DARK ROMANIA webzine

VARIOUS ARTISTS - New Dark Age Vol. 2
CD | Strobelight | 2004 | Gothic Rock

TRACKS

CD 1
Cauda Pavonis - 'Dusk 'till Dawn'
Funhouse - 'Cry For Love'
Skeletal Family - 'All My Best Friends (Strobelight Mix)'
The House Of Usher - 'It Doesn't Matter (Strobelight Edit)'
Adoration - 'Follow The Tief'
Frank The Baptist - 'Signing Off'
Alan Woxx - 'Bloodrain (From Hell To Strobelights)
Stigmata Martyr - 'Suffocation Leads To Exemption'
Radio Scarlet - 'Sat On A Wall'
Sleeping Children - 'Poppies Screen The Light'
Crucifix Nocturnal Christians - 'Suffocation Leads Exemption'
Plastikstrom - 'Grossstadtalarm (Strobelight Bu-ton-mix)'
Graphik Magazin - 'Where Have The Years Gone?'
Jaquy Bitch - 'Cimetiere'
The Vanishing - 'Princess Poison'
Katzenjammer Kabarett - 'Gemini Girly Song'
Leisur::Hive - 'Try To Be Still'

CD 2
Bella Morte - 'Eyes Of A Ghost'
Tchiki Boum - 'Teen Wolf'
Zadera - 'Fallen'
Voodoo Church - 'New Death'
Diemonsterdie - 'Gravedigger Girl'
Quidam - Horrores'
Eat Your Make Up - 'Holy Bats'
The Phantom Limbs - 'Castanets Cookie'
The Last Days Of Jesus - 'Connected Or Infected'
The Prids - 'Contact'
Cold - 'Sorrow'
The Eden House - 'Infra Red'
Gotterdammerung - 'Echoes Of Despair'
Voices Of Masada - 'Fallen'
The Unholy Guest - 'Synapses Cry'
The Way Of All Flesh - 'Final Resolve'
Dr. Arthur Krause - 'Violence'

REVIEW

I am not a great fan of compilations, I've never really liked them. There are, though, exceptions when compilations have been useful to me: the first - the compilation is strictly specialised on one musical subgenre and one period and gathers various bands that are part of that cathegory, the number of bands that are novelties for me being closely related to my interest towards the product. The second - when the compilation contains rare and/or exclusive songs of bands I already know and like. Well, "New Dark Age Vol.2" is a compilation that belongs to the first cathegory. Released by Strobelight Records, one of the newest and most interesting goth labels lately, the second "New Dark Age" also focuses onpresenting bands from the international old school gothic-rock, deathrock, post-punk of the 00's. The bands are new or very new, some are totally unknown to me, others I have just read about, some bands I already knew and loved, like Cauda Pavonis, Frank The Baptist, The Last Days Of Jesus, Bella Morte, Skeletal Family (with the new vocalist), House Of Usher. From what I didn't already know, a good impression made Gotterdammerung, Radio Scarlet, Jaqui Bitch, The Unholy Guest, The Vanishing, Funhouse and Crucifix Nocturnal Christians. The best song was to me Bella Morte’s "Eyes Of A Ghost" (too bad not all of thir songs sound like that), and the most pleasant surprises were the female voice of Crucifix Nocturnal Christians, followed by two bands that also have female vocals - Zadera and Katzenjammer Kabarett. This compilation (as well as the first volume) is worth getting hold of, being a great opportunity of finding out bands and songs that are either less known or harder to find, being rarely sold in the specialised shops.
Mark: 9/10
Internet: http:// www.strobelight-records.com/

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