| Artist |
| Golgatha |
| Title |
| The Horns Of Joy |
| Format/Cat |
| CD TRI 435 CD |
| Label |
| Trisol |
| Style |
| Goth |
| Date of review |
| 20th December 2011 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 5/10 |
 |
Hard-Wired Goth Reviews |
|
| Home | |
| Review ratings: | |
| 1. Avoid | 6. Not Bad |
| 2. Poor | 7. Good |
| 3. Weak | 8. Very Good |
| 4. Worth The Effort | 9. Excellent |
| 5. Shows Promise | 10. Must Have |
|
Unlike some labels I could mention, Trisol are certainly championing a wide range of alternative music styles; EBM, industrial, symphonic metal, analogue synthpop, they're all here & with Golgatha we enter the realms of ambient gothic neo-folk (or something). This German trio have, with the help of a number of collaborators, released a finely-crafted release that, at times, reminded me of ROME on tracks such as the closing 'Death In Honour' thanks to the mix of melodic & abstract elements as well as the treated voices that are a staple of the album. Sometimes this works well, such as the echoed voice on 'Durkha' that sounds like it's coming through a tannoy & at others it doesn't such as 'Hammer Or Anvil' where the voice effects make Donarski's vocals initially sound like those of some old style radio singer & I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intention! Having said that, it does work reasonably well with the piano & accoustic guitar that, along with the ponderous percussion, makes this track a microcosm of the album as a whole. Throughout the mood is sombre, plaintive, introspective & earthy & also pretty intense in the case of tracks such as the closing 'Glory In Honour' with its nicely raw feel that should appeal to mittelalter lovers & 'The Iron Rose'. This holds good for pretty much the whole of the album, even during the cover of Pink Floyd's 'The Dogs Of War' although this is tempered in places by Sorakey's ethereal female vocals while the impressive gothic choir that graces 'Fertility' similarly acts like a ray of sunlight shining through the otherwise impenetrable gloom. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Like many recent Trisol releases, this newie from AnnaVarney is a lavishly-presented affair, containing not only the album but an accompanying DVD which runs for ten minutes & adds a visual element to the title track, as well as some lovingly-printed sleeve pages that contain the lyrics plus some appropriately offbeat art work. The album as a whole is a very unique, often offbeat affair with AnnaVarney's odd, unique vocals straddling the line between male & female, a kind of asexuality that gives the sometimes sexual lyrics a more ambivalent feel, are they homo-erotic? hetero-erotic? Or more likely, neither, it simply doesn't matter. The music, which sounds like some kind of medieval cabaret, with orchestral motifs & harpsichord very much in evidence, along the lines of Goethes Erben (particularly on 'The Urine Song') or Das Ich, but proving more outlandish than either, makes for a kind of aural freakshow. The myriad twists & turns that each of the six tracks take mean you certainly can never be quite sure what's going to happen next, witness the opening title track, which alternates between a strong tribal/orchestral hybrid & quieter moments backed up by mournful vocals while '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' starts off like a piece of dark chamber music, the mood is haunting & brooding, almost ghostly although the spoken vocals, delivered like a strange story teller, are as offbeat as ever. It's only later that the percussion makes its presence felt, adding a more medieval flavour which could almost be the soundtrack to some dark jester's desperate capering for his life! The instrumental 'Stains Of You' is a more straightforward (mainly down to the lack of vocals!) medieval-styled piece & should appeal more if the album's offbeat touches are a little much for you as should the end of the closing 'Bonus Tracks' (for so it is called) for pretty much the same reason, the climax being given further oomph by some fine synth leads, indeed this is the best part of the album for me & it's likely that the instrumental side of the album are more likely to have a wider appeal than the lyrics which, for newcomers, are likely to take some getting used to! Still, this is an album that is sure to make you sit up & listen &, besides, it's always encouraging to see so unique an artist as AnnaVarney being given full rein to fully explore their musical borders in this manner. