The name of the album is called " Beautiful Death ." by Bella Morte. I just saw them live and Andy Deane was sick and still played and amazing set despite his illness. This album is by far a memorable one and amazing to hear live as well as in the headphones. We go to track 2, " Can't Let This Die ." which is quite amazing first to hear live due to the sentiments it expresses to us. Andy sings, " I can feel your eyes from far away and I can't let you go and I can't let this die." Truly words to live by and words we can all relate to. A beautiful song that rocks out altogether in harmony and grace. We move to track 5, " The End of The End." which is a sentimental song that really pulls at your heart strings tight and won't let go. This song really grips you and tells it's dark tale. Witty lyrics, Andy sings, " Lost, I'm lost with no reason, not reason but you." This is a crowd favorite that everyone seems to enjoy and shed a tear for. The most beautiful track on this album is track 6, " Fade like a Song." which is just chilling to the bone, decadent and delightful. Andy sings, " I lay you to rest, lay it all in the ground, let the past be the past and move on." This song is a favorite to many and amazing to hear live. Track 7, " In the Dirt." is a heavy, emotional song that really gets under your skin. Andy sings, " No time for words and tears, discipline holds the room silent, raising the stakes again, I tear it away." Truly beautiful words to cherish as this whole album shines and speaks to us so softly, so deadly and silently shows us a beautiful death.

I just saw Ego Likeness live in Chicago and they put on one hell of a show. They personally gave me this cd ep that rocks. We open with an instant club hit called " North " which is the first track off this ep and it has bark for it's bite. It chills you and leaves you frozen and in awe. Then a masterpiece cover of " The Neverending Story." that just is brilliant and we all know the words to it. Truly redone the right way and not to be forgotten. The rest of the tracks on this ep all just maybe club hits, so watch out, do you dare to witness this challenge, like Medusa it may just turn you to stone.

I just recently saw Voltaite live in Chicago with the Helblinki Sextet that is a band from North Carolina. Both bands were amazing. They both have albums that rock. First we start out with the album Oratory by the Hellblinki Sextet that is quite unique as their stage performance was. Fully packed with violin, accordion, guitar, mandolin, percussion, bass , trombone and trumpet backed with the most unique vocals from lead singer Andrew. We open with track one called " The End " which is a dark tale about a land below that is dark, witty and cunning as ever. Everything flows nice and rhymes to the core and their is surprises around every corner. Progressing on we move to track 3- Kerosene which is a Southern sounding track that really stands out alot. A morbid ditty about chaos on a Saturday night at the bar. Guns, mayhem and debauchery is what this album is made of. Hellblinki is not what it seems, it creeps, it makes it's move and grows on you track after track and won't let go.

Voltaire ~ Down at the bottom of the Sea is quite the album to remember. Pirate lore, krakens and the beast from Pirate bay not to be forgotten. Voltaire opens with track one, " The Industrial Revolution " Voltaire sings, " It came into our lives and gave us uniformity by taking choice away from you." Witty, charimning and to the core. We move to the classic track 4 called " Happy Birthday a clever song about the problems of getting old. Voltaire sings, " You're so old you smell like dust and now your bones begin to rust ." This could by far be the future Gothic day anthem for all future generations to come and go. Truely a crowd favorite and to be remembered and not forgotten. The next track 5 called " Coin Operated Goi." which is a parody from the Dresden Dolls song, " Coin Operated Boi ." Truely a club favorite and the best parody of a song I have heard of in a long time. Voltaire sings, operated goi, can't hang with the Moyles, he ain't got the curls. I say we convert him, it ain't gonna hurt him." We'll maybe down below." Voltaire follows this song exact to the original style just made it goi instead of boi. Voltaire is truly a genius when it comes to turning things around and making them better than ever than the original was. Moving to track 7, called " The Beast of Pirate Bay." a clever tale about the beast that lay in the bay and how all should beware. The song has a nice ring to it and really speaks to you, at least it did to me. We skip to track 10 " The Ship's Going Down reminds me of the band that played till their death in the movie Titanic. This song is unique, dark and amazing. Voltaire sings, " Though we'll drown, there's no need to frown, cause we're all going together. " Truely a dark tale and one not to forget. Trak 12, is called " Death, Death" is the song to remember, dark, witty, charming and a song we can all relate to. Voltaire sings, " Death, death, devil, devil , devil, devil, evil, evil songs, hell, you know that's how I get along,. " The rest of the album calls to you as the sea does and draws you down deep and encompasses you, consumes you and forever possesses you to listen.

The band is " Bleedsynth " a band that hails from Chicago. Frost Oktober is the brains behind the operation and has counterpart Peter doing the synths. Theatrical props, gas masks and all the elements of the worlds demise is the chemical makeup of this act. He is the musical genius that breaths life into this monster to make it live. The name of the album is All is Dust. Bleedcynth I recently seen live and let me tell you they proved to live up to their name. Heavy aggresive break beats backed with synth that bleeds you dry. Frost Oktober has the harsh terrorness down and instructs his freshly made audience to get out their and move.. This is the album to go down in history with the apocalypse. We open with track 1, " Prelude to the Reckoning " a beginning road leading us to destruction and mayhem complimented by delicate synths. We move to track two, " Under the Halogen Sun." which to me will be a future danse floor chart hit for all to go on a stomping spree. Frost sings to us, " Under the Halogen Sun." with fervor, angst and agression. This will be the track to remember. Next is track 3, " All is Dust." which is the title track of this cd. Frost sings, to us under siren alarms, " This world is a nuclear winter." Words to remember and never forget as the world expires and dies wtih the only the melody to remember. There is hope as well for this title track to also hit the danse floors, so look for it in the near dark future. We move to track 4, " Andriod Domi(Nation) which is a clever witty track that really stands out on this album. A anthem to the andriods and a ode to the art of fetish in a modernistic way. Frost once again projjects the lyrics right into the face of terror and never lets go. A synth haven for the dead, haunting, driven and a salute to the new machines as they take over our world. As we go track by track the element of surprise is surely there making each track unique in it's own right. The last track 8, " Infection," is hardcore to begin with as it was written when the singer was quite ill iadding to the flavor of harshness this track brings. " Infection "grows on you leaving no cure but to listen and devote yourself to it's cause. It gets inside you and changes you for the better. All and all this cd was meant to have a purpose, oit bleeds you dry and fills you with what you need. ~ 4 stars Michelle Russo

The name of the band is War Tapes. I just saw them live in Chicago on tour with Vnv Naion. They hail from Los Angeles and kick ass. War Tapes consists of Neil Popkin, Becca Popklin, William Mohier and Matt Bennet. This band is very Joy Divisonesque and very fresh. The name of the album is the Continental Divide. We open with track one, " When the night unfolds", which is a haunting ode to the night that calls to you and grows on you. Goth rock to it's finest with a twist of angst. We move to track 3, " She lied ", which is a track that pulls at your heart strings and won't let go. One thing I can say as I went through this allbum is this band is pure perfection with perfect timing of their instruments and a style that compliments the music to a tee. Track 10 " For Eternity ." could very well be a Goth rock anthem for this new dark future. This band is full of wit, charm and has a great direction to be a big success. Cross the divide, start a war and record it on tape. ~ 4 stars Michelle Russo