Dearest Rats,
Ooft! It’s been another doozy trying to publish! As usual, I was well behind the deadline on this one.
The past few months have been some of the more intense ones I have faced, for better and worse. Overall, I am quite pleased with how things have turned out and now I am finally able to give you this, the sixteenth issue of DeathRat Fanzine.
I honestly didn’t know if it was going to happen, but there were too many good things to share that I couldn’t not publish.
We have reviews of albums, including “Dreams from the Factory Floor” by Louise Distras, books such as “The Palace of Curiosities” by Rosie Garland, and interviews with the amazing (and patient) Angelo of SSiCk and cover model/photographer Nemisx.Mind.
Enjoy and yes, there will be more issues to come!
Hannah thebatgirl@live.co.uk
Artist Reviews
SSiCk- “Shift” The newest album from the synth-rock artist SSiCk is a blend of upbeat mixes with real feeling lyrics. Though it is certainly catchy music, there remains a dark dose of reality within the sounds. Lyricist and composer, Angelo brings a true identity to this art. What I really like about SSiCk is that they manage an intricate balance between the Gothic and the neon. I don’t know enough about synth music to give many comparisons, but the music represented here definitely captured my interest from the start and is such a refreshing sound to hear. Often I catch myself (and others into darker music) get hung up by the division of stereotypes within stereotypes and with the album “Shift” we can walk the line between the worlds. My favourite tracks on “Shift” are probably “Everytime I Fall” and “Love is not a Sin”. My criticism of this, as with any good album, is that it is simply too short and leaves us wanting for more.
Fear Incorporated- “Devilish Brood EP” While the cover of this EP terrifies and disturbs me (which I suppose would only encourage some of you!) there is no denying that it is a brilliant piece of work. Fear Incorporated never fail to do their job by both haunting and entertaining the listener. “Devilish Brood” is another work of complete genius. Each of the six songs has its own appeal and consistency that fill you with dread, pain, and the urge to dance in some fog juice. At times the EP can be overwhelmingly creepy, but mostly it is just what you need it to be. The skills of the musicians and, as is always my main focus, the vocals, are familiar to fans of Bauhaus and The Damned. “The Tender Prey” is possibly my favourite on this EP, as it even has a bit of Lene Lovich to it. There are endless comparisons, but nothing really describes the individuality of Fear Incorporated or their factory of terror.
Ghosts Run Wild- “Black Sails on a Sea of Blood” Oh my goodness, let’s get into this. Ever wanted to be in a horror movie? Not just any horror movie. A B-movie. You can, with this new release from Goblinhaus Records’ latest sign-on, Ghosts Run Wild. Chances are, you may have heard of them before, just a track here and there. Well, now they have a nineteen-track album of horrorbillyrockishness that is just too good to tolerate. As I write this review I can’t help but ask myself, why have I not made more noise about Ghosts Run Wild in the run up to the release of this issue? It’s hard to pick out a favourite as each song has its own charm. And it’s kind of weirding me out how visual everything is. Listening to “Black Sails on a Sea of Blood” really does feel like being a Zombie Homecoming Queen at a ‘50s prom. What more could a girl ask for?
ZX Electric- “Obsolete” “Obsolete” is a very unique find indeed. From Marley vocals to the lovely dark guitars, ZX Electric seems to cross boundaries of genre time and space. The album “Obsolete” is like an old friend bringing you a cup of hot tea on a cold day. The Liverpool act delivers wondrous tracks like “Darkest Fears” and “Conscience” to a thirsty audience. Sometimes slow, sometimes catchy, this is one of those albums that would make a great soundtrack for an indie vampire film in the vein of “Let the Right One In”. I can only hope that doors are opened to ZX Electric so they can continue making such brilliant music. It’s bands like this that make me happy to keep writing.
“My Darling Why Aren’t You Dead?” The new single from BLAK Darkly real as usual, the new single by BLAK is charming, emotive, and extremely Poe-esque. The track itself is very Bauhaus in sound, but lyrically I find it appeals to a different centre of my brain, a more feeling place and while I sometimes find BLAK to have a dark humour, and prehaps this is meant to as well, I find that it is more engaging to my real emotions. This is another phenomenal track by the band that refuses to back down. On another note, I love that they take a stand on racism within the scene. We aren’t all pale brides of Dracula, and it is nice to see the BLAK reality.
