Volume 1

Dear Rat Reader, The past two years have been crazy and in spite of missing a few months here and there, this fanzine has been one of the few constants.

Within these twelve issues you will read about over fifty bands, interviews with about fifteen people and articles on everything from Christian Goths to fashion brands. Within these pages lie my heart and soul that lies within this deeply misunderstood thing called “Goth�.

It began with pages cut and glued together and scanned in on my computer (which I think I enjoyed more than the readers) and has now become a computer based zine with actual Open Office, Word, and some Photoshop and Paint.

A lot has changed and now we get to feature real models, instead of my improvised covers, but I hope that DeathRat never loses the DIY aspect.

While not the longest, Issue Twelve got the highest reviews and I felt it was a good breaking point to publish this Volume 1. I can only hope that Volume 2 will be greater, longer, and more exciting. Please join me for the rest of the journey!

-Hannah

Letter from the Editor So I recently moved from my home in Edinburgh back into my parent's house in the US of A so that's why this issue is a month late and a bit different. Once I get a scanner, it will be back to piecing together bits of paper. I much prefer this as an art project than showing my inability at graphic design.

This has been a very difficult transition so please understand the reasons for this being a very different issue =) The good news? This issue comes out with a link for a free download compilation of bands featured in DeathRat issues!

Check the link below for your download!

Hannah

Madame B Noisi(h)er Silence In this musical installment by Madame B, we begin the journey with some kicking drum and bass that leads us to the familiar voice screaming in the track Noisy Silence. I found the drums on this album to be much stronger than the previous record “Insid(h)er”, which is a nice addition to the music and makes it even more powerful. It is fitting that the covers of both albums are black and white because that is very much how Madame B’s music comes across when having a listen.

There are tracks on this record like Not Even My Enemy, which make you feel like you are drowning, and then you go straight to the next track, Little Boxes Cover that sounds more like a deadly nursery rhyme.

This Wall will Fall is an up-tempo track keeping in line with the minimalist sound but still adding something extra to the record.

This album is every bit as fantastic as Insid(h)er, which was reviewed in length as the featured album of Issue 3. Check out this brilliant artist and her free music at Zorch Factory Records.

News Break! New album in October! Keep an eye out for another review!

Leper Beautiful Grey Day EP This two track EP by Leper has the same original beauty that has come to be expected of their work. With Skot Shaw’s pained vocals and Otto’s mad skills on guitar, there is nothing that can stop the Chicago band from sounding perfect. Jet Black has gorgeous lyrics and beautiful harmonies, keeping deep and powerful instrumentation that makes this track easy to listen to over and over without getting bored. The second track on the album is I’m No Longer Afraid to Sleep which begins acoustic with stunning violin. Though the vocals are the same, the sound is far more peaceful than most Leper songs until the chorus. This EP is free and I demand you check it out!

Your ears will never be the same!

March Violets Love Will Kill You EP Now available for free at Pledge Music, this five track EP from the March Violets is a fantastic taster for the first full length album that will be out later this year.

Beginning with the track, Road of Bones, with a dance worthy drum track and the same great harmonies that we have come to expect from the Violets, it is a perfect opening to the Love Will Kill You EP and includes the title lyrics.

We move on from this to the second song, London’s Drowning, which is a bit more Specimen-esque in the verses and has an extremely Batcave sound. There is also a fantastic bass solo that gives the track a varied edge.

Dandelion King is the third track on the EP and begins rather quietly with a near acoustic guitar and light electronics which kick in a bit as the song continues. It isn’t quite the Post-Punk dance anthem that many of the March Violet’s songs are, but it has some of my favourite chorus vocals, which are provided with the layering of Arch Violet and Rosie Garland’s vocals as with most of their tracks. In spite of being a little different, it is a lovely track and lyrically I absolutely love it.

At number four we have what is quite possibly my favourite song ever by the March Violets, Little Punk Thing. Quite frankly, you just have to listen to it.

There is so much to it that I honestly don’t know how to break it down but it is obviously a very punk track but with very little tweaking to the vocals to keep the reverb infused post-punk sound and Rosie’s almost taunting “Hey, you, watcha gonna do?” during the chorus.

The final track to this EP is We Are All Gods II. This is probably my least favourite track on the EP, but those more inclined to goth-industrial sounds may enjoy it.

It is a bit monotone throughout the song but it has a nice relaxing quality that makes it still enjoyable to listen to.

DRUNkEN C Dreamville This album is fantastic for those inclined to the lo-fi sound. Similarly to Madame B, DRUNkEN C is a female solo artist from France who allows her artistic nature to influence her deathrock sound. The melodies are beautiful and the instrumentation well executed. The first two tracks, Soul Empty and

Mary is Dead Since... are great openings and could both be used in any indie movie you like and have a great atmosphere to them.

By the third track you realise that the vocals are not from any average-voiced female, but rather low

and melodic with amazing tone quality. It is the chorus of this track, A Disrespectul Summons, that I find to be the most beautiful on this track and it's great because the verses are a bit harsher and lead you into something totally new and separate, but still fitting.

While these tracks are the highlights for me, the whole album is beautiful and very European. It can be found for free on Zorch Factory Records and you can hear the track “DreamEvil” on this month's compilation album.

Februus Februus Hates You EP I can best describe Februus as successfully doing what every industrial metal band has attempted to do and failed at. I can also say that it is music that will wake you up. Whether you are in a really good mood, full of energy, or a really bad mood and you feel like smashing stuff, this band is perfect. The feminine vocals of Rebecca Perchard are a fantastic contrast to the synths, drums, bass, and guitar that make this five piece so brilliant.

We've all heard covers from Nightmare Before Christmas, lonely female singers with their covers of “Sally's Song”, etc, but you've never heard “This is Halloween” like the version these guys do. Check it out on youtube and you will be surprised by the awesomeness of their skills.

The EP “Februus Doesn't Love You Anymore” is six songs of pure synth rock energy. The hit on here has to be song 2, Man Machine. If you hear no other song the rest of the year, just make sure you hear this one. It never fails to put me in a good mood and would be a total hit in Goth clubs for getting people on the dancefloor. There is definitely a male/female contrast to the music between the hard and the soft.

The piano of “Their Children are Normal' is another highlight on this EP and it is made even more beautiful by the drums accompanying throughout. There's not much more I can really say because it would just be me repeating words like 'awesome', 'energetic' and 'gorgeous' so I think you should just listen for yourself.

Red Lipstick Death The Live Recordings If you are into the deathrock scene then you may have heard of Red Lipstick Death. If you are into the Christian Goth scene, you will definitely have heard of Red Lipstick Death. While this band is no longer together, their masterful music still lives on and among many of the people I have spoken to in my quest to find more Christian deathrock bands, there's no one quite like these guys. I get the impression that these guys would never admit it, or perhaps they simply don't realise how much they are loved because the Christian goth culture as well as the deathrock scene is so spread out. Either way, Christian or not, their music is relevent and downright awesome.

It has all the makings of a good deathrock band, with heavy bass, Lanthier-like vocals, and guitar settings that take you somewhere else. I highly recommend these guys!

Patches! Custom Patches at great prices for your band, just email thebatgirl@live.co.uk for a quote!

If you would like to buy paper copies of the fanzine, the prices are as follows in US Dollars: 1 copy- $3 5 copies- $14 10 copies- $25 If you would like to advertise, your advert will run for three issues and cost: 1/4 page- $7 1/2 page- $10 full page- $13

Continuation of The Hungry Gorge 16th of February Following the completion of the upper torso, which I keep preserved in a solution I have created and placed in the freezing garden, I have decided it is time to resurrect my wife.

It was going to be a while before I began this experiment, not until I had completed this creature. But I feel it is time to begin. I have little choice in the matter. I want to complete her while her bones are still reasonably intact. The preservation solution is beginning to wear off after fourteen years.

But the complexities do not end there. evening that haunts me.

I had a queer dream last

The heavy drapes blocked out the sun. There was a dim light in the ceiling that provided just enough light for scanning the shelves for books and authors. The only other light was a small reading lamp that rested on the desk in between the covered windows. In the middle of the room was a loveseat and a chair, both covered in heavy, floral-print fabric. There was a small table in the spacious room joining the two seats for an intimate setting for reading.

It was my precious library.

In the centre of the table sat one lone book. Whilst William Blake is my Victoria's favourite person to read, this was the book she would get her answers from.

I watched as my mind focused in on my scientific journal. Here, in this journal, I have recorded all of my experiments and breakthroughs. This book would be my defense or my condemnation.

There was an atmosphere suggesting that Victoria didn't know if I was guilty or not. She hadn't read the journal yet, she much preferred obsessing over it.

She entered the room through the large French doors and looked at the walls, wishing she could read all the books at once.

But her attention was immediately captivated by the book on the table. It was mid-day and that strange, yet handsome creature of the night was still asleep (he was living though, and I had succeeded).

He wouldn't wake for hours yet, she knew. So she opened the pages and listened to the sound of the navy, cracked binding.

This was the most horrific of all the books in the library. This, the account of my creation, my mad experiments. This was it.

My darling daughter looked at the first twenty pages of illustration.

These pictures show each step in the process of creating a human or bringing one back to life as the case may be.

Victoria stared at the drawing of sharpened canine teeth. This page, which exists in this book, holds outlines of those I inserted in the mouth of my creature's mouth to allow him survival.

Yes, to my daughter, this was a horrific book indeed. Life, death, and the need for blood all wrapped up into one man's account of immortality. And in many ways, I saw by the expression on her face, I had succeeded.

She spoke allowed, "He tried to be God, to say who lived and who died. But in the end, he was the one whose mortality overtook his morality."

This was the only line of dialogue and it haunts me still.

For the first time since my apparent death, Victoria began to resent me for my selfishness. It seemed strange that this little book which holds all my dreams and fears and madness, could bring her to feel such anger toward the only person who truly cares for her.

The dream version of my daughter looked up, as if she knew some deep secret. Like she was answering my thoughts. Like there was someone else who loved her. Someone I didn't know about.

She closed the book with a thud, wanting to stop before she discovered what she already knew. I, her selfish father, had murdered a girl. The man was just an experiment for a much larger project...to resurrect her mother, Charlotte, the woman I loved enough to die for. To kill for. But I needed parts.

It was only a dream, but I fear the truths that are to come. >~< 13th of March I have hidden the body from Victoria so she cannot see her mother as the rotting corpse she currently is, but am keeping her preserved so I have less work to do once she is ready.

But it is not just the rebirth of her mother I fear. It seems Victoria is lonely and has few friends. She won't even speak to me

much anymore. She sits in her room and reads books, much like I did when I was her age. >~< 23rd of August Two months away before I will complete the experiment on my man. must get back to work!

I

>~< 6th of October I am to be hanged tomorrow. For grave-digging, I say. Victoria found out about her mother the moment she heard I was condemned to death, the day of her birthday no less. So tonight, I shall bring life to Markus. Charlotte is not ready, though I would prefer to leave my daughter in her hands... ...He is alive! I have succeeded! I have done it! The creature is in there now, squirming to life. I cannot die tomorrow, for tonight I am Go The Local Newspaper (Ukraine) A Mad Murderer 6th of October 1883 Scientist and Madman, Lord Peter Blakely of London, England, has been charged with numerous accounts of grave digging, blasphemy, and even murder.

After discovering his attempts to reanimate the dead, evidence was found that suggested Lord Blakely murdered a local female, Mikhail Shamshur, aged 24, to use the body as that of his deceased wife, Charlotte Blakely, who died at said age. Mikhail was unable to do anything in defense as Lord Blakely struck her from behind. He kept at it until he was certain she was dead.

Once charged and told of his offences, Lord Blakely confessed everything and is to be hanged tomorrow.

Blakely currently remains in his home under house arrest where the law enforcement guards. >~< A Madman's Murder 8th of October 1883

The execution of Lord Peter Blakely was set for yesterday at half five in the evening at the gallows. However, yesterday morning, as he was to be taken and given his last rights, his home was discovered to contain only his dead body and his science notes which were given to his daughter, Victoria.

DeathRock Dollars Creative Ideas on a budget Batcave batWings To make your own batwings, you need strong, bendy wire and tights. You can also use wire hangers if you have any lying around.

There are a million tutorials online you can watch but here are some simple instructions: 1.) Bend the wire to a bat wing shape and then do the mirror image for the other wing.

2.) Stretch the tights from the far outer corner of the wing to the inner corner. To make proper bat cave batwings, use a layer of fishnets then another layer of ripped black tights.

3.) Once both wings are covered, wrap then inner corners in whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left of the tights and, with craft glue or a hot glue gun, glue the inner corners together and wrap them in black ribbon with glue.

Here is a pair done

of faerie wings Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

Zephyr Elf Alternative Online Icon...with Tentacles

Could you tell us a bit about how you started being photographed for fashion and art?

Actually, this is a bit of a naughty story!

During high school, my best friend and I would rather dress up and skip schoolpreferring to go to the city for food and shopping than sitting around in stuffy study lessons. We never missed an art or photography lesson though, I’ll have you know!

But I digress, we were sitting at a café, when a shy girl by the name of Cyndal approached me and said that I had the craziest style and that she would love to photograph me some time. Naturally, I was totally flattered and took her up on her offer. To this day, I still count her as a dear friend of mine and am grateful to say it was her guts to talk to me that really started my modelling.

After I shot my first set with Cyndal, I uploaded the images to ModelMayhem.com and the rest is history ;) How has your fashion developed over the years?

Gosh, I would definitely say I have changed a whole bunch of the years! I am a chameleon of sorts and I live for change and evolution. I don’t think I could list the styles I have emulated over the years- during my teens I LOVED goth fashion, and took

influences from everything from rockabilly to deathrock.

I lived in Japan for a year when I was 15, and I would say that experience definitely moulded my style identification and tastes. I will admit to a brief Kawaii period, but the photos are top secret and embarrassing! ;) This past year has been really important for me stylewise. I had the realisation that I should just wear what makes me happy, rather than trying to pigeonhole mysElf to one sort of style. My wardrobe hates me for it, but I couldn’t be happier What have been some of the best photo shoots you have done?

Honestly, I think I would have trouble listing them! I have enjoyed every single shoot I have ever been on- I love my job, I love to help people create art and madness, and I love spending time with kindred souls who see the world through the same pair of glasses. I don’t think I could ever pick just one, but the work I did with Kimothy will always be fresh in my mind. I don’t think we’ve ever worked together and NOT created a huge, goopy tactile mess of conceptual awesomeness :D When did you start getting body modifications and what attracted you to them?

I’ve been intrigued with modifying my body since I was a wee girl, reading my parents’ National Geographic magazines about tribespeople with their wonderful stretched body parts and ritual scarifications. I was obsessed with the idea of putting my fingers through my earlobes and used to wish that my flesh was clay so I could mould it to however I saw fit.

I had to wait til I was 16 before I could get my first body piercing- my septum. The moment I felt the needle slip through my skin, while buzzing with the adrenaline being pumped around my body a million miles a second was when I realised that modifying my body was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life One thing that has made you very unique are your ears. How was the process of surgery and what has been the general response in regards to being photographed?

Thank you! I love my ears dearly- they are definitely worth every second of pain I went through to achieve such a surreal look!

The procedure is quite straightforward, though I had to undergo it twice before my ears would hold together. Slivers of skin and cartilage are removed from your ear, which is then folded over and secured in place with sutures. Honestly, the stitches drove me more mad while healing!

People are very lovely about my mods, that said, I have had a few photographers get kind of bitchy and insinuate that they would need to ‘photoshop my ears back to normal’ if I wished to work with them. Needless to say, in order to work successfully with me, a vague understanding of my decisions is required, and I sent them packing!

