Category Archives: CD/DVD/Etc. Reviews

Sins of the Flesh :: Death of the Flesh :: Review

Location: Osaka, Japan & UK - Genre Post punk, New Wave, Gothic
Sins of the Flesh deliver two CDs worth of music, the first containing one CD of original songs, and a second CD with remixes of the songs on CD 1. The additional CD’s reworked electro remixes put a very different spin on the [...]

Demonoid13 :: Gate of Death :: Review

This devastatingly heavy EBM release from Demonoid 13 (MySpace) comes to you professionally repackaged by the small, but quickly expanding, Deathwatch Asia label in Japan. The music comes across as hard, powerful dance tracks, which reflects the nature of lead man Fixer-D, a.k.a. DJ DoomSpider of Nagoya’s Stigmatic events. Aside from Fixer-D on vocals and [...]

Forkys :: My Spirit Freed at Last :: Review

Attica, Greece – Genre: Electro, Gothic, Industrial
My Spirit Free At Last is the first full official album release for Forkys (MySpace). Forkys is a Greek duo, featuring Dominique on vocals & keyboards and Vril in charge of programming, FX vocals and visuals, and has been around since 2001. The band’s strong Gothic, dark electronicka sound [...]

Baal :: Territory of Baal :: Review

Location: Tokyo, Japan - Genre: Industrial, Metal, Electro
Baal has an infectious, indeed virulent industrial sound. This review covers the first EP (CD-R alas) from the band, Territory of B.A.A.L. that has been built up by reworking earlier singles and new material. Their blend of industrial programming and guitar from Mikito, percussion from Chihiro [...]

Garden in Black :: Garden in Black :: Review

Based in Athens, Greece, Garden in Black released its debut CD on the Dead Scarlet Records label on 13 February 2007. Garden in Black is an interesting mix of digitized music mixed within strong danceable beats with the whispered vocals of fear, loss and pain. While the topics tend towards the darker side of the [...]

V/A :: Dark Waters :: Review

With the growing interest of Japanese Gothic music over the watered-down Visual Kei (which is still often mistaken as Japanese Goth), so too has the number and quality of Gothic music releases increased. Perhaps the best way to get into this exciting avenue of the Japanese underground scene is through omnibuses of leading artists in [...]

Despair :: Deserted Technology Riot :: Review

Location: Tokyo, Japan - Genre: Heavy Industrial, Electro
Nothing compares to Despair live - check my first reaction to Despair at one Tokyo Dark Castle in 2005. All traditional instruments have been thrown on the junk pile with heavy industrial noise tracks and a digital ax-style keyboard being the only thing between you and the [...]

The Illusion Fades :: Psycho Burn :: Review

Location: Athens, Greece - Genre: Gothic, Metal, Rock.
The Illusion Fades is one of the most popular and famous bands on the Greek Gothic scene has been active since 1990 and after all these years of commitment and the current Gothic rock styles.
Goth traditionalists (or puritans) have certain parameters of what does and does [...]

2Bullet :: Democratic Violence :: Review

Location: Tokyo, Japan - Genre: Industrial, Electro, Techno
Combining a unique mix of thumping electronicka with thrashing guitar-led industrial rock makes 2Bullet’s a very addictive and enjoyable record even three years after its initial release. 2Bullet began in 2003 in Tokyo. The term 2Bullet refers to power balance or pointing a gun at each other, [...]

Amy’s Arms :: Unfamiliar Landscapes :: Review

Location: Canada Ontario - Genre: Gothic Rock/Ambient, New Age, Ambient Mood.
Amy’s Arms is a smooth dark music landscape perfect for those nights you want to alone or mixing with a few friends. Best described as Gothic lounge music it contains a mix of low frequency ballads to more upbeat tracks that could be layered into [...]