VARIOUS ARTISTS: Projekt: the New Face of Goth (CD on Projekt)
This release from 2003 offers 54 minutes of the modern Goth bands found on the Projekt label. Two tracks (*) are exclusive to this sampler.
Not all Goth music is abrasive--some of this reclusive genre is dedicated to a more pure ethereal demeanor. This sampler offers an intimate listen to some of the more adventurous bands pursuing this eerie sonic disposition.
Android Lust: Romantic female vocals croon over grinding synth-beats, a ghostly chorus, and determined drums. High commercial appeal.
Audra Cabaret: Sepulchral male vocals growl along with steady percussion and warped-but-sprightly background keyboards. A subdued blend of Nine Inch Nails and Sisters of Mercy.
Lycia: Sultry mix of dense melody and whispered lyrics in a pool of heavenly cloudbanks.
Black Tape for a Blue Girl: Rich male vocal accompanied by melancholy organ and piano that gives way to auxiliary keyboards and romantic acoustic guitar. An engaging take on overwhelming gloom. Gives Tuxedomoon a run for the money.
*Voltaire: There are two tracks by this band: one album track (Goth rockabilly with strong violin and cello and cafe drumming while the singer begs for a diet of "brains." Taken from the Cartoon Network's "Grim and Evil".), and one previously unreleased (More classically modeled piece that resembles an electrified Celtic bedtime story about demon slaying.).
Unto Ashes: Bewitching vocals and quasi-chamber music evoke dark caves and bubbling caldrons.
*Attrition: Forlorn violin, female vocal gymnastics, and evolving rhythm boxing provide a foundation for harsh male utterances.
Bleak: Clusters of insistent percussion and a snakepit of electronics produce a tasty instrumental piece in praise of emotional futility. A glimpse of subliminal vocals emerge before the zenith guitar outburst.
Lowsunday: A soft, almost folksy piece using traditional guitar/bass/drums/vocals to achieve a hypnotic ascension to a crashing more-electronic pinnacle of raw passion.
Mira: Pleasant female vocals with rock ensemble that moves from understated to intense melodic performance.
Mors Syphilitica: Sensuous blend of female vocals and lilting guitar highlight this homage to longing.
Love Spirals Downwards: Sky-scraping guitar and powerful female vocals produce an elegant passage of brutal intensity. Imagine a more-haunting take on the Cure.
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