Are you planning on getting any more (what some would call ‘extreme’) modifications?

Definitely! My body is a forever changing canvas, and I’d love to emulate that to the fullest extent that I can. I plan on implants, suspensions and maybe some scarification if

I can stop being so scared of scalpels!

I am getting my tongue resplit and my right earlobe scalpelled in the near future, but who knows after that! :D Apart from being an online fashion icon, you have a fantastic blog. How has it been sharing parts of your story with total strangers and what have been some highlights and some of the complications of the journey?

Oh thank you so very much!

Honestly, it’s been surreal. My blog started out as a place where I could go, where I could write about what made me happy and have a place where I could vent what’s inside my head. It’s been amazing to share my stories, meet new people and have such a positive reaction to something that I honestly thought people would disregard.

Naturally, there have been some dramas- bored people on the internet with nothing better to do than to hide behind their keyboards and try to take down someone who is obviously comfortable in their own skin. I don’t let it bother me too much- in fact, it’s almost flattering that people would spend their free time trying to get noticed! ;3 That said, I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s through others ignorance and intolerance that I have met some truly amazing, creative and world changing people that I would be totally lost without ♥ Of course it must be asked, when did you fall in love with tentacles?

Heheee! Have you ever read up on Octopus and other beautiful, tentacled critters? I did a project on a native Australian species, the Blue Ringed Octopus (one of my favourites), when I was eight years old. They are so fascinating! Honestly, I love every critter that is on this earth, but tentacles (and critters who rock them, of course), are just such a surreal and amazing adaptation. I don’t know what it is about them- I’m actually terrified of water!

Anything else you would like to say to the readers?

Awww shucks, I’ll try and keep it brief! ;) Thank you to everyone for supporting me and giving me the oppurtunity to share my life with you! Thank you for caring enough about what I have to say that you would take the time to interview me, thank you for taking a moment to even skim through this!

I send tentacled loveage to everyone! ♥!

Your Free Compilation!

1.) Zombie by Vexing Souls Vexing Souls are a Christian Goth-industrial band based in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region and I would like to dedicate the addition of this song to their bassist who recently passed away.

2.)Take Me Back by Februus Eccentric synth rock based in Edinburgh.

3.) Dreamevil by DRUNkEN C Lo-Fi instrumentation and haunting vocals from France.

4.) Print Message Here (Kellen Remix) by Sacre Noir Lo-Fi electronica from Edinburgh with a creative edge.

5.) Truth is Addictive by The Batonist I'm still discovering my genre =) currently based stateside in Washington.

6.) Immortal Restless Soul by Madame B Eerie post-punk from France.

7.) Somnium by Bat Nouveau Australian deathrock (formerly Thirteen Bats).

8.) Desire by Pheonix Catscratch Deathrock fivepiece from Athens, Greece.

9.) Things we Need to Buy or Steal by Escarlatina Obsessiva Out of Brazil come this deathrock duo.

10.) Death Jack (Live) by Red Lipstick Death Christian deathrockers from the US of A

Letter From the Editor Hello my Darlings!

It always amazes me how one moment I have nothing of interest to put in the fanzine and the next I have interviews, reviews, etc, all lined up with people actually asking to be a part of it. One thing I need more of...cover models.

I must apologise for putting myself on the cover of this issue, I am in dire need of cover ideas so feel free to send me your photos!

Anyway, each issue makes me happier than the last and this is no exception. I had the opportunity to hear some amazing new bands, speak to amazing people, and write about things I love.

Sure, I get clichĂŠ and sometimes my reviews sound identical, but that's because these talented people cannot be described in words so I have to use the best I can find.

The next few issues I can promise will be pretty exciting, including an issue dedicated to a certain band making a big comeback.

Thank you to you all for reading my words and caring what I have to say.

Hannah TheBatGirl@live.co.uk

Reviews Lupine The music of Lupine is very standard for a good goth club.

With deep male vocals and just the right balance between electronic and instrumental, this four piece is rather reminiscent of Star Industry. Though they rarely deal in mp3 format, there are a few free songs on their website which you can download. Amongst these are “X” and “Broken Wings”. I found “Broken Wings” to be very dance worthy and I loved the balance of male and female vocals. This is one track every Goth should have in their collection. “X” is a good song...but it made me blush. The lyrics are certainly daring! But the sound is, again, just what it should be. A bit more on the electronica side, this track belongs in Goth clubs everywhere.

Grotesque Sexuality So I had heard of these guys a long way back but was always put off by the name. Maybe I'm just a prude, but I always thought it was a rather unpleasant description of something so personal. However, upon listening to Grotesque Sexuality (I still cringe to type the name) I was enamoured by the guitar skills and instrumental combinations. The language suits the DeathRock sound very well and is reminiscent of Brazilian DeathRock in spite of being from Russia.

Vocally, the tones are full of character and personality.

In spite of my dislike of the general band name, the music speaks for itself with strength and there is no denial that lyrically (when in English and I understand it), vocally, and instrumentally, it is DeathRock to the Nth degree and is rather fun to listen to!

By.Polar.Bares If you are into EBM at all, or anything on the fringes of industrial, you have got to give this band a listen. I first heard their song “Still” and it is one I play continually. Finally, I acquired more tracks from these guys and there is not a note that will disappoint.

Probably the only EBM band that I outright love, they have all the electronic elements but with a fantastic edge to make you dance with a stomp. “Return Me to Myself” is another great track with a pulse that I love and can be heard on their facebook as well as soundcloud. The brainchild of Rich Holloway and lyrics by Corrie F, this match brings a perfect sound that followers of many genres could love. I highly recommend you have a listen and give these guys a chance, you will not regret it and they deserve the recognition.

Strap on Halo Pure DeathRock for the Masses If you are looking for a great new female fronted DeathRock band, look no further than Strap on Halo. Scheduled to perform at the first ever Age of Decay event, this group has the perfect sound that we all love.

The album “The Dead Don't Lie” we immediately get a sense of what this band is about and the vocals of singer, Layla, compliment the deathrock drone of the guitars with perfection.

I particularly love the drums throughout this album. “Empty Hallway” takes me back to the early nineties of Goth with bands like Switchblade Symphony. It makes me happy to hear some of this reinvented and not following in the same sound of so many deathrock bands that seem stuck in a rut.

Strap on Halo really does what the genre needs by bringing something unique in vocals and rhythm, not writing every song at the same BPM like so many others.

Suddenly, out of no where, we have a sixteen beat drum click taking the band in another direction somewhere between The March Violets and Cinema Strange. I guess we can call it “Lenore”.

Each song keeps that traditional deathrock sound but adds elements of so many other generations of goth. In listening to Strap on Halo, I hear The Cure, Danielle Dax, Escarlatina Obsessiva, and so many others. It really is like the melting pot of goth. If there is one reason to go to Age of Decay, this is the band.

But don't wait that long before you give them a listen, every goth needs this album in their music wardrobe and you can shop at bandcamp to find it.

Band of the Month

Kidneythieves- The Invisible Plan I am usually way behind in the music scene and rarely do I get to eagerly anticipate an album release. “The Invisible Plan” by Kidneythieves was one that I discovered just two days before release and had to suffer in wait for it to be released on Amazon. By the time you read this, you better be buying it. The Goth purists among you may find this to have too much electronica but “Never and Me” is the beginning of the immaculate vocal effects and skilled programming that is to follow on this five track album.

The title track is high energy with heavy guitars and more beautiful vocals. “F 2the F” is the next track and perhaps not my favourite, but as my readers know, that's just because I am uncomfortable with music that has sexual content. For a normal human being, it is a slower, more melodic track with just the right amount of attitude to balance it out.

“Floating Angels” is either deeply personal or extremely imaginative in its paradox of simplicity and complexity. The verses are light and 'floaty' while the chorus is heavy and full of passion. Quite simply, I love the moment the chorus comes in. The final track “Underneath” has lyrics that are easy to relate to and a beautiful music box effect. It's just that good.

Deathrock designs In this issue the designs are all about bleach. It's amazing how bleach can turn a boring top into something unique. Whether you like your tie-dye, simple effects, or making a formal statement, there is tons you can do.

My main bleach recommendations are:

-generic brand thick bleach -Liquid bleach -bleach pen Thick bleach allows controlled patterns, liquid bleach is great for a more random, tie-dyed look. My favourite is the bleach pen, with which you can write or draw anything you like.

Opportunities to be Heard If you read Issue 5 you will know about the compilation album involved (if you haven't, go check it out!). I would love to do 3 or 4 compilation albums a year that are directly associated with DeathRat bands. If your band would like to be reviewed and involved in the compilation, please let me know as I will involve anyone who asks.

Another opportunity which may be a bit more restrictive is a Self-Harm Awareness Compilation being distributed by Departed Sounds (who released the DeathRat Compilation and all The Batonist recordings). If your band has written and recorded any songs on the theme of self-harm, please send an mp3 to thebatgirl@live.co.uk. Any genre is welcome so if you have friends who may want to get involved in this they are welcome no matter their sound. As this is a serious issue, some lightheartedness is welcome, but no mocking will be tolerated. This compilation is also meant to combat the stereo type made popular by over dramatic teens and boy bands so we would appreciate submissions by serious musicians who have something to say and reasons to say it.

If neither of these interest you but you would just like to be reviewed in DeathRat, send your music to the email address and let me know!

\>*.*</

The Hungry Gorge Pt. 3 Victoria set down the articles, holding her aching head in her hands.

She had glanced through her father's journal once but was unable to read it.

She walked slowly down another hallway and heard humming from one of the rooms that lined the area. The door was cracked open so she gave it a little tap and heard it creak as the gap widened.

She squinted her wrinkled eyes in the darkness, holding her candle out in front of her as she heard a gasp from inside the room.

"Hello?" came the Ukranian voice.

"Who are you?" Victoria asked rudely as she stepped inside.

"I am ze maid of zis household. twenty-something young lady.

And who are you?" retorted the

"I am the owner of this house and I have not employed any help," she informed the woman, offended by her suggestion of having hired her.

"I vas employed by a Miss Mildred Blakely."

Aunt Mildred. Victoria had never liked her. Three months of living with her in London resulted in the worst years of Victoria's life.

She hadn't minded so much when, ten years ago, the witch of an aunt passed away.

"So vat are you doing here?" the maid inquired.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I would appreciate it if you would not to speak to me so. Mildred died ten years ago."

"Oh, really? That vould have been just after she hired me. seventeen and-"

I vas

"I was just leaving," the elegant matriarch interrupted.

"O, well, goot, I cannot vork ven zere are people in ze 'ouse," she replied.

She was pretty, the maid. This annoyed Victoria a little, though she would never admit to envying a maid. Life had taught her to hold herself in high esteem over such people.

But she was aging fast and this place reminded her of her youth. Of her love.

The journal Markus was told to keep 3rd of November 1883 My creator told me I should keep a journal of things to come. So I have chosen to follow his advice while I remain in hiding, writing in a journal he had purchased specifically for me. He said his journal has given him great comfort during difficult times and he recorded all of his scientific breakthroughs in it.

I am seeking his daughter but she has been taken away somewhere to be kept safe from me. They all think I will kill her because I must be a barbarian.

I do have a brain. And a heart. I am not a man made from bits and pieces, but rather a dead man simply revived with new parts added and exchanged.

So I must follow the plan and find his daughter. He told me in his last few moments that she was the only one who could help me and I would also need her to retrieve blood for me. I have enough to last

me a few days, but I am finding the Rhesus positive to be much more to my satisfaction than that without the D antigen.

My creator, Peter Blakely, stood before me when my eyes opened. I had no memories of a former life, but knew immediately how to speak and walk and live. My need for blood was a strange and foreign intensity I had never experienced, not that I had experienced much in those few moments, but I don't think this body has ever needed it so.

He handed me a cup...full of it.

He informed me it was always waiting for me in the cold room where he kept the body of his would-be wife. So I brought it all with me when I had to go. But that in itself was a strange thing.

Peter had to step out of the room for a moment in order to write down a few things. I heard a loud crash and followed the sound. I saw him there, lying dead. And I knew they would come for me. >~< 4th of November I still have not heard from as it is already too dark. awake at night. I find the out anyway, it is better in feeling the sun gives me.

Victoria. I cannot write as much tonight I spent the day resting. I prefer being sunlight hurts my skin. I have to sneak the dark. But I am tired of the burning

I do love this castle dungeon that I stay in. I sleep in a coffin, which many would think barbaric, but I find it suits me as I truly am dead. Merely alive. It makes very little sense to me. Have I a soul? Or is it one and the same as the man whose body I share?

It is very cold in here. And I don't think my body is well-equipped for dealing with the chill. This body I reside in is very thin.

There is nothing to add protection against the cold. I am warmest at the spot where stitches bring two ends of flesh together across my chest. It is mostly healed but I was warned that evening, as I was brought to life, that it would be some time before my eyes and chest were fully healed. The blood needed to circulate and all sorts of scientific jargon that I didn't quite understand. >~< 8th of November Victoria rescued me today. I spent that last few days in depression, lying in the coffin awake for hours, barely drinking anything. I felt terrible. And then a shining light found me.

The beautiful fifteen year old girl came into the room and everything changed. Her green eyes grew wide when she saw me.

"You are not at all what I expected," she stated in an accent mixed of English and Ukrainian, the result of her parents and her home.

"What did you expect?" I asked her.

"Someone older, perhaps," she replied.

"Before...he, before your father left, he gave me some information on who I was before. My body was that of an eighteen year old young man who died of some heart defect. But he has fixed that. My eyes are from another man, slightly older I believe."

"They are such a brilliant green! I admire them and wish father had been able to give me such a colour," she said attempting false humour.

I looked her over; a black corset with purple flower detail covered her top and flowed into a long black skirt. Flattering, I must say.

My eyes must have been healed just at the sight of her.

She truly is beautiful and her eyes are a far greater shade of green than mine. They are shockingly dark and almost disturbing. Her natural black hair flows elegantly down her back in a wavy style, contrasting her pale skin and I cannot help myself from feeling something strange.

After she fell asleep, I wandered the castle for a few hours and found many pictures. There was one of her with her father, she seemed happy but there was still a sadness in those mossy eyes, represented by black and white ink. Then I saw one where she was a few years older with the woman I assume to be her aunt. She looks stiff and unhappy, posing for the photograph. The photos gradually become less and less joyful, her rosebud lips turning to frowns.

Perfect Eyebrows Anyone out there like me who obsesses over their brows?

Last week I was in a gym session. It was a super intense work out and while I usually stay for quite a while, it was only half an hour in that I noticed I a small rub of black on my forehead.

The inevitable had happened. My eyebrows were melting.

This has been a huge fear of mine after moving to this desert climate of Washington State. I have tried primers which work well to a certain extent, but have only recently found my favourite brow product.

My highest recommendation for drawing on your brows is to use Wet and Wild's H2O Proof eyeliner. I've used a good five or six different kinds of liner and this is by far the best. It stays on even during an intense work out. It's great for a dark line and is easy to shape.

These photos are with different pens (sorry for blurriness)

Interview with Lady Amaranth Was it always your dream to be a model?

Not really. I mean along with being a ballerina and a movie star it was one of those things girls think about, but I was never even remotely serious about it. The first ambition I recall, was wanting to be a scientist, then I settled into business studies and envisaged owing a huge conglomerate. These days neither are that appealing and I’m happy with my Marketing focused

career, with some fun pastimes fitting around my day job. I wouldn’t even say to this day that I’m a model in the real sense of the word. I don’t have the right figure or body type for it and my whole ethos behind doing it is for personal satisfaction and artistic endeavour.

