Letter from the Editor
Hello my wee ratties! I hope you are all well.
This is an unfortunately short issue due to severe time restraints and life getting in the way. And I apologise for this and for the lateness of publication. I do, however, hope you enjoy this issue very much as there are some wonderful bands and people represented in these pages.
Please enjoy and keep me updated on your projects that you would like featured in future issues!
Hannah Edington
Model Credits Issue 7 – Victoria Dizaster Issues 8 – Jessica Mullen Issue 9 – Little Pheonix, photo by Ken Morrill
Circo Del Luto With their five-track, pre-demo album, Winter Rarities Part I, Circo Del Luto is coming into its own as it breathes a new life into the Columbian post-punk sound. At times with the sound of Switchblade Symphony, and others where they find their unique carnivorous carnival sound, you can’t help but smile at the darkly humourous tones that serve as introductions to the songs. Once the beat kicks in, you are transported to a dusky underground dance floor. “Catelepsia” perhaps being my personal favourite, this track is full of the sounds of childish nightmares, or for the more optimistic, a French café filled with honest laughter. Your own interpretation is welcome.
Gabrielle’s Wish In a similar vein of Insects Vs. Robots, Gabrielle’s Wish combines post-punk sound with progressive lengths. This music is truly beautiful and I highly recommend it to those who like to not be overwhelmed by lyrics all the time. The music speaks for itself as the guitars, drums, and occasional vocals make for a symphony With lyrics like “It’s all in your mind/Give it some time” you can hear the depth of feeling during the precious moments where the voice shines. When it is at rest, guitar solos take on amazing melodies that capture and engage.
Victory Over Tyranny If you like your Gothic Metal, Victory Over Tyranny is the perfect blend of roaring guitars, growling vocals, and Acid Punk drumming to put your chest to pounding. The Epic Battle Demo is 12 tracks of bliss for the metal head that lingers in most of us and excites us to let it out. Using one of my favourite techniques of spoken word throughout many songs and even using lion sound effects, one cannot mistake that strength of the message this band is producing. For fans of Whiteskull and progressive bands like Rush and Dream Theater, this is just the band to steal your soul for Someone else.
Berlin Black and the Shades of Grey Sharing the stunning bassist of the March Violets, Berlin Black is the band that wrote “Please You”, one of my all-time personal favourite songs. Goth by nature, these guys are individual and lovely in every way. They continue to use a heavy bass line and post-punk drumming. This is one of those bands that I have to say, “Stop reading and go listen!” Their talent will set you right for the rest of your Gothic day in life and I promise you will not be disappointed.
11 Decaparecedos With a heavy punk influence and touched by the hand of horror rock, 11 Decaparecidos are another one to look out for. Though a visually stunning band, their guitar solos and vocals on speed are what make the music what it is. Sometimes the vocals are layered in a way that creates the feeling of being surrounded by the black and white ghosts of deathrockers past.
The Wolf Gang Like the Goth music of old, The Wolf Gang reinvents the sounds of bands like Sisters of Mercy with their updated sound, beautiful harmonies, and instrumentation that excels description. Slight symphonic twists keep the listener intrigued by the music that comes out of the speakers. This 3-piece culminate the masculine art of sound in tracks such as “Jellyhouse” and “Voice” in their 4-track EP, “First Blood” available for free download from their website.
The Hungry Gorge Continued‌ Letters from Victoria My Dearest Markus,
17th of January 1884
I do not like it very much here. In fact, I hate this city. I arrived two days ago and have not had a moment's peace to write you until now. One minute my aunt is fussing over my dress and the next speaking badly of father for ruining the family's place in society. I do not care much. She has scarcely allowed me to breathe. I have not been able to read any of the books I took from father's library.
I do hope you are safe, Markus. I know you will have to sneak out at night to send me any letters. I know you are alone. You do not know how badly I am missing you. Your company over the last four months has been my every breath, my every desire. I wish for nothing but you. Nothing else is enough.
I know perhaps I should not reveal my heart to you so fully, but I find I cannot help myself. I love you, Markus. With all the love a girl of fifteen can feel. I wish to marry you.
I must go; I can hear my aunt's cringe-worthy voice ringing up the stairs.
