Agnete's scream, which heralds the arrival of "Pin You All", is worth of Queen Adreena/Daisy Chainsaw's Katie Jane Garside. Some times this track sounds more like a tantrum than a song, but guitars the size of continents save this from just being the soundtracks to one person's strop. There's a hint of the Middle East to the guitars of "Master Of Disguise", which give Agnete the basis to perform vocal gymnastics. The power of her lungs constantly impresses, as does the gift for melody that sticks in your head afterwards. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" reminds me of Courtney Love, with Smashing Pumpkins-style guitar. While Agnete may scream, the music is never just noise.

"Alarm" dials back the volume, but is no less effective. This song shows that Agnete can really sing, conjuring images of The Gathering or Flowing Tears. I like this more mature sound. "Breed Again" sees the band return to the more raucous side of things. There's a nice handling of the quiet/loud dynamic though, which avoids inadvertent bludgeoning of the listener. Though there is a visceral pleasure to hearing someone else scream in anger it's more effective when the 'dirty' vocals are mixed with 'clean' ones.

Bass stabs and languid guitar form the basis of the curiously-titled "In The Barn". There's a Bond-theme feel to it, with the music and vocals on fine sinuous form. Though the mood seems placid there's an underlying tension, particularly during the instrumental break. Some wonderful sustained guitar helps bring the song to a satisfying climax. "Even When I'm Wrong, I'm Right" showcases the shouty side of the band, in less than three minutes. There's a hint of Rage Against The Machine in the guitars.

"Tricky Threesome" sees the band get funky, like Red Hot Chilli Peppers when they were good i.e. a very long time ago. There's even an enormous Gothic Metal chorus. Better check your kitchen now, Animal Alpha have stolen your sink to throw into their song. This is by far the most inventive thing on the album. The song builds and builds carrying the listener upwards for the ride. While it might be exhausting - for both the listener and the band - to have more songs like this, it has to be the way forward. It runs for four minutes, but could have been twice the length and still delighted.

Amid the shouty hullabaloo there are hints of greatness in this album. It's when the band turns down the volume that I find them most interesting. If I want shouts of hysterical anger I can get them at home - I don't seek them out in my music. On the other hand fans of Katie-Jane Garside style anger should check out Animal Alpha immediately.

"Das Feuerordal" is a neo folk song, with an echoing acoustic guitar and ghostly clanks in the background. It reminds me of Death In June, particularly the But, What Ends When The Symbols Shatter album. The piano recalls Soul Mining-era The The. "Der Tote Spielmann" is more dark ambience. It could be the sound of a train going by, or it could be the rain. Everything is so murky it's hard to tell. Spoken words samples fill the void where there should be real singing. Thankfully at less than two minutes the boredom is soon over. "Wir Gotten Der Stadt" is much more impressive, with echo-laden guitar. It's the sound of Brendan Perry, if he'd come from Germany rather than Australia. The industrial beats emphasise the intensity of emotion expressed. Their sparing use increases their effectiveness.

"Die Nelke" is more neo folk like "Das Feuerordal". There's a hint of Cure-style guitar, which adds a little spice. "Der Erscheinungen" is surprisingly good. Jermone has a marvellously emotive voice. The plucked guitar, is mixed with gentle piano. It has the emotional impact of The Blue Nile at their best. I'm not sure about the sound effects, which while adding an unusual percussive effect, sound like the cracking of a whip and miscellaneous screams. Or maybe the latter is the sound of seagulls? Sometimes it's hard to tell. "Die Brandstifter" features an oompah band who usually have a residency in Hell. It's the sort of thing that Danny Elfman might do for a Tim Burton film. There's an echo of Nick Cave in Jerome's vocal stylings. It's the type of song that shouldn't work, but does. Not only are you marvelling at the band's creativity, you're also stomping your foot in time.

The inventiveness continues with "Kriegsgotter", which features subtle brass samples. There's a scale to this music, that makes for intoxicating listening. Musically "Wir Moonsoldaten" has the feeling of a TV series theme, with its brass-band inflected rousing the listener. The spoken word monologue recalls Momus. The lyrics intrigue: 'We live on tea and grief...' Next there is "Neue Erinnerung" which is generic Death In June-style neo folk, but with the inventiveness on display elsewhere you can begrudge the band taking the easy road now and then. "Nachtklang" brings things to a dark ambient close.

