Step back for a moment, if you will, and try to emerge yourself in a vast, alien landscape with visions of whales as big as 100 airplanes glide over head and playfully nudge each other while lightning softly strokes their luminescent skin. Now take this image and place it inside a waking dream that rumbles inside your head, pulling and twisting to get out and make itself be known. This is the kind of feeling one gets while exploring this wonderful delight of an artist. It has taken me some time to figure out the words to say about modern day Russian composure Artemiy Artemiev, but I will try and do his work justice by saying that his combination of styles and emotions within his work strikes a beautiful resonance within me and I am sure it would move many as well. Reading this man’s bio, work history, and collaborations is like reading a “Who’s Who?” of world electronic music, it is a startling and impressive list that spans the likes of film-director & producer Vladimir Krupnitskiy, whom co-founded the label Electroshok from which this cd came from, Philip B. Klinger, and Peter Frohmader. His exploits into the film and TV industry is quite evident in much of his sound and style, any one of his tracks could be placed on top of any variety of film and fit very, very well. Exploration into sounds, both electronic and acoustic is something of an art form, and to see such an art come to life inside your speakers is, in my opinion, something to be giddy about.

Starting off this journey is a beautifully vast tundra of a composition called “Under Cover of the Skies” which slowly sways back and forth, enveloping and swallowing, only to recreate itself and start all over again, lush synths play about like a butterfly gliding about on a winter day. Next we have “Mirage”, a 12 minute piece that invokes strange, mystical nights of some strange mausoleum deep inside a mountain somewhere. Obscure Russian words are softly spoken off in the distance while an ever present drone washes in and out, but never seems to dull the sound of the track. Our next piece is an epic journey that would make Danny Elfman smile by the name of “Down By the Footsteps Leading to the Abyss”. Another magical, yet playful tune that would be best fitted into some deep fantasy movie soundtrack that explores the wonders of nature and the magical world we rarely see. Tapping in at 21 minutes this track really does take you on that journey, rising in intensity and emotion but keeping true to its ambient nature as it soars into dark caves of sound and rises high into the air with spikes of glowing fractalized moments of aural playfulness. “Points of Intersection” goes a bit more in the direction of experimental and explores a more sinister tone, perhaps within the realms of William S Burroughs “Naked Lunch”, which you could picture being placed with. Seductive and dark, this track hold your attention, but it tends to become a bit to “spacey”  and for me falls a bit short of the rest of the magic on the cd. Moments of Steve Roach sounding exploration pop up here and there, which gives it that tribal feel, and you can see a common thread on each others music, especially on this track. The disk is rounded out with “From & to”, another deep and dark storm of a track. This one has a very strong Coil feel about it. Hypnotic beat, which is a first for the disk, lays the backbone on the track, pulsing and pushing the audience a bit further, yet has a sense of closure for the disk, which works very well, almost like the credit track that roles at the end of some horror movie.

Overall this disk is quiet a discovery. Artemiy really puts the talent back into modern day composures and puts faith back into me as to what ambient/experimental music should be. Around the world people are exploring different sounds and styles, and Russia seems to have a great individual who knows all the right moves to keep you entertained. After listening to this cd for the 10th time, I began to understand the reflective quality that Artemiy was trying to get across, that you take away from his music what you put into it, like life. He really makes you think about what is going on in his world and yours, between that nighttime world we visit each night as we lay in bed and the waking shock of reality. Perhaps we choose not to fully understand what it is that makes us who we are, but with composures such as Artemiy Artemiev, we can at least start to explore the psychic highway of human reality and dreams.

Artemiy Artemiev
Point of Intersection
1. Under Cover of the Skies
2. Mirage
3. Down By the Footsteps Leading to the Abyss
4. Points of Intersection
5. From & to

Website: http://www.electroshock.ru/eng/artemiy/

Affiliations:
Member of Russian Association for Electronic Music
Member of Union of Cinematographists of Russia
Member of ASCAP
Member of RAO

ANIMADVERSION
Release Number 1
~reviewed by Psionic

~I would so love to be able to tell you, dear reader, that AnimadVersion is the most groundbreaking project I've heard since Skinny Puppy. Sadly, that would make me a liar, and I've never been very good at that sort of thing, so you'd see right through me anyways. AnimadVersion do write a solid thump-thump-thumpy-thump sort of EBM track, but it really doesn't go too much further than that. There is nothing about AnimadVersion that makes it sound any different from a dozen other thump-thump-thumpy-thump bands, save for perhaps the vocals... But the vocals stand out as a result of their exceptionally poor quality, so that isn't really a selling point on the whole originality front.. Lots of bands have bad singers. Weak, off key, and in no way beneficial to the overall package that is AnimadVersion, one cannot help but get caught focusing on them... The music failing in all ways to grab the listeners attention. The band isn't -bad- per se, more overwhelmingly forgettable. I realize this is probably the harshest cd review I have ever done, and I do feel some pangs of guilt being so abrasive about the whole thing... I mean, the packaging is slick, there is even a snazzy software package included on the cd containing their full website for you to peruse at your leisure. But it's all moot in the face of such a flaccid release. I'm sorry to be so stark, but AnimadVersion is inexcusably bland.

Tracklisting:
1- Devotion
2- Ennui
3- DiOG (Is this what the track is called? Who can tell with the SLOPPY FONT USED!!!)
4- Alicia
5- Devotion (Indifference)

AnimadVersion is:
Benjamin Bacon
Jonathan Ford

AnimadVersion website:
http://animadversion.org
 

Attrition
The Hidden Agenda / Ephemera (re-releases)
~reviewed by Matthew

There was only one shortcoming to being an obsessive Attrition fan.  It was fairly easy to obtain most of their releases via Projekt records, but for years, I have been frustrated by the fact that my discography was incomplete only by one full-length release.   But thanks to Invisible records, those gaps are now filled as the long out of print Attrition album “The Hidden Agenda” and the experimental EP “Ephemera” are both available again.

“The Hidden Agenda” was originally released in 1993 on Hyperium records, between the albums “A Tricky Business” and “3 Arms & A Dead Cert.”   It was during this time that Attrition were shifting their musical focus from a mischievous ‘horror-show’ style of Goth rock to more hard hitting electronics (at least for the early nineties).  With that said, “The Hidden Agenda” serves as a perfect bridge between the two aforementioned styles and albums, and you can hear the band developing the new style yet (thankfully) reluctant to completely leave their 80’s roots behind (as best exemplified on “This Great Design”). The semi-club hits “Lip Sync” and “The Mercy Machine” originate from this album, and until now, these tracks were only easily obtained on the recent remix and live albums.   But finally the studio versions are now as easy to hear.

I absolutely adore early Attrition.  Albums such as “Smiling At The Hypogonder Club” and “In The Realm Of The Hungry Ghosts” are essential Gothic rock classics, along with the superb moody electronics on “3 Arms & A Dead Cert.”  Though “The Hidden Agenda” and “The Jeopardy Maze” are very similar in style to “3 Arms & A Dead Cert,” THAT album was the pinnacle of creativity due to the juxtaposition of brooding viola and some of Julia’s most ghostly operatic performances with hard edged, beat heavy electronics and overall creepiness and solid atmosphere.  There was just something about the way the band utilized these formulas on this album that I feel will be very hard for them to surpass.  “The Hidden Agenda” is the CD that was working toward that perfection, and “The Jeopardy Maze” was the surreal and worthy aftermath, but “3 Arms…” was the masterpiece.

I think having to wait for this CD for so long was a bit of a disadvantage.  Since I was forever searching for it, inadvertently, I began to have really high expectations for it.  Nonetheless, I was very pleased with the album as whole and I am glad to finally have it in my possession.  It is definitely a must for any Attrition fan, especially fans of their recent contemporary electro sound.

“Ephemera” on the other hand, is a bit of a different story.  Subtitled “Incidental Musics Volume II,” it is a ‘sequel’ to the bands debut 1982 release “This Death House” which was, as you probably guessed it, subtitled “Incidental Musics Volume I.”   “This Death House” clocked in at over 45 minutes, and contained only two lengthy experimental, sound scape-ish tracks.  I remember reading that Martin was inspired by George A. Romero’s films, most notably “Night of the Living Dead,” while composing this release.   Having never been one for most ‘experimental/soundtrack’ music, “This Death House” was the only Attrition album that I never cared much for.  “Ephemera” is very similar to this release, but obviously, much more developed being recorded 13 years later in Martin’s career.