How did you get interested in Goth?

My elder sister dated a Goth. Up-until then I had no knowledge of the subculture at all (being in South Africa it was far more underground). He fascinated me and we got along quite well, so much so that after my sister left he and I continued to be friends. Through him I discovered this amazing world with beautiful and interesting people that somehow seemed to resonate so much more than anything else that was on offer. The music, the clothes, the whole idea behind it lit my passions and made sense to me. It took me a while to really feel like I fit in, but

being an awkward introverted teen I wasn’t really fitting anywhere at the time and the Goth scene seemed littered with people going through the same sort of thing! These-days it’s a home – I couldn’t live anywhere else.

Can you tell us about your name and interest in the Amaranth flower?

I found my name in a book of short stories – this one was called “The Lady of the Skulls” and the heroine was a barmaid called Amaranth who had been cursed to

live in a tower by a magician whose advances she spurned (as she had many men before him). In this tower was a great deal of treasure and heroes would come from far and wide to try and claim it – only to meet their demise. Amaranth

would grow plants in their skulls, from seeds blown to her by the wind, with the tower holding the only water source for miles. This was a haunting image to me, but what appealed to me even more, was that the tower was ultimately of her own making. We all build walls but some end up locking us in instead of keeping us safe. I then researched the name and fell in love with it even more, a never fading flower, love-lies-bleeding, a red hue. Each description seemed as though it were written for me.

You are pretty much the face of Goth, modeling for so many brands and being on the cover of the new book, “Worldwide Gothic”, when did you realise just how big you had made it?

When you asked this question! *laughs* I don’t really think I’d say “I’ve made it

big”, and “big” can be defined differently by different people. There’s always someone more successful or talented than you, and from your vantage point, they’ve “made it big” but they’ll be looking upwards to someone else thinking exactly the same thing. I’m fairly well known in the UK goth scene, but that’s hardly an

achievement. Let me cure cancer and I’ll come back to you on this question!

What do you enjoy when you are not in front of the camera?

For relaxation I really enjoy sleeping or curled up in front of the TV. I also really enjoy going out exploring new places with my fiancé and taking photographs.

But there are many other activities I carry out such as writing, designing, photo editing, marketing etc. that keeps me busy most of the time away from the camera.

For the aspiring Goth models, what advice do you have?

This is a question I get asked so much and am a little tired of it. Perhaps because I’ve been there and done that and realise it’s not really such an amazing thing. So I would advise they get a more commendable aspiration. Alternative modelling is fun and can be personally fulfilling but is hardly a laudable aspiration. Aspire to much greater things and then you can always fall back on being in photographs – as the saying goes: aim for the moon...

How have you gotten involved with so many brands?

Networking, socialising. I don’t just model the alternative style, I live the alternative lifestyle. And generally those brands I associate and work with do the same. I much prefer companies that sell to the alternative scene be alternative themselves – there’s an authenticity in that.

Do you think you will remain a prominent figure in British Gothic fashion?

Perhaps if Granny Goth becomes popular ;)

Have there been any obstacles in your career?

I would assume you are referring to my modelling as my career, although I wouldn’t exactly define it as such. The only obstacles there are pretty-much self created ones. I have so many different avenues of interest as well as a day job; to sufficiently dedicate myself to just one would be at the detriment of the others and I’m not really prepared to do that. Then there is the obvious of my body type, and chosen look. If success in modelling means gracing the cover of Vogue et al. then I’d have to conform and be stretched on the rack for a good while! These things are not on my agenda in the near future.

Who are some of your favourite Gothic influences?

Mortica Addams: beautiful, graceful, classy and macabre with a great dash of humour and her family and partner as top priorities. Those are all the things I hope to be.

What can we expect to see in the future from Lady Amaranth?

More wrinkles! (thank goodness for photoshop ;)

Interview with Sacre Noir's Carrie Beattie How did the idea of Sacre Noir come about and why did you choose this name?

Sacre Noir began in 2003 after my band at the time split up. I felt like I needed an outlet for my musical ideas and decided to learn how to use software programmes like Cubase & Logic at the same time.

I was used to playing in grunge and post-punk style bands but had always wanted to have an electronic based project with a more dance-based vibe, whilst still holding onto the D.I.Y ethics and dark sounds that I loved so much. Over the years I’ve played in a few electronic projects so I had a rough idea of how to go about getting my musical ideas into some kind of audio representation. After a while I let some friends hear my creations and one thing led to another, before I really knew what was going on I had put together an EP and decided to self-release it in 2005. After that I took to the rehearsal room and started putting together a live set.

As for the name… I really just wanted something that suited the sound and the mood of the music. I was watching a programme that featured Sacre Coeur (a large cathedral in Paris) it is an amazingly dark place and I loved the sound of the word Sacre…it means sacred. Noir comes from the French for black. So the name literally means sacred black, but it stands for the darkness that lies in us all.

Can you tell us a bit about your extensive music history?

I started singing when I was quite young in school shows etc. and had lessons from the age of 6.

When I was in high school I got together with a bunch of mates and we started jamming Nirvana and Soundgarden songs. It sounded pretty awful but we played a bunch of gigs and this was when I first realised that fronting a band was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When I left high school I spent a year doing a Drama & Theatre Arts course before being accepted at Perth College where I studied for my BA Music. I spent 4 years at Perth College and had the opportunity to work with an amazing bunch of musicians. At the time it was the only college in Scotland where you could study popular music to degree level & it had an amazing reputation for staff, facilities and previous students, so I was really excited to be able to study in such a great place. Whilst living in Perth I joined a couple of bands; first was E.S.M a live dance act with scratch DJs and beat poets and then Drum Monkey, a more traditional Alt. Rock band playing Alice In Chains type stuff.

During my final years at college I was involved with drum n bass & trip-hop bands and this was really when the ideas for Sacre Noir started forming. In the bands we had live electronic drums, synths, samplers & keyboards, electric guitar, bass and vocalists and we played covers of Portishead, Faithless, The Gorillaz etc. it was great! The reaction of audiences was brilliant because it was so different to the usual guitar based rock bands that were so popular at the time.

Once I left college I focused on my original bands which were grunge / post punk in style; Icarus Falls and then Guantanamo Bay (the later going through a couple of line up changes and supporting some very cool bands including The Fire Engines and KT Tunstall). After Guantanamo Bay split I started writing material as Sacre Noir and the rest is history…

Who were come of your main vocal role models growing up?

Growing up I loved American artists like Diana Ross and Tina Turner and as I got older I started listening to guitar bands like Whitesnake. In my early teens I discovered Nirvana and Pearl Jam

whist at the same time listening to artists like Tori Amos & Kate Bush, so it was a real mishmash of styles. When I arrived at college I was exposed new genres and artists that I’d never really given a chance. I got really into Soul & Motown music at college and studying vocalists gave me a strong awareness of how various techniques can be key to certain genres. For Sacre Noir the main influences that seem to be most obvious include Beth Gibbons (Portishead), Lesley Rankine (Ruby), Martina Topley-Bird and Shirley Manson (Garbage).

Tell us a bit about the two labels Sacre Noir is on, especially the one situated in your home.

I work with two different underground labels; Savage Recordings (Edinburgh) and Dejine:Rec (Japan). Savage Recordings was set up by Alexis Beattie (my husband and drummer) in 2002 & brings together a selection of international artists from a diverse range of genres. Alexis works with most of the acts featured on the label producing remixes and original material for release with his collective Savage Sound System, and the bands associated with the label can also sell their own music via the Savage Store. I think it’s useful as a platform to reach different audiences around the world, because the label has a diverse range of artists and we each get the benefit of the collective fan base. Everyone is pretty open-minded about music and are generally keen to experiment and trying new things. The other label is based in Japan but works with some of the same artists. The relationship is kind of like Hassle & Vagrant Records…based in different countries but with similar goals and tastes in music. Dejine:Rec is run by a collective of likeminded musicians who produce both original & remix material for release. They also have podcasts that you can download of DJ sets and mixes they’ve created. The Sacre Noir track that is featured on the Death Rat Compilation is a remix from their camp…Kellen are Yoshiyuki Hayashi (Programming, Scratches & Field Recordings) & Hideyuki Honda (Guitar, Bass, Programming).

Having recently been on tour, can you tell us about the places you went and how people responded?

Touring was great and we’re off again at the end of November.

We’re heading back to The Vibe Bar in London and Belushi’s Bar in Paris, so I guess they liked us enough to have us play again. We played at three venues in London and although they were all really different, everyone seemed to enjoy our sound and got where we were coming from. We also played at Paris Plages, which is an event in Paris that runs for a month every summer. They turn the space alongside the Seine and St Martin’s Canal into a beach with loads of bars, cafes and water activities.

That was really cool – playing out doors in 35-degree heat to Parisians just having a day off.

We’re also going to Berlin for the first time and are really excited to see what kind of response we get there as it has a great reputation for producing electronic music and the scene is much bigger than in Edinburgh so hopefully it’ll go down well.

Are you planning any more recording in the near future?

Yes, were actually working on a new album at the moment. We’ve been playing a few new tracks in the live set and they’re sounding great. We’ve decided to take a bit more of an up-beat and

dancey direction but still sticking to the dark side of electronica. Alexis is taking a bit more of a hand in the production side of things this time round & we plan to get all the tunes into the rehearsal room with Phil (guitarist) before starting any final recordings, which will be a bit of a first for Sacre Noir. Usually I just get all the tracks ready in the studio and then we work out how to reproduce them live. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much. So a more traditional route for the next album.

As you are also a vocal coach, what have been some of your success stories about people you have taught.

I’ve had a few students go on to study at some of the UK’s greatest institutes (RSAMD & LIPA) and others have gone down the TV Talent show route (X-Factor & Britian’s Got Talent) and managed to get quite far. I’ve also had some students who have gone on to work in the session industry but I feel that the most successful students are those who are gigging and recording original music. It’s an incredibly difficult industry to work in and anyone who is able to do what they love, even if it’s not their main job or in their preferred area, is doing great as far as I’m concerned.

Where do you find all of your masks?

I mainly just get basic costume masks and embellish them with feathers and sequence. I like the idea of it being original and that I can design. I’d love to be able to make all my stage clothes, but don’t really have the skills. Sometimes people donate stuff and that’s always appreciated!

Do you think the mask is significant to the performance and does it make you more comfortable?

I love having something a bit unusual about the stagecraft of this project. In the first two gigs I had a tiny top hat and just a plain mask and as we’ve gone on the masks have gotten more elaborate. I think it helps create a vibe for the audience (we usually have a movie or some other kind of visual element in the background too) and definitely help me to maintain the difference between Sacre Noir & Carrie Beattie. We all have ‘masks’ that we wear for different occasions, this is just more literal and sparkly.

Has the blog made a difference in increasing your fan base?

The blog started off as a way for me to start writing again and also as a bit of an excuse to keep looking into new music. It actually gets a good few readers, which I find unbelievable considering the amount of blogs that are out there now. I try to write about music I really love and so it’s inevitable that there will be some similarities with the Sacre Noir sound or even that I’ll be inspired by these acts and the new album will be heavily influenced by their style or production etc. I’m not sure it’s brought the band any new fans as such, but it can’t be doing any harm.

Amongst your extensive equipment set up, what are some of your favourite pieces of equipment to use in your performance?

I love my Green Bullet mic and also the mini Kaoss pad cause they bring so much to the sound… The mic was originally released in 1949 and is designed to amplify a harmonica, so you get a soft distortion when it’s used as a vocal mic. The mini Kaoss pad is an effects processor with an intuitive touch-pad for control. It gives me lots of reverbs and delays to play with.

My current live set up includes: Mac Book Laptop (running Logic) AudioFire4 Sound Card Shure 520DX Green Bullet & AKG D65S Microphones KORG Kaoss Pad KP1 &Kaoss Pad Mini Akai LPK25 Mini Keyboard Panasonic SX-KC200 Keyboard dübreq Stylophone™ - S1 & Beatbox Yamaha MG10/2 Mixing Console & RM1X Sequencer Sennheiser HD 201 Headphones Touring Drummer (Alexis Beattie) set up includes: Roland V-Drums with Koby Kick Drum Module.

Panasonic RP-HTX7 Headphones Pro-Mark Sticks DW Kick Drum Pedal Plus we use lots of found and junk instruments, Theremin App & iPod Touch, stands, leads and cases etc.

Sacre Noir started as a studio-based vehicle, fuelled by lo-fi aspirations and a non-conformist attitude. Home recordings of loops and samples from field recordings merged with ambient atmospherics and found percussion, infused with the layered vocal parts to produce dark haunting soundscapes. Since the debut release in 2005 the music and technology used have come along way.

What's next for Sacre Noir?

More touring at the end of November and the new album for spring next year (hopefully). We’re always on the look out for new collaborations and sync opportunities so who knows what might happen.

Until Next Time........

DeathRat Fanzine

Issue 7

Letter from the Editor Welcome to the seventh issue of DeathRat Fanzine! This is what I consider to be the 'genre' issue as there are many genres within the Goth subculture that are represented here this month.

Another comment I regretfully make is that beginning next month I will have to begin charging $1 for a download of DeathRat. It's not that I want to, I promise, but rather that I need the income to support the time I am spending to work on this project. I do hope you are not annoyed by this. There are many fanzines out there, both those that charge and those that are free and I am sad that this will be the final issue that has the 'free' label on it.

Finally, I must again request models to get in touch if you are interested in being on the cover and bands are always welcome to send their mp3s!

Yours Faithfully, Hannah TheBatGirl@live.co.uk

To begin with…

I would briefly like to comment about a review I did in the last issue. Occasionally I write something and when reading it back (too late to redo) I realise I made a crucial error. In this case it was my inattention to just how good Strap on Halo is. I made many comparisons to bands that I love but failed to comment on the uniqueness of sound that I recognised this afternoon when listening to the album “The Dead Don't Lie” on repeat. This band deserves to be listened to by anyone who claims the 'Goth' or “DeathRock' title and I would just like to re-enforce that the sound you will hear from Strap on Halo is strong and pure in its ability to transport you to that place in your heart that begs for music.

Savage Sound System Remember when I said this is the 'genre' issue?

Well we goths pride ourselves on being open minded and I know I certainly have some ungoth guilty pleasures. So here I present to you, Savage Sound System. From husband and drummer of previously reviewed Sacre Noir, comes the act that started a label, this trip-hop act blends post-punk with hip hop. AlexisSs is a master of working with new talent in 'their world' and adding the atmosphere of ours.

I love acts that open doors between opposing sounds and that's just what Savage Sound System is, an open door.

Madame B Yep, she's in here again. Why? Because she's awesome.

With the release of the new album, Psalm 37:29, the lo-fi deathrock queen feeds us again with her intriguingly stunning vocal abilities and the instrumentation that begs to be heard.

That's why she is back for a third issue.

The one thing I realised I have not commented on previously, is the artwork. Madame B would make David Lynch proud with her black and grey hues with a light blue tinge, the photography, the atmostphere created by the joining of the art and the music.

You may have heard her track â&#x20AC;&#x153;Immortal Restless Soulâ&#x20AC;? on the DeathRat Compilation, but it is the title track, Psalm 37:29 that gets to me with the scratching violin intro. The album as a whole has the haunting ethic of most Madame B tracks, and it is hard to find a favourite among so many. So many. Yes, this album features a whopping twenty songs.

And as usual, it is free to download from Zorch Factory

Records. Do it. Do it now.

