Romanticism in full effect, from the name itself of the spanish combo to the lyrics and the artwork of the cd. Piano, Keyboards, acoustic guitars, violins, vocals "a la Ian Curtis" and some military rhythms (but not yet neo folk). This cd demonstrates decadece and new wave can still get along together very well. The packaging is really nice like the rest of the Palace of Warms' releses and all the new age/dark-dogmas have been respected, the sound is good and the Toledo brothers know how to write depressive ballads. Listening to the whole cd I noticed it's a bit too long and I think it's sad cause without a few songs "The poet's senses" could have been much more "heartbreaking". Even if every single ballad is really inspired, most of the tracks arrangements could be improved (that's a personal opinion). This last thing anyhow has also to do with the fact this cd has been recorded almost three years ago therefore it can be considered a really good debut. Dark-folk traditionalists can put the name Silent Love of Death in their agendas but if you're looking for a Sol Invictus, Blood Axis, Curent 93 oriented band, well you'd better listen the cd a couple of times.

While listening to O Quam Tristis I've been thrown back in the middle age. It's medieval folk with latin lyrics, if you're familiar with bands such as like Ataraxia, Qntal e Dead Can Dance ("Aion" era) you probably know what we're talking about. I like this album: it's solid, "focussed" but at the same time kinda heterogenous, it contains a various range of atmospheres. The most of the times the mix of electronics and traditional instruments is well done, some other times the mix of "eighties-oriented" keyboards sounds a bit strange together with that traditional vocals/instruments. Palace of Worms describes this record as "a modern interpretation of medieval and ancient folk music" and after all it's the best possible definition for a work like that. The most interesting thing of this release obviously is represented by the vocal parts (gregorian chant have been a real turning point in the history of music) since the male singers are good, but the female ones are even better. This' the third cd by O Quam Tristis and the band shows how maturity helps to refine the "modus operandi" in songwriting. The funny thing is that while one may expect an epic record with a completely ethereal mood, "Mediationes ultimes" is full of mid-tempo "danceable" tracks (Quoniam tu solus, Terrae for exemple). If you imagine a cd overwhelmed with evocative songs give it a chance since in the past some songs would have been a great soundtrack for a banquet.

H2S comes from Italy, his debut release was a split 3" cdr with Cassetta Dinamica. "Industrial is the thing!" and if ever anyone has been labeled as "analog-industrial": you can bet this definition fits really well with the music of H2S. Analog synthesizers, drum machines used to give an "electro" atmosphere to distorted bass almost in loop. I got the impression that Fabio Degiorgi's music is deliberately obsessive as the sound of some samples gets sometimes mechanical like in the fourth track "Vulcano 3". H2S performed and recorded everything by himself and without any doubt he did a really good job since many "official" records sound much worse. There's that "eighties" flavor here and there, I think it has to do with Fabio's taste when using keyboards and drum machines, so I'd say it all is completely intentional. Sometimes the single track may sound a bit "long" but if "obsession" is one of the main plot of the cd, "the weight of repetitions" becomes part of the ticket. Gas masks landscapes, "ordinary life" viewed as "repetition" and s&m sex...who knows why but that's what comes to mind when listening to "Le voyeurisme de l'absurde". I think Fabio has to develop his music to the next level, but I wouldn't be surprised if after every release he'd become more and more popular, he knows how to do it. This' a collectors item since it's limited to 150 copies.

First off, enjoy yourself and have a look at the discography of Koji Asano on his website...incredible...uh? It looks like the japanese composer lately has put out records on a regular basis. This restless musician can be filed as a composer, sure, but also as an electronic musician: therefore don't expect this cd to sound like an average contemporary-classic "piece", otherwise you'd be confused while hearing it's "not so ordinary". So what to say about the 36th solo release of Asano? Let's say this cd features a single "suite" (50:55 minutes long) and the title itself says a lot: "Sanctuary on a reclaimed land". Imagine the most accessible (and inspiered) piano works composed by Varese or Bryars with a bit of Satie, freeze it up, process it all with a laptop then think it all has been played into an hangar, nay, in a warehouse (since it all has been played into a warehouse of the Osaka harbor for real) and to complete the receipt consider you're listening the performance from a point not too far from the warehouse, but neither so close. For the weird my description may sound, for those who never heard the unstoppable Asano, it can help you to imagine something you may haven't heard before. I like this work, it's both cerebral but also psychedelic, it shows the great talent of Koji while demonstrating that both contemporary and electronic music can be great and experimental while not sounding necessarily frigid.

New release for Lustige Elecktro Akustische Klànge (that's what L.E.A.K. stands for) since their debut "The old teahouse" came out on the wellknown swedish label Cold Meat Industry. Obviously it's something dark, crepuscular, odd and somehow visceral as you probably expected it to be, but I think the title "Redemption" can mislead, while "After death experience" would have been much appropriated. Death/dark ambient, acoustic improvisation shacked with a good portion of electronics. There's a supernatural calm/atmosphere that imbues the most (except for the fourth "song") of the tracks of this fifty minutes long cd...hey! They were on Cold Meat Industry for some reason at last!. If the first track is dark, the second brings you even more deep into the plot of an horror Movie. Analog synthesizers, chimnes, bells and hell know what else used to shape a lightless scenario. The white noise choking the samples of the third track reminds somehow the weirdest Death in June, while the total devastation of the fourth episode brings to mind Merzbow on acid. The cd ends a bit more quietly but keeping that "Charon-is-coming-to-bring-you-down" sensation and if that's what you're looking for, well, may be that's your cup of tea. Good and solid release and well produced.