November 20 2007
London After Midnight – Violent Acts of Beauty and Scarlet’s Remains – The Palest Grey
I like the ideas of goth bands drawing inspiration from the world around them and the notion of a goth scene with real countercultural potential. But even so, the music still has to be interesting even as it inspires to be insightful.
It’s been about ten years since London After Midnight released an album. The danger inherent in such a long span is that expectations run high. Unfortunately, Violent Acts of Beauty seems doomed to disappoint. While the attempt to put darkwave music in service to a progressive political perspective is laudable, the album just isn’t that interesting and London After Midnight has largely abandoned the sound that made them scene darlings. Furthermore, the middle of the record feels hopelessly padded; “America’s a Fucking Disease,” “Complex Messiah,” and “Republic” all utilize such a similar synth tone that the effect is redundancy. On Violent Acts of Beauty, London After Midnight is at its best when its sound like a modernized version of its earlier work: “Feeling Fascist?” and “Love You to Death” recall Psycho Magnet’s idiosyncratic grandeur in a productive way. Would that the rest of the album followed suit…overall, Violent Acts of Beauty suffers from a lack of identity and a cloying blandness.
Scarlet’s Remains, however, have personality to spare. While I thoroughly enjoyed their debut, The Palest Grey is a step forward as an album of varied strengths. These revved-up dirges give off real sparks; “Children Write on Missiles” is a heat-seeking bit of deathrock that positively burns with intensity, while the “Romeo’s Distress”-esque vibe of “Bitter Cold in a Dry Season” locks mania into a tight, blistering straightjacket of sound. Musically, the basis of Scarlet’s Remains is that well-worn, traditional goth guitar tone and the prototypical rumble of bass and drums, but they make it feel current and alive. And, of course, Eveghost’s vocals are just as dominating and powerful as ever. Better still, the lyrical content here has actual content. I hope prospective bands are taking notes as they listen to The Palest Grey—this is how it is done.
London After Midnight – Violent Acts of Beauty
Scarlet’s Remains – The Palest Grey
