The Atomic Bitchwax are: Ed Mundell: Guitar, Chris Kosnick: Vocals/bass, Keith Ackerman: Drums
TEE PEE/MIA Records 315 Church St.- 2nd Floor New York, NY 10013
info@mia-records.comhttp://www.mia-records.com

Angelique  Present   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Frankly, though there is much talent obvious in this band’s delivery, the overall project is a little too commercial and radio friendly for me to truly get into. However, the cool thing about Angelique is that they take dark underground electronic elements and fuse them with pop sensibility and alternative grooves to come up with a unique sound that is in a way rooted in dark electro music. In other words, they are like a darker Garbage. The verses are dark and cool and then they break into the chorus and then it is like a VH1 hit or something. In all honesty, this is good music and if the right people hear it (and not some jaded misanthropic goth like myself) Angelique may find success.
www.red-ant.com

Arise From Thorns   Before An Audience Of Stars   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Rarely is there an emergence within the music scene of an outfit with the ability to be diverse yet have an established focal point. With Virginia’s Arise From Thorns, I am truly overwhelmed at the intricacy and the talent this band displays. With lush acoustic guitars and strong female vocals serving as the primary elements, this band utilizes complex instrumentation with pop simplicity. They blend a vast range of styles together for a seemingly perfect and highly unique sound that affectionately salutes folk, goth, jazz, pop, alternative and even slivers of metal. In many ways, if any known comparisons spring to mind, Norway’s 3rd & The Mortal come to mind, however Arise From Thorns are far less surreal and a lot more accessible to mainstream audiences. There are tinges of October Project as well as The Gathering, but overall, they are simply just Arise From Thorns, an act that once they are rewarded with the recognition they surely deserve, they will be setting future standards of emotionally driven rock and dark music.

From the upbeat playful folk-punk of the opening track, “Dreaming,” there is an instantaneous awareness that Arise From Thorns exist on a plane of their own. “Time Alone” is an example of the band’s subtle forays into Gathering influenced metal while “Surrender” is seasoned with medieval flavourings. Each song itself is almost a different style, yet amazingly enough, the songs are all unified and there is a very obvious link between them. The epic “The Red & The Black” is another lovely surprise, with a superbly crafted middle-eastern feel with ritual percussion and brooding keyboards, yet still uplifting and blended with a contemporary sound. The song flows through various movements to reach quite a heavy climax with crunchy guitars and intense drumming, here especially inspiring my 3rd & the Mortal comparison. Another of my favourites, “I Can’t Believe,” begins as a very mischievous, polished post punk type song that would probably delight many Siouxsie and Cure fans and closes with an outpouring of sweet desperation.

However, I can’t stress enough the brilliance and musicianship that this quintet are responsible for. The vocals are smooth and quite heartwarming, the progressive guitar playing is certainly born of classically trained hands, and the drumming that of a talented jazz and rock professional. I adore this band. It is rare that something so uplifting strikes me this deep, because it is always the overtly bleak and despondent music that I so passionately identify with. But with Arise From Thorns, there is such a romantic and hopeful atmosphere, and to allow yourself to embark on the journey this CD will take you, you will be inspired to revisit lost memories of summer loves gone sour but you recall only the sweeter moments. What more, there is such a soothing and relaxing quality to their music, the desire to create more beautiful memories will overtake you. I recommend this CD without hesitation to anyone, and hope that this band will receive the recognition they are long overdue.
Arise From Thorns are: Michelle Loose: vocals, piano, keyboards, Scott Loose: acoustic & electric guitars, Trevor Schrotz: drums & percussion, Chris Welborn: bass guitar, Tom Philips: electric guitar (live)
Arise From Thorns P.O. Box 1077, Dale City, Virginia 22193 USA http:listen.to/arisefromthorns
Arise From Thorns are currently an unsigned act and are in search of a record deal. You can obtain their CD either through them, or through Dark Symphonies Distribution:
http://www.borg.com/~lordxul/ds1.htm

Assemblage 23   Contempt   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
I really did try to resist the lure of synth-pop. I fought for nearly a year bitching like a whiny uber Goth should when Apoptygma Berzerk would thud through club “X’s” speakers for the umpteenth time. I then over time let my guard down to the infernal parasitic brilliance of Kevorkian Death Cycle, Covenant, Wolfsheim, VNV Nation, Neuroactive, Soil & Eclipse, Haujobb, and whole host of other bands that just knock me on my ass. Though I still hate Apoptygma Berserk, I consider myself a fan of this damnably bouncy yet thoroughly anguished thing called synth-pop.

Well now I have been introduced to Assemblage 23 and yet again, I cannot fight. I am indeed exceedingly picky when it comes to this stuff and I can’t say I found a single flaw or lack of inspiration in the work of this band. The music varies enough to be told apart track from track and band from band, which is certainly a plus because this is a highly saturated genre of music. What I think it was about synth-pop that won me over was that there are indeed bands that don’t just have the same beat thudding at 160bpm for 5 minutes with no variations or lyrics with any intelligence.

Assemblage 23, with their subtle orchestral strings and choirs hidden in the mix help them gain a good atmosphere as a back drop, with enough hypnotic blips, beeps, and electronics all over the place to keep the rivetheads and club kids happy. The beats are hard and thoroughly driving, yet vary enough to truly be danceable and interesting. The vocals range from the despondent clean voice signature to this genre to the occasional whisper or treated voice.

The album opens with “Anthem,” which has already lived up to its name since it is already in regular rotation at the finer clubs across the East Coast. One of the more intense tracks follows entitled “Surface,” a breathless waltz through chaos, with swinging drums, heavily treated vocals, and some female vocal samples used sparsely. “Coward” creeps in next with reversed military snaps leading into a mid paced jam with more processed vocals for a Puppy-like effect. The chorus picks up a bit when the clear vocals return and the synths swell and the drums double their intensity.

The chorus of “Bi-Polar” says it all: “I hate my life I want to die/I was just pretending all this time/A mask I wear so I don’t bare my soul to the cold harsh world out there/Try to prevail but only fail/ Each time on a grander and grander scale/My life is worthless and so am I/I hate my life I want to die.” Nothing much to say for tasteful subtlety, but it works here nonetheless. The song opens with a somber intro and then crushing fast paced drums and monotonic lifeless vocals carry the melody to reach the explosive aforementioned chorus.

The CD continues to spiral upward on a scale of grand superiority. Whether mastermind Tom Shear wants to die or not, he is still a brilliant musician. “Pages” is another midpaced track that focus more on groove than speed with an awesome and emotional chorus with deeper, gothic tinged vocals. “Purgatory” arrives at the heart of the album and would be the logical choice for another single. The formula is here again, and damn does it work. Dark and somber verses that segue into a lush and beautiful chorus, all the while a traumatic thumping pulses behind the song to echo in our hearts long after the first listen.

Another mood shift comes with “Sun” as things slow down a bit again with an awkward and hesitating drum beat behind a solid wall of dark electronics, only to pick up with a harder, faster beat toward the end. One of the most interesting and original songs on the disc for sure. “Skyquake” opens with a distant throbbing beat, swirling keys and a raspy whisper for a genuine dose of spookiness, and then of course you guessed it, the song intensifies to become one of the darkest passages of the album with a severely foreboding goth voice and a couple cool treated guitar parts. “Never Forgive” is the album’s upbeat finale, being the last chance to thrash around before the remixes by other artists that close the album. “7 Days” is another example of the sinister atmosphere A23 are capable of and it is a perfect closure to the album.

This, my friends, is a great synth-pop band. Indeed, Assemblage 23 follows a predictable formula in their song structure, however their music doesn’t fall short for a moment and your attention is sealed from the moment the CD begins. There is variety, there is emotion, and there are innumerable melodies that will remain in your head for days. This just another example of the fine club music available. They are now on tour, and were billed with Haujobb, but unfortunately, Haujobb have dropped off due to problems with customs. However, try to check them out if they come near your city because I doubt you will be disappointed.
Assemblage 23 is Tom Shear http://wwwsynthetic.org/a23
Gashed! Records P.O. Box 1176 Station M, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2K9 http://www.gashed.com

Brent Campbell  Brent Campbell ~Reviewed by: Mike Ventarola
Brent Campbell is not just a musician. He is an instrumental love technician, capable of squeezing every sigh, whisper, and moan from anything he creates music from.

On his self titled CD, available from Mp3.com, Campbell offers 14 songs with just over an hours playing time, that ranges from wailing guitar blues to good old hard rock.

Every sound on this recording was made by this one man. When you realize the scope of this tapestry, you cannot help but open your mouth in awe at the professional quality of the mix down and layering that he has accomplished. He vocally harmonizes and jam’s with his layered tracks to sound like a full bodied band with backup singers behind him. Beyond the technical aspect of his skill, he infuses life into the instruments to make it feel as if sound coming from him is actually a living entity. A lot of music crosses this desk and not many have this ability to turn a guitar, piano or keyboard into a breathing life form the way Campbell does.

"Hey Baby" introduces us to the rough, rugged masculine strut of Campbell as he seduces with leather clad biker intensity. The guitars emphasize this modern dance of bewitching self assurance as they pluck and weave around high and low end note driven intensity.

"Take Me Down" wails like an introspective sunset. This is also a vocal work, dealing with the reflective loss of love which doubles the intensity and passion infused in the recording. It is as if all the instruments have come to life to keep the artist company in his flight of loneliness. His vocal harmonies are flawless that at first you would swear there are a multitude of singers backing him, demonstrating the excellent range he can achieve. This is the same type of intensity from Janis Joplin and Bob Seger. Tough imaged musicians with a fragile heart. Either artist could have made this a signature song as well.

"Nevermore" has a more dark resolve of one who refuses to be caught up in any type of situation that would nail their heart to the wall ever again. This is bitter-sweet as much as it is painfully induced reflection of mistakes that one will not permit again coupled with an underlying layer of anger. The light at the end of the tunnel is woven into the sound to indicate that this too shall pass.