Ars Phoenix Truth be told, I am writing this a while after Ars Phoenix sent me the link to their bandcamp. SO instead of reviewing what they sent me a link to, I am reviewing the test mixes from their upcoming album. With the delicacy of Lycia and the thrill of The March Violets, Ars Phoenix captures and enraptures. There is an intrinsic beauty to the compositions in both harmony and fluidity. The first track available to hear is “Chlorophyll” and it is more than what I imagined. If you are looking for a run-of-the-mill DeathRock band, there are plenty of generic acts out there, trying to be the next great Bauhaus. Ars Phoenix is not one of them. They aren’t wanna-be’s. They are leaders. I can’t wait to see, or hear, rather, what they have in store for us.
Punk’d Up For Life: A Review of the upcoming album Dreams from the Factory Floor by Louise Distras
It has been just over two years since I was in a basement pub in Glasgow, Scotland to see one of my favourite up and coming punk artists. I had discovered Louise Distras when we were both on a covermount CD for another fanzine. I did a review of her EP Heartstrings on a Handgrenade for the July 2011 issue and a review of that evening’s show. Now she is preparing for the release of her first full-length album as well as working on tours and some great plans ahead.
So here follows a review of the album which is to be released on the 30th of September, 2013.
I’ll start with my criticism of this album. If you listened to Heartstrings on a Handgrenade repeatedly for months as I did, then you will have gotten used to singing the insightful lyrics. While just as insightful, many of the lyrics have been changed and it has taken me some time to get used to. They aren’t bad lyrics by any means, I just got attached to the ones I knew.
The highlights of this album are “Not in Our Name” (the original of which left me with goosebumps when I saw her perform it). This track is just phenomenal. Lyrically it is beautiful and the punk scratchiness of Distras’ voice allows you to feel as passionately about what she’s saying as she does. Another favourite is the previously released single “The Hand You Hold”. We have all had relationships in which we have felt we were being held down, whether those relatioships were romantic, familial, etc. Louise focuses a lot on equality and the ability to ‘stand strong together’ and this anthem is not lost in this track.
The album has variety but remains consistent. If you love the acoustic punk genre, you will not be let down. Distras is making a big impact and I can’t see her as being anything other than at the forfront of a beautiful punk movement and restoration.
A Stupidly Good Novel… An enthusiastic review of “The Palace of Curiosities” by Rosie Garland
Honestly, I don’t know why I’m bothering to write a review of this novel. There is nothing I can say that will prepare you for, or live up to, the beauty and torment you will feel reading this novel.
We all know Rosie Lugosi, the Vamp queen, the vocalist who made a comeback from cancer, one of the mothers of Goth. With her corsets, shiny black trousers, adorable haircuts and perfectly applied makeup. She is an image of gracefulness, feistiness, and now, she is a published author.
“The Palace of Curiosities” is a kind of a love story. I only say ‘kind of’ because in truth, it is also about finding ourselves in others and without them. It’s so many things.
It is the tale of Eve and Abel, two souls with their own freakish histories, but one loving future. Eve is a girl with a very hairy past (yes, it is a bad pun) and Abel, a secretive one. So secretive that he himself cannot discover it. Both get drafted by the man of marvels, Professor Josiah Arroner. Eve, through marriage, Abel through circumstance. Arroner does not turn out to be the Prince Charming Evie has dreamt of, but a wealth-obsessed cheauvanist.
The novel includes the perspectives of both characters. I’d rather not reveal too much of Abel, for he is much a mystery, but his death defying abilities and penchant for forgetting the day before (and the day before and before and before) leave with a yearning for friendship that only Eve can fill. It seems to be fate that brings their friendship to its course, but as always, they face odds both terrifying and strangely familiar.
Despite the fantastical nature, there is far too much reality in this novel. It’s a stunner.
Wake the Dead- The new album by Specimen Ah yes, a breath of fresh air. That is how I have always felt about Specimen. They will always be my fresh air. Solidly good music. To be truthful, I don’t think they will ever release anything as good as “Azoic”, but I am certainly never disappointed.
“Electric Ballroom” was a great album, though very different to “Azoic”, and “Wake the Dead” is definitely more in that vein. The heavier guitars, the crashing of more cymbals, it just is. But as I said, it is never a disappointment.
For those of you new to the scene, or to Specimen (though I don’t know how you could be unfamiliar with them if you aren’t new to the ecene), allow me to educate you. Specimen basically created the Batcave culture by starting the infamous Batcave club in England in the ‘80s. They were the originals. And the deathhawk is owed to Johnny Slut, most notable member in spite of not being the lead vocalist as is customary for notability. (Yes, that sentence makes sense, just reread it a couple times).