Surely, this album was a departure for Martin and crew, and it was probably interesting and therapeutic for him to revisit such abstract shores.  It is a dark release, very hypnotic and excellent backdrop music. But usually, I want music to be more than just background accompaniment, so that is where I feel this CD falls short, knowing what Attrition are capable of.   However, subtle electronic beats creep their way into parts of “Ephemera,” which helps maintain a higher level of interest for the listener.  It is easy for me to recognize that this is quality experimental music that will delight fans of this style, but I could take or leave this album. In other words, I wouldn’t miss it either way if it were not re-released.   I personally prefer the more structured style that makes up the majority of Attrition’s discography, which makes me attribute much more importance to “The Hidden Agenda” as opposed to “Ephemera.”

But either way, it’s awesome that these releases are available again so that Attrition fans have a better chance at collecting them.

The Hidden Agenda:
1.) Lip Sync (Xenophobia Edit)
2.) Agenda Station
3.) The Deadline
4.) This Great Design
5.) Sister Teresa
6.) The Silent Mind
7.) The Cage
8.) The Mercy Machine
9.) The Next Day (re-visited)
10.) His Latest Flame
11.) Lip Sync (reprise)
12.) The Third House
13.) A Wing And A Prayer

Ephemera:
1.) The Long Wait
2.) A Great Desire
3.) The Big Lie
4.) Wetenscap (Dream #9)
5.) Lang Zal Jij Leven

Attrition was on these recordings:
Martin Bowes: voice/electronics/programming
Julia Waller: vocals

Attrition – Official Site:
http://www.attrition.co.uk

Attrition – Mp3 Site:
http://www.mp3.com/attrition

Invisible Records:
http://www.invisiblerecords.com
 

(This review originally appeared in StarVox in July 2000)
Audra
self-titled debut
~reviewed by Matthew

In lieu of the recent synth-pop invasion, I have heard from countless DJ’s, promoters, and fans alike that ‘there just haven’t been any good Goth releases recently.’ Well, to some extent I agree, as there have indeed been a significant amount of good releases with shadows of Goth mixed among Industrial, Electro, Metal, or what have you. But as for traditional, good old fashion Gothic Rock, there has been very little. Whether or not that is just the direction, or the ‘evolution’ (lack of a better word) of the dark music scene, I cannot really say. What I do know is that there is a new band signed to Projekt that might give some Goth rockers hope, and that is Audra.

Unlike the primarily ethereal and occasionally electronic roster that Projekt is known for, Audra completely goes back to the minimalist, shoegazing school of gloom that we are all familiar with yet have seemingly lost touch with. Driving bass, deep baritone vocals, processed guitars that swirl and  buzz all the same, and post-punk drum beats encompass this CD, captured to disc by a crystal clear, smooth production that makes for a very delightful listen.

Audra’s influences ring loud and clear, as the exceptionally emotional voice of Bret Helm sounds almost TOO much like Peter Murphy and some of the acoustic passages on the CD remind one of later Bauhaus. There is a song dedicated to Rozz Williams entitled “In Hollywood Tonight” that is quite hypnotic and catchy with cascading drumbeats, acoustic strums, lulling bass, and trancey guitars. The bass lines hearken back to the great undertones of Joy Division and 12”-era Sisters, and the dosages of black humour, neurotic obsession, and sarcasm pervading the lyrics (as the sinister love song “Flowers” and the schizophrenic doom of “2 Girls 1 Dress” demonstrate) also give an inkling of the band’s Goth rock roots.

The bottom line being, however similar Audra maybe to whatever band, they are a fresh addition to a style that is slowly being buried in BPM’s and samples. The style is recognizable, yet the way it is presented is what makes Audra’s music successful. The music is a perfect medium between the unnerving post-rock and dirgey art punk of the days of yore. There is a nice blending of upbeat songs with slow, plodding marches and creepier songs, but above all, this is an excellent release. It is EXTREMELY listenable, catchy, memorable, and inspires a nostalgia and may rekindle interest and remind us that traditional Goth rock can fill dance floors as well.

And finally, it is THE answer to those DJs, promoters, and fans that are looking for a new Goth Rock release.

Website: http://www.audramusic.com/
Label: Projekt (www.projekt.com)

Brothers Bart and Bret Helm grew up listening to the likes of David Bowie, Joy Division, Velvet Undergound, and Bauhaus. Off and on through different musical stints, the brothers stuck together and in 1991 they formed Audra. With the later additions of bass player Janel and guitarist/keyboardist Rick Zandlo, Audra has finally come of age so to speak with the announcement that its joined the leagues of ethereal enthusiasts on the divine Projekt label. Previous to this, Audra released two wonderful CDs on their own - 1998's "In a Dark Room..." which contained the memorial for Rozz Williams, "In Hollywood Tonight" and 1999's "Silver Music" which is reviewed here as a preview for their new CD which should be ready in July. In the history off their webpage, they say their music is was "built on the unsettled emotions from past relationships, the passing of heroes and friends, encounters with the divine world and erotic fantasies." Sound interesting? Oh it is… more then you know…

Maybe its just the Spring weather here, but more and more I think it's the sultry vocals on this CD that have me enamored with everyone I see lately. Bret's vocals are deep and smooth and there's a subtle sexuality to them that is hard to describe in words. The first track, "In All Our Androgyny," has become a favorite among Audra fans. Light and upbeat, Bret croons, "being there is like holding yourself, like kissing yourself in all our androgyny…"

Track 2 is probably one of the best song titles I've heard in a long time - " Spiked with Black and Rum." As you might imagine, it's a dark, moody song. When Bret sings, "And I'm left dizzy, spiked with black and rum, staring into the eyes of a doll that looks back through glass and emptiness, my problems lie in my obsessions…there are no stars, only images…" I cannot help but think of the emotionally-laden vocals of past greats like Peter Murphy. Bart paints a bleak world with his guitar - further adding to the unrest you feel in the vocals.

"Flowers" is another dark track - but more ominous in its sound. There is an element of dangerous sexual over tones - an unrequited love perhaps that boarders on obsession. A predatory bass line reminds me much of the work the Toadies did a few years ago on their dark alternapop CD. "I want to walk up to your, to your window and knock softly, hand them to you one at a time till your arms are filled. I have flowers, that I'm bringing especially for you, I thought that they would match your eyes, in the garden, I'll tie them together…" Mmmm…yummy.

My favorite song on this CD is "Venus" - which is the perfect example of that subtle sexual tone I mentioned earlier that makes me just melt. Accentuated by the driving guitar riffs of Bart and an undulating bass line, Bret sings, "There is another world, a place only I can see…not only myself, but with you, when you're alone, there's always something…and I hear your voice, and its so soft, it's like touching the air, it whispers poetry when the lights go dim…I need to get drunk on your tears, on your fears and on your body, on your body I fear I am lost…" He sings of desire, death, of love lost, and of a desperate need to reconnect to something that once was. Its bittersweet in the bluest shade of despair.

Poetic lyrics on love and death continue with "Cupid" - a swirling, quite danceable track followed by the pensive, nightmarish "2 Girls in 1 Dress." If this is a preview of what's to come in future releases from Audra, consider me waiting anxiously in wings. I'm looking forward to seeing how they're incorporated into the Projekt label.

Website: http://www.audramusic.com/
Label: Projekt (www.projekt.com)
 

The Azoic
Forward
~reviewed by Matthew

With two full-length albums, their own record label (pronounced nil-EYE-ah), and over five years experience to their credit, The Azoic rapidly excelled to reign as one of the United States’ most treasured darkwave bands.  Their debut “The Divine Suffering” is perhaps one of the most disturbing and self-depreciating albums in existence, and the polished follow-up “Where Broken Angels Lie” solidified the band as a force to be reckoned with due to the stark club hits “Intimate Incisions” and “Drown.”

And as the title of their third album would hint, this Columbus OH duo seek to move ‘forward’ and further solidify and expand their sound to be more in league with current EBM and electronic bands rattling the rafters of clubs across the globe.  It is extremely impressive to hear how far the band has come, especially being a fan since day one.  Though the miserable Gothic tones of their debut release is what originally drew me to the band, they have moved further away from that style over the years much to my dismay, but have won the respect of a much broader fan base and they are obviously creating the kind of music they are more comfortable with.  And above all, I cannot stress this enough, they are doing what the do extremely well.

