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ARCANE ART – ‘The Cursed Artist’
(Memento Mori – 47,32)
Arcane Art is defined as the Neo-Classical inspired side project of Mr.
Karsten Hamre (Penitent), with the presence of the female singer Brynhild
and Bernt Edvard at drums. Arcane Art is the union of two previous projects,
Magistratus and Moral Insanity, and ‘The Cursed Artist’ the
result captured and fixed on CD. To give a little idea to the reader of
the complex world of Karsten Hamre, I say that this album can be considered
as an amalgam between a spoken-word album (with male and female voice;
and the lyrics are, obviously, fundamental and in symbiosis with the emotions
expressed by the music) and a classical, yet filled with grim and sad
modern melodies, symphony. “I was lost. Lost in a darkened world.
For a moment. An Eternity it was.” – Facing the Dawn of Time
AS ALL DIE/VEINKE – ‘In Vacuum of
Blackened Space/Destitution’ (Dragon Flight – 51,35)
Split CD for As All Die (featuring Clint Listing and members of Long Winter’s
Stare) and Veinke. As All Die present us 6 compositions of Apocalyptic
Folk of intense dramatic force (whisperings and desperate declamations,
piano screams that flow into somnolent keyboards that flow into mad acoustic
guitars…black blood of a wounded Soul) while Veinke presents us one
track lasting 30 minutes! Veinke is morbid ambient, Veinke is deadly laments,
Veinke is mournful sounds, Veinke is a piano that marks the seconds to
your Death…
ARGINE – “Mundana Humana Instrumentalis”
(Energeia – 44,15)
Come closer, come closer…this is intimist Music for polished palates,
medieval tunes and joyless poetry…don’t care if this release
is dated 1997, the black Rose has discovered this bright Italian jewel
now and she wants to share her discovery with all the gentle Souls hidden
in the world…Visionary Art, a concept that deals with the philosophy
of Pitagora about Harmony as regulating prime of the Universe…Mundana
Humana Instrumentalis…
A CD for nourishing your Body and your Soul…
D
DREAM INTO DUST – ‘No Man’s
Land’ (Chthonic Streams - 26,28)
This MCD is dated 1997…’old release!’ you may react in
this way…it doesn’t matter, when Music is pure and intense it
becomes timeless Art! Dream Into Dust (the main protagonist is Mr. Derek
Rush, which also created C. S. with the intent of releasing this 4-pieces
Drama) are: ambient, industrial, apocalyptic folk, weird noises, acoustic
guitars, suffered vocals…Well, no matter what this ‘Band’
exactly plays, this odd amalgam leaves you astonished, like being abandoned
in a primordial chaos and with a demon inside that scratches deep your
flesh with its pitiless nails…’We were prisoners of hope, now
defeat has set us free…’ (The Lost Crusade)
DREAMS OF SANITY – “Masquerade”
(Hall of Sermon)
Splendid return and second concept album for this symphonic Austrian Band…This
time it’s the turn of the Phantom of the Opera, which secrets are
told by the incredible and heavenly voice of Sandra Schleret (lead vocalist
now)…The splendid interpretation cooperated with the mature compositions
of the new line-up creates the second Chapter of the gathering between
Gothic and Metal elements…Great their version of 'The Phantom of
the Opera' by A. Lloyd Webber, with Mr. Tilo of Lacrimosa as guest vocalist.
All in all a pompous opera, a real masterpiece, nothing to add!
E
EVEN VAST – ‘Hear Me Out’ (Black
Lotus – 46,28)
A Band present in the Underground for so many years…previously known
as Chaos & Technocracy, they now are back with a new moniker, playing
heavy Doom Metal and with this little jewel (recorded at Beaufort studio
in Holland and featuring guest chorus of ex-Phlebotomized members) that
runs the risk to remain trapped in the Underground once again due to a
bad distribution and promotion…
Antonietta has really improved in using her voice creating alluring atmospheres
(‘Never hear me’ and ‘Believe me’ my fave ones!).
I can’t compare their music to any Bands because, as ever, they walk
their own path!
G
GLAMPIRE – ‘The Heraldic Universe’
(MuseSick – 58,35)
What’s Glampire? Glampire is Glampire, it’s ‘kitch’
it’s weird it’s goth it’s Jane’s Addiction (the voice)
it’s pop it’s Peace n Glitta n Passion! Glampire is a sad kingdom
but it will make you shake your body as the fragile Souls like dancing
in melancholy. This is the third act of the artist that will rule the
new Millennium!