I'm not quite sure where my low expectations came from, but I was genuinely surprised and delighted by the inventiveness on offer here. There's something for fans of neo folk or dark ambience, but there are also songs for people who love deep-voiced emotional epics. You can count me as a fan of the latter group.

Singer Laura FUF takes the centre stage, but Dark Pete provides distorted male backing vocals. This works particularly well on opening song "Not This Time". The band know that the space in between the notes has power, as demonstrated by the lightning strikes of guitar during the beginning of this song. Violet Vortex don't just switch on a drum machine and leave it ticking away for the whole song. "Not This Time" has peaks and troughs. Synthesised strings add colour to the processed guitar sounds. The tension is slightly reduced by a perfunctory guitar solo, but this makes an effective opening song. The mix of tempos means that this will only be suitable for the more adventurous dance floors. "Dance Floor Junky" sees the blending of Laura and Chris' voices, with the latter to the fore. It's generic Nine Inch Nails-lite, but effectively done. A synth break two minutes in is refreshing.

"Siren Song" is full of spooky electronic trills. Musically it reminds me of Suspiria. Indeed if Nightbreed were still signing bands, I'd suggest that this record label would be an ideal home for Violet Vortex. Towering guitars fuel the chorus enabling it to take flight. Violet Vortex save the best to last with "Angel of Catastrophy". There's a sprawling almost leering guitar over an interesting beat. None of the lyrics on the demo have particularly stood out until: "I'll take your Grandma to a show ... a strip night in Soho..." That's surely an arresting image. Another catchy line - more a threat than a request is "Will you play with me?"

It's early days for the band. There is potential here that might be expressed on the album Violet Vortex are planning to record later in the year. If the band can develop the insouciance and sinuous grace of "Angel Of Catastophy" then their next release will be worth investigating.

"Cuore Malato" is sung in Italian, as are all the songs on this album. It's no barrier to understanding the emotions being communicated. A down-in-the-dumps piano echoes, interspersed with bursts of noise. There's a rolling feeling to this track, though I dare not imagine what fate has befallen this ship for it to carry such a sad song. Repeated piano motifs give "Come Sara" a hypnotic feel. Just when the listener is on the verge of losing interest, swathes of Cure-like keyboards come swooping in. A muddy FX-laden guitar adds to the atmosphere of doom. "Per Tutto Quello" is built on foundations of a prowling bass line and sustained piano chords. It has a trip-hop feel, like the moodier side of Morcheeba. It's the sophisticated sound of Sade in a sewer. Six minutes is too generous a running time, but it gives the song space for a Cure-like guitar solo. Think "Homesick" or "Untitled" from the Disintegration album.

Thankfully "Ali(de)" is a pleasant change of place, with marsh mellows of 80s synths and chiming guitar. Once again there's a feeling of The Cure, but the breathy surliness of Valeria is a far cry from Robert Smith's strained wailings. "Il Buono Il Butto E L'Oscuro" is another 80s synth extravaganza, with a curious rolling rhythm that recalls The Cure's "Just One Kiss". No vocals this time, but the song is entertaining enough without them. "Sogni Persi" drifts by, making little impression on the listener. "Dimentica" has a spooky church organ and a loose funky bass line. Just as the listener drifts off into reverie Dperd shake things up by a brief surge of energy, boosting the tempo. This album could do with more signs of life like this.

"Chiudo Gli Occhi" is more of the same. It's one thing to have a uniform style, but I can't help but think that Dperd are drawing from too limited a palette of tempos and sounds. Maybe that's one of the drawbacks of only having two people in your group, you might cut down on arguments, but sometimes you need a greater fount of ideas.

"Piango" features some bursts of U2-esque guitar, but for the most part things meander on as they have done before. "Regalero Il Mio Tempo" features more church organ, with reverb-drenched drums. My enthusiasm is waning by the point. "Stropicciala" wanders into sight. There's nothing wrong with this song, but it offers nothing new. "Sogni Persi (perf. By Nen.T.E.)" sees the song taken into the direction of the dance floor, with EBM synth squiggles. It's an uneasy marriage and rather undermines the uniformity that has gone before. I know I wanted a bit of variety, but this reinterpretation is irritating, with too many wacky noises. I listened to the end of this seven minute remix for you, Gentle Reader, in case it got any better. I'm sorry to report that it did not.