"Hands In My Pockets" is a nice country rock vocal work that reminds one of a carefree stroll down an empty two lane highway at high noon. It is a gentle and catchy tune that has top 40 written all over it. It is a song for the journeyman who will not allow the societal baggage to pull him down and will just roll with the punches.

"Mountain Dance" emits a brooding opening that seems to shoot colors of dark hues from all angles. It is like an auditory depiction of a mountain coming into existence through a time-lapse camera. After the implosion from the intro, the song segues into a mellow kick back wail which is like silent witness to watching the growth on that mountain. Trees are struggling up through the earth, grass, verdant and full covers the landscape, and water trickles by the stream alongside. Periodic guitar yawns reflect the cloud covers as they pass, hiding the sun for a brief moment before passing and radiating that warmth back onto us again.

"Good Morning June" also has a sentimental ring to it. This could be interpreted as a well wishing song for the month of June with all its splendor, or a woman named June who is the apple of the artist’s eye. It is a mid tempo feel good song that once again has the instruments calling out to us to sit a while and join the fun. Very slight moments of tension resolve seems to emanate from the sound, as if there was some friction, but now things are smoothing out while things are ready to move forward.

"Brent’s Prayer" poses a concentrated intensity upon its opening, which segues into a gentle guitar strumming. Campbell once again harmonizes with himself to echo his song heavenward. Touches of Native American influences seems to permeate the vocal tonality giving it a prayer from the world as opposed to just one person. There is no dogma or religiosity attached to this song, rather it is of one who is in tune with his beliefs and the Higher Power. The song is gentle, but the energy encircles the listener with an electrical circle of fire.

"Doin’ Fine" initiates a laid back guitar and piano work of one who is aware of troubles but still grateful for any blessings that have come his way. It does not reflect on what isn’t happening in his life as much as a steady acceptance for all that is and all that will be. This song touches the core of the psyche to such an extent that if one is in tune with themselves and the music, this can actually cause a purging of grief and anxiety coupled with tears of relief.

"Working Man Stomp" gets gritty again and drives the guitar riffs right up your back bone. This is our biker clad warrior who goes off to make a living daily and finally cuts lose at quitting time on a Friday night.

"The Hunt" canvasses the terrain for its prey. Dark notes weave between harmonic sympathy for that which will be hunted. A hybrid of dark wave, Native American and Mexican/Old west sounds weave between this tune to give it a film soundtrack quality. One can almost envision the slow stalking, surveying and quiet pacing as the drums metronomically beat like a heart with each footstep.

"The End" sounds like ocean waves that crest to shore that is coupled with single piano notes at the intro. The tones again seem somewhat despondent but never full of self pity. It is an excursion once again towards our own introspection which segues into gentle guitar chords that seem to gently whisper, "it’s all right." Piano and guitar work in unison like a reflective movement of one walking on the shoreline. It depicts one who is replaying memories of previously transpired events. Another sound of resolve, poetry and a backward masking effect of the artist speaking is introduced which comes across as if one is rewinding the same thoughts for further contemplation at the end of ones journey or at the end of ones life.

"Long Walk" is another piano piece of warm dulcet tones indicating one who is wandering off to find some solitude to ponder answers to questions most folks never even seem to think about. It is almost possible to feel the rustle of leaves under foot as a quiet summer rain mists against the skin.

"My Love" again marries the piano and guitar to provide sentimental heartfelt emotion that does not wallow in mawkishness. It is gentle caresses and whispered " I love you" that comes from the artist’s heart and into his hands to create the gentle flowing passion that the listener is privy to. It is almost possible to envision a couple laying on a rug in front of a fireplace which crackles with the scent of spitting wood, entwined in a peaceful moment, locked away from the cares of an insane world.

"The Spy" revels in a sordid midnight moment in any major city. It is dark jazz blues rock at it’s most visually stunning. This song would also make a great soundtrack score to depict the hanging street lamps reflecting in a dark alley where every kind of vice can be had for the right price. It is a boulevard of broken dreams, shattered men and tough talking call girls. The song doesn’t just convey the gritty, it also underlies that somewhere in that street, someone is crying out for mercy and release from this den of inequity. Someone else is strengthening their resolve to find a better way out. The guitar wails and guides us on a ghost like journey to survey the cast of characters all of whom share the same thing in common, they all took the wrong fork in the road somewhere along their travel.

Brent Campbell shares his marvelous ability to create sound that causes reflection to a backdrop of a whirlwind of emotionally laden panoramic scenes. This is by no means a man who picked up an instrument and plucked on guitar chords to demonstrate technique alone. He nurtures and savors each sound to the point that it guides and veers over many mental images. He is the director of this mental movie and we can not help but watch in awe as he coaxes the emotions from us the way he does this body of work.

Campbell is an extremely talented musician and vocalist who deserves to be heard. With so few making music that truly comes alive, this artist is a blessing in a sea of pointless hype of other artists who can not match the intensity, passion and brilliance that this talented musician has been able to achieve.
Webpage: http://www.homestead.com/brentcampbell/brent.html
Sound Samples: http://www.mp3.com/brentcampbell

Beth Hart Screamin' For My Supper  ~reviewed by Kirin
The first time I ever heard Beth Hart, it was totally by accident. I was flipping through the channels on the telly at about 3am, not really paying a bit of attention. Suddenly, a singularly captivating figure reached out through the screen, grabbed my by the neck, and screamed "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WASTING YOUR LIFE, WHEN YOU COULD BE OUT LIVING-- WHEN YOU COULD BE TRULY ALIVE?!?!?" I literally sat up in bed. I turned up the volume and remained awe-struck and unable to move until the concert was over. During that time, I laughed, I cried, I got goosebumps, and I called my best friend. Fuck what time it is, turn on your t.v., RIGHT NOW. We sat there, both crying, both with chills, whispering what is inevitable: God damn. Janis Joplin-- alive and well. Beth Hart is touring. Go see her.

No, go, sit down, and prepare to leave her presence a changed person. I dare you to make it through a live version of "Skin" without seriously rethinking the way you're living your life, or not living it, as the case may be. Please, I'm begging you. If you buy one CD this year, make it Beth Hart's. And Beth Hart, wherever you are in this world; thank you.

One more thing. Please stay alive. A really long time. Please, I beg of you girl; die of old age. I know you know what I'm talking about. With love, a fan.
Atlantic Recording Company, 1290 Avenue Of The Americas, New York, NY 10104 Management: David Wolff

Changes  Legends   ~reviewed by Kirin
It has been said that when the stories of a people die, the people die. Legends is a collection of treasured stories that sadly, seem to be dying, at least in the minds of those that create "popular culture" in America. Blame it on the "PC Nazis", or upon our sad fascination with heroes more akin to Speed Racer than King Arthur; regardless of the reason, it is sadly beautiful to hear an album like this, which expresses the very atmosphere and soul of the stories that are being forgotten. I've not experienced a work of music and art quite as wholly satisfying as this one in a very long time; the lyrics, the music, the passion, the artwork-- the entire CD is a labour of love whose careful craftsmanship is undeniable and almost overwhelmingly delightful. Robert Taylor, Nicholas Tesluk, and Robert Ferbrache (who recorded and mixed the album,) have created a humble and poignantly powerful masterpiece. These men, quite simply, have no peers in the world of music today-- underground or otherwise. Yes, there may be bards out singing the songs of the "Renaissance", but none of them (at least that I've ever heard,) sing with the personal conviction, intelligence, and soulful understanding of the material that these men have. It is as if they have been transported from times long past, and come to us as a gift; a reminder of what we are capable of, if we would but apply ourselves.
Changes are:
-Robert Taylor: Author of the "Legends" poem, (upon which the lyrics are based,) "under disc" art, vignettes, vocals.
-Nicholas G. Tesluk: Cover art, music, calligraphy, logo design, vocals, 12 string guitar.
(Karen Taylor: Photos and disc art.)
website: http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-78038/changes/
Produced and distributed by: Taproot Productions PO Box 279 Washington Island, WI 54246 wulfing1@aol.com
Sheet music available from: Twilight Lands music PO Box 2950 Edgewood, NM 87015
CD also available through: STORM http://home7.swipnet.se/~w-78038/blood/storm.html
P.O. Box 3527 Portland, OR 97208-3527 USA blood@teleport.com

COREThe Hustle Is On   ~reviewed by Kirin
TeePee/MIA Records are saving rock and roll. No kidding. Every single freakin' band on their roster is all bowel-moving bass, tub-thumping drums, and hoo doo guitars. I spent most of my adolescence with my head between a big-assed pair of Koss headphones, tripping out to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Foghat, and Boston. TeePee/MIA are reviving the mad corpse of acid and doom metal that has been desperately in need of revival for quite some time. May the gods bless them for this. Core are a perfect example of the brilliance that these labels are bringing forth into the world. This music is straight from the land of blacklights, big bongs, and bellbottom trousers. Dig it. The cool thing is that all this stuff from TeePee/MIA is available on vinyl too, so you can sit back, tune out, and hear the click and the hiss just before the groovin' begins. Seriously, the fact that this sort of music is being made again, and made exquisitely well, gives me hope for metal. If you ever get the chance to see ANY of the bands on these labels live, get your arse down there and see 'em. You don't need no fancy pills like E or X or GHB or any of that shite to dig this music. This music IS the drug, baby. Core are:
Tim Ryan: Percussion. Fin Ryan: Guitar/Vocals, Carmine Pernini: Bass
website: http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/waydown/menu.htm
TEE PEE/MIA Records 315 Church St.- 2nd Floor New York, NY 10013 info@mia-records.com http://www.mia-records.comhttp://www.teepeerecords.com

CovenantTour de Force ~reviewed by Wolf
Well, they're back. That fact alone was for me reason enough to go out and buy this single, blind faith and all. Do these gentlemen from Scandinavia still need an introduction? Leading this highly productive genre of industrial dance (together with VNV Nation perhaps), it's virtually impossible not to come across their music in either the clubs, on underground radio shows or in the music stores. Their last album Europa is already an icon for industrial enthusiasts everywhere with its highly danceable and sometimes almost disco-influenced tracks, as they moved away a little from the cold and harsh (but just as excellent) sound of their earlier releases such as Sequencer, Dreams of a Cryotank and the Theremin e.p.