The direction of the new Azoic release is very similar to the young and highly successful act Flesh Field (who provide their own unique remix of The Azoic on this release), due to the hard-hitting electro ‘thuds,’ whirlwinds of wire synths, and strong female vocals.  I hear a lot of VNV Nation and Assemblage 23’s influence in the synth arrangements, and the atmospheric elements of the Azoic’s past are not completely depleted for there are a great many ghostly choir samples that appear throughout the disc.

The opening track, “Not Justified,” features one of those gorgeous choir samples and kicks off the CD wonderfully, providing a perfect balance of atmosphere and unmistakable club potential.  I love this track to pieces, it is just completely awesome.  The track “Progression” appears on this release as well, a song which has already received extensive club play over the past year due to its prior appearance in a slightly different form on the successful Resistor compilation from last year.  Those two tracks are definitely an absolute must for DJs, this I cannot stress enough either. “Progression” has consistently filled the floor in Pittsburgh since its initial release, and in many other cities as well.

“Evolution” stands out, as it is the only track which features Steve Laskarides’ lead vocals.  Steve has decreased the amount of effects on his vocals, yielding to a more organic yet still raw feel to his voice, somewhat similar to a more sedate Funker Vogt.   This track will also probably due well on the dance floor.   “Redemption” has some interesting and abrasive electronics, quite noisy in parts, yet consistent nonetheless.

“Carve Into You” has a beautiful, pensive build up, with cinematic, symphonic synths with bits of dialogue strung together and a sample of an eerie military march.  Kristy’s vocals are more reserved in this song, but the interplay between her voice and the melodies provided by the electronics make for a very moving effect.  The more I listen to this song the more I
enjoy it.

That leaves us with seven ‘new’ tracks, the remaining four songs being remixes. In terms of those remixes, the Assemblage 23 was quite nice, starting with a very unexpected classical piano interlude that builds to wonderfully melancholic yet beat heavy arrangement.  Very effective and well arranged, with a nice ethereal atmosphere.   The Flesh Field mix is pretty cool as well, pumping the aggression of the original song a few degrees higher for a more stomp friendly effect.  Nice, and quite mind-altering.  Fiction 8’s take on “Progression” keeps the feel of the original song, with lengthier build-ups and some neat reverberated effects on the vocals.  Basically, the song is a bit more stretched out, which is cool, but it’s probably my least favourite of the remixes.  The Oneroid Psychosis interpretation takes the song down a significant amount of BPM’s for a more sinister darkwave feel, but the vocals are still the same pace, which kind of throws it off.  The first listen, the song sounded a bit awkward, but with each successive listen, it will grow on you.  It’s definitely quite creative, and way sp0oky, as you can expect from these guys.

What more can you say about remixes?  I was a bit disappointed that there were only seven new tracks on here, giving the album the feel of an extended EP.  Nonetheless, the album is just under an hour, so that does indeed qualify as a full length so I can’t complain.  I just wished for more, and when you hear this CD, you will definitely feel the same.  The only shortcoming I can really find with the new direction of the band is that they could stand for a bit more variation.  A lot of the songs seem to have the same pace, feel, and synth sounds, etc.  I think the next release the band produce (and hopefully it won’t be as long of a wait this time!) will be their masterpiece.

Overall, an impressive CD on several levels, which will definitely catapult the band even further upward into ‘stardom.’   If you are on the East Coast, be sure to check out The Azoic who will be performing with label mates Fiction 8 throughout late June/early July.

Track List:
1.) Not Justified
2.) Lost
3.) Evolution
4.) Progression
5.) Harsh Reality
6.) Redemption
7.) Carve Into You
8.) Progression (Dirge Mix by Assemblage 23)
9.) Evolution (Dillusion Mix by Flesh Field)
10.) Progression (Pinchita Mix by Fiction 8)
11.) Progression (Oneiroid Psychosis Mix)

The Azoic is:
Kristy Venrick: vocals/lyrics
Steve Laskarides: electronics/samples, etc

Nilaihah Records:
http://www.nilaihah.com

The Azoic – Mp3 Site:
http://www.mp3.com/theazoic

~What happened? The Azoic used to be one of those kind of mopey Goth bands. Somewhere along the way they seem to have been bludgeoned with an EBM stick, and shifted directions entirely. Not that I can find issue with that, but wow... Not what I was expecting at all. Thump Thump, Boom Boom, Stomp Stomp, Blip Blip

Yeah, this is dance-floor friendly alright. Kristy really seems to have come into herself vocally now, her delivery is far more comfortable and powerful as a result. Once again, not something I can, or will even try to, find fault with. Go Kristy. Go Azoic.
For those of you who -don't- already know, Kristy Venrick is also known as 'That hot chick who owns Nilaihah Records, home of Fiction 8, The Azoic, and Oneiriod Psychosis'. Heh.

Often we find that the bands of labels-owners are ego-signees. The Azoic is not one of these. Especially with this new direction. Have I mentioned how much more I like this sound? Oh yes. It's tasty.
'Forward', aside from it's stunning change of musical direction, is comprised of 11 tracks. 7 new songs and 4 remixes by EBM notables Assemblage 23 and Flesh Field as well as remixes from labelmates Fiction 8 and Oneiroid Psychosis. While all these remixes are pure sugar, they also form my only complaint with this album... I would rather have seen 11 new tracks of this caliber and 4 remixes. Like that thin slice of Cheesecake at the speakeasy you went to after the bar last night...  It just leaves you wanting more. If you're a fan of cybersynth dance music, then this is a must-have cd to add to your collection.~

Tracklisting:
1: Not Justified
2: Lost
3: Evolution
4: Progression
5: Harsh Reality
6: Redemption
7: Carve Into You
8: Progression (Dirge by Assemblage 23)
9: Evolution (Dillusional mix by Flesh Field)
10: Progression (Pinchita mix by Fiction 8)
11: Progression (remix Oneiroid Psychosis)

The Azoic Website: http://www.nilaihah.com/azoic.htm
Nilaihah Records Website: http://nilaihah.com

BELFEGOR
The Kingdom of Glacial Palaces
~reviewed by Michael Johnson
 

As black metal continues it’s steady ascent of popularity, more and more bands are taking their strike at making a name for themselves.  The Polish three-piece, Belfegor, is one of them that shows quite a bit of promise with their debut release, The Kingdom of Glacial Palaces.

The Kingdom of Glacial Palaces is a heart-stopping journey divided into twelve pounding tracks.  Pushing ‘Play’ on your CD player with this in is akin to poking a sleeping polar bear in the ass with a fork, and the reaction is just as violent.  The guitars snap at you out of nowhere and the vocals rend you with their unholy fangs.  This album, save a few seconds of ambience, does not stop coming at you until it either ends or it claims your soul as you lay broken and bleeding on your bedroom floor.

That being said, this assault is also the only fault I found with the recording.  With this relentless attack, it’s hard to differentiate between the songs and allow the mind to absorb it.  There are few intros and no instrumental tracks to aid in navigation through this.  Fans of blast-beat-none-of-those-pussy-keyboards metal, like Marduk, will absolutely swoon to this and for a premier album; it’s a very solid effort.  World War III Records has a great ear for new bands and Belfegor sits proudly at their table.  They have great production and a raw sound that has been hard to find as of late.  This is one of those releases that will surface again and again during my foulest moods and I highly doubt it will collect much dust in your house either.

Belfegor Is:
Tormentor – Vocals, bass guitar
Thagirion - Guitars
Lethal – Drums

Website: http://www.ww3music.com/bands_belfpg.html
Email: empire-records@wp.pl
 

BEYOND SALEM
Black Sabbatical
~reviewed by Michael Johnson

Beyond Salem was formed in 1996 by keyboardist/guitarist Michael Cannon.  Black Sabbatical is the third release and definitely one of the more schizophrenic releases I have heard in a very long time.

Okay, I’ll admit that when this crossed my desk, I was convinced that this was another standard gothic rock album.  The songs were strong and in the vein of The Cult but there wasn’t really anything that hadn’t been done.  The guitar work is outstanding and definitely catches your ear and this is only the first three tracks.  Track four, “When Angel’s Can’t Fly”,
takes a turn and the female vocals and soft synth take over.  Unexpectedly, a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Empty Spaces…Set Your Controls For The Heart Of The Sun” crept from my speakers following this feathery ballad. With the whispered vocals and electronics floating to and fro between speakers, this CD quickly began to show more promise.  Surprisingly, the CD maintains this ambient style, which is something I would have never guessed.  The songs are well titled and it’s extremely easy to lock on to the idea behind the song.