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Due to the odd style of lettering used on the cover it's hard to work out what this is called but, if you see an album with a crying black cat smoking a fag & brandishing an accordion then you've found it! The music of this Italian quartet has been described by their main man Simone Salvatori as 'Nihilist Suicide Pop'; what this rather dramatic label translates to in reality, is a wistful, rather earnest & often overtly dramatic musical mix that takes in a great many musical stylings. Many are from the 80s such as the goth/new wave flavours that grace the lust-fuelled opener 'Darkroom Friendship', the raw, slightly lo-fi feel of 'Odette' that should appeal to Nick Cave fans or the more straightforwardly poppy 'Bare Knuckle Boy where Andrea Ruggerio's violin adds extra gravitas & 'My Eclectic Sacrifice' where the vocals are a dead ringer for Wolfheim's Peter Heppner! Elsewhere, the very British-sounding pop of 'Kiss The Girls And Make Them Die' & 'German Boys' is reminiscent of some of Madness' more melancholic offerings, the piano work in particular showing a marked likeness to that of Mike Barson! It's fair to say, then, that it's certainly not a predictable album; in fact, the aforementioned tracks are only half the story of what you'll find here as 'The Days Of Anger' bears a quite profound debt to Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western themes (no bad thing, in my book) while the country-lite feel of 'Song For Johnny' (not too hard to guess who inspired this!) proves another eye-opener as does the tango-flavoured 'Cold Love (In A Cold Coffin)' which, at one point, repeats the theme to Fernando's Hideaway to such an extent that I was fully expecting an 'ol?' for good measure! And to make sure the album finishes in a suitably poignant albeit epic manner 'Overkilled Heart' boasts a chanson-like vocal perfomance from none other than Sonja Kraushofer, totally overshadowing Salvatori's own contribution with a performance so powerful & so dramatic it's as if Edith Piaf has been reborn! The crowd effects help give the impression that this was sung in some smokey Parisian club, too (unless it actually was, of course!!). And if that's not enough there's an accompanying DVD featuring an interview with Salvatori (thoughtfully subtitled in English!) & some rather 'arty' video clips that, at one point, resembled a homo-erotic Calivin Klein advert! It's always interesting to her albums from artists such as this who clearly follow their heart musically & there's no reason why this shouldn't appeal to many open-minded music lovers. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
The cover of this album might give the impression that this is a British electro/goth pop duo but no, Fuschia & Kal3id hail from the US. The impression given of the music is pretty accurate, though, as this indeed is a darkly romantic blend of electro goth/pop, sometimes a little lightweight with an occasional playful edge that is offset by a more mysterious & fey mood in places thanks partly to the reverb that virtually every track is bathed in with actually stops the album becoming too accessable which is a definite plus. Thus it's an intriguing prospect that is just different enough to make its mark, the sometimes offbeat moods giving this a potential appeal far beyond pop lovers as proven by such fine tracks as the surging 'A Different Effect' or 'Illogical Logic' where some Cure-like guitars mingle with memorable synthleads with the ever-present reverb again adding to the mix. I was reminded of a lighter, girlier version of Clan Of Xymox on tracks such as the opening 'Denial' & 'Last Words', the latter of which, while having its charms which come to the fore as the track progresses, does sound a tad wishy-washy due to its faster tempo giving it a rather lightweight feel. It's not helped by the fact it follows the slowly unfolding musical magic that is 'Unanswered Questions', the Oriental flavours of which add to the otherworldly feel, like a soundtrack to the most wonderful, magical dream you've ever had. So potent is this feeling that it even works its magic on a rainy thursday afternoon (and I speak from experience here!). However, as good as this track is, even this is eclipsed by the wonderous 'So Long Ago' which transfixes the listener with a full-on psychedelic experience, like seeing the world on another plane of consciousness; one things for sure, if I ever take a flight (astral or otherwise) above the clouds on a moonlit night, this is the track I want playing! That the music lends itself to such flights of fancy speaks volumes for its impressionistic