Tour de Force provides a taste of what's to come on the next album, United States of Mind, out due this month as well on Dependant and Metropolis. The title track appears in three different versions and "It's Alright" completes the tracklisting for this single.

The club version starts off explosively after 5 seconds of distortion, echoing sounds and a rolling bassline convincing one and all to get up and dance. The music is truly irresistable and even those not too fond of such catchy material will have a hard time sitting still. The vocals almost sound like Dave Gahan's, or even those of Andrew Eldritch, before the chorus kicks in wit the more traditional singing of Covenant's frontman. Uplifting melodies synchronize with the bassline throughout the song's many changes, bursting out in a climatic last 30 seconds and over in what seems a lot shorter than 6 minutes.

Mix number two is handled by Daniel Myer, very straightforward and nothing like haujobb's recent "ninetynine" outings. Great manipulation of the vocals, weird effects and the usual dose of Myer complexity. My favorite on this single.

"It's Alright" is a bit unnecessary if you ask me. It sounds a bit like the Europa track "Final Man" and features not much else aside from a pounding bassdrum, lots of noise and pointless lyrics. Maybe I'm just not getting it, but the title describes it perfectly for me. It's alright, but not the greatest song ever written.

The third mix of Tour de Force (extended dance mix by J. Cosmo) clocks in at 11 minutes and 40 seconds. It supplies a more mellow version of the track, with a groovy bassline (can't help but call it groovy when it sounds as disco as this) and slowly adding more melodies, vocals and effects. I would've liked to see it reach a bit more of a climax, but otherwise it's a good track.

Now, Covenant have recently received their share of criticism. According to some they're selling out, going more commercial with their infectious and danceable compositions. But come on, this is top quality production work, killer dancefloor material and a pleasant remind that music can simply be fun now and then. Not to mention that it's definitely a notch or two above anyone else in this genre, including VNV (although they're a close 2nd) and Apoptygma Berzerk. I enjoy the evolved Covenant as much as the old one and if United States of Mind has a good balance of danceable floorfillers and darker experimental material to offer then it'll be another excellent release by this professional formation. In the meantime Tour de Force is a nice appetizer, as well as a necessity for the Covenant and haujobb completists. And don't forget to request it in your local club, I bet even that gloomy goth in the dark corner will find her or himself moving involuntarily to Tour de Force.
[Check out some mp3 excerpts of the upcoming album at the Infrarot mailorder site: http://www.infrarot.de ]
Band members: Eskil Simonsson, Joakim Montelius, Clas Nachmanson
Additional info:
Official band site: http://www.covenant.dk [not available yet]
German fan site: http://plastiq-flowers.de/
Label site [us]: http://www.metropolis-records.com
Label site [scandinavia]: http://www.subspace.se/
Label site [germany]: http://www.dependent-records.de/ [not available yet]

Cauda Pavonis   Cd EP Initiation ~reviewed by Admortem
Cauda Pavonis is definitely the most old school sounding goth I have heard since Rozz Williams hung himself. This four track ep features deep, strong female lead vocals by Su Farr, accompanied by her bass and Dave Wainright's drums and backing vocals. The band's UK origin is betrayed instantly by their musical style. Lush vocals laden with British accent, spoken at times but always clear, create a dark fantasy world for the listener to revel in. With a few dramatic changes, and a few whispered words, Cauda Pavonis demonstrate clearly that they are masters of creating musical visions.

My only dissappointment with this ep is that it seems they are capable of much more. There are flashes of brilliance that are over far to quickly. I get the feeling that their full length cd release, which they began work on in July of 1999, entitled Pistols at Dawn, will more fully embody their range of talents.
Members:
Su Farr - Vocals, words/music, programming, bass
Dave Wainright - Backing vocals, words/music, programming, drums
Email: initiates@caudapavonis.u-net.com Site: www.caudapavonis.u-net.com S-mail: 15 Southernhay, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 4LS Label: FAW Records

COLECLOUGH, JONATHAN   Windlass"/"Korm Plastics Introductory Paperback KIP 016  ~reviewed by Kirin
Those of you who either dabble, or delve fanatically into experimental noise and electronica, will surely sit up in your chairs when you see the words "Korm Plastics." Yes, one of the foremost labels that has helped break the ice (which is about 2 miles deep,) about this misunderstood and misrepresented world of experimental sound, has hit upon a most excellent idea: release a series of works by unknown and uncommonly splendid artists, at about "the price you'd pay for a paperback". (Thus, the "Korm Plastics Introductory Paperback" moniker.) I think this is a fabulous idea, and I'm certainly glad when people make great efforts to make art more accessible to people who have to do without food in order to hear new music.

For Jonathan Coleclough's part, his first "paperback" is a delirious delicasy of dark sound and wistful dalliance. Rather like walking through the park on the rainiest day all year, those inclined to enjoy inclement weather will adore this recording. I've never heard dark ambience sound so positively wet and bright and alive. Truly, a wonder to be heard.
Track Listing: -Windlass (One 40-odd minute piece.)
Staalplaat/Soleilmoon PO Box 83296 Portland, OR 97283 www.soleilmoon.comwww.staalplaat.com

CYCLOBE  Luminous Darkness   ~reviewed by Kirin
Here's a little statement, culled from the Cyclobe section of Brainwashed.com. (http://www.brainwashed.com/cyclobe):

"[CYCLOBE] music is to do with the condition of awareness at the time of listening, or maybe trying to achieve higher awareness... with sounds as pathfinders. Using intuition, emotion and the power of the senses... We're working very close to the abstract but each piece is structured dramatically. Drama requires that something be at stake; not a feeling you often get from abstract music. Emotion entails danger and emotion is the factor we use to devise structures. We want to make music that plays with a sense of jeopardy and surprise, whilst remaining slippery and daemonic in the details. Hovering threats and imminent ecstasies..."

In other words, this is "turn off the lights and put on the headphones" music. It is my feeling that Cyclobe have succeeded in their quest to make music that "plays with a sense of jeopardy and surprise, whilst remaining slippery and daemonic in the details." Oftentimes this music becomes seductively sweet, lulling one into a sort of sleep state, and then, POUNCE! a-ha! they've got you!!! I began to feel a bit like Inspector Clouseau whilst listening to this; get too comfortable, and you'll definitely get whacked, or at least pleasantly scrambled. I do not mean to mislead, however; this music attacks subtly.

Delicately. It becomes aggressive in the most ghastly way ever; by tenderness; by gently misleading the mind into believing that all is safe and well. One falls to sleep happily in a field of poppies, and awakens in an underground cave, full of wet stench darkness, and unearthly delights. Truly, overwhelmingly delicious!
Cyclobe are:
Simon Norris and Stephen Thrower (If the names sound familiar, it's because you know them from work with Coil and Death in June.)
A Phantom Recording Distributed by World Serpent Distribution, Unit 7-I-7 Seager Buildings, Brookmill Road, London, SE8 4HL, ENGLAND
mailorder@worldserpent.demon.co.ukhttp://www.worldserpent.demon.co.uk

DEATHWATCH BEETLE REPAIRMAN  "Hollow Fishes" CD ~review by Kirin
Wickedly quirky, threatening, endearing, morose and profound. Think Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and a dash of Nine Inch Nails; hellish nightmare and blessed sunrise, I've never heard a disc like this in all my life. It would not be possible to recommend it or praise it enough. You would not believe me if I did. I don't know what else to do but encourage you to take a chance on the long shot. It's worth every cent you have to pay for it; much more than worth it. 'Last I checked on the DeathwatchBeetleRepairman website, the CD was $7 in the US. There are NO excuses for not sending this guy (these guys?) a few dollars to get one of the best CDs you'll hear all year. No, I'm not kidding you. Tender, brooding, and elegant-- the aural equivalent to the thinking goth's orgasm.
Deathwatch Beetle Music 102 Concord Ave. Toronto ON M6H 2P3 http://www.deathwatchbeetle.comsitarplayer@deathwatchbeetle.com

Decadence A Beheaded Winner and Fragrances of Happiness   ~reviewed by Vassago (John Gedeon)*
I never would have thought that I would hear a new band that would haunt me more than I can describe. Decadence is a group that, in short period, many have given only positive feedback. It is only a matter of time for them to achieve what other groups did after many years of work. This is an introduction to the dark side of every sense or feeling that a human can possibly experience during his or her lifetime.

Even though this is their debut album, I can say that A Beheaded Winner and Fragrances of Happiness is one of the most mature and complete albums I've ever heard. With the same attitude as World Serpent groups have, I am really wondering why World Serpent did not try to add to its roster one, if not the best, forthcoming band in the underground scene. It is more like an art than just music when a group of people can achieve what Decadence have in this release. It's impossible to describe all the feelings and images to which you will subconsciously give birth in your mind after sharing with yourself this unexpected but delightful tragedy.

In this CD you will face cold, cruel but complaining in its performance vocals inspired from Nietzcke's and Dostoievski's poetry, a deadly atmosphere continuously presented from mud sounds, melodic mournful echoes from classical instruments like pianos and acoustic guitars, with epic but ironic trumpets, confirming the macabre romandism. Tenses of self-destruction, differences between life and hell or Poe's last obituary? I will leave you to decide about it.

