There is so much bad gothmusic coming out these days, it's been tough to motivate myself tolisten to new bands, especially local ones.
The thing I hate most iswhen a band comes out with a whole album where each song soundsbasically the same, or a bunch of rock guitars sounding gloomy. Give itup already, it's been done too many times before. What I really likeabout goth music, especially of the kind you find on Heavenly Voicescompilations or some of the recent stuff on World Serpent or MiddlePillar, is when it brings in another musical influence and blends itin, but then sinks a lot of energy into making it sound good. Eastmeets west, old meets new - Qntal and Love is Colder than Death popinto my head here. Twelfth of Never's debut CD, Blowing Bubbles ThroughBroken Windows, is an example of the kind of stuff that turns my crank.Beautiful vocal harmonies, very lush ethereal soundscapes, andoverflowing with brilliant ideas - each song has its own uniquecharacter and beauty to it. The creepy yet pretty song 'The Cycle'could easily score some of Tim Burton's next movie. Lots of crispacoustic sounds, shimmering bells, flute and dulcimers? Wow! Isincerely hope that Hyperium puts Theanna on Heavenly Voices Volume6,... And they're from Boston, no less. Oh, did I mention I liked theartwork too?

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