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Music Reviews

The CDs and tapes I have reviewed here, have been accumulating in my mailbox for over two years. In many instances these bands have released new music, but you can check out their Web pages for this info. (Names in light blue are links to their sites.) The material may be a bit out of date, but most likely it can still be obtained. Since these people took the time to submit their work, I feel I should review it, even though it is old. A few of the reviews are newer. These are marked RECENT. The reviews are listed alphabetically.

Bethany Curve
Skies A Crossed Sky; 1996, 13 track CD; price $10.00
Unit Circle Rekkids, P.O. Box 20352, Seattle, WA 98102;
e-mail: rekkids@unitcircle.com
To contact the band write to: sounds@bethanycurve.com

Bethany Curve's specialty is lots of layered sound. The vocals of Richard Millang and Ray Lake softly soar, while Chris Preston on bass, and David Mac Wha on drums, keep a steady beat. My first thought upon hearing the eight-minute long Vanish, is that it reminds me of The Cure in one of their moodier moments. In fact, many of the songs here have that sound -- particularly the guitars. However, the vocals are quite different. I don't like to compare performers to others, but keep in mind that I do this from time to time in my reviews to help my readers get the best possible idea of what the music is like.

Spacirelei is a track that's also featured on the Nocturne Concrete Compilation that I have also reviewed here. Terpsichore starts out as a lovely melancholy song, and evolves into noise. Lots of innovation here. The intriguingly titled Door 2416 is a lush tune with sweet vocals, while Grend Shanka becomes more sinister in tone. Almost Perception brings things to a close as one of the best songs on the CD. (Note: Bethany Curve have had one other release since Skies A Crossed Sky.)

Black Dawn -- RECENT
Absence of Time; 1999; 10 track CD; price $9.49 at CDNOW.com, or $8.99 at Amazon.com. You can also download four tracks at MP3.com. E-mail: info@blackdawn.net

Do you like Metal? Then you'll love this CD. It's hard for me to compare this band to anyone because I don't usually listen to this genre, but New York-based Black Dawn are definitely heavy. These guys are talented musicians, and they have good lyrics. The first song that stands out is Shaded Tree with it's fast pace and driving bassline, which then evolves into a very nice guitar interlude. Wait is also a standout with Black Dawn doing what it does best -- starting the song out fast, slowing it down a bit, then speeding it up again, and all the while, singing some of the best lyrics on the album. The last three songs thrash even harder. All I know is that I would not want to be in a pit at one of their shows!

The Crüxshadows -- Some RECENT
Telemetry of A Fallen Angel; 1997; 14 track CD; release on Nesak International but all rights gone over to Dancing Ferret Disks -- price $12.98 via GEMM; price $13.99 at CDNow.com or TowerRecords.com, and $14.49 at Amazon.com. Songs also available at MP3.com. E-mail: wishfire@excite.com

I've really liked The Crüxshadows since I was introduced to their music in 1995 when I reviewed their cassette Night Crawls In in Nox #6 . Telemetry of A Fallen Angel was their first CD. It is also a concept album. The songs revolve around a fictional account of a series of Mars probes called Angel, and the fate of those probes. The filler tracks are all called "Feeds," while the songs titles are each proceeded by the word "Telemetry." After the intro "feed," a track entitled Monsters begins the CD. The driving, yet eerie sound of this song helps make the listener feel as if there really are monsters creeping about -- just out of sight, and as part of our hidden fears -- and, yes, you can dance to it! Walk Away wouldn't be out of place on Ziggy Stardust, and on this song, Rogue's vocals are just about the best I've heard them. My World is a moving track, both lyrically and musically, and Marilyn, My Bitterness is a tune with a catchy chorus about love gone wrong. The final track is Satellite that tells the story of a failing satellite that is crashing toward Mars, but not before it sees the famous "face" on the surface.

Since the release of Telemetry of A Fallen Angel, the Crüxshadows have released more music. To be fair, I've decided to review the tracks the band has available for download on MP3.com. Cruelty is from the CD The Mystery of The Whisper, and Eurydice is from the CD Paradox Addendum. The Crüxshadows have definitely lightened up their sound. The were never completely dark, but they are poppier now than ever before. These newer songs are a blend of Goth and New Wave. In fact, the last time I checked, Eurydice was number 3 on the MP3.com New Wave chart. Do yourself a favor and check out this band's music.