K
KILING MIRANDA – 'Transgression by Numbers'
(Nightbreed – 43,48)
Here it comes again…the Saga of the Blessed Deviants goes on…Psychopaths,
Teenage Vampires, Pervert Christs, Mescaline Messiahs, Lustful Salomès,
all ready to dance to Killing Miranda tunes…8 brand new killer tracks,
plus 'TennageVampire' and 'Angelfly' present on the previous CD-Single,
make of this album a bombastic jewel. Heavier guitars, industrial tunes
(exaggerated in 'Meat') and a really great versatile voice as ever. Eclectic
as ever, these are Killing Miranda, sweeping as ever, these are Killing
Miranda…DANCE OR DIE!
KILLING MIRANDA – ‘Teenage Vampire’
CDSingle (NightBreed – 9,47)
Here is the new single-CD of the English Bloodsuckers: two version of
“Teenage Vampire” and a song called “Angelfly”. The
sound appears more ‘rock’ to me (but with cool funereal keyboards
in background that make the atmosphere more dismal). But listening to
these new songs your body can’t resist and must move and dance, believe
me! (who saw their show at the misfortunate Wave Goth Treffen this year
knows what I mean)
L
LONG WINTER’S STARE -. ‘Before the
Dawn, So Go the Shadows of Humanity’ (Dragon Flight – 52,51)
Second full length for this Duo, released in March 1999 (and still available):
weird obsessive Doom metal art, insane lullabies for tortured minds! Classical
scores meet suffering growls meet funereal keyboards meet desperate vocals
meet acoustic guitar meet granitic heavy riffs meet theatrical interpretations
meet…the obscure dimension of Long Winter’s Stare, a dimension
that I’m sure will conquer all painful Souls out there…their
way to combine all these elements in sad melodies is so…special!
Just listen to hymns like Carry On, just listen to your own suffer…
LES SECRETS DE MORPHEE – ‘Chuchotements’
(Iris, a division of Prikosnovenie - 48.39 )
First full-length album for the Heavenly voices Karin and Amelie (previously
known under the name of XVII VIE), Gothic Ethereal –with some Medieval
touches - Music accompanied by violin (performed by Franck Dematteis,
Attrition/Die Form): two nightingales will guide you to the Dreams’
Land made of acoustic instruments, solemn keyboards and bewitching chants,
sometimes so sweet sometimes so dramatic. Sleep and dream, sleep and dream
to escape in another dimension…
LEFT HAND SOLUTION – ‘Missionary
Man’ CD single (Massproductions)
Here they are, back with a small taste of their ‘new’ sound,
waiting for the new full length (arrggh, delayed to the New Millenium!!);
as you may deduce from the title, they are presenting us a cool cover
of the song of Eurhythmycs (as well as the Videoclip version for Mac and
for PC) and an inedited track, ‘The Enmy Within’, the mirror
that reflects what LHS are today: more ‘rockish’ and powerful,
but ever with a sweet taste for the beloved Doom-Goth Metal…they
are growing, they are growing…
N
NOVA – 'Utopica Musa' (Cruel Moon –
46,48)
Finally! I'm sooooo glad Mr. Karmanik has discovered and produced the
debut album of this polished little Italian jewel… Symbolic lyrics
to enter their dreamlike world (translated in English in the booklet of
the CD, as they are really worth for understanding they Art)…13 visionary
songs (including 'Le Decisioni', 'Lo specchio', 'Icaro' and 'Distanze'
from their excellent debut Demo-CD 'Voli Sferici') follow each other creating
an overwhelming wave of emotions…Nova enchanting tunes dwell in the
dimension where Dreams gather Illusions and Hope…the fairy voice
of Chiara dances on the ethereal atmospheres created by Romeo…”I
wish I lost myself within Labyrinths of Clouds. Have you ever wondered
where the Clouds end?… Have you ever wondered what the masks hide?”
