Search - Christian Death :: Lover of Sin

Maitri goes solo!

Matthew | Pittsburgh | 01/03/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As Josh's informative review cleared up, this is NOT a new Christian Death CD, but rather the first solo release by the current female vocalist and bassist of Valor's Christian Death. Maitri's Lover Of Sin is a gritty, violent, and unquestionably METAL project. With elements of classic Black Metal, spiked with over-the-top Hardcore angst and crust punk attitude, it makes for some uneasy listening. Fans that stuck around the Christian Death camp for the previous two records (1997's "Pornographic Messiah" and "Born Again Anti-Christian" from 2000) will already be privy to Maitri's style of snarling screams and delightfully crude bass lines. Like previous female vocalists that have contributed to Christian Death, Maitri has Eva O's throaty strength combined with Gitane DeMone's sheer vocal power, but accentuated with her own uncompromising and sometimes indigestible fury. The first half of this 45-minute disc goes straight for the jugular and tears it right open. Eerie tremolo-picked guitars swell to climax with a violent primal scream and thus begins the aural slaughter with "You Should Have Died." The drumming is quick and precise, pausing only briefly for a mid-paced pre-chorus respite before charging ahead at full speed. "Unspoken" maintains the blistering pace - the guitars buzz along with a slick and creepy grandeur, machine gun double bass drumming fire at the song's core, and Maitri's voice rings out like a siren on a bad acid trip, busting blood vessels and windowpanes like it's no chore at all.

I suspect the first run through this disc, even fans familiar with Maitri's vocal style and the kinds of raw metallic backdrops that best support her voice will be taken aback. But once the listener lets their guard down, the combination of her vocals with the familiar metal elements offer a rather refreshing interpretation of long stale ideas. The latter half of the disc is much more diversified, memorable, and intriguing. "No Shame" can be described as a dirtier, more unsettling dirge that shares some atmospheric threads with the legendary track "Cervix Couch." "Paradox" is the masterpiece of the album, where the dynamic between the Black Metal elements and Maitri's vocals fuse together in their most poignant partnership. The riffing is catchy and memorable, the rhythms shift mischievously, the drums snap along at a riveting pace, and Maitri's voice is at its most intense, yet has a conscious restraint and doesn't become too overbearing. The subtle accents of synthetic chimes add a nice touch as well. "Lamb To The Slaughter" brings the entire album to a close, which lurches along at a snail's pace. Maitri spookily warbles "Kiss the crucifix, `til death us do part," before the tempo gradually accelerates for a manic crescendo of noise. A quick refrain to more grinding sludge and pounding crunch and the album reaches it's rather abrupt finale. So who should buy this record? Basically, anyone who would like to hear a strong female vocalist who is not afraid to get her hands dirty at the helm of a remarkably tight dark metal band. `Pretty' female vocalists are still a major selling point of many atmospheric metal bands. Sometimes that's cool, but most of the time, when done poorly, it is a tiresome disgrace. Maitri doesn't really bother trying to sing on this record. But she DOES know how to scream! And she can run with the best of her male counterparts. To Christian Death fans that enjoyed Maitri's tangents and tantrums on the previous two albums, this will surely please. A long lasting affair with the vast discography of Christian Death is not necessary to appreciate this album. The only thing required is an open mind, strong nerves, and high tolerance. Maitri will make you wince and writhe, but on certain days and in certain moods, you will probably really like it."

A great album of bleak, dark metal

Josh | Boston, NY USA | 12/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, a little clarification is necessary regarding what, exactly, this album is. It was released as "Christian Death presents Lover of Sin", and incorrectly promoted as the new Christian Death album. It's actually not a Christian Death album, but rather the self-titled debut by the side project of Christian Death bassist/vocalist Maitri. It was, however, co-written and produced by Valor (who also handled the artwork and provided a few great orchestral touches), so the major Christian Death players had a hand in the album.The main difference between the sound of Lover of Sin and Christian Death is revealed by the simple fact that Lover of Sin is an outlet for Maitri's black metal-oriented tastes. Christian Death's grand orchestral/goth rock/industrial sound has been replaced by fast pounding drums and very dark metal power chord riffs, accentuated by the occasional orchestral/ambient bit. If you've heard songs like "Zodiac" from the last Christian Death album, Born Again Anti-Christian, you can probably picture Maitri's almost shouted vocals over the faster, darker, heavier, and more straightforward metal found here. You'll find the music complemented by Maitri's relatively highbrow and sometimes poetic lyrical content. It includes dark themes involving sexuality, death and religion without simply resorting to screamed vulgarity and shock antics. Perhaps the album's only flaw is the fact that it can seem a little bit sonically repetitive the first few times you listen to it. While a few songs add some great orchestral/ambient touches, including the spoken word orchestral-experimental track "Eulogy Cathedral", many of the 10 songs here (clocking in at about 44 minutes) boil down to fast-paced dark, droning metal with shouted vocals and few guitar solos. Some Christian Death fans may be unhappy with the considerably less diverse sound of this side project. However, metal fans or more adventurous Christian Death fans will find this to be a consistently solid and rewarding release.If you're a Christian Death fan that was unhappy with the heavier direction they took with Born Again Anti-Christian, you might want to steer clear of this side project and wait for the next true Christian Death album. However, if you like your metal dark and heavy, this is something that will likely stay in your CD player for weeks."