Pixie-Dust For the Glitchers I would like to introduce you to PixieDust. I am complete ly in love with the music of PixieDust and the innocence of her voice even when she sounds sexy. The chours of “Pretty Little Rainbows” is probably my favourite piece of music I have heard from Pixie-Dust, but “Trouble is What You're In For” is fantastic as well. The vocal and percussive effects are well used and this is one act I would love to see live because the music gives such a visual impression.

Jamey Rottencorpse and the Rising Dead The best horror punk I've heard this year, Jamey Rottencorpse and his band of the Rising Dead bring us everything from radioactive zombies from outer space to a fantastic rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in their “Somewhere Under the Graveyard”. When listening to these guys we get gruff, sexy vocals as well as hardcore drumming and perfect punk guitars and a coffin load of bass. I tend to prefer female led horror punk but have been completely reformed since first hearing them on the Zoundbies Vol. I compilation album released through Zorch Factory Records. If you are into horror punk, check out one of my newest loves, Jamey Rottencorpse and the Rising Dead.

Christine Plays Viola This is this month's DeathRock action and I am glad to present to you Christine Plays Viola in all their Gothic glory. What I like about these guys is that they don't limit themselves to exactly what the genre generally sounds like. In “Swallowed Cold Insanity” we start out with it sounding fantastic, but rather similar to other bands in the genre, but after an interlude of mostly vocals, we end on a piano note and an almost Doom-Goth vibe. Each song has its own unique signature that lets you know it is by Christine Plays Viola and the name alone prepares you for something beautiful. The instrumentation is haunting but also rather inventive at times. Think mewithoutYou meets Camp Z meets The Damned. I am not only impressed, but honoured to be able to review them.

SumoCyco This fourpiece brings sexy, screaming rock to a new place where zombies are the norm and danger abounds. The vocals are amazing, the instruments loud, and the sound is perfection. Check out their unique blend of punk, power, and performance with their many music videos for songs such as “Dangerous”, “Limp” and “Interceptor” that give you a taste.

Honeykill

Four piece Honeykill is great for those of you that are into a more alt

rock scene. With a distinctly British sound, these guys will go far in the mainstream world and the underground grunge alike. Their three

track demo is currently being circulated and, I have to admit, it pretty good quality for a demo recording. They have a fantastic range of

influences and most can be heard rather smashingly in the talent of the band that is Honeykill.

Book Review!

I don't get to do book reviews often so I was very excited when I read “Radon Valley” by Tina Neely.

A novel that I would recommend for preteens to early twenties, “Radon Valley” is all about the dark and the light and the battles between the two that we face each day.

Mary, a high school student, is plagued by her sudden muteness...as well as the ability to see the world of angels and demons around her. Seeing the devastation caused by the constant battles, Mary is pushed into a fight, along with the new and dashingly handsome Jerik, to use the abilities she has to fight for her town. Just like Mary, Miss Neely keeps us guessing who are her friends, and who are really demons in disguise.

This novel is brilliant and at the moment can be read free on Authonomy. Give it the ratings it deserves and soon we will see it on the shelves of every bookstore you can imagine.

The Hungry Gorge (Continued) 17th of November I had dinner with Victoria this evening. The sun is going down very early these days and she felt it was better for me to start coming out early rather than after she has already gone to bed.

Victoria informed me of the library, in case I find myself bored or I wish to discover more about the world.

"You can read about almost anything in there," she told me, refilling my cup with blood. "I began studying science when I was just eight and father's library told me everything I need to know."

"Do you intend to follow his experiments?"

"No. After what has happened, I feel I shall never read of science again. It only causes...problems," she said, glancing up at the last word before putting her fork in her mouth. I could tell by the way she said it, she meant me. I was the problem...I am the problem. And she resents me for it.

If only her heart could burn for for her. She is a beauty unlike strange that she has not friends beauty should be engaged by now, Yet she seems so realise her life for her. I wish in the mornings, the one to bring so.

me the way I feel mine longing any other. I find it so or a lover. A girl of that if not already married.

dour, perhaps that is what has stopped her. I has been difficult, but I wish to change that for her to be happy. I find myself wondering as I try to find peace in sleep, if I could be her such a joy, even if I am struggling to do

>~< 13th of December Every night I have dinner with Victoria. And we continue into the late hours reading in the library together until she falls asleep on the large chair. She has slowly come out of her shell and grown maybe a little more cheerful.

But tonight was different.

Tonight she sat beside me as she

read aloud from Blakean tragedy.

"A Divine Image (I might warn you; this is not one of his happier poems) Cruelty has a human heart, And Jealousy a human face; Terror the human form divine, And secrecy the human dress.

The human dress is forged iron, The human form a fiery forge, The human face a furnace seal'd, The human heart its hungry gorge."

She paused for a moment and soaked in the words before adding, "What did you think?"

"I am not human," I responded.

She became very quiet after that. It is true though. I am a monster created by a human using humans, but not a human myself.

Rather I am some sort of vampiric craft that an artist sewed together.

She leaned into me on the couch and I felt a natural urge, telling me to place my arm around her. Once it was in place, she was able to get even more comfortable, curling her legs upon the couch. There she fell asleep, parked beside me.

I wonder if it is her heart or her hungry gorge that has become accustomed to me. _________________________________________________________ If only she had known what he had been thinking that night.

Victoria recalled waking him in the evening and reading it to him, hoping to create an atmosphere in which he would have no choice but to pull her close. Something, anything to ease the tension created by the poem. In the end her selfish desires had only saddened Markus.

"I did not mean to upset you," she had said the next evening.

"No, not at all. with a smile.

I was merely pointing out a fact," he replied

"You can tell me, you know.

If I have said something wrongly.

I only wanted to...you are human. You have a body and a mind and a-" she stopped before using the word "soul". Did he?

Would he go to that glorious gate she had heard preached about?

Or was he doomed to a death of nothingness. Was the soul of this body already there? Would Markus have to pay for the sins of those who had lived in the capsule? Did God acknowledge those He did not bring to life?

"Yes. I have both those things." _________________________________________________________ 25th of December Today was Christmas and what a joy it was. I surprised Victoria with a bouquet of roses I picked for her in the night and she threw her arms around me in a hug. It was a beautiful thing to me, the first hug I have ever experienced.

O' Victoria, she is such a beautiful woman. She gave me a book not in her father's library that she thought I would enjoy, it is of Blake's poetry, the poetry we read together every night.

But this edition is mine. So I can read it and think of her day by day. When I am buried again, I want this book with me.

But the hug and the book, this was just in the first hour of the evening. It was around one this morning that my beauty queen gave me the thing I shall think of every second. She left a slight, faint trace of her lips upon my cheek as she walked down the hall to her room. The lingering scent of purity only made it more difficult for me to not rush after her.

DeathRock Dollars This month's idea for Deathrock Dollars is how to get new music cheap or for free...legally.

In the Deathrock and Goth world as a whole, there seem to be plenty of resources we can use for free music from certain bands.

But here are some of my top tips for creatively being able to mutually support bands: 1.) Start a Fanzine Bands will send you music so you will review it thus giving them free promotion 2.) Make a compilation If you make a themed compilation and ask bands to contribute, they will send you a song or two to choose from and you can help to promote them that way

Interview with lemmy Lupine

Before Lupine was started, what were your musical ambitions?

Well i was in a punk /hard core band called anniliation factor back in the 80s supporting playing with bands like discharge,broken bones etc,,then there was carrion in the 90s bit of a goth metal band,,,and then lupine was born in 1997.

With over a decade as a band, do you feel the scene is representing itself any differently than when Lupine began?

Now thats a good question,,,yes theres more younger goths comming into the scene,,musicly yes there getting more bands out there,,we have more goth radio stations,,like nightbreed radio,,more festivals,events,its all comming together as one big thing,,worldwide,,just glad that lupine are one of the old bands that started all of this back in the 90s,,with bands like midnight configuration,,13 candles,two witches,etc How has the line up changed since the initial forming of the band?

Well i must say this,to date this is one of lupine's best lineups iv ever had,,,theres been that many commings and goings in lupine,,with diffrent bands,members are

in,,,but back in the early lupine,,first lineup was a nightmare playing with my cousin peter on guitar,lucas swann was in the first lineup from the uninvited guest,,,he still stays in touch with me,,lol,,,old mates What have been some of the best venues to play and the best audiences to perform in front of?

Carnval of souls was a good festival,,,then you have whitby goth weekend at the ress,theres so many of them to think of i can't say whats the best gig,,,because all have been good,,from the start to now on the deadly hollows tour 2011/2012 Can you tell us a bit about being signed to and working with Nightbreed Records?

Hahaha,,,love trever bamford 'nightbreed records,,,we were signed to nightbreed records in 2002 with the lp for the people who suffer lp,,its been years since we done a full lp like that,,,so we are really happy to be back in the studio again to do that again,,,the deadly hollows is the name of the new lp,,a part from that,,i run a festival called darkend,,with that,,its a part of nightbreed records,,and im allways looking out for new bands.

Who in the industry has been your biggest inspiration?

Trever bamford,mike mercer,wayne hussey,theres bloody loads,,theres been so many stars iv met,,its been a plesure been a part of the goth scene,,but there is one iv never met,, rozz williams,,god rest his soul,,i love his music,,, How do you prepare yourself for a show?

Hahahahaha,,,well i don't eat before a gig,,i get my makup on,,somtimes that can be a pain in the ass,,and then just relax have a drink,,,then have a party on stage,,,then have a bigger party after the show,, What is your favourite song that you have written?

At the moment its a new song,,,the deadly hollows,,its about the sleepy hollows,,,so don't lose your head,,,hahahahahaha Is there anything you have always wanted to be asked in an interview but have never had the chance?

Yes is there any chance of someone in the goth scene making a help line called ,,n,p,o,c,a,g, National protection of cruelty against goths,,,

Letter from the Editor

Hello my darlings! So I have endeavoured to make this an issue worth paying for! I do hope you enjoy. We have music and art reviews, interviews, short story, and features on various different things to give you an enjoyable read.

I hope that in this New Year I can make this something truly valuable to you all and please never forget that your input is always welcome.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that you can always order paper copies, advertise for a whole year at great prices, read back issues for free, and if you would like your work to be reviewed, you are welcome to send it to TheBatGirl@live.co.uk.

Rats and Kisses!

Hannah

Contents

Band Reviews

Page 2

The Hungry Gorge

Page 5

Weird Avenue Art

Page 8

DeathRock DVD

Page 9

Interview with Alethea Carr Page 10 Interview with Simon York

Page 15

Linea Aspera With an upcoming EP, Linea Aspera have made a great start in making their mark on the Goth music industry. Vocalist Alison Lewis brings haunting melodies to the electro-goth sounds of this new act.

Already booking gigs, their music is bound to be played in underground goth clubs worldwide. Lyrically, “Preservation Bias” grasps your attention in a way that few acts manage to do. I have absolute faith that Linea Aspera will be seen and heard soon, wherever you may be.

Covered Faces From the man who brought us Txarly Usher (reviewed in an earlier issue) we have Covered Faces, an electronica project with a post-punk twist. If you’re like me, and you admire excellent programming and combination genres, you will love the sounds of this project. Each track on the debut, 5 song album has its own uniquely bizarre blend of computer modified sounds with just enough melody to reign in the Gothic listener. Vocals from Madame B and Jessica White round off a beautifully creative album.

Available through Zorch Factory Records, this is one download you will not regret making.

The Ex-Tracts If The Scary Bitches has babies with Specimen, Samuel Demon would be the product. Synthpunk’s new face has begun a project called “The Ex-Tracts” which features post-punk programming and spoken melodies that are strongly reminiscent of the early Goth scene. Percussion on tracks such as “Love is in the Air” and “In the Midnight Hour” define the sound of this solo artist. Samuel’s voice is ideal for the genre, as is the lo-fi recording. Synth tracks that make your mouth water are added to complete masterful pieces that take your mind to a totally new place that Samuel has created where walls are white, the sky is black and colour has no meaning.

Luxury Stranger One of the UK’s biggest Goth bands, Luxury Stranger, is no stranger to big acts, large crowds, or sold out venues. Having supported Gary Numen to March Violets to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Simon Jorvik has taken his band to places that most post-punk acts only dream of. Reminiscent of bands from Ausgang to A-ha, there is a light among the Gothic spirit of their music. What I love about these guys is that they are true to the original spirit of the post-punk genre without feeling the need to section themselves into the Joy Division rut that many get stuck in. Luxury Stranger has an inherent ability to be unique every bit as well as they fit the label. The acoustics of “Don’t Go” are evidence of this ability and would make a great addition to the soundtrack of a modern gothic film.

Cocktail Party My definition for this band would be “pure, non-boring deathrock”. There is nothing better in this world than innovation of things already loved and Cocktail Party brings this concept to life. There is something intrinsically ‘old school’ about these guys and while some may hear that less-than-perfect recording quality as, well, less than perfect, I actually find it adds to the atmosphere created by these guys.

Cocktail Party is definitely worth checking out and I highly recommend you find them on facebook and give them a like for their hard work and beautiful sound.

SINthetik Messiah Industrial rarely manages to find beauty among the programming, but Bug Gigabyte of SINthetik Messiah achieves this perfectly. Undeniably interesting and intriguingly unique, the occasionally slow rhythmic drums and the rarity of the vocals make for a distinct sound that one can hardly deny they want to hear more of. The expert programming of SINthetik Messiah deserves to be heard by many and with the gigs he has done, this industrial dubstep act is sure to find its way to a Goth club near you.

Drunken C- Whisper Album The album ‘Whisper’ from Drunken C is a beautiful follow up to ‘Dreamville’. The many talents of this lady have clearly evolved to a harder post-punk while still keeping with the melody that got me so interested in the first place. Like the soundtrack to an indie-French film, ‘Whisper’ takes us on a journey where each song is an adventure. If you aren’t as much of a visual person as I am, you should check out the music video for ‘Lick my Lips’ which will hand you your ticket to join the rest of us on this route to some mystery ending. I am genuinely falling in love with this album the more I listen to it and, as much as I loved ‘Dreamville’, I hope it is ‘Whisper’ that we get to hear more of. Don’t even get my started on my love of the cover photo. Her artistry never ceases.

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The Hungry Gorge (Continued) 29th of December This evening, Victoria woke me from my room and the first thing I noticed (apart from her eyes which always come first) was the long black gown with green pieces of fabric throughout it, lace running across and down and diagonal and everywhere, covering her arms. She looked like a dream.

When I left my room, led by her hand, she gave me a glass of blood and brought me to the library. We sat and read and talked. And finally, she looked into my eyes. We stared for a moment. Her head moved closer, as did mine, and they tilted together and our lips touched.

We held a long kiss, I being very careful of my teeth; her lips were a cloud. I wanted to take her and hold her and kiss her, but had to restrain myself. I was hungry, very hungry. I had finished my cup of blood and needed more.

The kiss lasted only seconds before I pulled away, tempted by her magnificent beauty and the scent of blood rushing through her veins.

It was a moment so strange and terrible and wonderful I can hardly confess that it happened. >~< 4th of January 1884 Victoria has to leave for a while. She must live with her aunt in England until she is married. This means I must remain here alone.

We wept for hours, holding one another. We have kissed every day now, just for a moment, too brief for either of us to accept. But she is a young lady, I am a monster.

She looked into my eyes for a moment as I held her there. Fresh tears stained her cheeks and the river continued to flow down her face. She held my cheek in the palm of her hand and whispered a soft "I love you". I choked out the echoed words in reply. She leaned her head back into my chest and soaked my shirt through. Our lips met again, not so briefly this time.

And I wasn't so very hungry for blood anymore.