(Altrove – Somewhere Else)
P
PIMENTOLA – 'Hamaran Seepele'(MCD, Self Produced - 23,11)
Pimentola started in 1996 as a two-man band….after the first demo
tape the Finnish creature continued as one-man band and this I'm going
to review is the third opus…8 untitled instrumental tracks to create
a unique symphony, a marriage between pompous Neoclassical tunes and epic
echoes …a soundtrack for a story that could be half a fairytale and
half a warriors' saga…closing my eyes while listening this CD, I
imagine odd little creatures of the Underworld dancing madly at the fall
of the day light…
The name Pimentola, as mentioned in the bio, is taken from the national
epic “Kalevala”
R
ROSA CRVX – “Noctes Insomnes” (Self Produced – 45,09)
On the scene since 1987 (as you can easily read in the great interview
present on this issue), Rosa Crvx shows an extraordinary capacity of composition
and of involving emotionally the listener…Dark? Ambient? Ritual Music?
Apocalyptic Folk? I don’t know and I don’t care defining their
style, simply unique, simply magic!! I can affirm I was totally dazzled
by their live show of the New Year’s Eve and I have still the same
sensation when “Noctes Insomnes” plays in my stereo…Solemn
as a requiem, dark as the deepest of the abyss, lugubrious as a foggy
cemetery at midnight, sad as the sweetest lullaby…
And don’t forget to put this CD in your PC! You will silently enter
their home, their performances, and their life…the Magic of Rosa
Crvx!!
T
THE DREAMSIDE – 'Mirror Moon' (Serenades
- )
Third act for this Dutch Gothic Band circling around the female singer-composer
Kemi Vita…I must admit it is the first time I listen to them…as
they say on their website, it seems that with 'Mirror Moon' they have
found the right direction…well, I do believe them! This album has
got the 'right formula' to enchant the listener: a heavenly voice (that
is able to be sweet but powerful and yet soft) accompanies sad melodies
an 'synthetic' electro beats (according to my opinion, 'Above Below and
Around' and 'Get Away' will become hits in the obscure dance floors!).
Duets with a deep male voice ('Fairy Child', 'Eurylheia'), a touch of
sad violin (the 'prelude' 'Symbol' and the 'ghost song' at the end of
the album) and 'mad' sometimes ('La Tempesta') complete the opera…
V
VVAA – ‘The Cold, The Silent’
(Dragon Flight – 73,40)
Very open minded compilation for Dragon Flight! It explores all the paths
of obscure music: from ethereal (Chants for the Fallen) to neoclassic
(Nocturath, I’m just waiting your debut on Dragon Flight!!) to apocalyptic
(the mad lullabies of As All Die), from dark ambient (the sinister Veinke)
to industrial ambient (4th Sign of the Apocalypse) to suicidal doom (Skepticism
and Novembers Doom the Kings!!!), from gothic (according to me, Shellyz
Raven ARE the real surprise of this compilation! Weird goth metal with
a sweet female voice) to black metal (between the primitive Krieg and
the progressive Ember I prefer the funereal and epic Ningizzia) to the
great and impossible to label Dream Into Dust and Canaan. Nice choice:
as Dark Music has got no borders!!
VVAA – ‘Il Sium e il Vencul’
(Sin Organization – 39,32)
Dark-Apocalyptic- Ethereal compilation by the Italian Label (and mail
order) Sin Organization presenting us 8 Bands with 8 unedited songs…
A compilation above the average, with polished compositions (except that
noise-arabian-industrial or whatever is Sisygambis that represents the
only negative point): from intimist Nobody, to great Ataraxia, to Ordeal
(here with a strange industrial composition called ‘Amazon Phalanx’),
to the sweet Neither World, to Tempesta Noire (with an acoustic live song),
to the romantic Dead Leaves Rising, to the stunning Autumn (‘Forget’
is my fave song!).
VVAA – ‘Fairy Voices Belladonnae’
(Iris, a division of Prikosnovenie - ‘72.00)
As mentioned in the title, this compilation present us 15 tracks (including
9 unreleased tracks) of rare beauty, heavenly voices plus the participation
of Christian Wolz, a journey into a timeless fairy parallel dimension:
TRAGOS ADEIN (which impressed me for the romantic and crystalline voice
of the singer), XVII VIE (apocalyptic medieval folk), RAJNA (here presented
with a instrumental song of folk inspiration), LES SECRETS DE MORPHEE
(ethereal dark sweetness); JACK OR JIVE (hypnotic ethereal hymns); RAKSHA
MANCHAM (folk ‘ballad’); RADA AND TERNOVNIK (a shivering voice…);
ATARAXIA (do they need presentation?! They enchant us with ‘Bonthrop’
and ‘Ophelie’(live). The right compilation to explore the dimension
of the dreamers…
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