For instance, “13 Bells” has a bell chime thirteen times with female vocals carrying the melody behind it.  On the last chime, the song ends.  The spectral “Visitation” hints of the afterlife while the title track takes on its own haunted theme as female vocals whisper their alluring passages.  These types of tracks continue on throughout the remainder of the album and the diversity of them is sure to lock in your attention and hold you fast until the last note fades.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this album and that turned out to be its greatest ally.  Fans of either electro-ambient or straight gothic rock will enjoy this.  Michael Cannon is a talented individual with a vision that we must interpret for ourselves and Black Sabbatical is an album we can wholly enjoy while doing it.

Beyond Salem Is:
Michael Cannon – All keyboards, bass
Matte Black – All electric & lead guitars
John Campbell – Lead vocals, drum programs, bass
Anne-Marie Korber – Female voices, vocals & arias

Website: www.corpusnet.com/beyondsalem
Email: salem@corpusnet.com

BLOODTHORN
Under The Reign Of Terror
~reviewed by Michael Johnson

The mighty Bloodthorn returns and it is clear that Onwards Into Battle, although an excellent album, was merely a setup for the holocaust to come.  Their debut album on Red Stream Records shows us a new and savage side to a band known for mixing in beautiful, melancholic passages.

Under The Reign Of Terror wastes no time in showing off the changes that have been made in the Bloodthorn camp.  The guitars are tuned lower, the vocals are lower and the layering of them gives them a much more demonic feel.  As a whole, the record is deeper and heavier than their earlier efforts and these give it a very powerful feel; and feel it you will when the bass
drums begin to kick from your speakers.

Unfortunately, I liked the more mellow stuff Bloodthorn used to throw in.  I liked the female vocals, the soft keyboards, and even the clarinet.  What tears me is that I like the brutal side as well.  Both styles were so well done that I can only sit here and hope that from the ashes of the old lineup rises a phoenix that stays true to the older style.  Or maybe, just maybe, I want my cake and eat it too.  I’ll just shut up and do my job.

As an added bonus to most (even though I do not like Mayhem), Necrobutcher from Mayhem appears on a cover song of “Deathcrush” and this is done so well, I almost had to recant my dislike for the band.  Almost.

Truthfully, this is a fantastic album that grabbed me from the get-go and hasn’t let go.  Every song is memorable and if you find yourself standing in a store holding this and contemplating whether or not to buy it…GET IT!  You will not be disappointed.

Track Listing:
1.Deathmachine
2.The Return of Wrath
3.Demonblood
4.Age of Suffering
5.Fields of Blood
6.Mass Destruction
7.After the Attack
8.Deathcrush

Red Stream Records: www.redstream.org
 

Chiasm
Disorder
~reviewed by Adrian

The women of rock have always seemed, unfortunately, to play second role in the public, playing more like eye candy first, sound last,  than anything else. Sad. When it comes to the industrial scene this is even more true, but over the past 6 years there have been sparks of light and female energy that have outshined even the best of the male bands. Such talents as Battery, Android Lust, and now, Chiasm have slowly dissolved away the candy coated lining that all girl groups have to be cutesy and lovable or hide behind a fake smile telling only false emotions.

Track one, “Formula” is a slow, rhythmic introduction into Chiasm’s new release, scratching on emotions and feeling and gives you a peak at what is to come throughout the rest of the cd. Next we stumble into “Chiasm 5.0”, a very intense stab at personal disorder and chaos……which is starting to become the theme of the disk. Overall a very nice track, but I would have personally dissolved the guitar on this one.  “Transparent” sneaks in next and has the same style as the first two and you suddenly get the feeling that you are peeping into her personal diary, like a naughty sibling. One of my favorites, “Disorder” has a slow, sexuality that wraps you up and rubs you in all the right directions, and this should have great cross-over potential for those goth DJs who stick to slower, angry music that drips with poison and seduction. “Fight” jumps in and starts kicking butt with a 135 + bpm that is relentless and reminiscent of her label mates Battery, full of electro gashing and gnawing and industrial terrorism.

Our next treat, my favorite song, and the one that turned me onto Chiasm in the first place, “Liquefy” which is a breathy and passionate voyage into the hearts and minds of anyone who has loved, for good or bad, and it is a highlight of the talents and passion that Emileigh keeps inside herself. If nothing else grabs you on the cd, this will. Our next treats, “Isolated” and “Cold” spin the tone of the disk in a bit more darker direction, think Switchblade Symphony with a little more teeth and leather and you will have the general idea. “Enemy” glides in next with a very nicely done slow song that really has an epic feel about it once it gets going and rates as one of the top three tracks on the disk, both in production and talent. Wrapping the cd up is “Someone”, a grinding, minimal, electronic song that speaks of many lost emotions of identity, fear, and loneliness.

Musically Emileigh has  incredible talent, rising and falling with her songs and her intensity is solid and never wavers. My only complaint would be the variety, which tends to haunt many industrial artist these days…..they stick to the formula inside the box and rarely step foot outside to explore other options. Now, don’t get me wrong, what Emileigh does, she does well, but variety and fresh ideas is the spice of life and with a little focus she can and will become a solid force to be reckoned with inside the industrial/goth arena. DJ’s, both industrial and gothic should eat this disk up as it is quite dance floor friendly, albeit on the slower side, but it has that ever present loom of sexual energy and enticing force that drives within like a thunderstorm.

Chiasm – Disorder
1.      Formula
2.      Chiasm 5.0
3.      Transparent
4.      Disorder
5.      Fight
6.      Liquefy
7.      Isolated
8.      Cold
9.      Enemy
10.  Someone

Chiasm website: www.electro-girl.com
COP website: www.copint.com
 

CEVIN KEY
The Ghost Of Each Room
~reviewed by Psionic

At this juncture, cEvin Key has more than proven his genius for sound design and manipulation. From his history with the legendary Skinny Puppy to his more recently eclectic work with Download, he has shown us all time and again that there is an eccentric sounds factory churning within his skull, and we're all the better for the little audio gnomes that punch the time-clock in that factory and keep the assembly line of cool ideas flowing forth like wine from the jug of Anachrion.
So with this in mind we have his latest solo effort, The Ghost Of Each Room.

The title is a bit of a misnomer, as it isn't a particularly haunting release... At least, it doesn't fit with what I think of when I think of empty rooms populated by the deceased. But maybe that's just me.

It is, however, a crispy and well-tossed sonic salad. Guess what the dressing is? Long-time compatriots Nivek Ogre and Edward Ka-Spel.  *glee*

The Ghost Of Each Room shares much in common with the last Download release, Effector. Similarly quirky sound structures, the same tongue-in-cheek humor lying buried in the mass of noises, the same sort of "Listen repeatedly, hear new stuff every time"-effect. It lacks, however, the vaguely funky mood that was present on Effector, and adopts an almost Acid-Jazz-ish mood. Well, it does here and there at least, the subtly-placed Saxophone helps. The tracks that Ka-Spel add voicework to have a feel to them not unlike that of the Tear Garden in their "Last Man To Fly" era. Having been only lukewarm on the latest Tear Garden, these two tracks ('15th Shade' and 'A Certain Stuuckey') more than make up for it. The track that Ogre adds guest vocals to, 'Frozen Sky', is a curious blend of cEvin's solo work, Ogre's solo work, and a dash of old-school 'Puppy flava.
I love Skinny Puppy.
I love cEvin' work.
I love Ogre's work.
'Frozen Sky' is like some sort of freaky musical cake, only I get to eat it too.
I really must find new analogies, this food thing is getting out of hand. Or maybe I should just eat something. Stir-Fry? It would keep with the mood of this album...

So what is the final verdict? If you found anything redeeming in the last Download, then this disc is a must-have. Personally, I love it, and can hardly wait to start plying it to my dj setlists.

Tracklisting:
1: Bobs Shadow
2: TAtayama
3: hOropter
4: 15th Shade
5: Sklang
6: Frozen Sky
7: Aphasia
8: Klora
9: cccc4
10: A Certain Stuuckey

Subconscious Website: http://www.subconsciousstudios.com
Metropolis Website: http://www.metropolis-records.com

Claire Voyant
Time Again: A collection of remixes
~reviewed by  Mike Ventarola

Claire Voyant once made it to a list which ranked their band name as one of the top ten worst band names to have. The band’s tenacity has allowed them to have the last laugh because not only has the name and the music been embraced, but it continues to ignite the many passions of new and old fans alike. In spite of the cruelty of that list, the band is far too humble to share that last laugh while they continue to be astounded with how well received their music has been on a world wide scale.