Elend
Le Çons de Ténèbres; 1994; 9 track CD; import price $36.49 from CDNOW.com

This French band has put together a concept album, with the lyrics of five of the tracks directly taken or adapted from Milton's Paradise Lost. The members of Elend are Renaud Tschirner on vocals, electric violin, orchestral keyboards and synths, Alexandre Iskandar on vocals, screams, electric violin, orchestral keyboards and synths, and Eve Gabrielle Siskind providing soprano vocals. The music, arrangements and structure are all done by Alex and Renaud.

The title track starts things off. Latin chanting and church-like keyboards set the tone for the rest of the album. Most of the music is soft during the portions portraying good, and more robust during the portions symbolizing evil. The "screams" on the part of Alex are actually lyrics being screamed instead of sung. While I can see what effect they were going for because those particular lyrics are the ones about hell, I feel it detracts from the songs. The screams are used too often to give it the right "jolt." On the other hand, Eve's angelic voice is used during the passages about goodness.

Overall, I liked this CD. It has a unique classical beauty to it -- very operatic-like in it's story-telling. It was an interesting project for a band to work on, and the orchestral keyboards were great to hear.

Nocturne Concrete: A Unit Circle Rekkids Compilation; 1996;
13 track CD; price $10.00
Unit Circle Rekkids, P.O. Box 20352, Seattle, WA 98102;
e-mail: rekkids@unitcircle.com

Much of the music here is comprised of interesting soundscapes -- the perfect music to be used at a laserium show. After a few of these ambient instrumental tracks, gothic songs with vocals kick in, with the last three tracks being instrumental once again. This is such a varied compilation that it would be hard for me to sit here and describe each track individually so I will just list each track with a line or two of commentary here and there.

-- Tinty Music, (Kevin J. O'Conner), Refraction Grid

-- Bill Horist, Shadow Of The Vestibule -- this track is described by the artist as "electric guitar improvisations edited for Elevision."

-- Lifesaver Laboratories, Forecast

-- Rich Hinklin, Interbay

-- Interference Pattern, Gimp Dirge -- tribal/funky electronic with lots of bass

-- Vassily, Highgate -- this song starts off the vocal tracks; it's slow and moody

-- The Rotary Fields, Red Sea -- two members of this band also belong to Vassily

-- Fear of Dolls, Sound Of Thorns

-- The Garden, Flailing Wings

-- Bethany Curve, Spacirelei -- kind of goth, kind of ambient, kind of 80s experimental

-- Trance, Forgotten Music

-- Trachring, Never A Tender Moment

-- Intonarumori, Layer Parallelism

Satan's Death Machine -- RECENT
The Ascetic Method; 1999; 12 track CD; price $7.99 + s&h, MP3.com. To contact the band write to: landlord@nosebleed.com

SDM's music is a mixture of electronic, trance and industrial. There are no vocals. The first track, Torn, sounds like it came from the soundtrack of a creepy sci-fi movie. The second track called Duplication Syndrome, is completely different from the first. It's faster and has a much harder edge, although there's a little too much distortion for my taste. Eradicus Nesciencus is a cross between Skinny Puppy and something that would be played at a rave. A couple of tracks, such as Detached Mutations, would be at home in a dance club. The CD comes to a close with Obscuring Solitude which is one of the more ambient tracks, and Metamorphosis which is one of the better tracks. If you are into club music with a slight edge, you'll enjoy this.

SDM has a newer CD, Satan's Other Brother. While I haven't heard the entire disc, I did download a couple of the tracks from MP3.com. The outstanding track is Image of Pain. Yes, it's a NIN clone, but I love it! There is also a newer song available for download called Queen Acid Suck. This appears on a compilation CD and is a great House track.

Shadowlight
Within The Shadowlight; 1996; 10 track CD; price $12.00
Ivy Records, 1904 Third Avenue, #1015, Seattle, WA 98101,
tel. (206) 682-8638; e-mail: info@ivyrecords.com

Shadowlight is fronted by John E. Clough on vocals, keyboards and drum programming, with Brian Jenkinson on guitars, Pfrenz-C on guitars, Colonel Luscious Strawberry on additional drums, and a few other musicians on bass guitar, guitar and backup vocals. John describes the music as "alternative, gothic-industrial synth-guitar horror rock from Seattle's dark corners."