qualities so the closing Black Jacket Remix of 'Silent & Still', which is aimed fairly & squarely at the dancefloor sounds a little jarring & somewhat out of place but, taken on its own merits, it's a pleasant enough little ditty & if it leads to club exposure for the duo & more people discovering what they are about then that's fair enough! | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Dreamgaze? Perhaps Shoegaze would be a better name for this earlier incarnation of Fuchsia & Kal3id who also record under the name Bella Lune (see review elsewhere!) along with Michael who, in keeping with his bandmates, is something of a multi-instrumentalist. The more I find out about these guys the more I'm convinced that these guys are confirmed anglophiles as here, the back cover art reminds me of a clothing advert that might appear in the Infest programme while the spelling on the title is interesting for an American act! Mind you, when I spied the title of the first track as 'Sincerity' I thought for one second I was holding some sort of new age album, best not go there, eh? For me, the music, while pleasant & generally undemanding is not as imaginative nor as exciting as their later work as Bella Lune (this dates from 2009) but if you still hanker after the old 'shoegazing' days of the early/mid 90s or just a bit of good old-fashioned ethereal goth then you might well find some joy in the gentle washes of reverbed or sustained guitar which make for a mood that is ethereal yet dark although 'Graveyard Kiss' does pick up some sense or urgency as it develops (& at over 6 minutes' duration there's plenty of time for it to do so) & there is a slight grittiness in some of the guitar & drums with 'Before Ruin' sounding akin to 'deathrock for girlies'!. Only occasionally does the pace pick up to any noticeable degree & when it does on 'She Whispers Silently' the result is a lightweight slice of pop fluff. Best track by far is 'Faces In The Rain' which has a nicely exotic & mysterious feel as sinuous middle-eastern melodics vie with wordless, spoken & sung voice while 'Weeping Willow' closes proceedings on an almost gritty note as the drums, & guitar offer something of a contrast to Fuchsia's voice that sounds as if its being carried on their air to seep into your consciousness! Overall, this is a pleasant album from an act finding their feet & laying the foundations for the treat that Fuchsia & Kal3id would later unveil as Bella Lune! | |||||||||||||||||||
|
I well remember my first encounter with Goethes Erben; a seemingly intimate headlining slot at one of The Invitation festivals in Gent a few years back; that they had to follow a storming set from VNV Nation didn't deter them & they turned in an entertaining set. I'm not actually sure if the band is still going (that Henke has been playing GE tracks live under his own steam seems to suggest they might not be) but, be that as it may, here we have this restrospective double album release, covering the years 1989-2006; what is strange is the way that Mindy Kumbalek appears on only one of the sleeve photos which concentrate on Henkes & the accompanying musicians & dancers. It's an injustice of the first order as both her commitment to the band & her high level of musicianship deserves more respect than that, as does her high level of musicianship which is particularly evident on the liver version of 'Iphgenie' & even more so on the anthemic 'Abseits Der Lichtes', where her excellent piano work compliments Henke's nattering away in that style of his that sounds slightly unhinged to non-German speakers. This, then, serves as a fitting tribute to a well-respected band & acts as a good taster for the uninitiated as to what their music is all about (not sure if there's much to tempt the diehard fan, though). No doubt most of you have heard their cover of 'The Mercy Seat', sung in German & titled 'Sitz Der Gnade' & sounding very different from the original which offers a pretty good pointer as to their style. Similarly, some of you might be aware of 'Glasgarten', the dreamy, romantic collaboration with Wolfheim's Peter Heppner although this is contrasted by the triumphant feel of 'Die Form' & particularly so by the more rocking tracks such as 'Himmelgrau' or 'Nichts Bleibt Wie Es War' which boasts some stunning guitar work, even if I still can't get my head around the fact that this is actually the Still Silent track 'Shockwave' that was originally sung by Peter Spilles! Disc two seems, for the most part, more intense than disc one with the abstract 'Koma' paving the way while, throughout, each track is more varied as the duo spin some adventurous, multi-faceted musical tales in a manner that might seem a tad self-indulgent but it's this sticking to their guns & refusing to compromise that has won them the devoted cult following they've long had. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Based on the books The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell by William Blake, this is another lavishly-presented offering from the duo of Martin & Tina. Compared to the previous album Demut, this is a more restrained & melodic work, it's certainly less immediate & although the gothic metal/orchestral string blowouts are still present & correct on such tracks as ''Wer Seine Lust Unterdruckt' which is one of the album's more driven pieces, thanks to some fine percussion & Part One of the 7-minute two-parter 'Sprichwoerter Der Hoelle' (the second part being a prime example of the album's quieter moments) it often opts for a more laidback & melodic, at times rather mournful, sound with the spoken vocals from either of the duo (or both in the case of 'Phantasie (Leviathan)) telling the tale behind each song. This is more effective on the quieter tracks as the heavier elements can sometimes drown out the voices, as the guitars do during 'Die Funf Sinne'. It goes pretty much without saying, of course, that unless you're familar with the original books or your German is of a very high standard then you'll be pretty much left behind on this aspect & while I'm sure it follows them pretty faithfully, on a purely musical level it does feel at times as if the music is drifting along rather aimlessly with 'Elija' being a prime example of a track that starts out promisingly enough (if a tad predictably, given it's towards the end of the album) but then just rambles along with no real destination in mind & the fact that the fade-out seems somewhat arbitrary doesn't help matters, either. After all, there are only so many combinations of heavy guitars, rhythms & strings to add that epic touch or quieter, mournful tracks that you can listen to before the effect wears off. A number do build from quieter openings into powerful climaxes in a manner that is undeniably well-executed but after a while it does get a tad predictable, as if they're content to play it safe, the music really grabbing the attention only occasionally with 'Die Stimme des Teufels' starting off with a nicely jaunty piano line that lends itself to a powerful piece that resembles Das Ich (in mood more than style) while 'Die Alter Dichter' is given a more sepulchral air by the church organ that underpins the whole track. The initially folky 'Das Schwert' springs something of a surprise in that it seems to be crying out for more guitar riffs that never actually materialise, instead leaving the harpsichord & interweaving melodic elements to make their mark more fully & providing something of a contrast to the heavier elements on an album that. Despite my personal reservations this is sure to find favour with a number of gothic music lovers & is perhaps better suited for more contemplative listening than the all-out pompous power of their previous works. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
A new name to most of you, probably, but this is actually this Italian-born artists' third release. The cover image has her looking like a cross between a gothic Jean Shrimpton & a young Siouxsie Sioux but the music is a finely-honed combination of 80s goth & new wave with a smidgeon of electroclash with a generally lo-fi & slightly offbeat mood that is constantly inventive, exciting & enthralling. Right from the off it's clear Tiffany's heart lies in the 80s & with goth in particular, as proven by the atmospheric, brooding mood of 'Storycide' & 'Cecile' while the opening '3 Circles' kicks off proceedings with a mix of lo-fi gothic/new wave guitars & effected vocals that come across almost as a mix of Siouxsie Sioux & Danielle Dax with a distinctly punky edge. Indeed, there's a definite punky rawness that crops up throughout, most notably during the anarchic, thrashy chorus of 'Still In My Head' where she could almost be paying homage to the early Banshees sound while 'One Breath' seems to pay a similar tribute to The Damned, thanks in no small part to Johan Hinders' dramatic & overwrought vocals. Likewise, the offbeat electropop of 'Lost Way', with its authentic-sounding bass work pays homage to yet another 80s staple with another very Siouxsie-like vocal performance while 'Miracle' seems set to take this love of the old skool to its limit by initially sounding like a dead ringer for Killing Joke's Love Like Blood before showing its true colours as one of the album's poppier offerings. All of which leaves the strident, attitude-filled 'Show Me What You Got' to end the album on a pleasingly strong note. It's true to say, then, that this is an album that wears its influences very much on its sleeve but, throughout, Tiffany does manage to at least retain the spirit on invention that was such an important part of those days & thus sounds fresh even while paying homage to the styles of the past. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Since the release of Exile Paradise back in 2006, In strict Confidence have grown into a sextet with the addition of new members Haydee Sparks & Nina DeLianin (with several other musicians lending a helping hand on several tracks as well!). How much this accounts for the guitar-heavy sound that is a staple of this album is open to question (not that it really matters anyway!) but this latest release definitely sees Dennis Ostermann & co exploring a more rock-flavoured path than ever before. The preceding singles 'My Despair' & 'Silver Bullets' which kick the album into life (following on from the circus-themed intro that is the title track), both hinted that this could be the case & the rest of the album fulfils these hints with interest as the metal-like riffs that grace 'Set Me Free' take the band further away from their electro roots than ever before. I guess some purists might find this off-putting but, equally, it could see ISC attracting fans of bands like Lacuna Coil or Within Temptation although Ostermann's distinctive voice brands every track with the ISC trademark. It's certainly full of highlights with the superb 'SnowWhite', for example, proves to be one of the finest tracks they've ever recorded & it's easy to imagine the more melodic headbangers getting plenty out of decidedly epic & full sound, which is another facet of the album's appeal, working its magic equally well during the heartfelt, piano-led 'Ewige Nacht' which demonstrates its latent power in the fullness of time & while 'This Is All' starts deceptively light & playful it soon builds up an impressive head of steam with Antje Schultz again putting in a distinctive performance on backing vocals while the way the contrasts with Ostermann's gruff voice during the chorus of the excellent 'I Surrender' provides further proof of how important she has become to ISC. If there's one possible criticism could be made of the album it's that it does get a tad predictable after a while, a touch more variety would have been a definite plus but, for all that, the album does end on another epic note with 'Golden Gate' boasting a slightly laidback, reflective feel that seems to echo the slight melancholy of the coming of autumn, bringing to an end the greatest summer of your life (good music can do this, you know!) & proving a fittingly epic end to this incredible mind journey. However, as is usual with ISC, that's not quite the end of the story as there's a second limited edition disc that forms part of the lavish boxset (I'm assuming that nobody would want the single album version as to do so must feel akin to only hearing half of it or, to use the novel metaphor that always feels so appropriate with ISC, getting into a really engrossing story & then not reading it all!) that contains a load of remixes, none of which really set the senses on fire (although the fact that Rhys Fulber is responsible for one of them will no doubt prove a draw!), a couple of videos, some extended versions, including 'I Surrender' which explores more fully the exotic elements that the shorter version only hinted at, as well as some new tracks, any of which could easily have made the album proper & are thus of high enough quality that no self-respecting ISC fan will want to miss them. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Sensuous Enemy is the musical vision of Jai (voice, lyrics, piano) & John (programming, guitar) although, on this 2008 release, they were joined by Ffej (guitar, programming, talk box) & Terri (keyboards). Their music is a polished, passionate & expressive style of electro/goth rock underpinned by synthetic rhythms in a manner that should appeal to fans of Ego Likeness while the passion the music evokes should appeal to Cruxshadows lovers who aren't averse to a guitar-heavier sound. The band's main strength lies in the way that Jai's vocals are able to match the expressive heights that John's guitar licks scale (even if they do seem to get a little lost in the mix on occasion) & this holds true just as much