This low-key trio from California has been rather busy with their new CD, which is tentatively slated for a September 30, 2001 release. In addition, their work has been picked up and re-issued by Metropolis Records as of January 2001.  Also, at the time of this writing, Claire Voyant has been scheduled to perform at Convergence 7 in New York City!  This is a 3-day event to be held between August 17th and 19, 2001. The Convergence 7 website ( www.convergence7.com)  has all of the details of the bands and events.

To look at the band promotion photo’s one can’t help but feel they are the folks next door. They have sculpted complexions only rivaled by Marlene Dietrich with her Dresden china appearance. Their outward angelic beauty hides a breadth of passion that is only released through listening to their musical work.

Time Again features many of Claire Voyant’s hits, remixed by a line-up of some of the hottest underground masters to date. The CD was recorded as DDD making it FULLY digital, giving the impression of sitting in a “live” recording session.

Before we go further, it is important to note that Victoria Lloyd not only wrote the lyrics to the songs, but also had a hand in the many arrangements. This is emphasized simply because a trend seems to be that the female in a band “just” sings while all the guys do the writing. Not so with Claire Voyant. This is a band that works as a team, a functional unit of 3 where ideas are developed together and worked through cohesively.

Iolite “Trancelite” remixed by Francis A. Preve, took Lloyd’s smooth as ice-cream vocals and immersed it into a trance-like, pulsating rhythm. This is destined to make club patrons scream on the dance floor by a savvy beat mix pro-DJ. If one needed to describe what trance music sounded like, it is this track that clearly emotes the bliss which defines the genre.

Eventide “Riptide” as remixed by Front 242 opens in a dark place and takes us down a trip hop avenue. The beginning sequence floats like an abandoned ship in the harbor of lost souls. Even with the dark elements and sound effects woven between the song, it resonates with a highly seductive rhythm that is a cross between Switchblade Symphony and Collide. However, two minutes into the song and there is a pure electronic kick that if this song isn’t a part of the Ibiza playlist during a foam party, it needs to be!

Majesty remixed by VNV Nation begins in a classical vein, showcasing the smooth vocals without hiding it behind gadgets and gizmos. The irony behind this track is with each held note from Lloyd, one can’t help but take deep breathes along with the stanzas. The track picks up with a touch of pulsation, but overall is delivered in a more ballad style.

Mercy touched up by cut.rate.box. starts the track with a droning that segues into electronic effects cascaded over classical notes. The vocals are up front with a background that has a more drum and bass. This is only the intro folks. About a minute and half into the track, the song bleeds with an EBM style married to electronics, emphasizing the vocal line, “You don’t feel a thing.”  This can remind one of something heard in the fetish clubs, which are becoming the rage as of late. One could contend that this track could also be great for those with too much on their minds who need to unwind, if only for a few brief moments.

Majesty “Premonition” is mixed and featured again, this time with the help of Assemblage 23. The song seems to open from some frozen tundra in the Arctic region, warmed by the electronic pulsations that come through like laser beams. This EBM mix seems to flow over the brain with lush high and low notes designed to cause mental visions of color. The amazing thing about this mix is it works well for a dance floor but is also “gentle” enough to just chill out too.  Here, the brilliance of the music does detract from the vocals just slightly because it stands out in such contrast that one can get lost in the sound alone.

Love The Giver remixed by Eskil Simonsson of Covenant slams in with pounding electronic rhythm, razor sliced sound samples and episodic minor chords to make it just that much more goth friendly. Simonsson takes all the elements of infectious EBM and utilizes it to caress Lloyd’s vocals so that both music and voice are the star attraction.

Iolite “Octaine Mix” begins in goth fashion with the minor guitar sounding chords. The electronic drums dance at the intro, begging to come forth, which they do. The track takes on an almost Spanish flavor whipped up with minor chords and dance. Lloyd’s vocals are cut up, switched up, backward masked and utilized like an instrument. The lyrics aren’t as important as the sound on this mix and Octaine utilized every bit without wasting a drop.

Time and The Maiden ”Luxt Mix” by Luxt has also been available for sampling on the band’s MP3 page. The PC does NOTHING for this track compared to hearing it live on your stereo. The DDD takes this song into a realm of darkwave, industrial electronics that seems to float right out of the walls. There is a pervasive feeling of a free-fall delivered with the construction of this mix.

Blinking Tears remixed by Haujobb took low tones and tucked them behind the vocals so that Lloyd’s emotiveness could come to the forefront. Daniel Myer’s collaboration with Lloyd on his side project, HMB, featured a more dance version of both artists, so it was quite interesting to sample this song that is featured in a very slow groove ballad. This song is not constructed in any predictable fashion, so it may take some ears a few listens to get used to it.

Bittersweet “LSD Mix” Love Spirals Downward took this track, managed to give it a rainy day somberness that is lead by drum and bass. The bluesy horns echo from the caverns giving it a jazz-like effect, that really are the main attraction to this song. Lloyd’s vocals are utilized like silk around a lampshade, giving color but not overpowering the atmosphere.

Everafter “Singing In The Rain” was mixed by J. Stephen Foster who gave this an almost life-like quality with the opening that seemed to sample real life outside sounds. The vocals are given episodic electronic manipulation, once again, utilizing the vocals as an instrument to the composition rather than the featured focus of the song. The quality may remind some listeners of Ultravox.

Majesty “Beborn Mix” is the third mix of what seems to be a favorite track among many artists. Beborn Beton created a touch of somberness coupled with an isolated space like encapsulation.  Imagine, if you will, the bands Yaz and Erasure creating a song that is dark, isolated, and atmospheric, and you have some idea how this track comes across.

Serenade “Trance To The Sun Mix” has an ominous and somewhat lethal intro, which segues into an electronic and drum pulsation that dares you to turn away. The groove is bound to shake the hips of some Goth purists because the mix takes it all in and recreates it in dark luscious tones. The mix clearly brings Claire Voyant out as a goth/dark band. This is a track that Goth fans are likely to have on repeat play for some time.

Claire Voyant is somewhat of an anomaly. Their music is comfortable in many guises, as this remix project clearly demonstrates. Many of the stellar underground artists put their touches on this work, recreating the songs to make them EBM, Trance, Industrial, Goth and even Jazz.

Claire Voyant is not a typical Goth band. As a matter of fact, despite the large Goth fan base, it really is tough to pigeonhole the band into any category. This mystery of genre classification has often hurt many bands because marketers need labels to categorize the music they want to push. This hasn’t been the case with Claire Voyant simply because the lush tones and smooth as silk vocals have managed to seduce a growing number of music fans from a variety of genres.

These remixes work well because it meshes completely to make a full bodied and riveting sound. The track listing flows expertly, careening the listener into a world of the nether reaches while still maintaining the ambience between the dance layers.   The best way to describe Victoria Lloyd’s vocals is to call it “creamy.” She sings with a smooth, silky and hypnotic inflection. It is hard not to be mesmerized by her talent.

Ben Fargen and Chris Ross, the two talents who make up the Claire Voyant trio, have managed to demonstrate to the musical world that a cohesive band can in fact work to create songs that are enchanting, marketable and mesmerizing. Lloyd, Fargen and Ross weave tones around the lyrics that are at once subliminal as well as introspective. Despite the attention that may naturally come to Lloyd as the vocalist, one cannot think of this band without all of the members coming to mind. This is no accident; it just indicates how tight the working relationship of this group is which is the litmus test that all bands should aspire to.

Time Again is an album full of great dance music that can also be utilized to chill out to. Very few available projects can do the same with such ease. From the outset, one cannot help but feel that something almost magical is going on between the notes. Despite all the dance rhythms inherent on this disc, it is impossible to not come away feeling emotionally cleansed in some way.  Long after the CD is over, Lloyd’s vocals seem to play back in the mind, like an angelic being calling from the ethereal reaches of heaven. Somehow the sound makes us breath a little deeper, creating a safe space where we can refocus our energies.  This is definitely not some studio trick as much as it is the burning passion where artists poured their life force into its creation, which reflects back to us upon listening.