Some of the groups that Decadence remind me of are Current 93, Sol Invictus and Death in June in different periods separately. It would be a loss for you not to give your attention to the beginning of a group that tends to meet the big composers of World Serpent. Best moments of the cd include: "Suicidal", "Life is a cavity", "but love? I'm disciple of god", and (I wonder about the role of the last track) "The story of the story of death part 2".

For this project Decadence was: Fleur de Mort, Pierre, Morpheus, Alexandra N.S., St. Silence.
Contemporary Awesome Purple Projects (CAPP) S.V KOUKOULOMATIS Lisiou 8 / GR-11146 Athens / Greece Tel/Fax: ++30(0)1 2924036

DAVID E. WILLIAMSA House For The Dead And A Porch For The Dying   ~reviewed by Kirin
I've said it before and I'll say it again. David E. Williams has no peers. Not a one. He has many imitators, but none fall even close. He *is* the voice I think of when I think of the perfect gothic male vocals. Well, okay, one of them. Can't be dissing Peter Murphy, Rozz Williams or Carl McCoy now, can we? Anyway, back to David E. Williams. Musically, lyrically, and vocally, David E. Williams is who I turn to when I've become entirely too self-important, and find myself dwelling in the morbid hole of my own god damned belly-button. If you cannot laugh at yourself, if you cannot laugh at the world and the sickness and beauty and putrid decay of it, then you just won't "get" David E. Williams.

That's the key, you must bring yourself to his music with your sense of humour intact. You must come with your sense of history in place. You must come with your delight in music untainted by the likes of VH1, MTV, and top40-alterna-crap radio. The funny thing about the music of David E. Williams, is that I loved it the very first time I heard it, and years later, it still grows on me every time I listen to it. Also, I must draw attention to the cover art of this CD, which features the unbearably beautiful stained-glass artwork of Judith Schaechter. You simply cannot buy music and lyrics and artwork this painstakingly tenderly repulsive and glorious anywhere else. Nowhere.
Contact: Ospedale Records PO Box 2422 Philadelphia, PA 19147 website: http://www.davidewilliams.com/

Various Artists  Holy Dio: A Tribute To Ronnie James Dio   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Throw those devil horns up in the air my friends (so Dio can see them else he’ll have to stand on a chair) because this is pure metal from head to toe. Sorry about the pun, I respect Ronnie James Dio. He was that short dwarf guy from the 80’s who succeeded Ozzy in Black Sabbath. He was really short as I said and sang a lot of songs about rainbows, knights, and crazy medieval magician stuff to serve as a backdrop for your nocturnal Dungeons & Dragon sessions. Ok now you remember right??

In all seriousness, this is a great concept and a well-deserved homage to one of metal’s legendary forefathers. Some of today’s power metal greats as well as some notable newcomers pay their respect to some of Dio’s best work ranging from his solo career, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow.

Steel Prophet does justice to the Sabbath classic “Neon Knights” to open the album, and Hammerfall do a great version of the classic “Man On The Silver Mountain” that certainly exhibit where they derived their sound from.

I was pleased to see that the Sabbath classics “Sign Of The Southern Cross” and “Children Of The Sea” were included by Fates Warning and Jag Panzer, being that they were some some of my favourite Dio-era Sabbath tracks. My only complaint is where the hell is “TV Crimes” from the “Dehumanizer” album?That was one of the coolest and heaviest Sabbath tunes that Dio ever did and I was very surprised that no one did it. But alas, there are some other intersting contributions, such as Solitude Aeternus’ “Shame On The Night” and “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” by Doro. The latter of the two referring to Doro Pesch, a female musician who’s style is like that of a Goth metal Lita Ford, which was considerably amusing but cool. Blind Guardian do an awesome version of “Don’t Talk To Strangers” which begins as a ballad and has the classic line “Don’t dream of women ‘cause they’ll only bring you down,” and on the word ‘down’ the song gets all thrashy and cool. I had to laugh at the sentiment and brilliance of such a thing.

Overall, a few great songs and great renditions of them, but I sort of grew out of my Dio phase quite sometime ago. Granted, it was fun to hear some of these songs again, and if you are a metalhead clinging to your roots and are a fan of power metal, this might be something you should check out.
CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS www.centurymedia.com
Official Ronnie James Dio page: www.ronniejamesdio.com

DJ WALLYThe Stoned Ranger Rydes Again   ~reviewed by Kirin
In the world of DJs, there seems to be a plague of folks who take themselves entirely too seriously. I mean, yes, pop culture speaks to us of our world, and yes, music is one of the arts which allows a vanguard of brave souls to deconstruct all that has gone before them; however, what is the point of all this serious striving if there is not eventually some laughter to be had from it? I can always count on DJWally for two things: excellent music, and a healthy dose of laughter. Who else but DJWally brings you square 10" records, cover photos of hairless rats, samples of Simon Garfunkel, (on the "Genetic Flaw" album,) and more looney tunes than a head can hold. Stoned Ranger is a loping, loose, and lively collection of music that invites one to kick back, relax, and throw your shoes away. Don't miss that little underlying paranoid twinge of too much dope, when the tie-dye turns, right before your eyes, into nightmare alien polyester leisure suit madness, (as on "Zeta Reticulli Trip 1"). "Until Its Gone" is one of my favourite songs this year, if not ever. It's so damned sexy, slinky and confident that it virtually STRUTS out of the speakers. DJWally seems bent on creating masterpiece after masterpiece, and he makes it look easy. More power too ya buddy, and may your buds always be kind.
Liquid Sky Music 245 W. 29th Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10001 http://www.liquidskymusic.com

DESACCORD MAJEUR  "Samana" CD ~reviewed by Kirin
French "ethnotrance" sounds, reminiscent of Muslimgauze, and other experimental noise pioneers such as Rapoon. Passionate, delicate, and full of soft joys, this CD reminds me of the smell just after the first spring rain, or the feel of warm black soil between aching fingers. A highly tactile and engaging collection of recordings, it's impossible to listen to this for long without feeling absolutely connected to some deep green landscape far, far away: in this new land, I don't speak the language, I don't have any money, and I don't know where I'll sleep tonight, but I don't even care, because it's so beautiful here, and the air feels so good on my skin, that with the headphones on and the volume up loud, I never want to leave.
Desaccord Majeur 56, rue Louis Ruffel 80080 Ameins FRANCE dm@worldnet.fr
Staalplaat/Soleilmoon PO Box 83296 Portland, OR 97283 http://www.soleilmoon.com

Dreadful ShadowsThe Cycle   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Instantly, I was hooked. First of all, the CD opens with some subtle dark electronics with none other than Gitane DeMone offering vocal ambience. And might I add that her offerings are akin to her vintage eerie improvised vocal tangents similar to the days of “Ashes” and “Wind Kissed Pictures.” So off the bat, the CD has already reserved a place in my heart.

But what more, Dreadful Shadows perform an upbeat and highly traditional form of Gothic Rock that sounds refreshing despite its lack of innovation. In the vein of Corpus Delicti, Ikon, Two Witches, and heroes such as Christian Death, these guys proof that the common formulas of Goth Rock is far from tapped dry. The opening track “Futility” is a mid paced gloomy groove with tight crunchy guitars and sweeping keyboards that crescendo into a lovely vocal duet between Sven Friedrich and Gitane. “A Better God” is a plea to the heavens above for a better life and is an instant dancefloor classic with its swingy driving drums and overall sense of sarcasm and jaded bitterness. “Intransigence” is the first of several successive ballads with a far more reserved slower pace, yet memorable still nonetheless, especially “Torn Being,” where Gitane’s voice absolutely soars alongside Sven.

“Calling The Sun” and “Awakening” boast well-placed string arrangements and piano paired with a dark metallic edge, similar to Moonspell’s lighter moments. The album picks back up toward the last few tracks, however, being just over an hour in length, Dreadful Shadows cover several bases of dark enjoyment. An equal balance of Gothic rock, metal, and ambience makes this a sure fire hit. This is certainly the band’s most mature effort and their most promising. They should be congratulated for their ability to breathe life into the ways of old and make it shimmer with blinding beauty.
Dreadful Shadows are:
Sven Friedrich: vocals, synths, prorgammings
Andre: guitars, additional synths
Norman Selbig: guitars, additional synths
Jens Riediger: basses
Ron Theiele: drums, additional synths
With special guest vocals by Gitane DeMone
Information:
Big Mama Promotion Auguststr. 8, D-53229 Bonn, Germany
Fan Club:
Dreadful Shadows Fan Club C/O Viola Steffans PO Box 1235 29402 Salzwedel
Official Web Page: www.dreadful-shadows.de (not in English yet, but is to be updated soon!)

EnduraElder Signs   ~reviewed by  Kirin
The first few tracks on this CD were originally released on the infamous En Comm label, when the band was called "Abraxas" and the cassette was titled "Hexe"; these tracks later appeared, with other tracks interwoven, on the Nature and Art label, (band name now Endura,) on the album Dreams of Dark Waters. Tracks 16-24 were released in 1996 on the album called "The Dark Is Light Enough". The remaining nine tracks in the collection, are a treasure trove of gems for Endura fans, because they have heretofore only been available on various (and sometimes impossible to find) compilations and cassettes. For those unfamiliar with Endura's brilliance, Elder Signs is an excellent place to begin. Endura could easily and favourably be compared and contrasted to bands such as Puissance, Blood Axis, Death In June, Sol Invictus, Strength Through Joy, and perhaps even Coil. The moniker "dark ambience" fits Endura very well; they vary between cold sparse industrial sounds and the tender traumas of "apocalyptic folk". In fact, there are moments when Endura become downright Dead Can Dancey. Fans of H.P. Lovecraft, Carl Jacobi, and Arkham House will adore Endura for their wonderworld of dark gods and brooding atmospheres. Students of and participants in Mithraism and other "pagan" systems of learning and discovery will be delighted by Endura's dedication to esoteric thought and sound; songs such as "The Sun Behind The Sun" and "The Bull And The East Wind Blowing" are profoundly powerful and exalting. Thanks and praise must be directed to Patrick McCahan and Red Stream records, for making this collection a reality; it's been a long time coming!
Endura are:
Stephen Pennick and Christopher Walton
http://www.stack.nl/~bobw/music/artists/Endura/index.html
Red Stream PO Box 342 Camp Hill, PA 17001-0342 USA
RedStream@aol.comhttp://www.rstream.com/http://test105.info-service.net/html/testfrnt.htm

Escapade   due to a faulty premonition   ~review by JettBlack
Spontaneous sexual arousal emanates from natural rhythms converging and intersecting in harmony upon one another. Like the cover art suggests, due to a faulty premonition begins like a slow journey upon a deep and mysterious ocean rolling with spontaneous tides and under currents of wonder and amusement. A steady rhythm carries us out into deeper, more complex movements.

