Letter from the Editor
Hello All! This is what I call a minizine. It’s shorter than a usual issue, but is just as relevant! There will be a few extras in the next issue to make up for it, and it will be worth the wait! A few things to keep an eye out for in this issue are the featured band review of the new album by Leper and the article on the amazing clothing brand, Young-BAT.
Enjoy! Hannah TheBatGirl@live.co.uk
Commercial Success by the Deadfly Ensemble After releasing their third album on iTunes (and before the release of the disc on the 11 th of September) the Deadfly Ensemble released a music video for the new track, “Commercial Success”. This song is instrumental only but is still true to form in uniqueness. The music video is a series of shots of band members doing random things like walking, jumping, standing, and head bobbing, while the visual effects lead us into a psychedelic world befitting the music. Everything from Marzia’s hair to Lucas’s heels screams of the style of the band and it is a beautiful video of Deadfly proportions.
Music Reviews La Semana Escarlata Beautiful vocals lovely instrumentation makes for the perfect combination of the macabre and cabaret. The bass in “Little Red-Haired Girl” makes all the difference to the song and is the addition that really makes the song what it is. Each component of each song fits together perfectly. “Una Vampiresa de Abolengo” is another track that has perfection written all over it. The quality of musicianship is really outstanding and the talent of these individuals is blessed by their coming to make music together.
Berlin Black- It’s Only Natural Berlin Black is back with a new EP and it has the upbeat sounds of old. In the vein of The March Violets, Berlin Black has speedy punk drum tracks with heavy bass riffs and guitars with attitude. The vocals are amazing as well and the occasional harmonies add a great deal to the tunes. The title track is definitely my favourite followed by “It’s Over” and this is one EP you cannot miss out on. It’s just plain amazing.
Unwoman- The Fires I Started
Somewhere between Steampunk and Cabaret lies Unwoman, an incredible voice and unique brand of classical music with electronica thrown in. The seventh song, “Crows” is possibly my favourite though “The Bridge” comes close. The strings are exceptionally beautiful throughout this sixteen track album. Lyrically this album is deep and dark with a vocabulary you don’t usually get through today’s music. The harmonies complement every aspect. There is nothing on this album that isn’t pure beauty. It is all exceptionally stunning.
AF Music’s “Join the Dark Side…We have Music!” Compilation European label AF Music has released a two euro compilation of some of their top notch bands. This album is awesome. For two euros how can you pass it up? The musicians on this label are extremely talented and very much in the post-punk genre. From Christine Plays Viola to The Search to M!R!M, their skill amazes and this compilation is a great way to find new bands that you otherwise may not have discovered. With shipping, this costs about $8 (US) worldwide and less for those in Europe. It is money not wasted.
XSRY XSRY (pronounced EX-SESSER-EE) is Canada’s up and coming industrial act that holds nothing back. Literally…nothing. They do not speak out against anything and yet they do not stand for anything. They seem to have captured what it means to be free. Whether that is good or bad is up for you to decide. But you have to accept that the music itself is pretty awesome. The programming is excellent and the vocal effects are fantastic. If you are into industrial, this is one band you can’t miss out on.
Skeleton Kid Skeleton Kid has a beautiful blend of punk and hardcore that makes you weak in the knees. They are currently signed to Animal Farm Records and located in Bournemouth UK where you should definitely see them if you get the chance. They have two music videos you can check out, “Home is Where the Heart Is” and “Rock Her Bones”, both of which give you the infusion of grunge vocals and post hardcore guitars.
Featured Album Leper- Beautiful Gray Day As usual, Leper has produced an amazing album full of pain and redemption. Utilizing lines from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (yes, I know this because I have every episode memorized) and broadcasting Skot Shaw’s amazingly emotive voice throughout the album, the music is exceptionally well written and performed masterfully.
This album is an excellent follow up to the previous releases by the band. “Kreischen” and “And Everybody Died” are the most well-known albums by the artist and this is sure to be one to brag about. Lyrically it is possibly even deeper than before which, for this band, is hard to do considering how impacting the lyrics have always been. They are both passionate and emotional and the beauty never ceases.
Having interviewed Skot in a previous issue and done reviews on the work of Leper before, I am proud to be able to write this review as well and tell you all about this wonderful artist. I hope you don’t simply read this article and forget it. There are few musicians and acts out there that display such a true image of who they are and what they believe and Leper achieves this with great purpose.
The Comeback of “True Goth”…whatever that means So we all get sick of the image of Goth portrayed by the media. We get sick of school shooters being called Goth while the murder of Sophie Lancaster gets shoved under the rug. We get sick of Marilyn Manson coming up on Youtube when searching for Goth videos. And who doesn’t get sick of Evanescence…period? However, there is finally a rise in “true Goth” culture. With festivals like Drop Dead and Age of Decay, we are just beginning to see a comeback of bands in the deathrock and post-punk veins. It definitely takes some searching to find the ‘true meaning of Goth’ because it is different to everybody, but we are finally finding the roots again and seeing the culture come back into its own. Brands are popping up all over the place doing Batcave style designs and bands are returning to the darker guitars and punk beats that were around before I was even alive. This revival can come with consequences of course, being too mainstream and people totally not getting it trying to be it. But it is also growing to be more accepted, make of that what you will. Is this revival of “true Goth” culture for better or worse? Will it remain an underground world of dark beauty? Or will it become the next fad of teens? Part of me is thrilled that maybe I will get hired for jobs even with facial piercings and tattoos, but part of me fears the stigma that always crops up with new ‘stereotypes’. Youngsters won’t even bother discovering the history of this amazing culture. They will grow out of it when they decide to ‘grow up and get a real job’. Hopefully this new wave of Goths will remain true to what it is, but we can only wait and see.
Young-BAT Clothing If you’re online looking for deathrock and punk inspired clothing, look no further than youngBAT. From coffin-style bags to tartan corsets, the punk influence is definitely present and shows a side of deathrock and goth that have been forgotten. With the jackets that scream of our culture you can’t help but be proud of what we have created and this is reflected in these clothes. It takes two things to advertise clothing in our scene. One is word of mouth. That can never be taken for granted. The other is facebook. And that is where you can find Young-BAT. The patterns and prints used are astoundingly beautiful with lime green leopard prints (after all, what is more deathrock than lime green leopard print?) and tartans bringing a European feel to the mix. Anything but pretentious, these are edgy and pretty much speak for themselves.