Dperd show a single-mindedness of purpose. They have chosen their sound and stick with it throughout the album. Unless you absolutely love this sort of thing I think you're going to find your attention wandering before the end.

Opening song "Thick 'n' Blurry" does conform to the metal template, but sonorous keyboards give the song extra depth. The enigmatically titled "L" takes a delightfully avant-garde turn during a violin solo which evokes travels in distant desert lands. This sort of diversion into a Dead Can Dance-esque world is unexpected and thrilling, when the oasis of calm is disturbed by the waves of guitar it is delightful thing to behold. "Hereafter Path" features male/female-led Gothic Metal, with addition of an concertina. Now usually the only place I want to hear such an instrument is on-board a pirate ship, but its use pulls the song into a new and interesting shape. The shape gets even more intriguing when the hard rocking guitars are tethered for while, before they escape and run riot again. By the end of this song singer Eduardo has earned the manly scream he emits.

"(Un)bearable Certainty" starts in an experimental trip-hop style, similar to the quieter moments of Anneke Van Giersberg-era The Gathering. There is some gentle elegaic guitar and strange ambient noises. When the song explodes it is all the more effective for the calm that came before the storm. The words are gnomic: "Layers of symbolism entwined/Complete the insidious enigma." The band draw from a wide palette of sounds, which constantly surprises the listener, keeping interest levels high. "Pleasure Pursuit" has a distorted guitar that echoes forlornly. There's more vocal roaring, but you never get the idea that this is the only aural pursuit Eduardo can offer. Things build to a tumultuous climax, during which one of the band members appears to log on to the internet. Couldn't he have waited until the end of the song? I know it's over five minutes long but he can't be that desperate to check his myspace account surely?

"The Shift" is a ambient walk in an underground sewer. At just over a minute it's more of a fragment than a real song, but it gives the listener a brief respite with which to refresh one's palate. Musical motifs are reprised in the next song "Last Of The Few", so it's worth making the journey. Singer Patricia and Eduardo are the focus, while the instruments call up a whirlwind of noise. "Pale Blue Perishes" has a Porcupine Tree-feeling, with prog-rock stylings, including tempo changes. "Pervasive Healing" is a collision between the metal side of the band and the atmospheric, which seeks to conjure images of the Mystic Orient. This is one place where the two don't mesh seamlessly, but you've to to applaud the band's willingness to experiment. When the latter style takes over for a interlude the song is more successful.

"Nothing As It Seems" sees Educado roaring over Metallica-heavy guitars. At least Patricia's angelic singing provides a balance to this belching from the underworld. String-like synthesisers add depth. "Awareness" starts in a languid manner, with a sparse Cure-like guitar over some drums. There's a jazzy edge as Patricia improvises noises over the music. It's not quite scat singing, but it might as well be as there's a saxophone added to the mix. It's more a curiosity than a real song, but provides an interesting way to leave the listener. I just hope the band don't do a half hour version in their live set.

When a band demonstrate the willingness to experiment it's inevitable that they won't hit the target everytime. Yet, this album has more hits and misses. The Gothic Metal genre is so crowded a band needs to do something innovative with the genre to stand out. That's is where ThanatoSchizO come in.

"The Stations" kicks things off, with Lanegan taking lead vocals. He alternates song by song with Dulli for most of the album, but such is the synthesis of their styles you'll need to be an observent listner to notice the microphone swapping. There's a blues flavour to this alternative rock, with the opening lyrics: 'O, Mama/Ain't no time to fall to pieces...' Religious imagery forms the spine of this album, with talk of God and the fact that 'the rapture's comin''. One suspects that when the apocalypse arrives God may find Dulli and Lanegan wanting, when judged on His terms. On the other hand I imagine that even The Almighty will have found some enjoyment in the melancholy cello of this song. "God's Children" starts with electronic drones and Radiohead-style guitar. At one point I think it's going to turn into "Street Spirit (Fade Out)". It later offers a surge of Sugar-like guitar, which brings light into the darkened room. Dare one dream of some sort of transcendence from this miserable existence? There is enough dwelling on such themes as mortality, penance and salvation to satisfy the average Matt Johnson/The The fan. You get the idea that Dulli and Lanegan are the intense and slightly frightening people you avoid at parties, unless you like a little danger in your life.

