To my knowledge, this band has yet to do a bad CD, and are one of my all time fave goth artists. It’s like they keep the line between gothic rock and dark new wave melody alive, as well as bring it into the 21st century with almost no effort at all. This group brings me back to those days when it was often me and some old school goth tunes, such as Bauhaus and Joy Division, back to those days when goth strangely enough had a pure energy, not the stereotype it is these days. And they were one the first to dare put goth elements into electronic music, making masterpieces like "Medusa", which sounded like what Joy Division would sound like after tutoring under post "Exile" Gary Numan, and "Twist Of Shadows", possibly the most enjoyable and clever dark-wave CDs to come out of the 80's. Always they manage to bring some type of new element to gothic music in ways that almost no others can, and where many of the others who have COX’s amount of fame (such as The Cure or The Damned) have failed. On this release, Ronny and his gang of merry men and women bring a combination of what could be "Notes From The Underground" meets Souxie And The Banshees’ "Superstition", making what could best be described as 80's darkwave for the 21st century, complete with that Clan Of Xymox ambience we’ve come to know so well and love. And as mentioned before, it’s got that old school gothic boogy and melody which is outright addictive, something you could get only from seasoned pros like COX. Dancey goth-pop patterns and danceable drum beats are met with chainsaw guitar riffs, making for a very addictive mix, all topped with Ronny’s charming and emotive baritone vocals. The patterns are always tricky, and always shifting around, but it does give you that feeling like you’re back in a nightclub in the post-Joy Division era, something that I rarely experience in this day of cookie cutter glam-goth bands and rehashed Bauhaus clones. My two favorites from this CD have to be "It’s Not Enough", with it’s bouncey goth-pop guitar work and sharp melody, and "There’s No Tomorrow", which is the old Clan Of Xymox feel with a 22nd century dance line attached to it, making it the perfect cross between gothic sensibilities and dance floor ethic of today. Another masterpiece from one of the most influencial European bands out there, and one of the few in goth who are always looking forward. Also of high note are "Creatures" and "Notes From The Underground", but anything of COX will not steer you wrong. Rating: 10.

One of the great perks of working in this magazine is discovering raw, new talent out there and bringing it to you, the people, to enjoy. This is one of the finds I found out about while researching the scene around my old hometown of Cincinnati, and have actually talked to this artist quite often since discovering him. The music represents the man as a whole: very intelligent, yet very enigmatic (not to mention the guy is an absolute fucking genius when it comes to anything doing with computers). It’s hard to tell with him what will come out next from his complex mind, but rest assured it is always interesting. And it also shows in the music, which shows a depth and sophistication uncommon for unsigned artists. The songs run the gamete from ambient, trip hop, IDM to electro, all with a sort of moody, brooding atmosphere, which after listening to the whole CD can seem a bit unsettling to some. The sound is like if Oneiroid Psychosis and the Cold Meat Industries sound with a little bit of Diary Of Dreams, with whispering vocals detailing bouts of fear and depression over this utter mindfuck of sound. Track 4 ("Disconnected") is perhaps the most laid back track on this whole CD, but it still has that feel of a desert in the middle of the erosion process. That laid back mood seems to just add to the feel of desperation in the music, actually. But don’t fret, there is a song on here for the dancers out there, "The Answer Lies In The Question", though it is a rather melancholy song as well, with synth lines bringing to mind the more emotional songs of VNV Nation or even The Arms Of Someone New. Even on this track, Patrick Simonds’ (the mastermind of this whole thing) vocals are always nearly quiet and with a sense of vulnerability. Then comes the eery and strange track, "Lost", which seems like a dark soundtrack piece ala Coil’s "5 Minutes After A Violent Death" to set the mood back into motion. Fading keyboard lines reverbing back and forth, on top of the eery ambient backdrop, sparse drumming and despaired vocals, make this some uneasy music for those just bent on thinking electronic has to be simply dance music. The mood settles a bit more on the next track, with a little bit more dark synthpop elements to top off the challenging mood. Add to that one of the most interesting sets of drum patterns put onto record in a good long while, shifting with each verse. The other welcome thing about Sleeping Prophet is the loss the of the whole song-chorus-song pattern, as there are rarely choruses in these songs. Hehe, with that simple change I think he may be onto something! Track 9 adds a sort of dark Delerium element to the whole mix, with a sparse drumming style in the vein of newer X Marks The Pedwalk on top of those ever present and emotional vocals. One of the things I love is how the vocals float along on the whole atmosphere built around it, rather than overpowering it. It’s like a calm voice of despair coming out of a vortex of nightmares, adding a human feel to something that would otherwise be overbearing for a lot of listeners (in a good challenging way). Every song on this CD does what dark electronic is supposed to do: take one on a very bumpy ride, grab the listener by the throat and challenge them to listen rather than sit and demand more comfortable terrain. This is music of some very grieving emotions, but also has an air of hope and enigmas about the state of happiness and what joy actually is to leave the listener listening again in hopes for the answer. There is a whole page at MP3.com to check out the music of this daring and innovative artist, whose sound I can guarantee has even more layers and depth we are yet to see in the future. Rating: 10 PS, Don’t be afraid to email Patrick about his music and let him know if you like it. :-)