Track Listing:
1. Iolite “Trancelite”       Francis A. Preve
2. Eventide “Riptide”     Front 242
3. Majesty                     VNV Nation
4. Mercy                      cut.rate.box.
5. Majesty “Premonition”  Assemblage 23
6. Love The Giver   Eskil Simonsson of Covenant
7. Iolite “Octaine Mix”  Octaine
8. Time and The Maiden    Luxt Mix
9. Blinking Tears   Haujobb
10. Bittersweet “LSD Mix”  Love Spirals Downward
11. Everafter “Singing In The Rain”   J. Stephen Foster
12. Majesty “Beborn Mix”  Beborn Beton
13. Serenade    Trance To The Sun Mix

Webpage: www.clairevoyant.com
 

Current 93
I Have A Special Plan For This World
~reviewed by Matthew

I am a little late with this review I suppose.  This mini release came out earlier last year, but I have only now just finally found it, and despite my punctuality, I find it far too important to bring this terrifying release to your attention.

This is probably the most unnerving and frightening Current 93 CD I have ever heard.  Quite a different form of neurosis when compared to the horrifying experimental work of the project’s earlier years and the melancholic strains of folk most are familiar with.  This 22 minute, one-track release is a very minimalist and nightmarish foray into the dark and twisted mind of cult author Thomas Ligotti.  The surreal settings and psychologically desperate characteristics of his writing filtered through an equally as depraved mind as David Tibet should obviously yield some seriously grim results.   “I Have A Special Plan For This World” succeeds on nearly every level, without going over the top.  It lurks just at the yawning gulf of that abyss and leaves you hanging, held only by a leering face of suspenseful fear.  The CD is sinister while you listen to it of course, but the true horror results when you walk away and the aura of the song sticks to you, rotting and dissolving any sense of peace that silence may have brought otherwise.

The music, or mood rather, is produced with a distant and repetitive drone, and with each cycle the sound goes through it acquires an even starker effect.  In the right channel of your speaker, Tibet reads various passages from Ligotti, beginning with the following and integral lines:

“When everyone you have ever loved is finally gone, when everything you have
ever wanted is finally done with, when all of your nightmares are for a time
obscured, as by a shining brainless beacon or a blinding eclipse of the many
terrible shapes of this world. When you are calm and joyful and finally
entirely alone, then in a great new darkness you will finally execute your
special plan”

I heard this song in headphones for the first time near 4:30 AM, illuminated by the blue glow of my computer and I just sat there and stared for the entire macabre journey.  When the song finally ended, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to laugh to shake it all off, and I sort of did a strange conglomerate of all three.

If you are a fan of Current 93, and you have yet to pick this up, you absolutely must.  It is a masterpiece.  I am not that big on experimental music, but I never HEARD experimental music nearly as effective as this.  If it were all this frightening, I would love it.  This, this is like equating Throbbing Gristle’s “Slugbait” to a Disney faerie tale.  I love this.

Since this EP, if you haven’t already picked them up, two more Current 93 releases have become available.  The first, entitled “Faust” is supposedly a droning release similar to “…Special Plan…” but based on the writings of Count Eric Stenbock and also comes with a booklet of Stenbock’s work.    And just recently released, an ambitious collection entitled “The Great In The Small” that supposedly has snippets of EVERY Current 93 song ever recorded?!@.  Both of these I have yet to hear, but as soon as I get them I will review them, as well as the new Death In June “All Pigs Much Die” which  was released this month as well.  Stay tuned…

Track List:
1.) I Have A Special Plan For This World (21:57)

CURRENT 93 is:
David Tibet

Current 93 – Official Site:
http://www.brainwashed.com/c93

Current 93 – Shadows Of Ghosts (GREAT fan site)
http://www.longshadows.com

World Serpent Distribution:
http://www.worldserpent.com

Strange Fortune – Mail Order (BEST source for all things WS related)
http://www.strangefortune.com

Thomas Ligotti – Official Page:
http://www.longshadows.com/ligotti/

DURTRO Records Site:
http://www.durtro.com
 

Daeonia
Crescendo
~reviewed by Matthew

Perhaps best known (by studious Gothic rock and dark metal fans) for their cover of the Sisters Of Mercy’s “Alice,” Daeonia hail from the Netherlands and offer a fresh approach to Gothic rock for the new millennium.

Well produced, and tastefully polished, this Dutch sextet present themselves as a melodic Fields Of The Nephilim, with light touches of keyboard work that remind me of the earlier albums such as “Always” by The Gathering.  The male vocals are deep, full of feeling and tinged with a Dutch accent.  They take a bit of time to get used to, as at times they sound a bit deeper than what would come natural to the vocalist, but after a few tracks it begins to make sense.  The guitar work consists of laid back riffing, not too flashy, but as metallic as it is melancholic, achieving a nice balance.  The drums and bass interlock to create a solid rhythmic layer beneath the swirls of moody ambience.  Daeonia sit comfortably perched in the purgatory between Gothic rock and melodic metal, never venturing too far left or right into either field.  I think perhaps their music could stand to be a bit more daring, but of course, when you listen to the nameless scores of other ‘gothic metal’ bands out there, that could be a disastrous move and perhaps Daeonia are fine where they are.

The fact that there are not many tracks that stick out on there own is simultaneously the album’s weakest and strongest quality, weak in that there are truthfully no songs that I found myself humming afterward nor did I find any tracks worthy of extensive club play.  Yet all twelve tracks compliment each other and create an album that is a delightful listen as a whole, a feat that is hard to achieve for most bands that rely on filler to achieve the full 40 minutes to qualify for a full-length release.

Having heard Daeonia in the past, I was excited to hear this one.  This release is a bit more sedate I think when compared to their past EP “Morphic Lands” and it lacks the punch of the material on the limited edition “Alice” single.  But it is still a very good CD and in terms of quality, it outshines quite a few other new releases on the market that masquerade as Gothic metal or Goth rock.   Not the most exciting album that has crossed my desk this summer, but certainly something enjoyable with a great deal of maturity and melodic appeal.

Track List:
1.) Crescendo (an introduction)
2.) Drowned
3.) Meridian
4.) The Bridge And The Ashes
5.) Thoughtograph
6.) Within The Blink Of An Eye
7.) December
8.) The Ghosts Of Christmas Past
9.) Bitter Sweet
10.) In Cimmerian Dreams
11.) Orion’s Fall
12.) Requiem

Daeonia is:
Louis
Eric
Michael
Arjan
Jorrit
Sebastian

Daeonia – Official Website:
http://www.daeonia.com

Candlelight Records:
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
 

Deedrah
Reload cd & Far And Away ep
~reviewed by Adrian

At some points we see music as an uplifting, almost euphoric experience full of magic and wonder. Electronic music has the ability to twist and buckle under one's perceptions and moods, creating an atmosphere of vivid rainbow swirls or dark and cold voids that swallow the listener and place them inside the musicians mind. Not an easy task. Among such pioneers of these journeys are many composers and creators, modern day Mozarts who take control of sounds and manipulate them to their will. Dado (aka Deedrah) is such a pioneer, whose ability and background are legend in many of the circles inside the electronic scene. Starting at a very young age and influenced by the likes of Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Deedrah created a blanket of skill that would develop into a unique ability to open the senses and peak inside the cerebral party that happens in everyone. Deedrah's latest release Reload is everything you would come to expect from such an artist, yet still has the freshness you crave.

Starting his path well cemented as a psychedelic trance act in the early 90's, Deedrah opened up new minds and new sounds, working under various monikers such as Cypher and Synthetic, and has always been well respected inside the underground DJ community as an excellent producer and writer. His latest effort keeps that magic and explores a more uplifting and softer sound while keeping hold of his roots and talent, which never gets washed away in the limelight of that plastic, mass produced "club sounds", which tends to happen to so many artists who travel down the "new territory" road.

Reload is such a collection of songs that to say "song A sounds like this and song B sounds like this" would be an injustice. Instead I will try to diverge the ebb and flow of the sounds and beats as they swirl and crest, pounding wave after wave of emotion and magic. Old-school fans of his may sit there and scratch their heads when the disk firsts starts with the title track, Reload, a beautiful, yet melodic piece that starts the energy of the whole disk. Dark and brooding like a storm in the distance soon turns to sharp as a tack deliveries and whiplash energy that speeds up and slows down, speeds up and slows down, yet keeps the energy "there" without turning the dancer/listener into a ball of mush. Purple Unicorn is a delightfully playful creation that bounces around in a funky sort of way that really triggers thoughts of those magical Full Moon parties on the beaches of Ibiza. Keeping with that zest the tracks speed up and get a bit more progressive/house in style with the likes of Land of Freedom and Fireball but still bares its teeth in all the right places and all the right times.

