Goth or Not? – Band Spot-Light: She Wants Revenge

Just a warning that the video clip is borderline heart-breaking with issues relating to transgendered people.
They’ve toured with Depeche Mode and state their primarily source of inspiration as Joy Division; it’s not hard to figure I loved this band from the first moment I stumbled upon True Romance. Granted, if you don’t like bands with a repetitive sound you might want to listen to She Want’s Revenge sparingly, because they aren’t the kind of band that experiments way out of their comfort zone (a la Dead Can Dance). Far more electronic than your traditional Trad-Goth but it certainly combines Ian Curtis-esque vocals with Depeche Mode bleepy sounds – but not too electronic, don’t worry!

What’s your vote? Goth or not?

Band Review: The Shadow Theatre

This band is contemporary Post-Punk done fucking brilliantly, and I’m not just saying that because one of them reads my blog and has an awesome undercut. It’s not often that I find an unsigned band that I genuinely like and I think that’s because, from what I’ve heard, their sound is so varied that it doesn’t get boring and stale.

Photography by Doone Rush Photography

Just from the three songs on their Soundcloud (that you can check out here – it’s free) it’s obvious that this band does variety well. Listening to Disco, Violent Whispers [of which there is a Youtube video worth checking out here] and Ghosts brought several different bands to mind: Joy Division, The Cure, and The Arctic Monkeys. Is that a good thing? You tell me.

The song Ghosts needs a paragraph of it’s own. When it first started playing I literally flailed around, yelling (okay, I’m not that dramatic), “THIS HAS TO BE JOY DIVISION”. Then the vocals started and it was as if Robert Smith and Ian Curtis had merged together in voice form. I’m a gigantic fan of that raw kind-of sound and it’s certainly something I’d sing along to.

Unfortuantely for me, the band is focused around the UK. Even so, it’s worth it to check out their Facebook page or give their Soundcloud a listen. Don’t forget to report back here and let me know what you think!

The Synthetic Dream Foundation: "Where Drowned Suns Still Glimmer" – Album Review

When I woke up I found an new email in my inbox from The Synthetic Dream Foundation, it couldn’t have come at a better time. I don’t talk about current music on this blog nearly as much as I would love to. So, when they offered me a listen to their soon to be latest release I couldn’t have jumped for it faster!

They describe their album as “a fusion of dark, contemporary orchestral music merged with modern electronics and atmospheres, featuring guest vocals by Summer Bowman (the machine the garden), Lauren Krothe (Panzer AG), Susan Siren, Aliyah Davis, and the USF choir.” While this is certainly not the type of music that I listen to currently, a little less than a year ago (if you remember!) I adored to loudly pump Industrial and Dark Wave genres twenty-four-seven.

The bands claim to a unique sound was prevalent but I’m not sure if a mixture of rap music with the vocals of a Within Temptation song was what they were suggesting. Whether the combination is a bad thing – I’m not quite sure – but it definitely kept my interest while trying to pick at the mix of genres.

The drama throughout the album was ridiculously well-done. The song Forever More creates images of being chased down abandoned utopian streets or sky-diving from a thousand floor hotel. While being unique in it’s own right the album it is also reminiscent of films like Repo! The Genetic Opera (the song Forever More) and Hackers (the song Summoning Her Iron Golem).

My personal opinion is that the album lends itself, rather than to a club hit, to something much like ‘writing-music’. All you writers out there, and I know some of you are writers, would do well to listen to this album while creating your own Steampunk, Utopian or action-filled Neo-victorian worlds as it really gets the creative juices flowing. It may be because the album tells it’s own story from songs Medusa’s Lair to Widow’s Walk.

Even though when I first pressed play and I listened with my Post-Punk and Riot Girl favouritism I finished with a re-constituted appreciation for Industrialised Opera. Favourites from the album to check out would be: Withering Resolve and Widow’s Walk.

Be sure to check out the album when it’s officially released on the 28th March! Do you have a band you think needs more recognition? Comment bellow or email me to let me know.

Outfit Post: Green Plaid Cat

This was just an outfit I wore in celebration of having an afternoon where I wasn’t stuck like the previous night for five hours attempting to memorise three essays worth of information, but I do kick ass at memorising loads of information in short periods of time. Unfortunately it gives me terrible migraines afterwards, which probably is my brain telling me that that is far from good practice.

Anyway, Isaac (the cat) wanted me to let him inside and for food. He wouldn’t leave me alone until I did so. He’s the such a snobby cat in all honesty because his fluffiness he’s been pampered his whole life. But god, love him.

Outfit

Shirt: Supanova, I’m wearing my newest The Cure shirt!
Skirt: This is a skirt I made myself and am very proud of it. I’ve actually wear it all the time but it hasn’t shown up here yet. It’s the result of my mother’s thrift store shopping that she came home and just didn’t like any more. Originally it was a pleated skirt with some strange belting details but it didn’t fit. So, I turned it into a fitted a-line skirt. I took advantage of the already (I think it was and yes I know that’s not a word) ‘adhesived’, the waist band and it only took about an hour to finish.
Stockings: No idea.
Boots: Dr. Martens.
Cardigan: Thrifted. (Another adorable cardigan!) I can’t get enough of these!

The little culprit.

Best wishes,
-Sary Walrus

Day 5 – Is there a local Goth band or group in your area?

Yes! I have a few friends with bands. One metal, one rock/punk and one, classifies it’s self as ‘Goth rock’. I would consider it more metal. Their band is called Finsternis there’s a video bellow. The lead guitarist (or something?) is a friend of mine.