As time and distance together build upon one another, darker elements of the deep become both more apparent and engaging. And all the while, the music is entirely unobtrusive, cerebral, and yet enigmatic. Mother West studios in NYC brings us Escapade. Six musicians spontaneously collaborating, creating soulful music. A refreshing electronic spirit that reaches into the most automated sub-routines of a mind connected to the great machine and slowly leads the soul back out into the openess of non-conformity and abstraction. Here within the beauty of these 6 tracks discover a world against sanity focused purely upon creative spontaneity.
Contact Mother West: info@motherwest.com
and Escapade: escamail@rcn.com
visit Escapade and Mother West on-line at: http://www.motherwest.com
Mother West 132 W. 26th St. New York, N. Y., 10001

EVOKEN Embrace the Emptiness ~reviewed by Kirin
Devastating from cover art to last note. Nihilistic doom, through and through; pure ecstasy. Shades of death metal, shadows of abject horror, all dancing within a dark ambient backdrop of an ever-expanding and meaningless universe. I challenge you to find a more bleak and cleansing album ANYWHERE. This is right up there with the early Burzum albums in its ability to completely empty one's mind of the self, or, to fill one's mind so much with the self that the only choice is to change or die. Cathartic, mournful, and full of the only kind of hope which is true; the hope that comes after all hope is abandoned.
Evoken are: John Parasiso: Guitars, vocals.; Nick Orlando: Guitars; Steve Moran: Bass.; Vince Verkay: Drums; Dario Derna: Keyboards., (plus Charles Lamb on cello.)
Elegy Records Mail Order/Record Label 71 Ackerman Ave, Suite 163, Clifton NJ 07011, USA Phone (973) 614-0670 Fax (973) 365-2323
Email Address: Elegy666@elegyrecords..com ICQ# 24279077

Faith & Disease Lamentations: A Collection   ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Seattle’s Faith & Disease are one of those rare bands in the Gothic scene that still rely on dark romantic subtlety and reserved instrumental beauty to convey their message. Led by the warm expressive vocals of Dara Rosenwasser and the musical talents of Eric Cooley, Faith & Disease are a success due to the raw and hypnotic moods they create. They don’t try to write dance club hits nor do they feel it necessary to release any techno remixes of their music. Instead, you find in their music a wonderful array of styles and approaches that exhibit this outfit’s multi-dimensional talent. They mesh these styles together to produce a stark and well-blended mix of genuine gothic atmosphere, something that in my opinion is becoming a sincere rarity lately. The band formed in 1992 just at the peak of the grunge rock explosion. Essentially their music was just a four-track catharsis project to cope with living at the epicenter of faded flannel and fuzzy guitars, but it soon took off. Since their formation in the early 1990’s, Faith & Disease have been dabbing the palettes of ethereal, darkwave, Cocteau Twin-esque swirl core, and acoustic folk goth. This collection is a tour through the gallery of the art they created, both past and present, and after one visit, it is pretty safe to say that you will be back again.

This disc opens with the my favourite track entitled “Baudelaire,” and I believe that in his more morose and melancholic moods, the French misanthrope himself would have been proud at how F & D captured the essence of ennui and desperation prevalent in his poetry and channeled it through a musical medium. For the backbone, a lush acoustic guitar is finger picked as a solitary violin snakes in and out with a gorgeous though utterly desolate melody. It is here as well, where I found Dara’s voice to be at its most expressive as well, though by no means does the rest of the album fall short. Again, it is a very eclectic trip through this album. There are plenty more ethereal tracks such as “Hashivenu” and “Wallow” where warm synths and chamber orchestras are prevalent, but for the most part, songs such as “Jardeau Blue” and “Igloo” seems to set the tone for the album.

Subtle flanged guitars, pulsing bass, swelling synths, and slow bluesy drums are where F & D are there best and most interesting. Reminiscent of Cocteau Twins and Lush, the songs flow and you find yourself in a dazed groove and you can’t help but want to chill in your room all day with some wine and hope for rain outside. There is of course the folky “Voltaire’s Vallerie” and “Madrigal” to stir things up a bit, being the most upbeat songs of the entire disc, yet still the edgy beauty is there and doesn’t disturb the flow of the album.

Similar to how their music was a breath of fresh air to the dark scene in Seattle at one time, their music can still be regarded as such when you consider how many traditional Gothic releases have been put out lately. I was very pleased with this disc and though I have random tracks from Faith & Disease on compilations and various mixed tapes, hearing Lamentations made me very interested in hearing what else this band had to offer. If you are already a fan, this is a convenient collection to own and if you are interested in the band, it is an essential purchase to add to your collection.
Faith & Disease are:
Dara Rossenwasser: vocals, lyrics, guitar; Eric Cooley: guitar, bass, keyboards, lyrics
IVY RECORDS 1904 3rd Ave Suite 1011 Seattle, WA 98101 USA www.ivyrecords.com

Gitane DeMoneStars of Trash ~reviewed By BlackOrpheus
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Gitane Demone for StarVox. I found her candor, and insight thought provoking. She was every bit as engaging as the music I've come to know her through. Stars of Trash, her most recent release is no exception. It is rife with the seeds of wistful melancholia. They fall upon the fallow ground of one's hearing, and quickly flower into incredibly colored creations. Come walk with me, in an oft neglected garden. Revel in the sweet smells of decay, and rebirth.

"The Only One" is a superlative piece of songcraft. The writing is poignant, and haunting. I am repeatedly moved by this song. It opens with a nice guitar part that sets the cadence. There is an emotional ebb and flow like the tides, punctuated by the cresting, and breaking of the vocal parts. This is truly beautiful.

"Little Dreamer" is another song that caught me up in its rhythms. The song beats like a heart, with this confession to the source of its affections. "...We have glory, we've both been trashed, kicked to shit, and born abstract," I liked the writing here as well. I was particularly partial to the arrangement on this one.

"Valentine" was a gorgeous song. It was a tie as my favorite with "The Only One." I fell in love with it's classical, chamber music feel. The emotions evoked by the harpsichord effect were profoundly shaking, exquisite. It was wrenching in it's entreaty "I only want to be in love, the way that children play...Stay don't turn blinded eyes away...Don't walk away..."

This was an incredible listening experience, extraordinary work.

I hate to conclude, as there is so much to praise here. Gitane Demone has once again triumphed with "Stars of Trash." It is a mature work, sung with a voice that knows that of which it sings. In the beginning of Jung's Memories, Dreams, and Reflections are the following words "Other people are established inalienably in my memories only if their names were entered in the scrolls of my destiny from the beginning, so that encountering them was at the same time a kind of recollection." Well, there is a voice here that inspires just this thought. I wonder if it might not move others as it moved me. Search this album out, there are treasures awaiting you.
Gitane DeMone Website: http://rozznet.com/family/gitane/
RozzNet.com* (official Rozz Willimams site and family links) http://rozznet.com/

Hate Eternal Conquering The Throne  ~reviewed by Matthew Heilman
Brutality my friends, and nothing short of it. Perhaps the best aggressive death metal album of the year thus far, Hate Eternal indeed are in no way short of living up to the title of this debut CD. Pioneered by Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan, this bombast of anger and merciless energy is surely something not to be taken lightly. Personally, traditional death metal for me has been something that I chose to ignore, since 9 chances out of 10, the recent wave of death metal has absolutely nothing to offer that hasn’t been done before and better by the pioneers. But every so often, an outfit Hate Eternal appear and I am fondly reminded of the incomparable power of inspired and well-done death metal, a style that when handled correctly, can be the most aggressive and interesting styles of music.

Thus, here it is, something that Cruxshadows fans would cry if exposed to, and something that those of us with the rotting fetid skeleton of death metal hung in our closets will cause us to open and the door and say “Damn right! I love this insanity!”

The riffs on this CD are frantic, the vocals are abysmally harsh and intense, the drumming both blistering and precise. Though intense and extreme, the musical orchestration certainly shows through and Hate Eternal is as much exhibiting integrity as they are blasphemous angst. Fans of Morbid Angel are already familiar with Erik’s writing style since he was responsible for some of the songwriting in the past, so you won’t be disappointed with this in the least. Any of you who dig abrasive and straight-forward death metal will adore this. Hate Eternal are currently on tour in the US so hopefully some of you will venture out and witness as what will undoubtedly be an exhilarating and rewarding performance! All Hail!!
Hate Eternal is: Erik Rutan: guitars, vocals; Doug Cerrito(ex Suffocation): guitars; Jared Anderson: bass; Tim Yeung: drums
Erik Rutan P.O. Box 21922 Tampa, FL 33622-1922
Official Web Page: www.HateEternal.com
Earache Records: www.earache.com

Himinbjorg  In The Raven's Shadow   ~reviewed by Kirin
France's own Himinbjorg came out with their guns blazing from the very beginning of their last release, "Where Ravens Fly"; this time, they begin with a sombre, atmospheric prelude, and then fall right into formation with their usual blitzkrieg of sound and fury.