for such faster tracks as the opening 'Whispers' or the surging vitality of 'Shiver 2008' as it does for the slower & full-blooded 'Tidal', where her voice really finds its niche. At times, the music takes on an epic, even pompous feel; 'Ashes' & 'Over', for example, both benefit from a decidedly epic sound while the instrumental 'WWIIWD' takes this to its logical conclusion in an almost classic rock style, sounding like the sort of music TV stations use to cover really driving or any similarly action-packed subjects. Similarly, their cover of The Pet Shop Boys' 'It's A Sin' should give them a leg-up while allowing them to pay tribute to their influences. Testament to the album's sound qualities is the fact that even so august a figure as Romell Regulacion doesn't sound any better during his remix of a track called 'Jaded' (not does he need to!) while Jose V Ferraro gives 'Shiver' an appealing synthpop edge which is rather more enjoyable than Andrew 'Iris' Sega's version of 'RedBlueBlack' (although I can't help wondering if the track's exotic edge was more prominent in the original!) before the album is rounded off by a serviceable dance mix of 'Whispers' which should do well enough in its intended environment. There's no doubt that Sensuous Enemy have the ability to go a long way, their poppy but passionate sound & romantic lyrics having a potentially wide appeal among gothic & non-gothic rock lovers. | |||||||||||||||||||
|
The beginning of the year welcomes the release which comes from the north of England, quasi matching the amassing masses of snow called “Open The Sky” – a fine piece of atmospheric rock in the style of the 80th/90th. The first tunes suggest wave; the bass presents through the whole work a remarkable presence. Then the female singer Mya starts with her vigorous voice. Her singing qualities are obvious, but the production pushed them much in the foreground that the rest of the music and especially the voice of Edward Grassby get reduced into the back what wasn’t the best decision. Because in the moment Edward starts, the comparison to Andrew Eldritch massively kicks the mind; and this fits to the driving Goth-Rock as well as already the ancestor was able to demonstrate. But it would be too fast to stay with this relation, although the second track comes close to the Sisters of Mercy again. The following title-song “Open The Sky” opens with a jiggy bass-intro, but the guitars point direct to the repertoire of the former Fields of the Nephilim. Not later than now the vocal paintings of Mya squeeze the nerves; simply in the middle tunes too penetrating the expression doesn’t change much and affects the other scenario in a doubtful way. Nevertheless the guitars part in this song is very wavy and beautiful. The style between the songs doesn’t differ very much. The receipt base is to melt driving rhythms and riffs, guitar-melodies, accentuating keyboards and harmonic two-parts vocals in melancholic but danceable forms. This they do consequently, but because of this the music turns to the area of easy-listening, something nice to listen in the family living room while outside whips the snow. „Denied“continues really beautifully with acoustical guitar. In this song Mya shows her strong suit – nuanced, melodic singing with a lot of expression. A rather calm, emotional and varying piece which already has the character of an ear-worm; almost scratching the skin of mainstream, but the stronger side of it. “One Day More” is one more Sisters, fancy bass runs and here the guitars indicate the Vision Thing, too. Got it? The attention is back since “Denied” – the level of the amplifier got up and invites to listen with more care. “Leave You To Burn” starts as a smooth cuddly song, but instead of a close dance this track suddenly becomes energetic; and “Anywhere” takes the energy and rocks powerfully on. Actually the duo-singing fits and makes fun with interesting accents. “Into The Rain” follows greatly the meteorological situation: the snow starts to melt in Old England, and Mya shows again that her strength is located in soulful, quiet ballads; a very good ending of a fickle, but overall strong album with some weak points. Not the change of the world, no musical high-flyer, but a round thing with a conspicuous taste for pretty melodies. Tracklist: 1. Lightning Strikes Twice 2. 4472 3. Open The Sky 4. Addiction FFS 5. Almost Everything 6. Denied 7. One Day More 8. Leave You To Burn 9. Anywhere 10. Into The Rain Rob Walker – guitars Mya – vocals Edward Grassby – vocals, bass Ian Grinn – guitars, backing vocals | |||||||||||||||||||
