Reviews: gothic

(deathrock / (dark)wave / postpunk)

Cheveu – Clara Venus

Cheveu is an interesting band from France. This is their second 7” on which the band takes another step to define their own sound. They blend cheap electonic rhythms and sounds with a rough (post-) punk garage feeling.

Charlotte’s Shadow – Hush

You may read in Charlotte’s Shadow biography that they’re inspired by the early Gothic scene and that their main ideas come from the concepts of melancholy, despair and romanticism. Surely so, one may find all these elements in their recent publishing “Hush”.

Letatlin – La Sepoltura Delle Farfalle

Letatlin is one the more interesting new bands I came across this year. Their sound is an unique blend of new wave inspired guitar music and avant-garde influenced industrial electronic music.

The Sound – The Dutch Radio Recordings

The stream of post-career releases by The Sound does not seem to dry up. The postpunk band from England existed from 1979 till 1988, after which their singer Adrian Borland continued a solo career. After his death in April 1999, the discography of both The Sound and Adrian Borland was far from complete.

Deathcamp Project – Laxa(C)tivE

Deathcamp Project is a Polish band that was established in 2001. It consists of Betrayal who is responsible for bass, programming and keyboards and Void who looks after lyrics, guitars and vocals. They are said to create goth rock music with the elements of death rock, electronics and industrial.

The Phantom Limbs – Random Hyms

Most of the work of The Phantom Limbs is not very accessible. This 12” might therefore come as a pleasant surprise. This release is relatively easy to digest in comparison with the other releases.

V/A – Tête de Bébé

Strange to find a Belgian and French artists compilation on a US based label. Tête de Bébé is filled with the new wave of crazy and weird (post) punk / new wave acts that come from Belgium and France recently.

Frustration – Full Of Sorrow

Frustration from France are slowly but steadily building a name for themselves in the post-punk scene. Their music is a raw and intense mix of cheap electronics and rough guitars with screamed vocals on top.

Ultranoir – Suffer no fiction / Reach me, Helen Keller

Early 2005 I stumbled on the homepage of Ultranoir, a Finnish synth-pop group. Recently Ultranoir released their debut album “Suffer No Fiction”, preceded by the single Single ‘Reach Me, Helen Keller’.

The Weegs – The Million Sounds of Black

The second album by The Weegs is all you might expect. As on there debut the band delivers a nervous, neurotic and spastic post punk / no wave sound. This explosive stylistic blend results in music that is not easy to digest but worth every try to swallow it.

This Empty Flow – The Album

When This Empty Flow’s debut “Magenta Skycode” came out in 1996, I found it very enjoyable. Ten years later, now the album is reissued by Eibon in a remastered version with a bonus cd as ‘The album”, I still find it appealing.

V/A – Transmission

Infrastition was founded in 2004 as an outlet for (re)releasing classic wave/gothic music by bands from France. Their first compilation Transmission brings together no less than 18 acts from the period 1981 – 1989. There are legendary bands present, but also completely obscure names.

Every New Dead Ghost – The Final Ascesion: a retrospective 88-92

Gothicrock label Strobelight also starts looking backwards. This cd by UK goth rockers Every New Dead Ghost is the first in the new series called “essentials”. In this series there will be re-releases of classic bands from the past.

La Mamoynia – Mono Ego

The previous release by La Mamoynia pleasantly surprised me. Their music is a good mixture of minimal electronics, new wave and industrial elements. Most tracks of this new album fit that description too.

Clan of Xymox – Breaking Point

Breaking Point unmistakenly carries the Xymox-signature, without sounding overly dated. On the contrary, the new album is a perfect fusion of all their different elements.

Siglo XX – 1980-1986

Amidst the general mood of depression in a Belgian mining city, four guys formed a band: Siglo XX. Recently EMI has made a compilation available with 17 tracks from the period 1980-1986.

Primus inter Pares – Gerda

It is mainly through the vocals that you recognize this as a project of Orplid’s driving force Frank Machau. Musicwise he follows a different approach this time, by letting in many electronic elements and new wave influences.

The Holy Kiss -­ Back To Colma / Grey Horizons

The Holy Kiss is a stylish post-punk band. This new 7” single sounds reminiscent of the cabaret rock by Nick Cave.

Honeyhander -­ Woolley Mannerisms

Release The Bats Records comes with this very good EP by the American based band Honeyhander. In only 23 minutes this band impresses with this record full of fierce and original post-punk sounds.

Chants of Maldoror -­ Every Mask Tells The Truth

Chants of Maldoror surprised listeners with their debut album full of old school batcave and deathrock songs. Now the band has returned with their second album.