Himinbjorg are eloquently proficient at mixing straight-up black metal chaos with a more classical and folkish flair. The vocals remain as evil and trollish as ever. It seems though, that Himinbjorg have really been tightening their belts; this music feels more clean than Where Ravens Fly. Where Ravens Fly is an excellent album, don't get me wrong, but In The Raven's Shadow is a blazing buzzsaw of sound that is a gift to any nervous system. Personal favourite tracks are: "The inverted dimension", "In the Forest of the demons from within", "Dream Walker" and "The Voice of Blood".
Himinbjorg are:
Zahaah: Vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, and percussion.; Elvan: Drums and percussion, keyboards, samples, acoustic guitars, vocals, etc.; Mathrien D.: Production (?), guitars.
(An old Himinbjorg page at Redstream: http://www.rstream.com/himin.htm)
Band Contact/Booking:
Mathrien D. c/o Ludovic Tournier "Sous La Vellaz" 01510 Artemare (France)
Red Stream: PO Box 342 Camp Hill, PA 17001-0342 USA
RedStream@aol.comhttp://www.redstream.org  http://test105.info-service.net/html/testfrnt.htm

IN THE NURSERY  "GROUNDLOOP" CD ~reviewed By: Vassago
Music is one of the ways an artist can express his/her inner-self by using instruments to give birth to his/her feelings, experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. The day I listened this CD, I knew about this as I am a composer myself, but I couldn't have imagined how much a group could achieve as In The Nursery has with "GROUNDLOOP".

It’s so difficult to review a CD that makes you ground, forces all your senses to wake up from their sleep and brings to the surface feelings and visions that you could never imagine existenced. Each time a track was ending, I didn’t know what to expect next, but I knew that I wouldn’t be disturbed from the trip I was in. I've been listening In The Nursery for many years and I believe that this is the best work they have to present (until the next release probably! ) I wont do the review by critiquing all the songs separately because it will be useless since the album is from the first to the last song, UNIQUE. Sometimes you need more than few words to describe an album that goes straight to the center of your being.

The Humberstone brothers continue using the same elements in their music, experimenting with a more renaissance style this time. Wonderful combinations of Oboe, Cor anglais (by Jill Crowther from the courtesy of London Philharmonic orchestra) flute, and drums impressively filled the their songs with more power than ever. True electronic sounds from classical and orchestral instruments achieving the creation of their well known cinematic atmosphere ( music for movies), and the fact that five from the eight songs  include lyrics written and performed from Dolores Marguerite C (in three different languages - with a majestic way you can never imagine), certifies the success of this new release from a group that compose highly- professional music, for big awards . As far as the production of the CD  is concerned; it is suitable for this kind of music since all the instruments are very well and easily perceptible from the listener, transferring all the atmosphere ITN intended with absolute detail and success. I am wondering what they had in mind when composing GROUNDLOOP. It will definitely provide many hours of listening pleasure whatever your musical preferences are.

If you are an In The Nursery fan, this is what you were waiting for. In the Nursery took their music to the next level and which leaves me wondering what even greater things the future holds. For those who do not know them yet , this is the opportunity to erase that mistake.
In The Nursery Website: http://www.inthenursery.com/

I Will I   "The Pope’s Ring Is Made Of Stolen Gold" ~reviewed by Matt Heilman
Something quite unique and interesting here. I am unsure if it is really a new release, but I recently received it to review so here goes. This guy is from eastern Pennsylvania and it seems like they listened to a lot of different styles of unhappy music.

The album opens with a strange, trippy song that sounds like an occultist on acid narrating their own twisted version of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” A funky bass line, jazzy drums, bluesy guitars, and non-treated clear male vocals tell the tale of a spinster gone mad. Interesting, to say the least.

I blink and shake my head, leaving the trauma of track one behind (trauma I say, because I was absorbed by the catchiness of the tune and have to admit I kind of liked it). Track two, “March Of Time,” is an old-school post-punk rock song, with an early Death In June flavour too it. Reminds me of the death rock era stuff like “Holy Water” and “Heaven Street,” with cool drums, driving bass, and both watery and grungy guitars. I liked it very much, even though the vocals are sort of higher and uncharacteristic of this kind of stuff. It helps it sound original.

The title track begins with a very annoying, out of key German male vocalist singing acappella, and just when you think you can’t take it anymore, a brooding bassline appears, and the song begins finally. As if taking a cue from Boyd Rice, a very bitter spoken word passage takes the song to quite a heretical level. It sounds like a medieval Pagan expressing his distaste for the Church. This is a very cool track, spanning about 7 minutes of sheer dark age blasphemy, but I still can’t stand the German guy that was whining in the background.

The last three tracks are very short, “Ever Dawn” being an instrumental led by another memorable bassline and epic synths that crescendo into another post-punk inspired jam. Unfortunately, just as the song sounds like it is going to get somewhere, just as you expect a the vocals to begin it ends. And that is it.

The aptly titled fifth track starts, a song composed of a hateful perversion of the “itsy bitsy spider” nursery rhyme spoken softly behind spooky distortion and other forms of manipulated noise. The CD closes with another evil folk tune comprised only of a rapidly strummed guitar, adding a bizarre western tone to it and the tale of a midwife who is the prey of a dead magician who tries to be reborn. Some wild mystical stuff going on here, but I like it.

Creative, bitter, imaginative, and injected with tongue-in-cheek humour that’s as black as can be. David E.Williams appears on these last couple tracks as well, which should interest some of you. I Will I is something I would have to be in the mood for, but cool nonetheless.
I Will I is: John P. Begley
Web site: http://myownpocket.com
I Will I PO Box 2083 Jenkinstown, PA 19046
See ROZZNET.COM for dates of Gitane Tour

JOHHNY [sic] PINKHOUSE PRESENTS   "Bad Acetate: 50 Fabulous Years in the Soleilmoon Lounge" CD ~reviewed by Kirin
The realist would say, "This CD is a collection of recordings of people talking shite." Ja,'tis, but, at the same time, if you keep listening to it long enough, oddly, it becomes a sort of ambient recording. The voices become sing-song and run together and fade apart, and the words no longer matter. I never before realised how truly musical the simple act of talking is. I hear it when I listen to people speaking languages I don't understand, but I'd honestly never realised how even English, the American kind specifically, with all of its brogues and variations, can be so serendipitous. A bizarre collection of recordings, to say the least, but a mind-opening one. I always appreciate Soleilmoon recordings for the fact that they bust me 'ead open and give me a different view of things within and around me.
Soleilmoon Recordings PO Box 83296 Portland, OR 97283  www.soleilmoon.com

KARMA TO BURN Wild Wonderful Purgatory   ~reviewed by Kirin
"We're all ready for tonight. How 'bout you, shithead?" This is how the CD begins, and it's all gloriously downhill from there. No way can one (okay, two) record labels be chock full of this much great music. TeePee/MIA are the answer to ALL of my ills. I could spend the rest of my life with this music, and never want off the age-old hypothetical desert island. This is better than food, sex, shelter from storm, or anything a desert island might leave you wanting for. I'm to the point where I'm sitting here listening to these TP/MIA releases and I'm running out of words for how feckin' blown away I am. All I know is that this is the music I love best, and I never thought I'd hear contemporary musicians doing it this well, this passionately, and this over the top. I thought I'd be listening to those same old 70s vinyl LPs forever. Not that I mind that, but a lot of those old bands don't tour anymore, and when they do, they're uh, well, just not the same. I'm excited that these labels have dedicated themselves to the acid doom funkassed kind of metal that made my life seem worth hanging on to all those years ago. I'm even more excited that sooner or later, ONE of these bands has gotta pass through my part of the country, and I'll get to sit there with my eyes closed and a big cold beer in my hand and FEEL it through and through.

Karma To Burn are right up there with Foghat, Nugent, Hendrix, Zep, Saint Vitus and ALL that shite that blew my mind back then, (and now); you gotta hear this to believe it. Bless these crazy peckerheads from West Virginia. They just made my year. Hell, they're so freakin' cool that the none of the tracks have song titles. This means I can type less and listen more, which in this case is a very good thing indeed.
Karma To Burn are: Will: Guitar; Rob: Drums; Rich: Bass
MIA Records 315 Church St. 2nd Floor New York, NY 10013 info@mia-records.comhttp://www.mia-records.com

Kate Rears  Mostly Late Night Music   ~reviewed by Michael Otley
Singer/songwriter Kate Rears is a far cry from quiet desperation. Almost folk, far from pop, the music has a personal sensibility. Her debut CD, Mostly Late Night Music, is a modest self-release of her mostly acoustic guitar and voice arrangements. Generally speaking, Kate remains calm and thoughtful from beginning to end. Lyrics sung with her sweet and sometimes gruff lower voice seem to attempt to communicate with a friend or lover in most songs, discussing her current emotions and confusions, where things went wrong, or hopes for the future. Perhaps I love this CD so much because it is simple and straight-forward, beautiful and something with which to relate.

This is one of those CDs I put on and never even know what song is what. Although I know the album starts with a nice little song called "Arms of Morpheus," I'm not completely sure I could pick it out if someone mixed up the tracks. To me they're all brilliant, for the most part they all seem to have their own progression, never straying too far from the original theme presented in the first few seconds, and never getting stuck or boring. "No One Thinks" is my declared favorite of the album; it's so elating somehow. While maintaining a nostalgic longing for the past, it also seems to disregard any pain or negativity. After she muses over the possibilities of the moment, the song breaks into the extended instrumental second half of the song, just guitar and so free. The following song, "Self Hatred," provides bass as a subtle yet strong backing instrument. Incidently, "Self Hatred," seems to be more about moving beyond self-hatred and is consistant with the positive self-reflective nature of the album. As the album continues, Kate experiments slightly with electric guitar and more prominent bass on a few songs, but never straying far from the overall acoustic sound of the album.

