Mephisto Walz - The Eternal Deep mp3 download

Shadowredeemer

No messing about, this album heads straight in with a lush, 4AD-ish track with music not unlike COCTEAU TWINS. They soon establish themselves as to being something way beyond the groundswell Goth stable so lovingly attended by CLEOPATRA. Some of the elements are still there, but this is a lot lighter, gentler, prettier music, with the light, almost dreamy female vocalist giving it an ethereal edge despite it's hard-hitting, medium-to-fast drum tempos. Even the song structure bucks tradition, with the verse-straigh-into-crescendo-chorus left behind for an overall looser approach. If PROJEKT were to put this record out, it would cause only the faintest of ripples in their Pool Of Eternal Stasis. Classy and classic, this music has a soulful beauty to it, and enough hook to be commercial enough to at least forge a place for itself in the Indie Music World. The only thing which actually stands against it's success is that perhaps it sounds a little dated, a little too early Eighties, with lashings of reverb. If you had switched on PEELY back in Eighty One, chances are you'd have heard something not dissimilar.The brace of cover versions are not straight - their version of "Paint It Black" - more an adaptation of the STONES' original than a cover - replaces the original fastish tempo with a frenetic pace, and if the original had mood, this has a kind of sadistic nastiness to it which totally makes it their own. And their take on IGGY's "Now I Wanna Be Your Dog" has a bright, tight sound which is curiously the closest thing to SIOUXSIE here - after all, many of the early Eighties female-led groups seemed to immitate her style closely, yet this is the only point on the album where CHRISTIANNA sounds remotely like our SIOUX. The cover version is always a give away as to weaknesses in groups' style, and in both instances they do an excellent job.Worthy, worthwhile album which may have missed to boat as to the Indie scene, and is probably too lightweight for most Goths. A great pity as this is a fine collection of songs.Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.