More on the aural soundscape side, Far and Away and Something is Wrong With the Machinery! invoke a bit more out of the listener to comprehend, which is a good thing. Head music is something that is lacking these days and it forces you to think about what you are hearing instead of just giving it to you all in one blast. Gangster is the kind of style and sound that brings you back into the sweaty club dance floor, thumping and grooving in the style of Digweed or Oakenfold, but doesn't fall prey of being too over the top or cheesy. As the disk wraps up with Liquid Skies, Ananda, and The Final Swirl Deedrah really lays the energy and focus on deep and hard, touching in on classic "goa" styles and sounds but bringing a breath of more modern, uplifting sounds, almost sounding very Israeli at times and switching back and forth from morning to full-on, like a roller coaster ride that doesn't let up.

Some people may not understand this new sound from Deedrah, some may think it is horrid, but to embrace new directions while keeping true to yourself and your style is a feat well worth respect and understanding in my book. For those who just cannot grasp such a direction change, may I present you with the Far And Away ep which covers a more "harder" psy trance style than his full length. With the help of GMS, whose known for dance floor stompers and outstanding creative ability Deedrah puts his style that he is known for back on the map. Hard hitting remixs of Liquid Skies, Far And Away, and Reload hit the dance floor with intensity that doesn't let up. Very much like the original mix, each song on this ep develops into their own personality and with the artists remix ability to spice up the style. What I find so interesting about his sounds are the melodic touches that lace and interweave throughout each composition. Deedrah's ability to manipulate and stretch audio tracks while still keeping composure and beauty is amazing and I have been hard pressed to find someone who can keep up with him in that area. Wrapping up the ep disk is the radio edit of Land of Freedom which is very euphoric and beautiful, yet very, very progressive....having a strong California Sunshine "morning" sound that relaxes you and seems to put a smile on my face each time I hear it.

Overall I personally enjoy and appreciate the direction that Deedrah has taken and I highly suggest giving it a browse. It is nothing in the realms of industrial or goth, but those DJs who bounce around with more "clubby" sounds in their playlists may find this is something you should not be without. It is a very refreshing change from the over produced, cheesey anthems that seem to populate most dance clubs and it is much, much cleaner and "to the point". Dance floors around the globe should take notice as the sounds that shape our culture are getting better and better by the day, but it seems to be a crime that the artists who create these sounds are hardly recognized. Explore and expand....there is a lot of good things out there that you just cant label. Why would you want to?

Deedrah - Reload
1. Reload
2. Purple Unicorn
3. Land of Freedom (2001 mix)
4. Fireball
5. Far and Away
6. Something is Wrong With the Machinery!
7. Gangster
8. Liquid Skies
9. Ananda
10. The Final Swirl

Deedrah - Far And Away
1. Liquid Skies (GMS remix)
2. Far and Away (Low-End mix)
3. Reload (GMS mix)
4. Land of Freedom (Radio Edit)

Deedrah www.deedrah.com
Hadshot hadshot@cosmophilia.com

DEATHLINE INT'L
Cybrid
~reviewed by Psionic

~Long known for a revolving mix of musicians from all over the industrial world, and more recently for the development of a deserved reputation for exceptionally entertaining live shows, Deathline Int'l brings us their 4th album, Cybrid. By this point, Deathline Int'l have settled into their signature sound, a stompy blend of Coldwave and EBM, with a distinctly anthemic bent. I feel credit must be given to Deathline Int'l for not hopping on any of the currently trendy bandwagons and staying true to their own sound, harkening back to the days of yore... Which is not to say that this album sounds dated in any way. High-energy, highly danceable, catchy hooks aplenty, crystalline production.. Yeah, it's got a good beat that you can bug out to. And of course what Deathline Int'l album would be complete without some unexpected cover song? This outing includes 'Paradise City', where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Like an aluminum bat upside the skull, Deathline Int'l bludgeon respect for their efforts out of the listener, and to be honest it's about time these workhorses got some. Dig deep for some shekels, give Cybrid a go, then take the time out to see them whenever they come to your town, you won't be disappointed. After that, I'm laying odds you'll be believer.

Tracklisting:
1-   Destroy
2-   Can You Feel It
3-   You Kill Me
4-   He's In My Head
5-   Paradise City
6-   Outcast
7-   Falling From Grace
8-   Iron Rain
9-   Feuer
10- Liquid Dreams
11- You Pull The Trigger

Deathline Int'l are:
The Count [0]
Maurice Jackson
Slam
Gottesmann
Marisa
Nik[e]
Guest Musicians on 'Cybrid':
Jay Tye [Soil & Eclipse]
Steve Watkins [Scar Tissue/Form Alkaline]
Nial McGauhey [3D House of Beef]
Ryan Paul
The Gun [Razor Skyline]
G.W. Childs (IV) [Soil & Eclipse]

Deathline Int'l website:
http://www.copint.com/deathline/

COP Int'l website:
http://www.copint.com/
 

EMILIE AUTUMN
CHAMBERMAID
(single from the full length Seraph Records album "Enchant", c. 2001)
~reviewed by Kevin Filan

In today's music industry, specialization is favored over diversity.  ("This isn't Dark Ambient, it's a Psytrance remix of an Ethereal track... ") Emilie Autumn is a welcome exception to this rule.  Her CD sampler "Chambermaid" draws from Bach, Broadway, and Bauhaus with equal skill.  At times unfocused but never sloppy, "Chambermaid" gives us an artist who has mastered her craft and is now finding her voice.

The self-titled opening track (taken from the full-length CD "Enchant") begins with a gorgeous multilayered intro, then quickly segues into an edgy, angry rock vocal.  This dichotomy between hard and soft reappears again in the bridges; Autumn shows off her classical violin training with a plaintive flourish, then spits out a chorus of "I'm not your Chambermaid/you're not my Lord."  I'm less impressed with the Space Mountain and Decomposition mixes of this song; although both showcase Autumn's instrumental skills, they struck me more as filler than as completed ideas.  With a little work the "Space Mountain" mix could definitely be dance-club material... but watching a superb musician try to work with the 1/1 thump-thump-thump house beat is like watching Mozart try to play piano with his nose.

With "Largo for Violin and Harpsichord," we get to see Emilie Autumn's classical training in action.  Many people believe classical music is a boring intellectual exercise, something to be studied but never enjoyed.  Nothing could be further from the truth, and this track makes that perfectly clear.  Together with Edward Murray on harpsichord, Autumn does for J.S. Bach's Sonata No. 4 in C Minor what pianist Glenn Gould did for his "Goldberg Variations" ... namely, bring it to immediate, passionate, urgent life.  Autumn's violin playing here is almost soulful, owing as much to torch songs as to classical rigor.  It's a wonderful effort, and one of my favorite songs on this CD.

The next track, "What If," left me simultaneously awed and annoyed.  The song itself is superb, as is Emilie Autumn's performance: unfortunately, the album mix sounds uncannily like Tori Amos, down to the trilling vocals and jangly piano.  This is unfortunate, particularly since Autumn is generally a more interesting (certainly a more wide-ranging and less self-indulgent) performer and writer than Amos.  I much preferred the Blackbird mix of this song, which showed off Autumn's skill in the studio.  The multilayered vocals and string arrangements were particularly nice: if she ever tires of performing, she's definitely got career potential as an arranger and producer.

The closing cuts, "Hollow Like My Soul" and "I Don't Care Much," give us Emile Autumn as torch singer.  This is a bold effort, particularly for a 20-year old classically trained musician.  Torch music is not about precision so much as world-weary passion: classical singers tend to catch the bombast and lose the soul.  Autumn avoids that trap handily.  I give her major points for covering Kanter and Ebb's "I Don't Care Much."  (Taken from Cabaret, the most Goth Broadway musical of all time).  Autumn gives this standard a great reading: she may not have had the time to live Sally Bowles' life, but you'd never know it from her bitter, ironic, vulnerable performance here.

Looking at this sampler, it's difficult to tell where Emilie Autumn will be ten years from now.  I can see her succeeding in musical theater, or in production and studio work, as easily as I can see her making her mark on the Goth scene.  With this kind of talent, I have no doubt that she will succeed: as Confucius said after visiting Lao Tze, "Today I have seen a dragon."  I just hope that her diversity doesn't scare off record executives unable to think outside an increasingly narrow set of boxes.  Bureaucrats rarely know how to handle dragons.