>~< 11th of January She's leaving tomorrow and neither of us knows what is to come.

She quickly stood from the couch and ran to the wall on her left filled with books. My sweet Victoria fiercely grabbed at three of them in a mad rush.

She ran to the opposite side of the room and frantically searched through the 'T' section for any authors there. She paused for a moment and I wondered, would she even be allowed to read? Or would she be too busy being forced to go to tea parties instead?

Victoria moved the ladder to the 'B' section and climbed upward one handed, searching for as many volumes of Blake's calming poetry as she could find. She stroked a book containing his complete works and hopped back down to the floor.

She threw all the books into a pile and took my hand and led me to stand, giving me a quick but desperate kiss...in case we never see each other again.

Victoria left me standing there as she took off prancing about the room, nervously lifting novels and encyclopedias and volumes of information off the shelves, dusting them with the sleeves of her gown. She bent to the ground and pulled out more.

Suddenly she was gone from the room. I heard her shoot upstairs rapidly and she returned with her carpet bag, clambering into the room. She frantically threw her books in.

"What if I don't have enough to last me? What if I can't get anymore or they say ladies shouldn't read?" she asked me, mirroring my fears.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and she stepped forward to give me a simple kiss on the forehead, then she walked back slowly toward the books.

"What if?" she asked again.

Her nerves had intensified.

She began to tear books off the shelves and throw them. I could see in her anger she felt it was better for them not to exist than to experience them just to be forced to live a life without

them.

Again I wondered, what if she had to?

She stopped throwing them and slowly, one by one, picked them up and put them back.

She came and sat beside me and we kissed for what seemed a very long time, but it is never long enough. >~< 12th of January Victoria left today. We shared her last hours in the library.

We wept again and kissed, more then than before, knowing our time was short. I shall miss those lips of hers. They have brought me such love, something no one else has done. And the temptation of blood-lust has faded drastically.

I hear them at night, when I sneak around. Those men who wish for my death. They worry I might kill their wives and children.

Those they love so dearly. They do not realise I fear them more than they fear me. They are always searching.

Earlier I found myself remembering every moment with her. In the library, especially. I think about when she would pour me blood so we could kiss without fear.

I looked at the cup in my hands. The chalice would be my only company now. Since my love has gone, my focus would be on survival.

In a daze, I thought about who made the chalice. Did he know that one day his commission to make a family heirloom would be the salvation to my starving nature?

Snapping out of my captivation, I set it on the marble table where the golden base reflected the stone patterns.

To Be Continuedâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś.

Weird Avenue Art Weird Avenue Art is the fantastic world inside the mind of one of Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s darkest artists.

What I wanted was to simply give you all a taste by featuring his art in this issue. Rarely using colour, the dark pencil strokes depict images reminiscent of caricature Max Fleischer and vintage dark-Disney.

Weird Avenue Art is sold at low prices and can be easily accessed on facebook. What you see here is only a fraction of what can be found so check it out and buy some art!

DeathRock DVD

For those of you like myself, living in small-town, suburban America where minds are narrow and clothes are nothing but a necessity, you have to find ways of feeling a part of the scene. While I was previously living in a place I could dress and be and be with whatever whomever and wherever I wanted, that is simply not the case is Richland, Washington.

So when I miss going to clubs and gigs surrounded by people in black leather and PVC with deathhawks and no eyebrows, I watch “This is Drop Dead”, a documentary by Jessica Gallant about the Drop Dead Festival. With interviews from some of the leading DeathRock bands in the scene, “This is Drop Dead” reminds me of what I am proud to be a part of, even if I can’t be actively involved with other people. Contact her on facebook to get a copy!

Alethea Carr of the Age of Decay Festival

What inspired you to start the Age of Decay Festival?

The Age of Decay festival was really Kris Prudhomme’s idea. He sent out a general sort of ‘who would be interested in seeing this happen?’ message, and I and a few others really pounced on it. There’s a lot of discontent with the way the goth scene has strayed from its musical roots and this is the perfect way to give goths the music they love in a live setting, while highlighting new bands who play solid goth and deathrock songs (and there are an incredible number of bands across the world doing this!).

How long has it been between dreaming of this and actually seeing it happen?

Things have moved extremely fast, just a few months since Kris put out the call, and I think it’s because the people involved are so motivated – not just the organizers and bands, but the public too, who have been enthusiastic about spreading the word and supporting the festival.

How has the public responded and what numbers can we predict?

The venue we’ve reserved, Brewster’s Pit, will be able to accommodate around 250 people, and at this point I wouldn’t surprised to see the event sell out! The public have been so keen to get involved and so excited that I am continually blown away by their generosity and passion. Many have used their own time telling friends, linking to our official site, facebook page, and kickstarter page, and by volunteering to pass out flyers when the event draws nearer. Others have offered their talents - our photographer, Anthony Tornatore , is a volunteer who simply said ‘I can help this way!’ And we have two artisans who are donating items to a raffle: a commemorative Age of Decay etched Pilsner glass by Eric Zay of Memento Mori Glasswears and a handcrafted Age of Decay quilt made by

Bunny Drueke, who describes herself as a “proud mother of a goth”. A portion of the proceeds from the raffle are promised to the S.O.P.H.I.E. Foundation (www.sophielancasterfoundation.com), as their work touches each of us - goths, mothers of goths, friends of goths, and hopefully all of society, eventually - in a fundamental way. Many other people have donated to our kickstarter fundraiser in amounts from $1 to $500, and each donation makes us so grateful. One of my favourite notes was from a woman who said, “I’m broke, but I’ll spread the word”, then dug in her couch cushions or in her car and came back and said, “I have a dollar. And it’s yours.” What incredible passion. What a feeling of support!

How was the experience of putting the festival on Kickstarter? Was it difficult to find support?

We were a little nervous about kickstarter at first. They have notoriously high standards for the projects they back, only giving the nod to proposals they believe will benefit art for art’s sake, and we were hoping they’d see the value in ours.

They surprised us by immediately approving Age of Decay, and we met our initial goal before the deadline, thanks to 17 backers who came from all over the world.

We got a few notes afterward from people who expressed a hope we’d set up another kickstarter fundraiser, as they hadn’t gotten to contribute to the first one. Kickstarter readily agreed (they even suggest as a matter of planning that projects do two or more fundraisers as a way to make it more manageable), and that new page is up and going right now (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1425698659/age-of-decay-goth-anddeathrock-festival). An added benefit to this is that the more money we can raise before the event, the better we can make ticket prices and the more we can offer to everyone who attends.

Why Jacksonville?

Our first goal was to find a place within the US to hold an event like this. There are brilliant festivals, like Whitby Gothic Weekend for example, going on in other places around the world; but there are not so many annual events in the States as there once were. Florida’s weather and tourist infrastructure made it a natural candidate, and Jacksonville itself was chosen for its support of arts and music festivals of all kinds. We knew Age of Decay would be a welcome addition to the city.

When will tickets be on sale?

Tickets will go on sale near the end of winter, after everyone’s had a chance to recover from the holidays and the craziness that is the postal system during that time. We’ll make announcements about the specific sale dates and price in the next couple of months.

How many bands are booked? Will any be added to the bill?

We’ve booked 8 bands, all fantastic within the goth, post punk, and deathrock genres, and we may be adding one more headliner to the mix – can’t spill any secrets just yet!

Ex-Voto http://www.pooralicemusic.com/id1.html

Lestat http://www.lestatmusic.com/

The Drowning Season http://www.reverbnation.com/thedrowningseason

Strap On Halo http://straponhalo.com/

Entertainment http://www.entertainme-nt.com/ Sapphire Rebellion http://www.sapphirerebellion.com/

Ending the Vicious Cycle http://www.reverbnation.com/endingtheviciouscycle

Asylum XIII http://www.facebook.com/asylumxiiiofficial

Will there be any surprise guests?

Well, if I told you that, it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a surpriseâ&#x20AC;Śbut I am keeping my fingers crossed for one special person who has to travel quite a long way.

Do you think America is finally ready to experience a DeathRock revival?

Without a doubt. Just scratch the surface and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find dozens of new websites, forums, online and real-life groups, club nights, bands, and even fanzines, all actively bringing together fans of deathrock. The revival isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t limited to deathrock, either, but energetically champions goth rock and post punk as well. People have had their fill of sitting in their local clubs and complaining about the influx of ebm, metal, techno, and dubstep; they are doing something about it. Apathy is no longer synonymous with goth, haha.

Interview with Simon York from Luxury Stranger (December 2011)

Can you tell us a bit about how you started Luxury Stranger?

Well at the time I'd recently come out of a period of studying and decided it was time to get another band together. I'm a musician, it's what I do... Obviously there has to be a start to everything and I found it best to produce a body of work to help in the recruitment process. I wrote and recorded over 60 songs in a two month period in 2007, out of which I selected 10 tracks which I felt would be a strong direction to start from. These tracks became Luxury Stranger's debut album Desolation. After loading material up on Myspace, I started getting a band together.

After one 'tryout' line-up, a committed live band came together and we started booking shows and just went out there to do our own thing. There have been several line-up changes due to other responsibilities/commitments and fall outs but now we're at a point (touch wood) where I think we're settled. Bass player Chris Tuke has been a key element in Luxury Stranger for over a year now and we recently recruited drummer Tim Smith who has settled in very nicely and is coming out with some fantastic creative suggestions.

What was the process like to find your sound?

I established the first step on the path so to speak but everybody who has been in the band since then has helped to develop the sound into what it is becoming at this moment ready for our third album. I think other music we're listening to is obviously helping us develop too - allowing us to see where and where not to go... at the end of the day we haven't thought "we want to sound like this band".

Other acts/artists have and will influence us but sometimes it's been subliminal -

for example when someone told me in early 2008 that we sounded like the Chameleons, I was actually (possibly to my embarrassment) blissfully unaware of the band.

Who are some of Luxury Stranger’s biggest influences?

This is a list that's always changing and growing... and we're not just influenced by music - other influences include literature, art, film and I suppose the everyday and how it is perceived. If I had to narrow it down to a few bands/artists though I'd probably guess at the following: David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, Echo and the Bunnymen, Genesis, Bauhaus, Adam and the Ants.

It's interesting how many bands we do get accused of being influenced by - eg early Manic Street Preachers or early the Cure... sure these are band we've listened to, possibly even big fans of, but the intention of influence here is coincidence. I guess the whole influences label makes it easy for people to understand a band but if I was to say I'm more influenced by Erasure than the Cure, this doesn't mean we're a pop electro band, it just means that I acknowledge that Andy Bell is a better and more skilled example of a singer than Robert Smith.

What was your first gig?

Luxury Stranger's first gig was on 5th September 2008... it was at the now slaughtered Junktion Seven venue in Nottingham. It was a fun show to play and certainly was the first step for us as a band in showing that there's something happening. Going by things said to me by the other band members at the time, we woke a few people up and possibly upset the other bands… not the intention in my opinion but hey, everyone’s allowed an opinion.

How has it been playing with such major acts like Gary Numan and The March Violets?

It's been brilliant! Playing with larger artists is a test of sorts mixed with an idea of a prize. These are bands/artists who were about 'back in the day' when the style of music we do was in its early days - pioneers if you will - and they've survived. Longevity - that's something I would dare say that most bands from the last 15 years do not have. It's the classic 'fame' versus 'success' discussion... For example you can be famous but not making any money, like Bowie - he didn't make any money that he could call his own until he released Let's Dance and then you've got Billy Bragg who’s always made a living from his music and has gained only a small fraction of 'fame' while moving in and out of the music business and public eye over the last, what 30 odd years? It was interesting when I once met Billy Bragg while I was recording in London how honourable he comes across - like he's properly worked his balls off and kept his head up despite whatever issues have worked against him.

I've played with larger artists while I was working in other bands in the past, so to have to have this occur with Luxury Stranger too is a great personal feeling. I think our first taster of playing with larger artists was when Luxury Stranger supported Lol Tolhurst's (the Cure) band Levinhurst in Holland and Germany. From there we’ve played with Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and then it was a tour in Europe with the Chameleons (now Chameleons Vox) who were brilliant to work with - in fact we've become good friends with some of the band members. We’ve also played with the Damned, O Children, Noah and the Wale, the Futureheads, the Subways, the Mystery Jets, No More and Psyche. Hopefully this will be the sort of thing that will continue for us… and I hope that, all being well, we’ll be one of those bands for a younger band in the future.

What have been some festivals and venues you have played at?

We've played festivals which cater for various genres - Y Not festival, Whitby Gothic Weekend, Out of the Box festival, Dark Waters, Wave Gotik Treffen, DV8. I like festivals; they're like a celebration to some extent. They also take a lot of pressure off the artist - ie they're not alone (unless of course they feel they're there to prove something, but at the end of the day - it's not a competition).

Venue wise - so many... Three of my favourites though are the Classic Grand in Glasgow, the Old Angel in Nottingham and the Barbican in York.

How has the audience reacted during your sets?

It's been very positive. They feed off the energy and we feed off that in response.

There's certainly a reaction/action loop going on there.

It's so encouraging when we see how much people care. We get the "that was a great set" or "you played really well" comments like most other bands but it goes further than that - people actually give a damn. There are on-going conversations weeks after a particular show and feelings of a friendship of sorts being built. It's like someone in the audience has fully understood and related to something I've sung about and there's that look of "I know what you're going through" and that's it - the bond. When someone can truly bond with what a band/artist plays or sings about then you're half way there. Okay, a lot of bands will sing a love song and it's like "oh that's so sweet" but true deep emotional turmoil can probably outlive love. Love is a chameleon, it changes with the seasons. Pain is there or not there - it's honest.

How was the process of making the music video?

It was good fun - early mornings were not on my like list though. It's funny how much time goes into making a film properly and then when it's all edited and graded etc you've got a tiny pocket of three minutes or so reflecting a visual

interpretation of your song. I'm looking forward to doing the next one for our next non-album single Nothing Holy.

What have you got coming up in the near future?

Well we're currently in a writing/recording period as Luxury Stranger. We're pencilled in for recording the Nothing Holy single and it’s b-side in mid-January, and then we're going to continue with developing material and the sound for our third album. We're playing a couple of 'warm up' shows where I'm hoping we'll be trying out some of the new songs to see how they sound live... and then all being well, we're going to be playing a series of tours in the UK and Europe. For these tours, I’m starting to develop ideas for the stage show… gigs need to be events again rather than a sloppy piss up with a band in the corner telling bad jokes and playing the same cabaret style songs.

Meanwhile Chris has been playing some solo shows as Berlin Black with his band the Shades of Grey. Tim's been doing some recording for some bands in the Nottingham area... and I'm sorting the final steps toward the start of releasing about several solo EPs as Simon York.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

Keep reading, keep listening and keep supporting. Thank you very much.

Letter from the Editor

Hello my wee ratties! I hope you are all well.

This is an unfortunately short issue due to severe time restraints and life getting in the way. And I apologise for this and for the lateness of publication. I do, however, hope you enjoy this issue very much as there are some wonderful bands and people represented in these pages.

Please enjoy and keep me updated on your projects that you would like featured in future issues!

Hannah Edington

Model Credits Issue 7 – Victoria Dizaster Issues 8 – Jessica Mullen Issue 9 – Little Pheonix, photo by Ken Morrill

Circo Del Luto With their five-track, pre-demo album, Winter Rarities Part I, Circo Del Luto is coming into its own as it breathes a new life into the Columbian post-punk sound.