Last Chance is the first track, and it's a vampire song (ho-hum). Leave! is about trying to get rid of an ex-flame who keeps coming around. There's a remake here of the Who song, Behind Blue Eyes, that proves to be quite interesting. I Have To Run is a unique sounding song. It's hard to describe -- it sounds out of time -- almost like it could have been written in the 70s -- yet fits in nicely with today's music. In The Graveyard is yet another vampire song (Yawn). The last track is a "hidden" unlisted noise song -- a mix of sounds and samples.

My overall impression of Shadowlight is that they have a lot of unique qualities, but they need to work out some kinks before they can become a band that people will really take notice of.

(Note: I'm not sure this band still exists as they have not released anything else, but since the CD is still available, I have included this review.)

The Shroud
Long Ago And Far Away; (1996, re-released in 1999);
12 track CD; (price $12.00 + $2.00 s&h)
payable to: The Shroud, P.O. Box 25112, Fresno, CA 93729
Also available for $14.99 at Amazon.com, and for $12.99 from TowerRecords.com. To contact the band write to: theshroud@lightspeed.net

The Shroud have never disappointed me and this disk is no exception. The first track, Under A Dark Sky, shows they should have more widespread success outside of the gothic community. Tonight is a beautiful love song and Ashes In The Wind tells the tale of the death of a friendship and its fleeting memories. The violin and cello on Alice set the mood for the story of a melancholy girl who is afraid of the world. Wednesday's Child, dedicated to goths everywhere, has a serene melody, and I really like the track Caged Bird, although I'm not quite sure what it's about.

The next song title is written out as the symbols for the elements of sulfur, salt and mercury. This song has the fastest tempo of all the songs on this CD. It comes to an end with two slower, simpler tracks. Throughout this record, Lydia maintains solid vocals, while the music is exhilarating and wonderful to listen to.

Stone 588
Door In The Dragon's Throat; 1995; 21 track CD; $14.99 + $3.00 s&h
Ipso Facto Records, 517 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA 93102;
tel. 714-525-7865; e-mail: ipsofacto@earthlink.net

My first instinct is to say that Stone 588 sounds too much like Siouxsie and the Banshees, but they are listed as an influence on the band's bio so, why not? Lightning Rails is a good song to start with. In Sunset Abyss I can hear the other main influence of this band (one of my favorites) -- Killing Joke. I can hear it particularly in the guitar work. This song paints a mystic portrait of fields and ancient circle stones.

The tracks midway through this recording have more profound lyrics. Unguarded World appears to be about watching out for corporations and governments that are not giving us the full picture of things, and how too many people accept what these organizations tell us without question. In Stygian Darkness, singer Terri Kennedy evokes the seduction of the night. Panacea is about an incubus deflowering a virgin. This song contains my favorite lyric on this album: "A thirst for vestal dew, abrading her undefiled hue." What dark poetry! This is followed by the title track, of which I'm not particularly fond, and a couple of mediocre tracks. Then the pace picks up with the rollicking Sleep Chamber. A few more songs round out this CD by a band that has the right sound that goth fans will enjoy.

(Note: Band members Terri Kennedy and Eileen Bowe are also members of Dichroic Mirror.)

SubArachnoid Space
Ether Or; 1997; 7 track CD; price ?
Unit Circle Rekkids, P.O. Box 20352, Seattle, WA 98102;
e-mail: rekkids@unitcircle.com

SubArachnoid Space are an improvisational band. This CD contains 55 minutes of music that is a mix of live performances, practice and studio sessions. The music is mostly experimental, with some rock, jazz, and even a didgeridoo thrown in. Much of the music here is comprised of interesting soundscapes -- the perfect music to be used at a laserium show.

The first track, Circular Motion, is a piece I enjoyed quite a bit. At times the music soars, and at others it is gentle. While listening to Flicker, it struck me that much of this music reminded me of the music performed in the off-Broadway performance art show, Tubes, by Blue Man Group. There just aren't quite as many drums. Repetitive Smile has a nice psychedelic and spacey feel to it, and A Collection of Smoke follows along in the same vein until it speeds up a bit and takes on a darker, almost gothic quality. It continues to slow down and speed up through the end of the track -- all 14 minutes of it -- the CD's longest track.

Technically, Ether Or isn't perfect, but the band is very tight considering everything is improvised. If you like ambient/experimental music, then you'll like this.

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