This is the the fourth album by German popduo Mila Mar. These musicians would be done an injustice to be called a synthpop act. They have a very organic and rich sound, because of the use various traditional instruments on this album, next to synthesizer sounds. Mila Mar is best known in the wave/gothic scene…
Sophya – Dream
August 8, 2003 by
Dream is the second album by wave band Sophya. A few years ago this band was discovered by Ronny Moorings from Clan of Xymox. He signed the band to his own Stichting Xymox Control label on which the debut ‘The Age of Sophya’ was released. Sophya had a sound very close to that of ethereal 80’s wave music. On this second album they refined their sound…
This Morn‘ Omina – Le serpent blanc – le serpent rouge
July 23, 2003 by
The last year has been very successful for This Morn’ Omina. This Belgium ritual-techno/tribal-trance act had released several albums before last years 7 Years Of Famine. The clubhit ‘One eYed Man’ has certainly helped to establish the acts name, but the success is mainly due to the quality of the whole album…
Ikon – From Angels to Ashes 1997- 2003
July 23, 2003 by
After the recent release of the limited edition cd single Ceremony/In A Lonely Place, Ikon has released this compilation album. From Angels to Ashes is a very nice overview with songs from the cd’s the band has released from 1997 till now. For the greatest part the songs featured on this compilation differ from the versions as found on the albums…
Kiss the Blade – The Third Smile E.P.
July 22, 2003 by
Some bands are well known, but only to a relative small group of people. Kiss The Blade is one of those bands. This Swiss gothicrock band has been around for many years now, but their music isn’t wide spread. The history of Kiss The Blade goes back to 1988. After several albums on different labels the band found a new label that re-issued their Headcrash A Romance album last year…
Fleen – Different?
July 22, 2003 by
Fleen is a promising new band from France. They produce music with clear references to the 80’s wave sound but in doing so they create an original sound for their own, which could be called trip-pop.
Screams For Tina – Life of Sin
July 3, 2003 by
Screams For Tina is an American gothic rock band that has quite a reputation, but mainly in their own country. In Europe the group is only well-known by a select group of listeners. Their last album, Screams For Tina, dates back from 1994…
Ah Cama-Sotz – Rites of the Flesh
June 30, 2003 by
Next to his regular releases on the well known technoid labels Ant-Zen and Hands Ah CamaSotz also releases material on his own Bats&Cats label from time to time. These releases are the more special ones, like limited editions and videotapes. Rites of the Flesh is also such a release. It is a conceptual piece of work, released as a limited edition 3” cd containing three tracks…
Murder At The Registry – Filed: ’93-‘03
June 24, 2003 by
Together with the very good debut of Frank the Baptist Strobelight Records releases another potential gothicrock hit. This cd is a compilation of Murder At The Registry with both old and new material. Fans of deathrock in the Christian Death style will be happy with this release. Murder At The Registry sounds at times just as dark and theatrical as Christian Death in their early days…
Frank the Baptist – Different Degrees of Empty
June 24, 2003 by
Frank the Baptist is a gothicrock band that has been around in the American underground since 1997. Only now a, new German gothicrock, label has released their debut album. This first release by Strobelight Records sets high hopes for the future. Frank the Baptist plays high quality and an original brand of melancholy rockmusic…
Phantom Limbs, The – Applied Ignorance
June 11, 2003 by
Alternative Tentacles is well known for its punk rock output. Applied Ignorance the debut album by The Phantom Limbs is no standard piece of punk music. This band plays a surprising sort of post-punk music. Their sound is very chaotic and has a lot of spooky undertones like horror-punk acts used to have…
Northern Lite – My Pain
June 10, 2003 by
After the two very good singles Treat Me Better (just re-issued) and Reach The Sun, Northern Lite has released this third single from the yet to be released debut album. ‘My Pain’ is in the typical and already recognizable Northern Lite style with a clear and harsh electro beat, a minimal guitar riff and dark vocals. The band could be referred to as an updated New Order…
Ikon – Ceremony / In A Lonely Place
June 1, 2003 by
Ikon has very recently released a compilation cd (a review will follow soon on this site) and this new limited edition single-cd. The band has always sounded a lot like Joy Division. So, it might be no surprise that Ikon has released a cover single that can be seen as a tribute to this band…
PIA fRAUS – Spontaneous ventilator combustion
June 1, 2003 by
A little while ago the first concert in a long time by the Belgian band PIA fRAUS took place in Utrecht at our GRUIS party. For this special occasion the band has released the live registration of the concert. The whole set of about one hour has been put to cd. Most songs are from the latest album The Esthetics of the Spot…
V2A – promo version 1.0
June 1, 2003 by
Sometime ago this band was recommended to me. Their debut album, a bit pretentious entitled EBM, was called a gain for the EBM genre. In a time when most EBM acts seem to be moving into easy to digest dance music this sounded very promising to me. So, I was very curious about this project and therefore a bit disappointed when I first heard this cd…
Ludmila – Passages from Stella Splendens
June 1, 2003 by
Some time ago I reviewed a 3 track promo cd by Italian wave band Ludmila. This cd was a teaser for the forthcoming cd Disadorne. Ludmila’s style is best described as minimal wave with trip hop and medieval influences.
Ukio Bionic – Download your heart
May 7, 2003 by
Ukio Bionic is a French electro act with a typical old-skool analogue sound. Nevertheless the music never sounds dated. Modern elements are seamless woven into the music. Simple, but effective, melodies are combined with IDM – and click ‘n cuts – like rhythms, like on the futuristic entitled ‘Cyborgtech corp.’ Nevertheless the songs are very dancefloor friendly…
Tears of Mystigma – ?Higher Circumstance
May 1, 2003 by
Tears of Mystigma is a German gothic band that operates in the twilight zone between gothrock and gothic metal. Metal guitarriffs like Type O Negative used to play in the past are combined with more quite and atmospheric passages. At times the sound becomes a bit new wave-like…
Wumpscut – Preferential Legacy & Music for a German Tribe
April 29, 2003 by
This is not a new Wumpscut album. The work on a new album is in progress, but in the meantime :W: is doing in what is very good in, recycling old and obscure material. This double cd combines two new songs, hard to find tracks, old material and remixes. One of the new songs is ‘All Cried Out’, a cover version of a Alison Moyet (!) song…
Black Ice – Eve EP
April 9, 2003 by
Black Ice is a project from two musicians from the postpunk band The Phantom Limbs. The music of The Phantom Limbs sounds pretty cheerful in comparison with the postpunk/deathrock that Black Ice plays. Their music might be darker but their sound is at times just as chaotic as that of The Phantom Limbs…
