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Feature Article 

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Feature Article 

Concert Reviews

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(see also our feature on Seraph Records)





Garden Of Dreams 
Everything/In Sight Of Skies Turned Out
~reviewed by Matthew

Over the past two months, a lot of signifigant things have happened to my personality.  Besides becoming a complete computer geek and learning HTML, I have also become an utter shoegaze/indy rock freak.  And I owe it all to Slowdive of course, and Ashes (also reviewed this issue) and this wonderful Chicago band Garden Of Dreams.

With the first two songs on the band’s newest CD “Everything,” the power and capabilities of the band are presented and hook the listener instantly.  “Velvet Waves” is a gorgeous, somber track with pounding drums, driving bass and warm waves of shimmering guitar genius.   The song peaks with the introduction of blistering violin, chimes and lush male vocal harmonies.  “Glow” follows and exhibits the band’s pop sensibilities, taking a cue from The Cure and composing a sweetly romantic and contagious song that would delight fans of alternative and the goth/post rock fans of old.

But then comes the epic masterpiece, the absorbing highly emotional “In The Shadows Of A Ghost” which is just absolutely in its ten-minute entirety, a perfect song.  Violins loom throughout the building watery guitars, orchestral synths, and melodic simplicity of the drums as downtrodden male vocals mope through a bleak wonderland of love lost and hope for relief 
banished.  The CD is worth it for this song alone. The CD continues on with more Cure-esque pop of “Perfect Circle” and the ultra-passionate “Bleeding Soul,” then to slow down with the ballad “Red Pink” and ‘perk’ back up with the claustrophobic and rhythmic “When You Dream.”  The CD closes with two more epic length tracks, first the icy “Winter’s Eternal Wish” and the ambient space rock of “The Griffin.”

More recently the band has released a remix CD entitled “In Sight Of Skies Turned Out,” where a collection of interesting and diverse re-workings of the band’s material appears.  Though I have always been of the opinion that excessive remixes were a waste of time and sort of regarded them as no more than space fillers to tide fans over.  This is no exception, however, if you are interested in the band, it’s not a bad release to pick up, as the remixes are interestingly avant-garde.  Though don’t expect a driving club hit as I feel there are really no songs consistent enough to receive serious club play.  The band’s original material from “Everything” and the prior release “The Seraphim’s Desire” make for better club candidates as the songs are more focussed and quite frankly, presented in the form they are meant to 
be in.

This is great music, for fans of heartfelt dark pop, and it was an exceptionally invigorating listen.
 

EVERYTHING
1.) Velvet Waves
2.) Glow
3.) In The Shadows Of A Ghost
4.) Perfect Circle
5.) Bleeding Soul
6.) Red Pink
7.) When You Dream
8.) Winter’s Eternal Wish
9.) The Griffin

IN SIGHT OF SKIES TURNED OUT:
1.) Glow Job
2.) Velvet Waves (Ultra Violet mix)
3.) Red Pink (Not My Tea mix)
4.) Glow (The Reverend J. No Garage mix)
5.) Bleeding Soul (Life Of The Party mix)
6.) Glow (Implosive mix)
7.) In The Shadows Of A Ghost (Isolation mix)
8.) Glow (Decomposition mix)
9.) Winter’s Eternal Wish (The Infinite Wiggle Puppy mix)
10.) In The Shadows Of A Ghost (Uncontrollable Twitching mix)

Garden Of Dream is:
Gene: vocals/guitar
Scott: guitars
Michael: bass
Reuben: keyboards
Graham: drums

Garden Of Dreams - Official Site:
http://www.gardenofdreams.com

Garden Of Dreams Mp3 Site:
http://www.mp3.com/gardenofdreams

Seraph Records
P.O. Box 13110
Chicago, IL 60613-3110
USA
http://www.seraphonline.com




GARDEN OF DREAMS
Everything
~reviewed by Psionic Imperator

Sometimes I truly wish I were more capable of appreciating technical proficiency alone. If that were the case, I'd love Garden Of Dreams, as skill is in abundance here. But this release does nothing for me.. It lacks substance, like a souffle. Being entirely too light, fluffy, airy, happy, and Cure-ish for it's own good, they are a project that should be excellent, but just somehow fail to deliver. At the same time, I cannot help but think that perhaps its just me, perhaps it is my preternatural obsession with the darker/harder side of music... I'm sure that there are many of the Gothic persuasion who would adore this project for it's (virtually intangible) ethereal qualities.. Me personally, I just can't sink my teeth into this. I also can't help but find a certain degree of irony in the title of this release, considering it _lacks_ almost 'Everything'. I'll say this much; If you love Lycia, if you love the Cure, then there is a better than good chance that you'll at least like Garden Of Dreams...

Tracklisting:
1 - Velvet Waves
2 - Glow
3 - In The Shadows Of A Ghost
4 - Perfect Circle
5 - Bleeding Soul
6 - Red Pink
7 - When you Dream
8 - Winters Eternal Wish
9 - The Griffin

Garden Of Dreams are:
Gene Blalock - Vocals, Guitars, 6-String Bass, Keyboards
Michael Verzant - Bass
Scott Carpenter - Guitars
Reuben Chew - Keyboards
Graham Brisben - Drums/Percussion

Garden Of Dreams Webpresence:
www.gardenofdreams.com
Seraph Records Webpresense:
www.seraphonline.com

10/01/00