"All Misery/Flowers" is moody and menacing, with the disturbing and enigmatic lyric: "Little girls might twitch at the way I itch/But the way I burn is a son of a bitch." Perhaps it is for the best that matters are not made more explicit. Lanegan notes: "I did all I did just to get through to Heaven". Can we agree that the end does not justify the means? This menacing rock music is haunted by ghostly wailings. Don't play this when you are alone in the dark. "The Body" is a blessed moment of light in the dark and swirling void in which The Gutter Twins normally operate. Martina Topley-Bird provides some delicate female vocals, which is perhaps why the machismo has been scaled back. This is almost a country song, recalling the deep voiced musings of Crash Test Dummies.

"Idle Hands" – see more religious imagery – is the single, and rightly so. There are torrents of menacing guitar, enveloping the listener in a tense atmosphere. More so than anywhere else on this album, this song hints at past glories, particularly The Afghan Whigs' Gentleman album. If grunge had been more like this I would never have been such a shoegazer. The cello teases during the introduction to "Circle The Fringes" with the question of whether this song will sound like The Levellers or New Model Army. The answer is, of course, neither though like New Model Army The Gutter Twins are just as effective when they turn their amps down. The guitar stabs, two minutes in, are all the more effective for the calm that came before. Dulli decides that love is OK, but 'It's not enough/Not enough to save you from yourself.' He then evokes Adam and Eve imagery when he sings: 'She can make me/Do things I ought not to do.' The uncharitable might be tempted to pelt the band with self-help books and pleas to 'take some responsibility for yourself.'

"Who Will Lead Us?" showcases the acoustic style of the band. It's supremely catchy and engaging. If you were to meet Lanegan and Dulli round a campfire this is the song they'd sing. I'm not sure how they'd reproduce the isolated squall of electric guitar, but it would be a performance worth watching. "Seven Stories Underground" follows the Tom Waits' school of percussion, i.e. it sounds like a hubcab being hit with a hammer in a barn. Lanegan notes that: "Oh, Heaven. It's quite a climb." Of course if they keep hanging around with a 'black mistress' who is 'gonna crack that whip' it's unlikely they'll be heading upstairs any time soon. "I Was In Love With You" is the nearest The Gutter Twins get to a ballad. I don't want to be at the club where this is the slow song at the end though. Especially as the pace picks up with some effective keyboards taking the lead. The way this song builds, complete with piano, cello and violin, recalls The Beatles "Hey Jude". If "Hey Jude" had been recorded in an underground sewer, at the chime of midnight on Hallowe'en. By mad monks.

"Bete Noire" is a mirror universe version of The Charlatans, with Hammond-esque keyboards. While the music may be sunnier than on some songs, the lyrics keep the mood black: 'A long dead animal is on your trail'. Hints of Electronica give "Each To Each" a fresh feeling. Bird song heralds the arrival of the final song, "Front Street". There's an element of American Music Club in the early stages of this song, which later builds to an electric climax. If there is a sense of redemption to be had, it is here. When Dulli sings: "When it comes apart/We're gonna have some fun, son" he manages to make it not sound like a threat. The song abruptly fades away after five minutes, leaving the listener unsatisfied. I was promised a journey, but I have been denied a destination.

With a litany of drug abuse and deaths in their wake, it's unsurprising The Gutter Twins make music on the darker side of things. They are experienced enough to know that to make the black blacker you've got to provide chinks of light too. While I wouldn't wish darkness on anybody, Lanegan and Dulli, wear it well.

Young Crone: Two things, my Lord, must ye know of The Daughters of Bristol. Me: Yes? Young Crone: First, they are not from Bristol! [I roll my head in exasperation.] Young Crone: And second, they are... Me: Not daughters? Young Crone: [In a normal voice.] You do know 'em, then!

SCENE I. A desert place.

Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches...

No matter. With their fluid, yet economical guitar lines Rhombus remind me of New Model Army...