At times with the sound of Switchblade Symphony, and others where they find their unique carnivorous carnival sound, you can’t help but smile at the darkly humourous tones that serve as introductions to the songs. Once the beat kicks in, you are transported to a dusky underground dance floor. “Catelepsia” perhaps being my personal favourite, this track is full of the sounds of childish nightmares, or for the more optimistic, a French café filled with honest laughter. Your own interpretation is welcome.

Gabrielle’s Wish In a similar vein of Insects Vs. Robots, Gabrielle’s Wish combines post-punk sound with progressive lengths. This music is truly beautiful and I highly recommend it to those who like to not be overwhelmed by lyrics all the time. The music speaks for itself as the guitars, drums, and occasional vocals make for a symphony With lyrics like “It’s all in your mind/Give it some time” you can hear the depth of feeling during the precious moments where the voice shines. When it is at rest, guitar solos take on amazing melodies that capture and engage.

Victory Over Tyranny If you like your Gothic Metal, Victory Over Tyranny is the perfect blend of roaring guitars, growling vocals, and Acid Punk drumming to put your chest to pounding.

The Epic Battle Demo is 12 tracks of bliss for the metal head that lingers in most of us and excites us to let it out. Using one of my favourite techniques of spoken word throughout many songs and even using lion sound effects, one cannot mistake that strength of the message this band is producing. For fans of Whiteskull and progressive bands like Rush and Dream Theater, this is just the band to steal your soul for Someone else.

Berlin Black and the Shades of Grey Sharing the stunning bassist of the March Violets, Berlin Black is the band that wrote “Please You”, one of my all-time personal favourite songs. Goth by nature, these guys are individual and lovely in every way. They continue to use a heavy bass line and post-punk drumming. This is one of those bands that I have to say, “Stop reading and go listen!” Their talent will set you right for the rest of your Gothic day in life and I promise you will not be disappointed.

11 Decaparecedos With a heavy punk influence and touched by the hand of horror rock, 11 Decaparecidos are another one to look out for. Though a visually stunning band, their guitar solos and vocals on speed are what make the music what it is.

Sometimes the vocals are layered in a way that creates the feeling of being surrounded by the black and white ghosts of deathrockers past.

The Wolf Gang Like the Goth music of old, The Wolf Gang reinvents the sounds of bands like Sisters of Mercy with their updated sound, beautiful harmonies, and instrumentation that excels description. Slight symphonic twists keep the listener intrigued by the music that comes out of the speakers. This 3-piece culminate the masculine art of sound in tracks such as “Jellyhouse” and “Voice” in their 4-track EP, “First Blood” available for free download from their website.

The Hungry Gorge Continuedâ&#x20AC;Ś Letters from Victoria My Dearest Markus,

17th of January 1884

I do not like it very much here. In fact, I hate this city. I arrived two days ago and have not had a moment's peace to write you until now. One minute my aunt is fussing over my dress and the next speaking badly of father for ruining the family's place in society. I do not care much. She has scarcely allowed me to breathe. I have not been able to read any of the books I took from father's library.

I do hope you are safe, Markus. I know you will have to sneak out at night to send me any letters. I know you are alone. You do not know how badly I am missing you. Your company over the last four months has been my every breath, my every desire. I wish for nothing but you. Nothing else is enough.

I know perhaps I should not reveal my heart to you so fully, but I find I cannot help myself. I love you, Markus. With all the love a girl of fifteen can feel. I wish to marry you.

I must go; I can hear my aunt's cringe-worthy voice ringing up the stairs.

All my love, Victoria

>~<

My Dearest Markus,

13th of February 1884

I was relieved at receiving your letter to hear that you are well. I am glad they have not yet discovered you. I had left strict instructions that the castle be left alone, but assumed the enforcers of the law there would ignore my wishes.

I am glad to hear you are enjoying reading and memorising the book of poetry. It does pass the time nicely. I terribly miss your lovely green eyes and soft, dark hair. I thank you for your kind words. It is nice to know I am not the only one feeling such a way. But you are wrong, I do not need a lord or rich man, I need only love. And I will not find such a thing with any of them. Could we have known it would come to this? I have seen such love in us.

My aunt, however, disagrees. She is planning a party for me to enter society. She already has a huge list of people, young men mostly, and I cannot stand any of them. I just want to be with you.

I am planning a rather dangerous plot. What say you to my running away with you? We could go anywhere. South America, the Orient, anywhere. So long as it is you and me. Please tell me your thoughts, darling.

As for your predicament, do not fear what you have done. Humans eat cattle all the time, there is nothing wrong in your killing them to feed, and it is a necessity. Just be careful, if they find you going to the same place daily, they will trap you. Travel far and wide and dispose of the bodies before they find the tooth marks. I shall pray for your plight.

You will be fine, my love. Fear not.

Love, Victoria

>~<

Markus,

16th of March 1884

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but your letter put me in a desperate despair. Do you not love me? In my absence, has someone else stolen your heart? Why do you not wish to be with me? I do not love any of these men! I love only you!

Please, tell me what I have done wrong; why your heart is not with me any longer. I am not what I thought I was to you.

Once yours and ever will be, Victoria

>~<

My Dearest Markus,

12th of April 1884

I am so glad to hear I was misunderstanding your previous letter. It is such a relief! I thought you meant you did not wish to be mine. But I now understand you were simply concerned that I was, as you put it, "wasting my life on the love of what is to be an impossibility." It is not impossible.

Even if we cannot run away together, you will always be in my heart. Always.

Yours forever, Victoria

>~<

My Dearest Markus,

15th of May 1884

I am thrilled to hear you managed to escape the castle before they found you there. It is good because now they will not come back, seeing as they are certain you are not there. I am relieved in a way, that they searched and it is over with.

Last evening was my party. Aunt Mildred has heard gossip of four different men wishing to propose. I shall, of course, refuse all of them. I could never reply with a yes to such dogs. All they care about is their wine. It is sickening.

I did find courage at one point and told her I was already in love. She said it was foolish, but at least listened. She knows it is a man in Ukraine. I have not disclosed that I know your whereabouts.

Unfortunately, she felt a Ukrainian was not right for a lady. But I told her I didn't care, that I would not marry any of these men in his stead. She, for a moment anyway, seemed compassionate.

Oh, my sweet, I will sing of our love in my heart. I do not know what will come of this, but certainly, with enough persuasion, I can convince her to allow me to marry my Ukrainian prince. And then I can bring you here. No one here knows what you look like. It is a brilliant plan. And I am to inherit the castle once I am married so we will have a home.

I have wondered often if I could bring you over now, you could reside in the basement here.

Please tell me what you think of this.

Yours, Victoria

Book Review “Winter”

By Keven Newsome

“Winter” is the story of a college student with a dark past and a dangerous calling. The character of Winter is your typical Goth girl coming out of high school and attending a public college founded on Christian beliefs. Her roommate, the peppy antithesis, Summer, nearly causes the troubled girl to lose it. However, something deep inside stirs her to stay.

What ensues is the entwined tale of Winter’s high school experimentation with the occult and her current beliefs in God and how the two have led her to save her campus from a cult of rapists and murderers, some of whom disguise themselves as Goths in order to discredit our heroine.

Newsome does an excellent job at portraying the young female mind and I was shocked by the end with the amount of trauma and Hell the leading characters go through. Not many authors of his ilk would dare to go quite as far as he does and while this brought me to tears while reading in the middle of a public gym, he manages to take every woman’s worst fear and combat it with the healing that can follow.

“Winter” is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for the hardened heart. I highly recommend this novel for girls anywhere from high school to old age and have no doubt that many men would get a lot from it. The ebook can be purchased on amazon.com so you should all go and buy a copy to support this up an coming author who represents all things Gothic and manages to fight the stereotype in the process.

Emilie Autumn Live Show Whether you are for her or against her, chances are, if you’ve heard of this woman, you have an opinion.

Mine was an ever-changing, back and forth game of love/hate.

However, at a recent show on her “Fight Like a Girl” tour, she redeemed herself in every way.

A well-prepared performance, (with less of the faux-lesbian act that many find so offensive) many of the new songs are based on her book “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls”, published in 2009.

Continuing on the theme of mental illness and with a “how crazy am I?” attitude, Emilie Autumn and her cast of Bloody Crumpets give an experience not likely to be found elsewhere and that can both inspire and bewilder. Being that many of her fans are young girls who may or may not entirely understand the subject matter of her music, I am interested to see how the tour progresses and how people react to this new show.

Personally, I loved it and any doubts I may have had as to the character of this artist were put to rest.

Skot Shaw of Leper When did your interest in music first develop? probably 4 or 5 years old, but being a poor kid with no real encouragement i never really did anything with it till i was 19 0r 20

How did you come to be a part of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scene? well i grew up with only ever exposed to county music, rap, metal, and such, i hate to admit it but mostly metal however, most metal bands that, even though i liked had this super hyperactive party thing going on that kinda bugged me since i was this somber melancholy overly dramatic imaginative hopeless romantic (or nutts as my wife puts it)kinda kid what i wanted to here in a song was somber melancholy overly dramatic imaginative hopeless romantic but kinda dancey. and there are plenty of metal bands that threaten to do that in a song but then they almost always wreck it with all the stereo typical overtly macho raging hyperactive as usual, then i when i met my wife she was into nin the cure & stuff that somehow sounded to me like "this is what i keep waiting for all these metal bands to do but they are not do in it" & i was sorta hooked

When did Leper form and why did you choose this name? i was in a band as part of my church youth group that was predominantly metal , i was just a bit frustrated with that i just didn't fit in, but at some point i took bad turn , went through a bunch of stuff that eventually combined with the fact that

i didnt fit in with these metal guys, i started to feel like "these guys act like i got leprosy or something" so i started to do my own thing under the name leper , which i thought made good sense that i know there's a lot of people that feel like that as well, i wanted to use this concept of leper to say "the world may not want you but god is close to the broken hearted " , i don't really remember exactly when that was.

What inspires your lyrics? my own experiences, movies, conversations , same as everyone i guess.

As a band in the Christian Goth scene, how has the secular response been? mixed.... mostly good sense i never force my opinion as being fact, i don't preach, but rather i just try to be a friend to who ever i meet & do my best to live above reproach

You recently released a solo album under the Leper banner, how was the process of writing this and will the songs be performed solo or with the band? well leper in itself is more or less a solo thing but those songs were written a long time ago, may be i will play them live but id rather focus on making new stuff

How do you prepare your voice before a show or recording session, being that it is so unique?

im not sure how to answer that but i just don't eat or drink anything cold , i generally don't try to be some "pro vocalist" who is trying to hit every note just right because i know im not goin to anyway, i just try to be real , and make a song feel like what ever that song is about.

As someone who has been personally blessed by your songs, what have been some of the testimonies you have had from people? the 1rst one i ever herd was from a non christian, i was playing in some coffee joint in Cleveland Ohio, i had a few 4 song demos i was selling at the time , not a lot of people there, but , i was improvising lyrics about something or other, at the end my 3 song set i was approached by a lady asking if the improve thing was on the demo , which was obviously not but then she explained....."3 months ago the only man i ever loved shot and killed himself, leaving 1 bullet in the gun. I believe his intention was for me to follow. I have not been able to deal with it, I haven't left the house since it happened in fact the only reason Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here tonight is that my friend forced me to be , when I came in & heard you just now that was the 1st time since it happened that I felt any peace"

Can you tell us a bit about your life at Jesus People USA? 4 or 500 Christians in 1 building living, working, eating, serving, together . really is like family

What are your plans for the future both musically and within the community of JP? just to keep on keepin on

Model Credits- Baeli Benton

Dear Rats,

It seems like it has been forever since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve published. And in that time a lot has happened. Unfortunately, this includes the loss of a dear member of our subculture, Kenn Kroosaficks. This issue is dedicated to Kenn and his family during this difficult time. Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing it has taken me this long to publish, this way I can do him the only honour I know how, dedicating an issue of DeathRock beauty to his name.

Thank you, Kenn, for your contributions to the culture. See you soon!

Hannah

The Mescaline Babies The Babies have done it again with their newest release, Crush. With darker and crazier beats than ever, it’s the vocals that made my spine tingle. Great production quality and talented musicians make this album a dream for deathrockers everywhere. “Skeleton Kids” is my personal favourite from the album and what remains of this album is that it must be heard! (That last sentence will make sense in context, so go buy the album) Escarlatina Obsessiva If the album artwork isn’t enough to draw you in, the music will. Songs like “Fakir” will drive Siouxsie fans wild with its mellow, but dark, guitars and the ever amazing vocals. Piano on “Emerald Green” makes for the perfect balance of music and eeriness. It’s clear that these guys are in the forefront of the South American DeathRock scene and I have no doubt they will go down in history with the likes of Christ vs. Worhal and Skeletal Family.

RRRRRRR If you’ve been in the DeathRock scene long, you’ve probably heard of RRRRRRR. Traditional tribal beats with slightly more streamlined electric guitars make songs like “Frio” and “L’Arabia” classics.

Occasionally using unusual instrument sounds, there is an otherworldly feel to this band and I highly recommend them for anyone searching for an instant love affair.

Cyferdyne If you’re more of an industrialist, this is one band you cannot miss. Every Industrial DJ NEEDS to hear this band. Guaranteed to get people on the dance floor, this band has reignited my dying flame of love for pure industrial in its truest form. “Afraid to Dream” begins in way that tugs at your heart and suddenly you just want to fling your limbs and throw on some dreads. “Buried Alive by Love” is another great track that is free to download from their facebook. Check ‘em out!

Sacre Noir With the release of their second album, Sinking into Darkness, Scottish act Sacre Noir have broadened their horizons and stretched their talents to new levels. Touring this summer in Europe to promote the album, this is a show not to be missed. With electronica sounds and cabaret influences, the masks have gotten bigger and so have the sounds. Feast your ears upon Sacre Noir and sink into their darkness. My personal favourites include “She Can’t Take It” and “Can’t Find my Truth (In Someone Like You)”. Also available is the album “Her Volatile Condition” and the three demo recordings as a trilogy. Be sure to purchase a physical copy or download “Sinking into Darkness” from iTunes if you have any taste at all.

The Funeral and the Twilight- Sullen Life///Blighted Death The Minneapolis band, The Funeral and the Twilight, are a classic deathrock piece with brilliant sounds and fantastic skill. Though truly original in their sound, they do remind me somewhat of Godscare with in vocals and in drums. They are rather dark but that doesn’t hinder their talent. The Funeral and the Twilight show that you don’t have to be a typical deathrocker to enjoy this music. I am surprised they don’t have more of a following in the community and I hope this will soon be remedied. The guitar in “Fast to Death” is possibly one of my favourite moments on this album, but each element of instrumentation is perfect and I recommend that you give them a like on facebook and a purchase on bandcamp!

Mirror Mirror Imagine Bauhaus with an organ giving away free downloads in Spokane, Washington. Yes, the band known as Mirror Mirror are something special. Very traditional in their sound, the ‘80s post-punk movement is reborn and the notes will make you long for the days when vampires weren’t cool and fog machines didn’t smell like vanilla. I fell for this band…hard. Everything you could dream of being played at your favourite goth club is culminated in this fourpiece.

Love in Cage What I call “deathrocktronic” is well represented by Love in Cage. They have the individuality not to be compared to anyone else, but the strength to be considered among the modern greats. Like a parasol under the hot sun, you feel sheltered by their music when you want to escape the world. The programming is brilliant and the vocals are exactly what one wishes for in their goth music.