I would recommend this album to anyone enjoying creative acoustic music, especially fans of Cat Power. You may purchase Mostly Late Night Music directly from Kate Rears (visit her website, link below).
http://www.resnet.wm.edu/~hkrear/http://www.mp3.com/katerears

TOR LUNDVALL AND TONY WAKEFORD  Autumn Calls   ~reviewed by Vassago*
The name Tony Wakeford is well known from his involvement in the projects Crisis, Death In June, Sol Invictus, L'Orchestre Noir, as well as from his solo works. When I saw the name Tor Lundvall with Wakeford's, I wasn't surprised since I knew that these two have collaborated, though not musically. Tor Lundvall is a visual artist, specifically a painter, responsible for the artworks of Tony Wakeford's King and Queen, In the rain, Cupid and Death, Cantos, and Wakeford's book Above the Sun (24 drawings included), as well as L'Orchestre Noir's In Europa and In a Garden Green. Also, Lundvall's works appear with Bob Berg's Riddles and for Miles Davis in The Blue Note for Capital Records.

My first thought was, "What could this man possibly have to present to this CD at his first attempt to compose music." Of course the name Tony Wakeford gave me an insurance of what I should expect, the result of Lundvall giving Wakeford some ideas. This album is a dark and experimental work dedicated to a melancholic and sinister season for Lundvall: autumn. I think of this as a soundtrack for Lundvall's pictures.

The CD contains 19 tracks: 16 of them instrumental, 2 with French spoken words - "October" and "The Rise to War" by Sowila , and only one with Wakeford's vocals - "Autumn Calls." The instrumental songs are short in length, and are Lundvall's ideas performed by Tony Wakeford. The other musicians have all previously worked with Wakeford, and their style here remains similar to their works on his previous releases. Tony Wakeford worked with Sarah Bradshaw on Trees in Winter, Let us Pray, Death of the West, In the Rain, In Europa, La Croix, Cupid and Death; with Matt Howden on In Europa, In a Garden Green, In the Rain; with Eric Roger on In the Rain (in both releases 1995-1997), In Europa, Cupid and Death, Eleven; and with Jaufre Darroux and Sowalia on Eleven. With these familiar albums in mind, everyone should share this experience with themselves, especially fans of World Serpent. Notice that this work gives more attention to the meaning of the seasons, especially autumn.
links of interest: http://www.worldserpent.demon.co.uk/ http://www.tursa.com/ http://grenninggallery.com/ (find some of Lundvall's works here)

MalaiseA World of Broken Images   ~reviewed by Vassago*
Although this CD was released one year late, Malaise returns powerfully with A World of Broken Images. The reason for the delay was that beyond Martin Danielsson (vocals and programming); all the other members, after composing but not recording the music, left the band for personal reasons.

After the wonderful 52 Ways to Die which made them known as one the most promising gothic bands in Europe; this album comes to certify that this is just the beginning. Between the electro and metal elements they finally focus more in the latter even if this is a completely different under taking considering the begining of this band.

Although they changed their music direction to more metal than the electro, it was not something that caused surprises. The proof is right here: by giving more attention to the guitars, the music profile is the same. Imagine the 52 Ways to Die in a complete metal version with limited samplers.

Massive harps with melodic guitars, perfect drums in power and technique, pianos filling in successfully when needed, melodic solos and keyboards married with Dannielson's voice give a unique atmosphere to all the tracks and especially in the songs: "Maybe I Am Dead," "Bitter Waters," "Another Image," and "Another Day." These are definitely are the best moments of the CD. The production and the mix deserves a lot of compliments also. One of the best releases in from a gothic-metal band, especially recommended to all the Dreadful Shadows fans.
http://www.cabal.se/mementohttp://www.malaise.netmalaise@malaise.net

My Dying BrideThe Light At The End Of The World   ~reviewed by Matt Heilman
My Dying Bride is the essence of Gothic emotion in music. The music they create projects the dread of haunted decaying castles, frost claimed gardens, and hesitant descents into cobwebbed crypts. They inspire romantic arousal from romantic bereavement. Their lyrical imagery is that of the anguished poet clutching his motionless, silent, and dead muse…and his gaze upward sears the very throne of the cruel on looking god. No one will ever convince me otherwise that there is a band more Gothic in lyrical approach, style, sound, and effect upon the psyche as My Dying Bride.

Forgive me yet again for my verbosity, but I would be dead if I never found catharsis in this band, and I would like to pay them the respect they deserve.

Though Anathema and Paradise Lost are accredited to arriving first of the 'big' three, it was My Dying Bride who defined, solidified, and shaped the Gothic metal genre that was to cast its bleak shadow over the European metal scene in the early nineties. To my delight, that shadow is denser than ever. My Dying Bride, circa 1993: dark foreboding growls alternating between a brooding British tenor pleaded and spewed forth profound Shakespearen styled tragedy atop walls of detuned melancholic guitars, skull shattering drums, and the ghostly slithering of violin. They blew the minds and broke the hearts of countless souls. Not only that, but they opened the doors of creativity within the metal genre, proving it was not mandatory to write songs about satanic ritual sacrifice, serial murder, or senseless gore-shock. They also proved that speed and jamming a thousand notes into a single bar was not the only way to be brutal. They added depth to a scene that was way too predictable, and succeeded in creating a darker, infinitely more disturbing effect that traditional death metal in its stagnance could never have produced. Soon more bands followed suit, and My Dying Bride continued on, submerging themselves deeper within the warm waters of romantic darkness and anguished poetic beauty, expanding their sound and crafting it to reach a pinnacle of passionate art.

Over the years, with many outstanding talents emerging, most notably the eloquent Theatre Of Tragedy, new brilliance threatened to oust the reigning morose monarchs. Also, with last year's "34.788% Complete," My Dying Bride sought to experiment even further sensing how crowded the Gothic metal genre had become, and threw every one off guard by abandoning the extremely deep old-world lyrical approach for a more modern verse style. Not too mention, the CD (their 5th full length) was the first without long-time violinist Martin Powel, thus one of the key elements in the band's success and originality was missing. Many fans were disappointed, though the CD in no way was that great of a departure from the common themes and concepts familiar to the band. But it was very obvious to fans that each album seemed to stray from the core of funereal agony that inspired the band's seminal recording "Turn Loose The Swans," where MDB were perhaps their most powerful, pairing their death metal past with their Goth/doom metal future.

My Dying Bride has returned and I am awe-stricken. With "The Light At The End Of The World," they have outdone themselves and every band that has ever come after them. They have taken every element that has ever made them successful and fine-tuned these elements to create the finest dark music album of the past decade. They have returned to the stygian source of their inspiration and dove deep into those black waters. Aaron's lyrics are grandiose and superbly imaginative, his lamenting tenor unstable with grief yet fiery with passion. To the delight of many he has revived his angst ridden death growl that has remained silent for three albums now, as well as his raspy shrieks that most likely served as a basis for the legions of modern black metal vocalists. Yet he balances these voices perfectly to convey the particular shade of emotion he wishes to express. The guitars are still the signature fortresses of abysmal distortion and hypnotically bleak harmony. They have 'their' sound again, the sound that made them gods, and have taken it to an even higher plain of divinity.

Though many journalists have scoffed saying that the band is regurgitating what they have already done, which is absolutely ridiculous because this album is fresh, and it rivals anything that could be released in this genre.

My Dying Bride is doing what they enjoy and they are displaying loyalty to their fans by strengthening what so many have loved and modifying it to a level of maturity never before seen.

I really do not know how My Dying Bride will follow this album with an even greater masterpiece, but I do not doubt they will do so.

The album opens with eerie volume swells in "She Is The Dark" and as Aaron volleys between harsh rasping and Gothic wailing, the band gallops along with black metal-esque riffing and pauses for foreboding atmospherics.

"Edenbeast" lurches along with sludgy riffs and flirts with speedy claustrophobic moshing rhythms only then to lead into a wonderful interlude that proves that despite the lack of a live violinist, MDB can still inject classical instrumentation with some well-done keyboards and a lush oboe arrangement. "The Night He Died" stands out for its lyrics, which to me were a subtle and tasteful nod to a pair of vampire lovers. I interpreted the story of a male vampire who sought to avenge the death of his nocturnal bride; a sinfully bitter track that would make vampire enthusiasts proud.

The title track is beautiful. There are just no words to capture the splendour of this track. The lyrics read like epic Greek tragedy, as a man forsakes his life and humanity itself for the love of a woman he lost to death. The vocal melody is gorgeous and moving, and the guitar arrangements godly.

"The Fever Sea" is a straightforward attack, similar to early "As The Flower Withers" era tracks, though definitely more polished and modernized. "Into The Lake Of Ghosts" is fueled by somber riffing and clean Gothic vocals, mid paced yet utterly laden with depressive beauty to be one of the saddest and ethereal tracks of this CD. "Isis Script" is more of Aaron's volleying between gruff and Gothic vocals, and the band too shows both its heavy and sensitive sides. "Christ Liar" takes awhile to grab you, at first seemingly one of the weakest tracks on the record. By no means bad, but not as gripping as other tracks. By the half way point, the song takes a more atmospheric turn and with the use of acoustic guitar and more sweeping orchestral keys, makes it again, a powerful moment as well.

The album closes with "Sear Me III," a reprise of a track that has seen various formats on early releases. This version combines the sweet guitar harmonies and thudding drums of the original "…Flower Withers" version and the neo-classical tone of the "…Swans" version with piano and keyboard. Aaron continues the saga of doomed lovers with revised lyrics, and the CD closes with an intense outpouring of romantic emotion that soothes and satisfies the heavy hearted listener.

The album exhibits the power that My Dying Bride and the genre they herald is capable of possessing. This music is timeless, and years from now, music fans will look back and look at this branch of Gothic and metal as a revolution in itself. This is dark epic art, that compromises for nothing.

