MORE BLACK THAN BLACK
Various Artists
More Black Than BlackA Gothic Rock Collection (DR022)
Two Witches: "Bites and Bloody Kisses" - Tampere, Finland
Bitter Grace: "Sane" - New York, NY
Glampire: "Set Yourself Free" - New York, NY
Valmont: "Millennium" - Columbus, OH
My Sweet Sorrows: "Lament" - Lappeenranta, Finland
The Shadow Dance: "Immortal Beloved" - Helsinki, Finland
The Eternal Chapter: "Through the Darkest Night" - Linden, Johannes, South Africa
Kaleidescope Sunrise: "Nocturne"
The Dryads: "Shiver" - Mt. Prospect, IL
Arise From Thorns: "Remember the Stars" - Dale City, VA
Stone Goddess: "Silent Tear" - Hollywood, CA
The Shroud: "Where the Wind Goes" - Fresno, CA
Morphine Angel: "Day One" - Delinquent Records, USA
Let Me Dream: "Julia" - Finland
Paris By Night: "Black Darker" - IL
Graven Image: "Scarlet" - Lakewood, OH
Perdition: "Luci" - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Vampire Nation: "Egyptian Sex Magick" - Pittsburgh, PA
Bella Morte: "Relic (remixed)" - Charlottesville, VA
Spiritual Bats: "Tormented Body" - Frosinone, Italy
Narcissus Wept: Labyriths" - Hamburg, Germany
DIM: "Hallow's Eve"
Review
Gothic to the core, More Black Than Black, features 22 underground artists gathered together on this double disc release by Delinquent Records. The most outstanding track comes from the unparalleled Shroud with their classic "Where the Wind Goes." Interestingly enough, many of the bands featured are from Finland - the outstanding being the ethereal beauty of The Shadow Dance with "Immortal Beloved." Another surprising country represented is South Africa whith the dark and heavy Eternal Chapter. While most of the bands utilize straight guitar based rock for their dark musings that provides a strong base of consistency for this compilation, there are a few songs that break the mold - Virginia's Bella Morte's re-mix of "Relic" with more of an electro goth and modern sound, and one band that seems completely out of place, also from Virginia, Arise From Thorns with their soft ethereal acoustic guitars and swirling synths. Closing the compilation is the sorrowful piano and vocals of "Hallow's Eve" by DIM. More Black than Black is a perfect starting ground for discovering the new breed of dark bands or just listening to some good old fashioned gothic rock. - Octavia, Outburn