Track Listing:
1) Chambermaid (Album Version)
2) Chambermaid (Space Mountain Mix)
3) Chambermaid (Decomposition Mix)
4) Largo for Violin and Harpsichord
5) What If (Album Version)
6) What If (Blackbird Mix)
7) Hollow Like My Soul
8) I Don't Care Much (from the musical, Cabaret)

Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Sanford Parker at Rainwalker Studios, Chicago, except
(2) remixed by Emilie Autumn with additional remixing
by Jim Vanaria
(3) remixed by Mykel Boyd of Angelhood and Sanford
Parker
(6) remixed by Emilie Autumn

Emilie Autumn: all vocals, baroque violin, violin, electric violin, piano, harpsichord, keyboards, programming
Edward Murray: harpsichord on Track 4
William Skeen: cello
Graham Brisben: drums
William Weaver: drum programming on Track 1
Michael Verzani: bass on Track 1

http://www.emilieautumn.com
Official Emilie Autumn Website

http://www.seraphrecords.com
Seraph Records
 

Earthbound Smoke Ghost
Karma’s Grave
~reviewed by Matthew

I will keep this short, but I cannot promise to be sweet.  Culling their name from William S. Burrough’s “Naked Lunch,” Earthbound Smoke Ghost is the self-proclaimed bastard child of Alice In Chains and Acid Bath.  I beg to differ, as those bands both produced more substantial and memorable music.  To me, this music sounds like boring stoner rock, which poorly regurgitates riffs and rhythms that Black Sabbath did 25 years ago.  The music is capped with vocals that have potential, yet come across extremely lethargic and off-key.  The clean vocals have an underlying hint of melody, but rarely  does any melody shine through barring the first few verses of the opening track “Asphalt Green.”  The rest of the vocal performances, especially the aggressive screams that pop up in “Until” just sound like they are trying too hard and the result is extremely phony.  A few vocal parts sound like a poor man’s Danzig, which also produces anything but genuine results.

The musicianship is not horrible, however, it is rather sloppy, even for this kind of music, which calls for a loose and natural groove.  This is not doom metal.  This is closer to dirty garage rock as far as I am concerned.  This is more akin to Lynard Skynard on downers as opposed to the score of a ‘funeral procession’ as the press release mistakenly described the mood of their music.  I cannot even feel comfortable recommending this to fans of St. Vitus, Kyuss, Sabbath, etc because it is easy to recognize that this is not even a quality doom rock record.  Earthbound Smoke Ghost could comfortably fit in with those kinds of bands, but they need to go back to square one and reevaluate their intent as a band.  The sound needs to be thickened, their singer needs to relax and let his vocal strengths rather than his vocal weaknesses lead the band.  The riffing is ok, but they need to try something new and a bit more interesting.  The drums need tightening and pushed up in the mix more, and the vocals need to be pulled back especially if the singing remains to be this mediocre.

I hate reviewing CDs that I dislike.  I despise giving negative reviews, but this band needs to go back to the drawing board and channel their energy and raw emotional power in order to come up with something that will make a more impressive impact upon the underground.  At the very least, compose something a little more listenable.  The blueprints of success are here, but ESG is nowhere near it’s potential.
 

Track List:
1.) Asphalt Green
2.) Buried
3.) Outer-Self
4.) Until
5.) Black Saturn

Earthbound Smoke Ghost is:
Pheroze: vocals
Marcos Orellana: guitar
Jeff Scott: bass
Dalton: drums

Official Website:
http:///www.earthboundsmokeghost.com
 

FAITH
"Retribution"
~reviewed by Psionic

~Hmmnn.. Is it fair to judge a band using mp3.com as a distribution house for their demo's? Well, fair or not, I'm judging anyways... I dislike mp3.com, I dislike how poor the quality of their DAM cd's are, I dislike the gratuitous use of the mp3.com logo on the DAM cd's themselves... Like buying a band t-shirt at a concert that has the full Fruit-of-the-Loom logo on the back. I plug this DAM cd into my harddrive, and what do I get? Some annoying Macromedia ad disguised as a personalized band media player!! No sir, I do not like mp3.com, I do not like them in my cd-rom... But I digress. Dr. Suess-isms aside, I must focus on the music of Faith itself. Written entirely by one Christian Ore, the music is a sort of midi-videogame-mishmash of synthesizers. Poppy, in places kind of catchy. Too quiet and underproduced. BUT, this is an mp3.com DAM cd we're talking about, so the mp3's used were capped in Low-quality mode, and the resultant sound loss could be responsible here. Though it kills me to say this, the vocals simply do not fit the music, and are rather cliché... But to be fair, they are more energetic than much of what's out there . It's just that the music hints at a pop sensibility that the vocals overwrite entirely with their shrieking angst. My take overall? Faith needs to tighten production, search for a vocal delivery that more closely matches the music, and invest in a cd burner to facilitate better quality offerings. Some good ideas that have the potential to truly shine given the right spit-polish, and the right medium of delivery.~

Tracklisting:
1-   Coming Home (Karaoke Mix)
2-   Step Away
3-   Slow Rising Hope
4-   DOWN
5-   Digital Redemption
6-   Zero Signal (Auschwitz mix)
7-   Mother
8-   Coming Home (Dead Souls mix)
9-   EVIL (BPT Vocal Stereo mix)
10- The Bond Of Perfection

FAITH is:
Christian Ore

Faith website:
http://www.mp3.com/iamfaith

FOG
Through The Eyes of Night…
~reviewed by Michael Johnson

The black metal market is quickly becoming saturated. I know I’m not the only one to notice this lately. Band after band is being signed and the music is being pumped out at an alarming rate that will end up in either an empty wallet and/or complete and utter hatred of the scene.  Fortunately for those who are careful about what they buy, there are still a few choice bands being signed.  Fog is one of those bands.

This American quartet is another band signed to World War III Records, a label that is hell-bent on being the only one left standing after creating its own holocaust.  Fog is another band that pulls no punches and doesn’t give you the option of pleading for mercy before hitting you head on.  The guitars fly blindingly along with machine-like precision while the drumming gooses them along at their own furious pace.  The vocals actually remind me of Toxine from Witchery but the music is nothing like that of Witchery.  In fact, please stop the comparison right there.  There are a few spoken passages thrown in as well to break up the chaos.

If I had to get nit-picky, which I will thanks, I would say that the vocals seem a little muffled and pushed back.  I like the vocal style a lot and had hoped they would be more in the foreground.  They aren’t buried, but they have to fight to be heard more
than they should have to.

For those of you who have become more cautious before jumping into the festering pool of black metal, or if you are already a fan, Fog is a band I would have to recommend.  Songs like “The Leech Within” and “In The Sorrow of A Crimson Sea” make this a recording that will remain in your regular music rotation.

FOG is:
Lord Typhus Mirinor – War Axe and Serpent’s Call
Tophetarath – Cadence Iniquities
Atziluth Voluspa – Cosmic Annihilator
Luathca – Abysmal Undertones

Email: darkhorizon666@hotmail.com
Website: www.geocities.com/darkhorizon666

World War III Records: www.ww3music.com
 

The Face Of Sarah
Twentyfour
~reviewed by Matthew

Britain’s The Faces Of Sarah are one of the few bands that give me hope that traditional Gothic Rock is not entirely dead, but just on a lethargic sabbatical.  After being introduced to the band via last year’s three-song mini sampler, I have been excited to see whether or not these guys make a break in the ‘Goth mainstream’ where they most certainly deserve to be.

With a sound that contributes a modern adaptation of the murky arpeggio guitar work of Fields Of The Nephilim with the angsty yet bizarre dance appeal of the Sisters, The Faces Of Sarah are a band that resurrect the lost guitar hooks, pulsating bass guitar work, and live drumming that electronics have all but eclipsed from the darkwave underground.  Not to mention the fact that TFOS are lead by vocalist Nick Schultz, who truly possess the gift of voice.  His vocals are riddled with an honest and raw emotion, yet possessing a smooth and honey-throated quality.  In my humble opinion, an ability to truly sing can never go out of style and will always be one of the most important assets of any band, regardless of their style.

TFOS should not be mistaken for a band that is merely adopting a dated style of music for the sake of doing so.  Instead, they really have succeeded in producing a quality record that has both a contemporary and old school feel.  Their influences do bleed through, but they have filtered their inspiration through their own unique filter and the end result is an excellent CD with its own style.  They really do set themselves apart from other bands, as there are few bands active today producing this kind of music, with the exception of perhaps Judith, Mephisto Walz, and a small percentage of Faith & The Muse’s work.

It would also be a mistake to assume that the band takes it’s Gothic Rock roots too seriously, because despite the sincerity