Besides the majesty created by the pairing of the music and lyrics, I would recommend at least one in depth study of the album's lyrics. (www.mydyingbride.org) One can easily see that had Aaron Stainthorpe been alive a few centuries ago, we may be reading his words along with the greats that have done so well in inspiring him. Amazing and profound, I think it would be safe to say I * really * liked this album!
My Dying Bride Is: Aaron - vocals; Andrew - guitars; Ade - bass; Shaun - drums; With Jonny Maudling (of Bal-Saggoth) on keyboards
Official Website: http://www.mydyingbride.org
Peaceville Records www.peaceville.com

Metroscene   "The Weekenders E.P." ~reviewed by Blu
I don't know about the rest of the country, but Brit-pop is making a strong come back at the club scene here in Atlanta. That puts a band like Metroscene in exactly the right place at the right time. A fairly new formation by one-time solo artist John Phillips, Metroscene is making big waves in the pop pool. Having been picked up and played by a variety of radio stations, all reports point to this band as being one of "THE ONES" to watch. (You can thank me later and I can boast "you heard about them here first"). Their sound has been compared to Blur, Jellyfish and Pulp and while this 4-song EP is light-hearted and delightfully boyish in tone, I hear their live show* is a bit more intense and nothing short of spectacular which has left all their listeners in great anticipation of a full-length release.

The Weekenders E.P. opens up with the sweet "My Darkest Star" which reminds me of "Wonderwall" in its gloomier appeal and slightly manipulated vocals. Track 2 is "Tartan Skirt" with its boyish infatuation theme that has become something of a call signature for them. The carefree vibes of "Sunday Afternoons" on track three lead way to the title track "Weekenders." With its "Beatle"-esque sound, "Weekenders" embodies the theme of the band - the carefree attitudes of those people in metro areas that finally, at the end of work week, head out to have a good time and relax with friends "I could stay at home, but the weekend's come and this is what we're meant to do...weekenders." Ah- to be young and single and have the right band performing the soundtrack. If you've been in a routine rut, if its all been too gloomy and depressing, take the weekend off, spin a little Metroscene and for the moment, forget that Monday is just around the corner. Carpe Diem.
Metroscene is: J High - bass Allen King - guitars John Phillps- vocals and guitars Kevin Redd- drums
Metroscene: www.mindspring.com/~metroscene
Email: metroscene@mindspring.com The Weekenders EP can be ordered online through amazon.com Mp3 site: www.mp3.com/metroscene

A Murder Of Angels   While You Sleep  Lineup: Bryin Dall, Derek Rush ~reviewed by: Mike Ventarola
Middle Pillar breaks new ground yet again with the release of A Murder of Angels CD entitled While You Sleep.

The company creatively coined the term dambient for this work which is a dark ambiance hybrid. This instrumental work meshes spoken words, shouts, whispers and minor dialogue between some of the darkest sounds of eerie delight. The music is an amalgamation of mournfulness, anxiety and fear set in full bodied texture to enlist the wakening of all of one’s senses. This disc accomplishes in not only making you see some of the horror, but smelling, touching and tasting it as well.

On this, Middle Pillar’s third label release, we are treated to the dark ghosts that lurk within the shadows of our own psyche. This disc is at once haunting and haunted. Every listen will provide multiple fragmented images to splay itself across the mind. We are a mute witness to mental cinemascope as the metallic residue of fear hewed bile plays across our tongue.

Necrosis Reversal has us enter into a dark nebula with backward dark drones which instinctively cause the listener to have mental images of spinning headlong through a tunnel.

We drift into the catacombs of sounds that echo from a displaced time and are clearly asked "who are you?" As our brain entrains towards the alpha level of slumber, the sound takes us on what feels like a Medieval horse ride while still staying connected to the dark drones as our guide.

The ride progresses to unclear shouts from this twisting cloud. Are we crossing the barrier to the other side? We are frozen as silent spectators to the echoes and bellows that emanate between the music. A steady electronic pulse keeps time with our beads of sweat, as we thrash from this somnambulant nightmare. Haunted and haunting, we cannot stop listening even as the final refrain asks in a singsong voice, "did you ever see a dream?"

Manuscript’s opening reminded me of the outdoor section of a futuristic prison. The sky is dismal and gray with flecks of cold drizzle hitting against our skin.

I can’t help but be reminded of Dickens as the audio transmits a feeling of flying with a enigmatic and dreaded companion to view things we may not care to see. Voices sound as though they are from a metallic speaker set atop a high wooden poll. Scenery changes allow for the many fragments to come forward. We can see a book of indescribable power calling forth the guardians of the dark to escort us further along our quest.

A full bodied orchestration pleads to come forward yet the invisible barriers keep them at bay. The energy of intonation continues to rise and fall until we are left with a crescendo of dark cacophony, orchestra and musical wailing that pull our spirit right from our bodies. We once again hear the voices from the speakers as we rouse from our terror filled travel. We do not linger here as we have many more areas to explore.

Wandering Soul leaves us in a cavern of the deepest recesses. Gloom is pervasive all around us now as we see there is no escape. Musical footsteps walk us through the many yawning mouths in this cave as we seek for a way out. Each step leads us back to where we started. It is grim and hopeless.

Lurking Gentlemen reminds this reviewer of sounds like the dark alley of a major city. All forms of vice are played out between the shadows. We shake out of our reverie to anxious music. We have been surrounded by dark characters. Musically and sonorously we cannot see what is happening due to the ambiguity of the notes. We once again find ourselves spiraling into another level as the hinges of a gate squeaks repeatedly. It ends with anxious, discordant notes similar to the apprehensive tones of a horror movie.

Melting Across the Night begins with a dark downbeat and a deep male voice that is indecipherable. Many other voices whisper and speak as the music plays a tense reverie. Is this the voice of our dark guide? We continue to drift through the night, looking at the dismal world of our existence below us. We then are briefly treated to an Orson Welles style narration of the story the "Little Match Girl." Upon the tales end, the earlier haunted sounds proceed to take up the atmosphere leaving us questing and questioning.

Tribunal opens with thunderous sounds and backward playing high notes that echo and gape into yet another dark area with mysterious voices floating overhead. The dark energies converge and twist all around us as we near the next point of visitation. Who or what presence are we in the company of? Is the approach of our annihilation upon us? The music holds us tensely while the sound effects plaster us against the hidden walls of our psyche that we are creeping along. Choirs chant and sing in reverse as we hear the juxtaposition of energy and fast flying notes to indicate rapid movement. We are not meant to linger long here.

Suspended in Frozen Misery sounds like the underwater grave of a sunken vessel. All is dark and the only company is the floating debris of darkened algae and echoes of metal from undersea settling. We are breathing though we are in this watery abyss. The music and effects intersperse nicely to provide yet another tense filled atmosphere. One can almost hear the corpses screaming from their aquatic tomb, begging for someone to avail their release. We swim frantically to what sounds like a breathless escape. Out of the water and free from the pursuing nautical undead, we still hear the echoes of the sunken ship clanking its door. It is calling us back to take refuge among its eternally damned.

Opaque Atmosphere conjures images of a thick dark mist ever encircling on the perimeters of hell. Voices call out from the mist and subtle percussion and horns lure us to peek within. Once inside, we are in another barren cave. Sounds evoke imagery of things flying past us. Indecipherable tones and voices yet again call from beyond the nether reaches of this void. Each step we take is accompanied by another image of horror and fear. The paralyzing screams and hollers mingle with more musical discord to raise the taut emotional groundwork that has been reached thus far.

Ninth Circle thunders open and briefly conjoins with an angelic voice. This is replaced by dark moody bass tones and the sound of crows off in the distance. The melody builds as dragging footsteps painfully trudge through this dismal journey. Circuitous music whirls around touching us as it brings us back to wakefulness from our nightmare.

A Murder OF Angels manages to provide an unusual backdrop to allow listeners to experience a waking nightmare. Many sounds blend to create a dreary world which is further enhanced in an unlit room while wearing headphones. This body of work goes beyond stark to provide a vista devoid of any light whatsoever. Playing this totally changes the environment you are in to add the right touches of gloom and doom. This reviewer must admit to being hooked to this CD and finds it rather inspiring while redecorating my own gloomy abode.

I must caution you, however, due to a recent experience while playing this CD. Should you have friends that are not into dark music, While You Sleep will unnerve them quickly and cause them to leave.
Released and Distributed by: Middle Pillar P.O. Box 555 New York, NY 10009 Tel: 212- 378-2922 Email: info@middlepillar.com

MUSLIMGAUZE  "Speaking With Hamas" CD ~reviewed by Kirin
As you probably know by now, if you've been reading the previous Muslimgauze reviews on Starvox, Bryn Jones is no longer with us, corporeally speaking, but his music continues, thankfully, to wade out into the sea of ears. Perhaps this particular CD is best described by its liner notes, which read: "A collection of limited edition series of 1996, selected by Muslimgauze. This CD to be permatly [sic] available to people who don't deserve it" and "A tourist asked Ali Muhamad, a second-hand camel salesman, why camels look so dam [sic] supercilious. The Arabs know 99 names for God but only the camel knows the 100th." If these statements seem somehow simultaneously obscure and profound, then you're beginning to have an appreciation for Muslimgauze. As always, the music here is luxuriously crafted, to the point of being painstakingly layered and structured; a house of cards, a fantastically difficult and mournfully delicious dessert. Not to be missed, even for those of us who will never deserve it.
Muslimgauze: -Bryn Jones (1961-1999)
http://www.pretentious.net/Muslimgauze/
Soleilmoon PO Box 83296 Portland, OR 97283 www.soleilmoon. com

MYSSOURI  "Malamerica" CD ~reviewed by Kirin
Have you ever come over a rise in the road and seen something from a dream long ago? Something so beautiful and frightening and glorious that you can't breathe? This is what I felt from the very first notes of this CD. I felt, "I have heard this before. I have dreamt this before." This is directly from the Collective Unconscious-- straight up, no chaser. With all the grace and sad delight of And Also The Trees, Myssouri build a world