Formed in 1996 and picked up by Metropolis Records in 2002, Bella Morte hails from Charlottesville, VA and have gained the attention of many fans worldwide. Upon first listen most are initially impressed with their overall style and approach to what some call darkwave or gothic. However, Bella Morte's approach is unique enough that they do not truly fit into that catagory though most of their fans would likely currently be found in the 'goth scene'. Their music combines guitar driven rock with ballad-like structures, heavy synth overtones, and melancholy lyrics. They have been called "gothic", "punk", "synthpop", "metal", and "darkwave". Oddly, they are not really any of these specifically but aptly combine elements of each into a fluid medium. with the vocal improvements shown on this album they have definitely taken a huge leap forward from where they were with the previous release. The last album had me musically but vocally was lacking a bit to 'tone' and 'experience'. This release is much more professional sounding and vocally reminds me slightly of the band Seven 13 (aka Coven 13) and would be an excellent addition to the individual's collection which contain their works who are looking for a more updated musical sound and structure. Bella Morte combines metal guitars, piano, darkwave synth structures and anthem/ballad-like vocals into a nice mesh. If they didn't live up to your standards last time give them a listen this time. There is much improvement!

Fronted by Monica Richards (Faith & The Muse) back in the 1980's-1990's in D.C., this "punk" band is heralded as the "best kept secret" of the 'scene' in it's day. During Strange Boutique's celebrated stretch, they released one EP, three full length albums, two singles and one live album. They amassed a loyal underground following, perfected their onstage presence, and honed their distinctive sound. They also toured Europe with Killing Joke. I first heard of Strange Boutique with my exposure to Faith & The Muse, which most of you know is Monica and William Faith (Christian Death and other projects), and often wondered what Monica's vocals would sound like fronting a punk band. As it turns out I don't find this as much punk as I do post-punk goth-rock for the 80's American scene. To me the most obvious comparison with the overall sound of Strange Boutique would have to be Souixsie & The Banshees as there are many similar qualities to the musical construction and if you've heard Monica's vocals you will comprehend both the similarities and differences. I'm very happy that Metropolis Records decided to release this compilation composed of songs from every Strange Boutique album and also some hard to find material, which as the CD cover states, displays a full spectrum of their work to new listeners as well as some gems fro the long-ordained. An excellent collection for those of us who somehow missed this excellent project back in the time when it was previously available. Monica Richards is an amazing vocal talent well worth the ears of artistic minds.

First off this is the first release by Skinny Puppy in several years and comes to us from their new label SPV. The current line-up features Puppy originals Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key with the additional talents of Mark Walk (WELT). While most of us never expected to see another Puppy album except possibly the continued 'archives' collections this is a most pleasant surprise. The Greater Wrong of Right remains true to the Skinny Puppy sound and contains elements featured in all previous albums without sounding nostalgic in any way and instead points further towards a continued future for the band. The track "Use Less" features the talents of Wayne Static of Static-X on vocals and Danny Carey of Tool on acoustic drums. Simply put fans will be more than pleased with the results. This release shows that while members have taken a rather long hiatus to work on their own projects that they have not lost anything during that time but instead have grown stronger and collectively have updated their approach and skills. As always Skinny Puppy forge their own way in electro music without ever submitting to trends and instead put forth their own unique efforts which continue to influence generations of musicians and fans alike. Having been a fan since Bites, I still think the band is simply amazing and worth a listen by anyone looking for something unique, intelligent, dark, and otherworldly.

Within A Second is Phenotract's debut release on the Tinman Records label which also sports such talents as Dubok, Crocodile Shop, Cydonia, and I Parasite. That said, Phenotract's sound is accessible to lovers of EBM, Synthpop and Trance. Utilizing a combination of these styles as well as house, other dance beats, and ethereal elements Eric Shans combines whispery vocals to create a sound that vears from the paths forged by Dependent, A Different Drum, and DSBP Records for example, yet utilizes elements influenced from all of these musical aspects. The only quality which shows any weakness at all are the vocals, slight though it is, but the overall tightness of his music shows real talent that will likely make some serious advancements in future releases worthy of attention. Interestingly Phenotract has an otherworldly and dreamy quality to it's sound while maintaining the energy required for good dance music. The first noticeable standout on the disc is "Motionstate", a great EBM trancefloor romp with "Lunartrip" to follow in it's wake later on the disc. Then there’s the funky sounds of "Drifts" and "Distant Voices" plus the retro industrial (nearly Die Warzaw-ish) "Red Glow". However the most likely to pump the EBM floors might be "Neosymmetry" though a bit more variance would do it some justice. There are many great tracks on this release which take a slight detour from what has started become 'standard' styles in the EBM and Synthpop genres while still including elements of Trance yet consciously not following the patterns laid down by others and instead forging his own way. This is very obvious in Eric's work as Phenotract and that combined with the strength of this debut leaves plenty of room for building excellence. He's well worth checking out, you decide, and hopefully future projects will bring Phenotract higher on the rungs of industry success! It's easy enough to get lost in these rhythms and that's a good thing. The instrumental tracts combining EBM and Trance are the strongest points on this disc and well worth the time. Others have said better than I can: "Drawing inspiration from classic EBM, House, and Hard Trance, Phenotract strives to meld these potentially disparate styles into a seamless whole. Phenotract has a distinct feel, a thick, adventurous Electro sensibility with otherworldly, vaguely House-like beats and breathy, understated vocals. The album also features extensive production work from Isaac Glendening of Cesium 137 (for whom Phenotract mastermind Eric Shans plays live keys). On Tinman."

Twilight Clones is the latest release by Robert Ziino, experimental electronic artist who has been composing music since the 1980's. His latest work utilizes modular synthesizers to create his artistic landscapes. According to Robert the fact that his music is entirely instrumental is that his music is his words. The goal of this release was to create a sonic landscape of sound and emotion which is accomplished. Most tracks are composed of a basic rhythm and percussion sequence with the modular synths taking the lead as voice in a way that is most alien to the casual listener. In some ways it could be soundtrack music for sci-fi cartoon shorts. In other ways it may remind some of the earlier electronic artists who hit the experimental music scene in the late 70's through 80's. As for the quality of the work one cannot judge based solely on musicianship or the standard concepts of 'music' as this work is more of an artistic expression and an abstract one at that.