All my love, Victoria
>~<
My Dearest Markus,
13th of February 1884
I was relieved at receiving your letter to hear that you are well. I am glad they have not yet discovered you. I had left strict instructions that the castle be left alone, but assumed the enforcers of the law there would ignore my wishes.
I am glad to hear you are enjoying reading and memorising the book of poetry. It does pass the time nicely. I terribly miss your lovely green eyes and soft, dark hair. I thank you for your kind words. It is nice to know I am not the only one feeling such a way. But you are wrong, I do not need a lord or rich man, I need only love. And I will not find such a thing with any of them. Could we have known it would come to this? I have seen such love in us.
My aunt, however, disagrees. She is planning a party for me to enter society. She already has a huge list of people, young men mostly, and I cannot stand any of them. I just want to be with you.
I am planning a rather dangerous plot. What say you to my running away with you? We could go anywhere. South America, the Orient, anywhere. So long as it is you and me. Please tell me your thoughts, darling.
As for your predicament, do not fear what you have done. Humans eat cattle all the time, there is nothing wrong in your killing them to feed, and it is a necessity. Just be careful, if they find you going to the same place daily, they will trap you. Travel far and wide and dispose of the bodies before they find the tooth marks. I shall pray for your plight.
You will be fine, my love. Fear not.
Love, Victoria
>~<
Markus,
16th of March 1884
Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but your letter put me in a desperate despair. Do you not love me? In my absence, has someone else stolen your heart? Why do you not wish to be with me? I do not love any of these men! I love only you!
Please, tell me what I have done wrong; why your heart is not with me any longer. I am not what I thought I was to you.
Once yours and ever will be, Victoria
>~<
My Dearest Markus,
12th of April 1884
I am so glad to hear I was misunderstanding your previous letter. It is such a relief! I thought you meant you did not wish to be mine. But I now understand you were simply concerned that I was, as you put it, "wasting my life on the love of what is to be an impossibility." It is not impossible.
Even if we cannot run away together, you will always be in my heart. Always.
Yours forever, Victoria
>~<
My Dearest Markus,
15th of May 1884
I am thrilled to hear you managed to escape the castle before they found you there. It is good because now they will not come back, seeing as they are certain you are not there. I am relieved in a way, that they searched and it is over with.
Last evening was my party. Aunt Mildred has heard gossip of four different men wishing to propose. I shall, of course, refuse all of them. I could never reply with a yes to such dogs. All they care about is their wine. It is sickening.
I did find courage at one point and told her I was already in love. She said it was foolish, but at least listened. She knows it is a man in Ukraine. I have not disclosed that I know your whereabouts. Unfortunately, she felt a Ukrainian was not right for a lady. But I told her I didn't care, that I would not marry any of these men in his stead. She, for a moment anyway, seemed compassionate.
Oh, my sweet, I will sing of our love in my heart. I do not know what will come of this, but certainly, with enough persuasion, I can convince her to allow me to marry my Ukrainian prince. And then I can bring you here. No one here knows what you look like. It is a brilliant plan. And I am to inherit the castle once I am married so we will have a home.
I have wondered often if I could bring you over now, you could reside in the basement here.
Please tell me what you think of this.
Yours, Victoria
Book Review “Winter” By Keven Newsome
“Winter” is the story of a college student with a dark past and a dangerous calling. The character of Winter is your typical Goth girl coming out of high school and attending a public college founded on Christian beliefs. Her roommate, the peppy antithesis, Summer, nearly causes the troubled girl to lose it. However, something deep inside stirs her to stay. What ensues is the entwined tale of Winter’s high school experimentation with the occult and her current beliefs in God and how the two have led her to save her campus from a cult of rapists and murderers, some of whom disguise themselves as Goths in order to discredit our heroine. Newsome does an excellent job at portraying the young female mind and I was shocked by the end with the amount of trauma and Hell the leading characters go through. Not many authors of his ilk would dare to go quite as far as he does and while this brought me to tears while reading in the middle of a public gym, he manages to take every woman’s worst fear and combat it with the healing that can follow. “Winter” is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for the hardened heart. I highly recommend this novel for girls anywhere from high school to old age and have no doubt that many men would get a lot from it. The ebook can be purchased on amazon.com so you should all go and buy a copy to support this up an coming author who represents all things Gothic and manages to fight the stereotype in the process.