Emilie Autumn- Fight Like a Girl In her latest album, Fight Like a Girl, also known as FLAG, Emilie Autumn “Liddell” (whose real last name is Fritzges) writes about her supposed time institutionalized for her depressive episode as a result of Bipolar Disorder type 1. While she has lied about many things, including the death of her family in a fire, I am, unfortunately, still a fan. However, this album left me less than impressed. I loved each song on the “Opheliac” album, but the songstress’s arrogance has led her to believe she will make it in London’s West End and this album reflects that. There are only about four songs on the seventeen track CD that I actually enjoy.

“Opheliac” fans may find much of this album a disappointment as it is far less industrial and hard but the track that really got on my nerves was “I Don’t Understand” in which she acts out a drama between two characters in her book. She giggles. A rather annoying, irritating little giggle. However, she achieved what she was aiming for in creating an album that could be a musical.

Popoi Sdioh Don’t ask me to pronounce it. Just let the music speak for itself. Popoi Sdioh blends metal with punk with deathrock in just the right tension. This is truly unique music and it is wonderful to hear some individuality in current music. Forward thinking produces music like this and you will feel thoroughly refreshed after having a listen on their bandcamp, myspace, or whatever music player you choose. The guitar rifts are extremely well played and the album “Before and After Party” on a whole is a delight to listen to.

Vexing Souls- Epic Conflict Even better than their previous two albums, Epic Conflict is a Gothic Metal dream, blending the sounds of Nightwish and Turisas to create their own sound. Each song has its own specialty but I particularly enjoyed the steady, heavy riffs of “No Turning Back”. As I mentioned in a previous review of Vexing Souls, there may be something in this album that you find you weren’t looking for. This album is also released alongside lead vocalist, Judy Burris’s, fine novella “Epic Conflict” reviewed just a few pages away………

Hot Fog With their release of “Wyvern and Children First”, Hot Fog’s insane punk drumming throws you into the pit and the slamming guitars purge you of any negative views you previously may have had about metal music. Truly metal in its purest form, these guys have a future ahead of them in this industry. Vocally, this is a masterpiece and as a vocalist I can only dream of hitting some of the notes in the song “Dwarf King of the Sovereign”.

Mrs. Howl This indie-punk trio from Texas open their album “Lovie and the Yellow Lamp” with the track “Yellow Lamp” which reminds me much of a mix between Skeletal Family and Rubella Ballet with a hint of roller derby thrown in. These are very talented musicians and continue to impress me with each track I hear.

Female fronted with Chelsea, Laurel, and Alfonso, they will make you dance just as they promise. Head over to facebook and bandcamp to check them out for yourself.

Danse Macabre Danse Macabre is exactly what you’d expect if the perfection of Joy Division was paired with the lightness of The Cure (both these bands have been compared to Danse Macabre before, but I cannot disagree). Maybe throw in a bit of A-ha. Quite frankly, they are exactly what I want to be listening to on a good day while shaving the sides of my head when the sun is out and my nails are painted black.

Haflingerallergie Skilled musicians are difficult to come by, but Haflingerallergie steals the show when it comes to talent.

Everything from the vocals to the drums seems in perfect order even with the distorted, deathrock quality that it never loses. My favourite song would have to be “Birds” but none of their songs leave me with that un-musically-satisfied feeling.

Secular Plague Hardcore punk reminiscent of the 1970’s can be revived by listening to Secular Plague with their invaluable gift to the music industry. The longest track on their self-titled debut album being 1:46, you can easily compare them to the likes of The Ramones but they are far more, well...European sounding.

Think Jamie Rottencorpse meets the Sex Pistols. I would love to attend a live show with these guys.

Epic Church Crazy deathrocktronic riffs and melodic vocals make up a beautiful sound that stretches over multiple genres and would be listened to by those on the deathrock end of the goth spectrum as well as those on the electro-goth side. A unifying brand of music makes Epic Church one to look out for as they are certain to be at Goth festivals soon!

Drama of the Spheres On of the most influential goth bands in France, Drama of the Spheres capture just the right sound.

Melding the past and present perfectly, they manage to do something that the future will appreciate.

This is another band that will go on your request sheet for club nights and radio shows alike. They present a brilliantly thought out form of music that will have you dancing the night away!

Colonal XS I don’t think I have ever reviewed any band quite as unique as Colonal XS, and that’s saying a lot! Their one track album (which can be downloaded on bandcamp) from Loophole in Berlin, “A Huge Waste of Time” can’t exactly be danced to, nor would the 18 minutes be suitable for a radio show. It is however nice to listen to on a dark night when you want to paint your nails black. This ‘song’ is more like a soundtrack to a David Lynch film. They do have more music, but this was a particularly unexpected surprise.

Your Ad Here

Featured Album An Instructional Guide for Aspiring Arsonists by The Deadfly Ensemble

Latest project by the Zeus of DeathRock, Lucas Lanthier, “An Instructional Guide for Aspiring Arsonists” is an amazing work of craftsmanship and music. The press release didn’t really leave any comparisons left to be imagined as they describe their sound in every way from Weimerera to Sparks to Shirley Collins in leather on LSD. As usual, the stories told on the album are astoundingly strange and…well…unusual. Similarly, the sound is still unique to this five piece. I never would have thought to use a cat as an instrument, but that’s just me. Plus there is the barking.

The orchestral tones make the listener feel otherworldly, like living in the past, while tracks such as “The Early Years of Dr. Lindsay” leave you wanting to do your DeathRock zombie dance.

That is probably my favourite track on the album, but the previously released single of “Hammer, Anvil, Stirrups” is still near the top of my list.

All in all, you had best order this album. There is a limited edition signed insert if you order the hard copy, which is due out the eleventh of September, 2012.

Music Video Review- Sacre Noir Sacre Noir is back with their second album on the 25th of July. As a preview they have released the track “She Can’t Take It”. Along with the track, they have produced a brilliant music video sticking with their dark aesthetic and lo-fi qualities that make them so intricately unique. Each note in the song is perfectly attuned to the video, which includes two fantastic actresses acting as creepy broken dolls and a wonderful actor, musician, and friend, Andrew Jackson. Carrie Beattie’s masked face is reflected and shared by the audience during the band shots in this black and white music video. One simply must look it up on youtube to see this masterpiece. Again, that is “She Can’t Take It” by Sacre Noir and is quite possibly the best music video I have ever seen, and that’s saying something.

Book Review- Epic Conflict by Judy Burris While this novella is less than a hundred pages, it is packed with truths reflected in their album of the same name (reviewed above). The songstress has created a story which is appropriate for all ages. For children it can be read in a week and by adults in a couple of hours, either way it is a beautifully written and elegantly penned tale of a battle for a kingdom beginning with a horrific murder by werewolf and the fight of a queen to save her son. At first channeling dark forces, she eventually finds her strength from another place and is able to overcome her fears and…well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself what happens next.

Concert Review- Birdeatsbaby One of the greatest up and coming acts of the dark cabaret genre, Birdeatsbaby electrifies the stage when they play. From powerful, passionate songs about sailors to the fans shouting “Flog that Horse!” there is little to leave the audience wanting in any way. Although it was a small burrito restaurant in Spokane, Washington, the band managed to receive a large audience and they were simply wonderful to meet.

DVD Review- A Light in the Darkness “A Light in the Darkness” is about Goth. It is also about God. Mostly, it is about the two coexisting in a mutual relationship in which one can live with the other. Shock and horror, right? This DVD proves that there can be unity and harmony between the Gothic scene and the Christian lifestyle. For those who’s parents or friends believe you must be a Satanist if you dress Goth, this is a good DVD to show them.

Whether you are a Christian or not, I recommend getting a hold of this just to show others that Goth isn’t about religion, it’s a lifestyle. And as an added bonus, you might find something interesting about yourself.

Manic Depression Records If you are a deathrock or alternative artist looking for a label to sign with, I highly recommend Manic Depression Records. If you are just a listener or are interested in finding out more, they have a mixer you can download from their site. This mixer has helped me with my radio show (The DeathRat Radio Show on DeathRock Radio) when I’ve needed a song last minute to add to my set. There are some truly beautiful tracks on this mixer and it will give you a small idea of what is to come of this amazing independent label.

Off With Her Head- Vintage Inspired Millinery I met Lisa Jones through facebook, where I was immediately amazed by her hat designs. I asked her if we could do some mutual sponsorship and she agreed. So after telling her what I was looking for, she sent me some drawings which looked amazing and finally the day came in which the package arrived with my hats!

Quality fabrics and quality craftsmanship, Off With Her Head delivers beautiful headpieces of all sorts. You can check out the etsy page, coquetandroses, as well as the Off With Her Head blog. Take a look at some possible shots for my future album where I am sporting these amazing works of art.

Her prices are amazing for what you are getting so whether you need a festival look or just something fun, check out Off With Her Head.

An Interview with Madame B Can you tell us a bit about how Madame B came to be?

- i'm writing a lot and always wanted to do music but i never dare to try! one day i just decided that i wanted to do something with my writing and i don't know why but i just started music with what i had around ,it was in 2005/2006. I did and still do instinctive music, got no knowledge, i do music as improvisations. I never know how a song will sounds like untill the end of it.

Who are some of your greatest musical inspirations?

- musical inspirations..well i don't know really.. but one thing is sure , i'm listening a lot of music.. and i love anything as long as it's touch me... but if you wants some names, i'll say : Patti Smith, Joy Division, Nick Cave, David Eugene Edwards, Fugazi, Malaria!, Liliput/Kleenex ,Serge Gainsbourg, Blind Willie Johnson, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Sons of Perdition, 7 Years Bitch, Virgin Prunes, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, Sonic Youth, The Cramps, Pj Harvey, Those Poor Bastards and so much more.. but i'm gonna stop, i'm gonna be boring.

How has it been working with Zorch Factory?

-It has been great, it helps me to share my music with more people which is always good! thanks a lot Manu!

What is your writing process like?

-i don't have process..i just write every time i need it..and most of the time i puke my anger and/or sadness straight away on paper.

Who all have you collaborated with and how is that experience different from writing on your own?

-when i do collaborations i usually write myself or use texts i already have,most of the time it's like that.

My side projects are :Les Enfants Sales ( with Christophe Andres ) , The Desolation Singers ( With Neddal Ayad from The Does ) ,Bloody Mary ( With Cyril Mary ) , Tough Cookie & Pussy Footer ( with Vincent Vbas ), Room111 (with Frederic Lemaitre ) and i also made collaborations With Camp Z , Guilty Strangers , Jeremy May ( Sons of Perdition ) Wehwalt, Shawn Terry, Drunken C, Viktoria Matthews, Charlize Zodiac, Seeglas, Silence Moon, Caput Cartridge ,Covered face ,Lugol's iodine , Colin H von Eeckhout, Teenage Sin Taste, Stolearm, ...

Do you plan to do any shows to promote your music any time soon?

- no i'm not interested for the moment.

What is the alternative scene like in France and has there been much of a response?

- honestly i have no idea, i think it's more a matter of where in France...

Which album do you feel represents you the best?

- it's hard to answer... all of them really...

Can you tell us a bit about the Biblical imagery in your songs?

- i grew up with a strict religious education,i was praying sometimes 10 times a day, and of course i read the bible a bunch of time. but when i left home at 17 i just wanted to leave everything behind, even my faith and of course my spiritual life in general.. a few years ago it came back to me strongly...

What does the future hold for Madame B? - hope! and more digging...

An Interview with Little Phoenix

When did you first begin modeling? Back in 2003. I was in a band called Sonodara and we were asked to perform in a fashion show, not as musicians but as models.

Was it always a dream for you? No. I know I wanted to do something creative and I started out in the music industry. After doing my first runway show I found that I really liked modeling and started doing it professionally.

What have been some of your favorite photo shoots? Oh wow! There are so many. Well I definitely like my sci-fi alien shoot. The makeup for that was based off of Katy Perry's from E.T. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.186435358098105.45654.106867056054936&type=3

I also got to do a True Blood shoot which was a ton of fun. I love doing costume shoots.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.251483174926656.59073.106867056054936&type=3

Glamor shoots can also be really fun. I've been working with Stan Freedman photography to get a good makeup artist portfolio. Here is an example: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.230430887031885.54935.106867056054936&type=3

I got to do a rave/ goth shoot with my friend Connor. That was a lot of fun because we were both friends with the photographer Ken Morrill. We got a lot of attention during that shoot from some kids. We ended up taking some pictures with them. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.233750863366554.55689.106867056054936&type=3

Why the name â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Little Phoenixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? Oh man! It's a terrible story. Ha ha! I had gotten my nails done for the first time ever and the woman did an awful job. Later that week I was out drinking with some friends and I kept looking at my nails in disgust. So one of my friends dared me to light one on fire. I lit my middle finger on fire and flipped him off. He said I was the Phoenix because it was the flaming bird.

Because I am so short I added the "Little".

Who are some of your modeling influences?

Believe or not I really like Cindy Crawford. I've always thought she was awesome. I like that she is a strong, fit woman. I was never big on the Kate Moss waif look.

How has it been finding work as the number of alternative models is growing?

Pretty easy. You just need to know how to market yourself if you aren't with an agency. I search out people and companies I want to work with. You'd be surprised how many responses you get when you just have the nerve to ask.

What are some future projects you will be working on?

I'm working on getting a lot of makeup shots together for my makeup artist portfolio. In fact I should have some more up on my fan page soon. I'm also working on a music project with one of my friends.

It's super secret. All I can really say is it will be multimedia based and it's something I've never seen done before.

Letter from the Editor

Hello All! This is what I call a minizine. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

Hello Rat Readers!

So this issue premiers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every Day a Goth Dayâ&#x20AC;? which interviews every day Goths, Deathrockers, and Post-Punkers. On top of this, we have music reviews, advertisements for great shops and products, interviews with some of the finest, reviews of corsetry, and concert reviews. Who could ask for more?

There are a couple non-Goth related things, but hey, keep an open mind for me. I like to throw in a wildcard every now and then.

As always, if you would like to be reviewed or if you would like to advertise in DeathRat, please email thebatgirl@live.co.uk.

Thanks!!!

Hannah >*.*<

Cover Model- Kaylee Lea Photo by- Osser Images

POPOI SDIOH With the new album “Before and After Party”, POPOI SDIOH creates an amazing atmosphere of digital dimensions with a healthy dose of attitude and the all-important…talent. These guys are awesomely unique and this album illustrates their need to step away from the traditional and be exactly who they have to be. Listening to this album, you can feel that the members have found a purpose in their music.

The vocals are often layered and have that modern edge that is just coming into the deathrock scene.

There is some metal influence it seems, but the music never loses its ‘gothness’. The guitars are beautifully deathrock and the drums are very post-punk. These dead boys are the ones to listen for.

Fear Incorporated With the light instrumentation of The Velvet Underground with sudden dynamics and excessive talent, Fear Incorporated bring a new sound to the genre. And that’s just one song (“Clown”) off their new album “Phobos” released by Manic Depression Records. They also happen to be rather welcoming if you are willing to step into their world. The rest of this album is full of twists and turns which will lead you down the rabbit hole of ‘gothness’. If I were to describe this album with one word, I should think “macabre” would be the one I’d choose. Check these guys out for a new listening experience and the classic sound of the dark.

Horror Vacui The best of deathrock, I am in love with this band. In the vein of Bauhaus, the guitars have the distinctly deathrock sound and the baritone vocals are pure with the perfect amount of reverb and echo. If there is one band that you have to check out this month it is Horror Vacui. Not only are they true to form, but their creativity is evident lyrically and the punk drumming adds a vitality that these guys are still just at the beginning of what will be an amazing musical journey. Have a listen on youtube and then buy the albums, you will not regret it.