Now that you know your history (or rather a brief intro-to-the-amazing-world-of-Goth) you can go give Azoic a listen. I repeat that Electric Ballroom was a pretty phenomenal album, but it can wait until after “Wake the Dead”. The titles of each track are very “horroresque” from “Friends in the Dark” to “Everyday is Halloween”. Just stop reading and go listen. Just do it.
Music Video Reviews Streaming by Inertia I don’t know whether to be in awe of or terrified by this video. The song is pretty great, if you like your bleeps and bops. The video itself, is of exceptional quality. I love anything in black and white so I am automatically drawn to this, but it is the Lynchian drama provided by the video that really grips you. Futurism frightens me to know end and the idea of electronics in people’s heads is the surest way to freak me out. This video achieves this masterfully. If you like the genre, you will love this song. If you don’t love the genre but you love the eerie, give it a chance. You won’t be disappointed. Honestly, implanting lightbulbs into eyesockets, that’s about as Lynch as it gets.
Fakir by Escarlatina Obsessiva You all know by now that I love this band, so sure, maybe I’m biased. Continuing with their usual outdoor theme, the video for Fakir is a series of beautiful shots of the band performing in front of some phenomenal landscapes. Reminiscent of Siouxsie and the Banshees in every way possible, without being a total copy, this video is similar to Arabian Knights, but without the blurriness factor. Don’t forget that you can get Escarlatina Obsessiva’s music from Zorch Factory Records for a free download and they are a truly phenomenal act that are bound to impress upon the Goth community for generations to come.
Interview with Angelo of SSiCk First can you tell us what inspired the name of the project SSiCk?
"SSiCk" means something like "more than sick". It's related to a period of my life when I lost direction, so I started to make my own music, talking about what was wrong.. It works..
What are some of the benefits of working with a net label like Zorch Factory Records?
We had some advertising outside Italy and some useful connections. We appreciate what they’ve done for us.. They're cool guys
Can you tell us some of the differences between performing solo as opposed to with a live band?
Gigs with band, expecially with drummer, are much more "heavy". When I play alone I use more electronics or some acoustic stuff. The attitude is different, but are both "ssick"
How long has “Shift” been in the works?
About one year! Why did it take so long just to write five song? Find it out through these websites: www.ssick.info / https://soundcloud.com/ssick
What is your favourite track that you have written for this project?
I don't have a favorite track, but I like much "Everytime I Fall" and "Change" because they both work well with every arrangements that I tried and, as a composer, I'm proud of this
Can you tell us about your writing process?
Every song of this E.P. is born with acoustic guitar, then I arranged it with synthesizer, drum-machine and electric guitar. Lyrics came from old memories that I've recently re-adapted
If I caught you on a normal weekend, what artists might you be listening to?
I like Sonoio, Puscifer, The Knife, How To Destroy Angels and NIN, of course.. but I also like some older stuff, like Kraftwerk, Front 242 and listen to hip-hop and 90's heavy rock too..
Interview with model Nemisx.Mind
How often do you do photoshoots? - i do have 4 to five shoots a month. sometimes more sometimes less. it differs because i hav to do costumes and extraordinary makeup designs for a shoot, and the conceptual work takes its time.
What have been some of the best locations to shoot in? -the studio. i love being at the studio, because a plane background can give you the greatest inspiration. once i had a shooting in a crumbled house, that was pretty nice and scary too.
Do you do your own hair and make-up? - yes always. i do artistic stylings, fashion/beauty and avant guard, too. everything the heart desires i can draw on a face, it may be easy for me, because i grow up, drawing. my whole life is shaped by creativity.
What inspires the theme of the shoots? -all kinds of emotions. things that i see during the day, shapes in the landscape, nature, patterns in architecture or even trash. i find lots of my material at fleemarkets. so give things a second live is a enduring inspiration!
Who are some of your artistic inspirations? -great photographers and artist who have their own heads and don't beg down for getting fame. people who hold on to ther ideals and ideas are most inspirational.
Do you make a living off your modeling career? - no. but it is a great financial support indeed.
Is this a life-long art you will pursue? - it is this art that let's me life. i can't thing of just stopping this. creativity, drawing, costumes, dreams and musik will always be part of my life. its like breathing, i can't stop being creative.