Emilie Autumn Live Show Whether you are for her or against her, chances are, if you’ve heard of this woman, you have an opinion. Mine was an ever-changing, back and forth game of love/hate. However, at a recent show on her “Fight Like a Girl” tour, she redeemed herself in every way. A well-prepared performance, (with less of the faux-lesbian act that many find so offensive) many of the new songs are based on her book “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls”, published in 2009. Continuing on the theme of mental illness and with a “how crazy am I?” attitude, Emilie Autumn and her cast of Bloody Crumpets give an experience not likely to be found elsewhere and that can both inspire and bewilder. Being that many of her fans are young girls who may or may not entirely understand the subject matter of her music, I am interested to see how the tour progresses and how people react to this new show. Personally, I loved it and any doubts I may have had as to the character of this artist were put to rest.
Skot Shaw of Leper When did your interest in music first develop? probably 4 or 5 years old, but being a poor kid with no real encouragement i never really did anything with it till i was 19 0r 20
How did you come to be a part of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gothâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scene? well i grew up with only ever exposed to county music, rap, metal, and such, i hate to admit it but mostly metal however, most metal bands that, even though i liked had this super hyperactive party thing going on that kinda bugged me since i was this somber melancholy overly dramatic imaginative hopeless romantic (or nutts as my wife puts it)kinda kid what i wanted to here in a song was somber melancholy overly dramatic imaginative hopeless romantic but kinda dancey. and there are plenty of metal bands that threaten to do that in a song but then they almost always wreck it with all the stereo typical overtly macho raging hyperactive as usual, then i when i met my wife she was into nin the cure & stuff that somehow sounded to me like "this is what i keep waiting for all these metal bands to do but they are not do in it" & i was sorta hooked
When did Leper form and why did you choose this name? i was in a band as part of my church youth group that was predominantly metal , i was just a bit frustrated with that i just didn't fit in, but at some point i took bad turn , went through a bunch of stuff that eventually combined with the fact that
i didnt fit in with these metal guys, i started to feel like "these guys act like i got leprosy or something" so i started to do my own thing under the name leper , which i thought made good sense that i know there's a lot of people that feel like that as well, i wanted to use this concept of leper to say "the world may not want you but god is close to the broken hearted " , i don't really remember exactly when that was.
What inspires your lyrics? my own experiences, movies, conversations , same as everyone i guess.
As a band in the Christian Goth scene, how has the secular response been? mixed.... mostly good sense i never force my opinion as being fact, i don't preach, but rather i just try to be a friend to who ever i meet & do my best to live above reproach
You recently released a solo album under the Leper banner, how was the process of writing this and will the songs be performed solo or with the band? well leper in itself is more or less a solo thing but those songs were written a long time ago, may be i will play them live but id rather focus on making new stuff
How do you prepare your voice before a show or recording session, being that it is so unique?
im not sure how to answer that but i just don't eat or drink anything cold , i generally don't try to be some "pro vocalist" who is trying to hit every note just right because i know im not goin to anyway, i just try to be real , and make a song feel like what ever that song is about.
As someone who has been personally blessed by your songs, what have been some of the testimonies you have had from people? the 1rst one i ever herd was from a non christian, i was playing in some coffee joint in Cleveland Ohio, i had a few 4 song demos i was selling at the time , not a lot of people there, but , i was improvising lyrics about something or other, at the end my 3 song set i was approached by a lady asking if the improve thing was on the demo , which was obviously not but then she explained....."3 months ago the only man i ever loved shot and killed himself, leaving 1 bullet in the gun. I believe his intention was for me to follow. I have not been able to deal with it, I haven't left the house since it happened in fact the only reason Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here tonight is that my friend forced me to be , when I came in & heard you just now that was the 1st time since it happened that I felt any peace"
Can you tell us a bit about your life at Jesus People USA? 4 or 500 Christians in 1 building living, working, eating, serving, together . really is like family
What are your plans for the future both musically and within the community of JP? just to keep on keepin on