 |
Various Artists
Alleviation
CD Compilation 1996 | Silber 001
out of print |
Track Listing:
-
Dust - Approach
-
1SBH - Colour Day
-
My Glass Beside Yours - I’ll let you go
through it once....
-
The Unquiet Void - What is Gone is Gone
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Trance to the Sun - Envisage
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Falling Janus - Descend
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An April March - Avibdake
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Faith & Disease - Crown of Sorrow
(live)
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Morphine Angel (w/Ashkelon) - Dag
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burMonter - Thirteen Layers of Heaven
-
Snowblind - This Brilliant Nightmare
-
Peter
Aldrich - Floaters
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Pineal Ventana - Mended
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Tubalcain - Carbon Black
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17Larva - Miracle of the Sun
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dA Sebasstian - Tine
-
Attrition - Keepsakes & Reflections
-
Engram - What Am I?
Reviews
"Eighteen tracks. None of them previously
released. A majority of them from established yet underground bands in
the (so-called) gothic/darkwave (and occasionally industrial) genre. How
could this possibly go wrong? It doesn’t. This is possibly the most innovative,
original, and refreshing compilation I have seen in a long time. The artists
were obviously picked with great care; there are no dud tracks, no lulls
in the light air of this disc. Opening this compilation is Dust, a side
project of Mike VanPortfleet of Lycia. This is a great and unexpected opening.
Vocalless, yet extremely powerful, it sets an extremely high quality pace
for the rest of the disc. Other powerful but lesser known bands stand along
side. Trance to the Sun contribute a nine minute out-take that is extremely
tight, extremely beautiful. Faith & Disease add a live version of "Crown
of Thorns" which allows vocalist Dara Rossenwasser the spotlight. Tubalcain
show up with an out-take from the Left album that adds a bit of
light industrialism. Kill Switch...Klick vocalist dA Sebasstian does spoken
word to noise accompaniment, which, being that his solo work is not prevalent,
is worth hearing. Attrition rounds out the pack with a strong cut, circa
1994. Of the lesser known acts, The Unquiet Void’s spooky melodies stand
out, whereas Falling Janus provides a high quality interpretation of familiar
gothic chords. An April March and burMonter, as well, are extremely worthwhile
contributions. In all, this disc is so worth picking up, words cannot describe
it. In a world where gothic compilations are structured around the same
six to eight bands with a similar derivative sound, a compilation like
this that showcases what innovations can be done with this style of music
is so much needed. If you like darkwave, go get this. It’s worth it." -
Industrial
Nation
"This comp includes exclusively or
currently unavailable tracks by some new and promising alternative bands
such as the ambient/percussive & haunting psychedelia of The Unquiet
Void, Dust, and Trance to the Sun. 1SBH contribute with their typical Cure-ish
vocals which they lay upon an experimental background, while Falling Janus
play sort of ghastly darkwave. Faith & Disease present their melancholic
orchestral variations with dreamy female vocals and are followed by the
experimental batcave of Morphine Angel. The next track is a fantastic piece
by burMonter featuring sting samples and majestic female vocals and fits
perfectly with the string samples of Snowblind, upon which the singer unfolds
his mystical vocals. Okay, let’s take a breath... Peter Aldrich transports
us to a hypnotic world with atmospheric vocals, walking basslines, and
whale-like guitars; while Tubalcain presents us a Bill Laswell-like track
with an ethnic touch and industrial vocals. 17Larva contribute their Sonic
Youth-like guitars which are excellently contrasted to the sounds of a
vibraphone. dA Sebasstian offers a rather intense combination of ambient
sounds, ethnic singing samples and radio vocals, creating an atmospheric
mood. The most famous band on the comp, Attrition, appear with a great
song featuring fairy and theatrical female vocal variations over a melancholic
piano segment. The comp closes with Engram’s horror-like space soundscapes,
which turn into a trance/ambient phrase with a dancing beat. The whole
compilation is marked by a rather dense atmosphere, and you should really
order it soon, otherwise you are doomed to miss 50% of your music horizons."
- Fight Amnesia
