drop a deluxe reissue of Brotherhood, one of New Order’s pivotal albums. Set for release on November 22, this limited edition will come in a lavish 2CD, 2DVD, and 1LP format, making it the fourth installment in their ongoing Definitive boxed set series. Following the highly regarded reissues of Movement (2019), Power, Corruption & Lies (2020), and Low-Life (2023), Brotherhood promises to delve even deeper into the vaults, offering fans a chance to revisit a moment where New Order’s penchant for straddling disparate worlds was at its peak.
Released in September 1986, Brotherhood soared to No. 9 on the UK Albums Chart and showcased the band’s ability to balance contrasting styles. The album was split into two distinct halves: the first, more post-punk-driven, with its raw energy and melancholic tones, and the second, a forward-thinking exploration into electronic dance music, featuring one of their most iconic synth-pop hits, “Bizarre Love Triangle.” The forthcoming reissue doesn’t just give the album a fresh remastering; it also packs in a trove of previously unheard demos and tracks, recorded during a 1985 session in Japan. The real draw, however, might be the 2DVD set, which includes long-buried live performances from Brixton Academy (1987), G-Mex Manchester (1986), Glastonbury, and a smattering of TV appearances across the UK and Europe. This is the band as they were meant to be experienced — raw, unfiltered, and on the brink of implosion.
To round out the release, there are also new editions of the 12” singles Bizarre Love Triangle, State Of The Nation, and Touched By The Hand Of God, each accompanied by their elusive B-sides. It’s a treasure trove for the devoted and the curious alike, a rare chance to delve into the seismic shifts and off-kilter melodies that defined a band as elusive as their sound.
For those itching for even more, Season 2 of Transmissions: The Definitive Story of Joy Division & New Order has been announced, promising new and exclusive interviews with band members Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, and Peter Hook, alongside special guests like Johnny Marr, Billy Corgan, and Neil Tennant. Narrated by BBC Radio’s Elizabeth Alker, this season captures the band in the wake of the surprise global success of Blue Monday, navigating a bizarre new world where Quincy Jones is banging on their door, and John Hughes is begging for soundtrack contributions.
“America had never heard of Joy Division,” reflects drummer Stephen Morris. “In England and Europe, you’d get people expecting Love Will Tear Us Apart. In America, they approached us with an open mind, which justified our bloody-mindedness in not being Joy Division…”
The spirit of New Order has always been a refusal to conform, a determination to chart a singular course no matter the consequences. With the release of Brotherhood‘s Definitive Edition, they once again invite listeners to step into their curious world — one foot in the warehouse, the other in the indie disco, forever caught between two worlds, and reveling in the dissonance.
You can pre-order the definitive edition of Brotherhood and more here.
Tracklist for the Definitive Edition of Brotherhood:
CD1: Brotherhood (2024 Remaster)
Paradise
Weirdo
As It Is When It Was
Broken Promise
Way of Life
Bizarre Love Triangle
All Day Long
Angel Dust
Every Little Counts
State of the Nation
CD2: Extras
Includes previously unreleased demos, alternative versions, and remixes, offering a deeper glimpse into the band’s creative process.
DVD1 and DVD2
Live performances from Brixton Academy, G-Mex Manchester, and more, plus rare TV appearances.
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