Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Eleven Shadows. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Eleven Shadows. Mostrar todas las entradas

miércoles, 11 de enero de 2012

CLXIX. Various Artists | The Passion Of Covers - A Tribute To Bauhaus





















The Passion Of Covers - A Tribute To Bauhaus
©Cleopatra. US, 1996.


‟This one would've been hard to screw up. Who's not gonna jump in on a Bauhaus tribute CD? They have (mostly) good bands doing all the hits.

The Electric Hellfire Club's cover of "Bela" stays close to the original, as do several other tracks. Faith and The Muse's "Hollow Hills" is a reminder that any good comp sparks interest in the featured bands. Fahrenheit 451 and Eva O take "The Three Shadows (Part II)" in a fresh direction. (Now that Brendan Perry is pretty much retired, Athan Maroulis is neck-and-neck with Peter Murphy for Best Male Voice in dark music.) Black Atmosphere's "Muscle In Plastic" and Wreckage's "Largartija Nick" are the strongest reminders of the role punk played in early goth.

Two Witches' cover of "King Volcano" isn't as bad as others have claimed; it's a goofy song to begin with. The only real problem is that the singer sounds like he just had a novocaine shot. Makes you appreciate This Ascension's "In The Flat Field" that much more. "She's In Parties" continues Ikon's homage to Ian Curtis. Blade Fetish provides a perfect closing with "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything."

The "Multi-Image" cover is nifty, and the bands bring enough new flavor to merit the compilation. I'd give it five stars if it had Faith and The Muse covering "Silent Hedges".‟ 

Scott Sweet




sábado, 3 de diciembre de 2011

CXXXVIII. Eleven Shadows | In Strange Lines & Distances




















In Strange Lines & Distances
©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1994.


‟Eleven Shadows releases illustrate the stylistic flexibility and strong compositional sense of musician Ken Lee. Lee is the main personality behind the music of Eleven Shadows, although he enlists a number of other musicians to add their personal touch to various tracks. Notable are Kristin Jaeger, whose beautiful liquid voice makes the melancholy "Salve Regina" a stand-out track.

Lee has an open-minded approach to arrangement, incorporating acoustic instruments such as sitar, guitar, Japanese percussion, and tambourine with textured, sonorous electronic instruments and samples. The result is a rich, unpredictable sound, highlighted by impressive musicianship. The ultimate strength of Eleven Shadows' music is that it addresses the listener on an emotional level, creating strong atmospheres without being overly melodramatic.‟

Machine Power Magazine