Dark. Melodic industrial-EBM, a cross between Haujobb, Wave Workers Foundation, and Lassigue Bendthaus, yet with it’s own distinct style. One of the fine distinctions with this CD is one like that of Haujobb: the beats and sequences never stay the same for more than 30 seconds before making a smooth transition into the next phase of the song. Each song works out like a series of songs put into one, like a long corridor of sound in each song, reminding me of those old sci-fi videos where the camera zooms down a tunnel rapidly and every few seconds it turns into a different set of shapes and patterns. Not to mention those classic distorted vocals we’ve all missed since the post-Skinny Puppy breakup days (throw away the Future Pop vocoders, and start putting those mics through a guitar distortion pedal like the old days!). Easily accessible to the dance floor crowd (perhaps even to the rave scene on certain songs), yet more made for the mind than anything. It’s again like the principle of Haujobb: to make you dance without disconnecting your brain in the process. Rating: 10

When first getting into goth, through bands like Bauhaus and Joy Division (as most people are introduced into the whole scene who are actually into the scene not for the fashion haha), I grew up mostly on that charming era we know as post-punk, when the goth bands of yore and New Wave started to pop up. It’s hard to define it as far as a sound as opposed to a feeling defined in an era, but there are those who are just simply post-punk rather than any other genre that came around that time. Happy Mondays, Gang Of Four, Joy Division, Killing Joke, Echo And The Bunnymen,etc. All fit into this mold, and often times the "Madchester" sound-tag. Well, what if I were to tell you that classic post-punk sound that was so clamored in jolly Manchester was right in our backyards in America (in Philadelphia of all places, not New York or even Chicago!)? Well, apparently there was, and a damn good addition at that! Mixing elements of Krautrock, slow funk, post punk rhythmic clashes, and plenty of Phillip K. Dickian psychedelia, and you have the wacky mix that is Bunnydrums. This CD is a re-issue of a couple of their old works from all the way from the mid-80's, which is an unheard of move from Metropolis. You may have heard the comparisons to Joy Division and Killing Joke, but that would be a very loose interpretation indeed and kind of misleading. Imagine taking Talking Heads, Echo And The Bunnymen, Captain Beefheart and Big Block 454 and splattering them together and this would be the result. It’s a very interesting combination, and a good history lesson for those like me who haven’t listened to the 80's post punk sound in some time. And all that lovely 80's production as well! My favorite on this one would have to be the opening track, "Smithson", which I have no idea what it’s about really. But it does sound kind of like the aforementioned Joy Division, with a bit of a Krautrock touch. Rating: 9.

Hell's yeah, it's about time Snog came out with some videos. That quirky little (well, every musical direction under the sun is on their resume) group who's caused so much trouble with giants like McDonald's, Nike, and Microsoft have now released a DVD putting some of those controversial ideas into video form. With most underground video collections, however, I always open it with that fear of under-produced schlock. But the videos on this DVD are very well produced, having been done on an actual budget with a good direction suiting the group's anti-corporate escapades. For example, the video for "Hooray!" shows David Thrussell (the Snog mastermind himself) in a retro-Matrix businessman get-up, with scenes of anarchy and propaganda playing in the back. The video actually adds a whole other disturbing feel to the entire song. "Real Estate Man" is by far one of the goofiest and playful songs ever put on CD, with it's Download-on-Ecstacy dance line and incoherent female muttering. With the video, it shows people attempting (the best one can do) to dance to the song in all kinds of strange gestures, with witty slogans like "Put your trust in the promises of others" in the sarcastic guise of a self-help program. Most of the videos are something you'd see off that old MTV show ?Amp', with the computer-made psychedelics and assorted imagery. This DVD is good (1). For a whole new take on the Snog experience, (2). Tons of good little features, including a short film made with Snog music, interviews (3 of them, including one of how McDonald's tried to outlaw Snog), etc..(3). Just good old fashioned film making, even if you're not hip to Snog at all. Rating: 10