Aeon Sable Hailing from Essen and signed to afmusic, Aeon Sable is a gorgeous culmination of guitars, bass, drums and vocals rich with harmony and darkness. Though the lyrics may be unique (especially in the poem track “Monument”) they are curiously intriguing and the atmosphere is terrifyingly inviting. Were I to introduce a newbie to the Goth/Post-Punk/DeathRock scene, I would not start with these guys. No, they are for the seasoned listener…and the seasoned listener will long to create more. Do you have a dark side? You will after you listen to Aeon Sable.

Les Modules Etranges I have never been so ashamed to have never heard a band before. This band will be revolutionary as they continue with their not-so innocent sound and some of the best female vocals I’ve heard since The Naughty Zombies. Taking their own twist on the deathrock sound, Les Modules Etranges brings joy to my ears and is exactly the sort of thing I love to dance to. The French trio released their album “Socially Awkward” earlier this year and it goes about as far as a genre can be taken. No doubt the best track on the album is the clever “You. Me. Intercourse”. But you shall have to judge for yourself what you like best. There’s a lot to hear.

Sonic Psychosis Industrial EBM has made a name for itself in the Goth world and Sonic Psychosis is bound to be had at the modern clubs. The first thing I thought of when I began listening was how catchy the music was in its dark, authentic way. The second thing I thought of was how much weight would be lost with the fun of dancing to this carnage. For the DeathRock purist, don’t discount the talent of Sonic Psychosis. They are certainly not to be trifled with and their descriptions of themselves declare that they stand behind the psychotic nature of their sound.

TraKKtor “Halo of Lies” is the new synthetically inspired album by TraKKtor, the electrifying EBM act from Sweden. After a year and a half, the new album is set to release on December 3 rd and it will be an exciting day as this is a band you will have to hear to believe. The programming is excellent and the drums are perfectly suited to the dance floor. And what good is music if you can throw down while you listen? Owners of their own label, they are hard working and it is paying off. Within two weeks of their first released they were signed and this new album will only be more of a payoff.

Bat Nouveau They’re back! Yes! Now that I’ve gotten my cheers out, I would love to turn you all on to this amazing act from Australia and their deep, rich deathrock tones. From the grungy guitars to the pounding bass line there is not a single flaw that can musically be found within these great notes. The vocals are flat in just the right way and just listening conjures up images of watching the band play. I imagine they would be quite thrilling. This four track EP, entitled “What Has Been Now”, is a culmination of hard work, amazing sounds, and pure talent. It’s raw, it’s punk, it’s goth, it’s a perfect fit.

Madame B- From Darkness, The Light With the release of her fourth solo album on Zorch Factory Records, Madame B graces us again with her stunning voice and exquisite talent. From the slightly circus atmosphere of “Religious Cold” through to the surreal B-movie sound of “Metal Zone” we hear more than just good sounds. I never seem to say enough about the lyrical content of Madame B’s albums. They are deep without being burdensome and strong without overpowering the instrumentation. Striking a balance between ethereal elegance and loFi cold connection, she again manages to capture and enrapture. My personal favourite tracks on the album? “Religious Cold”, “Merciful Prayer”, and “Love in a Storm”.

Monster A Go-Go- Transylvania Mania The child of Peter and Zombina, Monster A Go-Go is exactly what my Transylvanian soundtrack would be. The music is dark and dank like your grandmother’s haunted basement where the ghosts try on her old moth-eaten wedding dress. And yes, to me that is a compliment. Themed around the classic horror of Universal’s unforgettable genius, each song has its own charm and its own flavor. This is another album you cannot miss and will be on my list of top choices for 2012. From “Transylvania” to “Vampyre”, no song will leave you wanting from the grip of the sounds of an underground vampire cult.

Grave Robber Interviewed in this issue is Wretched of the band Grave Robber. Apart from their awesome stage names, Grave Robber has a message not to be missed and an impressively punk sound that stays as far as possible from the mainstream pop punk that has infected the scene. As punk is the main root of Goth music and fashion, I felt it was important to give Grave Robber a voice. But the truth is, they don’t need me to. With songs such as “The Invisible Man” and “They Hate You”, the horror influenced punk rockers beat the sounds into your brain with an elegant brutality that you won’t be able to escape.

Shadow Image The gothic trio and brainchild of Harley Mace is an independent and unique conceptual look at the deathrock scene. The music is very visual and authentic in its sound. As usual, we have phenomenal guitars, punk drumming with a metal edge, and occasional keys to build a fuller sound. And the vocals are nothing short of tremendous. Shadow Image feels like diving in a lake on a hot moonlit night. They smell like black cotton candy. The taste like chocolate covered strawberries and they look like your sexiest deathrockers gone sexier. Signed to Danse Macabre Records, these guys will be going places and you had best give them a listen before they get too popular.

HellMimesArmy If you have a thing for goth-electronica, HellMimesArmy is a great band to turn to. Their Industrial feel is not lost on the avid listener or dancer. You can feel the tempo pumping in your blood when you listen to these guys. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m suddenly not sure whether or not I am in a computer game or matrix type of thing.

This duo has it made as far as skill goes and they certainly have a future in creating chaos with their sounds. Check out HellMimesArmy for some dancing, trancing, and Gothic prancing.

Your Ad Here

Corsets Oh My! I have had the pleasure of waist training since Halloween after taking a few months off. Well, I am back to it and I am already seeing some awesome results with my two newest corsets. I am, however, on a budget. So here are a couple of reviews that I thought could help you when you make your next low cost, high quality, tight-laced purchase.

P.S. I haven’t seen any men in either of these brands so this is directed towards the ladies, though both brands do take custom orders for any gentlemen out there who may be interested.

Timeless Trends Incredibly comfortable, these corsets work as a solid foundation that allows for a soft curvature of the female body. I purchased the Nude corset as I planned to wear it under my clothes for sturdiness and not fashion. I would give this corset a nine for comfort, though perhaps I could give it a ten if I didn’t insist on buying one so small. For looks, I give it a ten. It may be plain and simple, (you will have to check the website yourself as I can’t use their copyrighted photographs) but it has a very elegant and classic appeal. I recommend Timeless Trends for ladies seeking a Victorian silhouette.

Isabella Corsetry If you are seeking a fashion statement, Isabella Corsetry is the right place for you. With custom prints as well as the ready to wear, you can practically create your own corset if you have the funds to do so. I got the Leopard Print Classic Cincher. I love it with a passion. It gives extreme curves for a Burlesque silhouette and allows for a tiny little waist. As far as comfort goes, it is about an eight. My only complaint? Do not drink beer when wearing this corset, you will get major heartburn. Otherwise, it is among my favourites.

GOBLINHAUS One of my newer discoveries, GOBLINHAUS is the toy factory in the dungeons where the trolls live. Actually, I guess it’s the house where the goblins live, but never you mind.

So what is GOBLINHAUS? GOBLINHAUS is a horror website which includes an online store where you can buy collectable goodies inspired by classic horror. From DVDs and comic books to Burger King vampire toys and Universal Valentine’s Day cards, it is full of memorabilia that will last far beyond the crap we see today.

Who runs GOBLINHAUS? It is run by a very fine fellow named Shrub.

Are there any other quirky things that can be found on GOBLINHAUS? Why yes, my friends. GOBLINHAUS has also just produced an album by Monster A GoGo. I shall be reviewing it shortly. They also do reviews, articles, conventions and more!

Is GOBLINHAUS colourful?

In a dark sort of way, yes.

Why should I check out GOBLINHAUS? Because you are reading this for the sole purpose of being cultured in the dark, the macabre, all things spooky and weird. Because you are getting a piece of Gothic history.

Because the prices are amazing. Because you surely love the black and whites, the warning at the start of Karloff’s Frankenstein. Because you are curious. Because you need it.

Will the Goblins eat me?

Probably.

Is there a downside to GOBLINHAUS? Does an empty wallet count?

The Not-So-Strictly-Goth-But-Still-Amazing Dropkick Murphy’s Concert Review The Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington is a relatively large concert venue for a Jr. city. And the legendary Irish punk-rockers The Dropkick Murphy’s shook the stage along with the wonderfully talented Mahones and the rather disappointing Teenage Bottlerockets. They put on a show not to be missed and I have never been more proud of a wound than the bruise I sustained in the pit.

Alice Cooper Concert Review By far the best show I’ve ever been to. From the giant Alice Cooper Frankenstein to the amazing light shows. I never expected to enjoy a show more than The March Violets. But I’ve gotta say, this one is my number one. If you EVER have the chance to see Alice, take it. You won’t regret it.

Sweep Across Horizons Review “King of the Skies” by Sweep Across Horizons is a fantastic album filled with genuine human emotion that manages to refrain from the depressing end of the spectrum. For those of you who have an alt-rock side, this is the band you have to check out for some new tunes. The guys in the band are wonderful and as much as I love their personalities and the friendships I’ve built, I don’t have to be biased to admit that they are a talented crew.

Hurry! Check out Sweep Across Horizons before they get popular!

Interview with Wretched from Grave Robber What is the scene like in Ft Wayne, Indiana?

Fort Wayne has a pretty vibrant music scene that is currently going through a shift. Right now we are experiencing a lull, but it all goes in cycles. It’ll always bounce back. There’s lots of alt country and hillbilly music going on right now.

The punk scene somehow gravitated towards that. But loud aggressive guitars always come back into vogue.

The name “Grave Robber” is very clever considering what you stand for, do people usually get it, or do you have mixed responses?

We have to explain it a lot!

The first time I heard “They Hate You”, it was done acoustically by a female and it changed my perception on how I had been treated growing up. What are some other stories you have had from people who have been affected by your music?

Well, first off. . . we can’t fully take credit for “They Hate You”. It’s a cover by our friends in FBS from Dayton, OH. Mostly we hear that people have been encouraged to be who they are instead of trying to fit some sort of predetermined mold that they are expected to fit into. I love hearing about people stepping into the victory they have waiting for them! For a believer, Grave Robber seems to be empowering, for a non-believer Grave Robber seems to cause a sense of questioning, which is good. I’m glad we can open up conversations and get

people talking about the realities of true spirituality.

Do you ever feel the need to be vague about your beliefs initially in order to infiltrate the secular community with a positive message?

There’s a delicate balance between “being vague” and “being salt”. If you over-salt something it tastes terrible. Over the years, we’ve become very good at seasoning whatever audience we are playing for. Bottom line, if we run in all guns blazing. . . we risk people automatically shutting off to what we are representing and presenting to them. If we use Paul’s approach at Mars Hill, using their language and art, then most audiences are at least willing to give attention to what is presented. It’s really no different than any approach used by missionaries.

Has the punk community accepted your faith with open arms?

Not always, but does everyone agree with everyone all the time? Haha!

Tell us about some of your musical influences and how they have impacted your sound.

The Misfits. That should be obvious! Ramones, Alice Cooper, Danzig, old school metal. We are kind of a melting pot of our influences. I don’t know if you can ever truly avoid your influences, because you tend to play what you like.

Who inspires you most lyrically and why?

I’ve always told people my motivations is. . . I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU DESTROYED!! As corny as it may seem to some people, love is my motivation. I love people and I see value in all people! When I study the scriptures, I see that love and value are paramount to God. If we are to have the same attitude, love and value for people is to be cultivated! It can take time to develop that attitude, but it’s really a condition of the heart and a desire to see people from that perspective. For me, I saw value for punks, goths, and horror geeks like me!

What is your favourite song to perform?

Whatever is the newest one added to the set! Lol! How were you inspired to choose your stage names what do they mean to you?

Well, for me, my name, Wretched comes from Romans 7:24 (Sorry you gotta look it up yourself!) and from the fact that amazing grace really did save a “wretch” like me!

What message would you like to send to our readers?

Don’t trust the world to be truthful about things that are “other worldly”.

Discover God for yourself, not from TV, magazines, and radio. Seek first The Kingdom. . .

Interview with Secular Plague

First of all, can you explain the name â&#x20AC;&#x153;Secular Plagueâ&#x20AC;??

Honestly, I chose that name mostly because it sounded good and because there weren't any other band named Secular Plague. You know, there's so many bands right now that it's not so easy to find an original band name. Apart from the sounding, I like the fact that this name seems to piss off both religious and anti-religious extremists.

How did the band form?

Back in december 2011, I wanted to make some new music... my old band Sleeping Children separated almost 5 years ago and I focused on many other interests of mine during all that time, but felt that it was the right time to create a new project. As I left Paris and now live in a small Belgian city, I had a hard time finding the right bandmates and finally decided to focus on songwriting and record all instruments myself for now.

What inspired the artwork of the band?

The first album were written and recorded in 4 months, so I didn't really had lots of time to focus on the artwork. I chose the brick artwork for the album cover because it describes SP music very well: punchy and in your face. Now, SP is working with American artist Robert Inhuman for the second album artwork. I already seen some of the art Robert is doing for the new album and it's really amazing. It's visually dark with a strong message and fit very good with the music.

Why did you decide to have the album available for free?

As no one is gonna make money selling punk or deathrock records, why not giving it away for free? People will download it anyways, and we have CDs for those who want to have a real record instead of a few mp3s. But nevermind, when you have real things to say, it's better to be heard than to be paid.

What does each band member bring to the music?

Well, Secular Plague is mostly myself: I write, compose, play and produce... I had several guys to play guitar and drums with me, but they weren't the right members for SP. My good friend Lois John Slut (Deadchovsky, Sleeping Children) help me with recording/production, and will maybe join me for shows. I'm also talking with another good friend from Paris and we're seeing what we can do. It's not easy to deal with that distance problem, but we'll see.

Who are some of the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main influences?

I listen to many many many different kinds of music, from jazz to metal. But SP influences are definitely punk, hardcore and deathrock. I like to mix the energy of old school hardcore with the gloomy, minor chords which are popular in deathrock. To cite a few bands, let's say T.S.O.L, Rudimentary Peni, Circle Jerks, Cro Mags, The Exploited...

How is it working with Zorch Factory Records?

It's very cool. I know Manu Zorch since ten years, and he's doing a very good job with his label. Releasing the first album on ZFR allowed SP to be discovered by many music lovers who are following Zorch Factory. I think it's a really interesting opportunity for bands.

What does the future of Secular Plague look like?

Right now, I'm working on a second album, to be released in 2013 on three different labels: Zorch Factory for the free digital release, Realicide Youth Records in the US, and Flehmen Records in Europe. I also hope to do a few shows in 2013, and work on an animal rights benefit punk/deathrock compilation with my label Flehmen Records.

Thanks for your time and for your interest :)

Every Day a Goth Day Goth name: Victoria Disaster

What is your routine for choosing an outfit?

It really depends on what I'm doing that day, where I'm going, and how attractive I feel that day (hehe) Lately I've been drawn to wearing clothes with lots of black lace and ribbon, it makes me happy.

How do you dress on a day you have to look professional?

I've come to the conclusion that it is fully possible to look professional and still stick to a certain style. For instance, when I am going to an interview I may wear a dark button-down blouse, some bracelets and skirt.

What are your eating habits like?

I don't eat red meat (I haven't for 10yrs) I mostly eat lots of pasta, I love any sort of Italian food. It's definitely my favorite food.

What is your preferred belief system?

I consider myself to be a "Christian" even though there are a lot of stereotypes that go with that. I believe in one deity but I would never push any of my views on anyone else. I believe in being at peace with everyone, no matter what their beliefs may be.

If you had a 2GB mp3 player to take on an abandoned island, what music would you load on it?

Everything from 77 garage punk to modern industrial/goth

Is there anything you would like to say to our Goths out there?

Stay creepy darlings! And don't ever waste your life trying to impress others, love who you are.

Just wait for Volume 2………….