Search - Various Artists :: Disease of Lady Madeline

Diverse, unconventional, gothic...brilliant!

06/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the disturbing soprano wail of "Skin and Lye" to the romantic lull of "Sparks", this album is a gothic masterpiece. My favorite song is "The Sound", a dire-like work that evokes images of Neil Gaiman's character Death. Switchblade Symphony's "Chain" is very operatic sounding at times and lacks the singsong rhyme of most of their other works. The majority of the album posseses a somnolent, brooding atmosphere...I often listen to a few selected tracks in bed as I drift off to sleep, contemplating the remains of the day. The album does contain two harsh, industrial songs. They sound somewhat abrasive yet are quite tame in comparison to their industrial/ ebm peers. All in all, I'd say that the album serves as an excellent introduction to gothic music. The sleeve graphics are beautiful. A medieval structure graces the booklet cover. Inside of the CD booklet are photos of each band. On the back cover there is a picture of a downward spiraling stone staircase. Finally, on the back of the CD booklet is a beautiful rendering of Anubis, egyptian god of the dead. This album proves that beauty can be found in darkness. By the way, the album was released sometime around 1996, not 2000."