Search - Stare :: Haunted

Review from starvox magazine by matthew heilman

Gary M. Thrasher | USA | 01/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the CD Goths have been waiting for. Why? Because it is one of the most well crafted gems of dark ghostly ambience and darkwave/swirlcore brilliance to have been released this year. The continued argument of many that there are no good `Goth' releases coming out was slightly put to the test with bands such as Audra, Shadow To Ashes, Vehemence Realized and a few other new and noteworthy bands. The argument seems to be fueled by frustrated DJs who are neglecting Goth rock for synth pop as the newer Goth music is just not as dancy or club friendly as they'd hope. Stare, another dark group of musicians to emerge from the Ohio area, may not be as dancy as club friendly as some might hope, but they could not be anymore "Goth" and this is what I have always thought the music was supposed to be. "Haunted" is this Columbus based band's debut CD on Carpe Mortem records. Ten offerings which are characterized by showers of shimmering clean guitars and distinctive bass lines treated with murky chorus and deep reverb effects. (Perhaps the fact that guitarist/founder Gary Thrasher has had the nickname "Eboe" for years now might help put the band's sound into perspective slightly.) The programmed drums are modeled after the rhythmically intense post-punk of yesterday, and help ground the music with a dense percussion. All these elements are stirred together and spread out like a gray mist, preparing for the mature voice of Michele Burch-Morehart. Her vocals are of a lower and more expressive range, and her harmonies drift atop the surface of an arctic ocean of melody and presence. Stare have harvested the key elements from their influences such as the Cure, Cocteau Twins, This Ascension, and Lycia and found a successful combination of gloom that encompasses and overwhelms the listener. The CD kicks off with "St. Michael's Litany," a sweet pop song that appeared on the Darkness & The Machine II compilation and is just a nice, warm romantic type of song. The foreboding sludge of "Chemical Restraint" follows, an unnerving song heavy on percussion, eerie guitar effects, and lulling bass lines. The mischievous Christian Death/Mephisto Walz-esque "A Grey Sunrise" stands out next with its use of Gary's distant vocals, which do not appear anywhere else on the CD. I especially liked this song it was just so...death rock! "Fear of The Dark" is the first song of a lyrical trilogy made up also of "Empty" and the superb track "Bell, Book, & Candle" that tell of a wanderings of a ghost, its attachment and attraction to the speaker and her eventual exorcism of the spirit. The timely, autumnal ode "November" stands as my favourite track on the CD. It's a short and simple song with echoes of jangling guitars and swelling bass strumming, with a nice fluid relation between the verses and chorus of the song. A faithful cover of the classic Glove track "Mouth To Mouth" appears as well, with a near identical musical backdrop of processed guitars, driving bass, snapping drums, and 80s synth. Old school Goths will dig this track and perhaps this is the song DJs could sneak into playlists. Admittedly, there are some shortcomings to Stare, as the drum programs sometimes are a bit choppier than one would hope and some of the lyrics were awkward. I had a hard time with the "hand me my pills" line in the track "Chemical Restraint" in particular. However, it is so easy to love this CD for what it is and not be too critical about such things, as it is simply well produced and inspired Gothic music. There is always room for improvement with any art form truthfully, but this is an astounding debut effort to be enjoyed and remembered for years to come."

Review of haunted from outburn issue #14

Gary M. Thrasher | USA | 01/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Primarily a duo between guitarist/musician Gary Thrasher and vocalist/musician Michele Burch Morehart, stare plays the very kind of music that I call to mind when I try to imagine goth. As difficult as the word has become to define in the musical realm, in my personal realm, I still imagine beautiful, soaring, minor-key melodies, eerie, ethereal atmospheres, jangly guitars, moving percussion lines, and additional evocative or exotic musical thrills such as piano or tribal drums. Here on the appropriately titled "haunted..." album, I found all these things and more, to my delight. Michele's emotionally expressive vocals are very lovely, and Gary's doleful guitars combine exquisitely with occasional keyboard harmonies. Stare's musical style, which is akin to that of Autumn and Mors Syphilitica, remains consistent throughout the album. Nevertheless, the band displays variety and vitality too, keeping the album interesting throughout: one track features wind chimes, sorrowfully spooky lyrics, and waltz timing ("Fear of the Dark"); another provides a slow, sorrowful ballad from beyond the grave ("Empty"); still another covers The Glove's "Mouth to Mouth", a tip of the hat to pioneers of the dark music underground. Although I am tempted to call Stare's approach to the genre traditional, I fear it would be misleading - their music is also engaging and vibrant, which are qualities I don't find often enough among traditional gothic bands."