Last Dusk-As the Young Die

Last Dusk is a a Gothic Rock band from Costa Rica formed back in 2010. Over the years they have release two full length albums, an EP and two singles, played countless shows and survived several line-up changes. The two constant members are Vocalist and Bass player,  Carfax Haddo and drummer Stephanie Sabat. Currently they have also added the talents of guitarist Roberto Thomas and lyricist/author, Wayne Reid and singer Eva Red from the band Red Apple Cvlt.(Eva has also worked with Secret Sin designing the cover of the Angels of liberty album, her artwork is amazing)One other contributor is Stuart Harbut from the band "Rain Children" (Composed the music for the song "I Wonder") Also, occasionally the band enlists the aid of DJ Lord Fer to play bass during live shows when in Mexico.

I mentioned before in my "Secret Sin Records" post that prior to the restoration of Secret Sin Records I had not heard of Last Dusk. The first time I heard of them I saw Scarlet Powers from Angels of Liberty wearing one of their shirts and holding up one of their CDs. That was a great introduction to them for me since (as it's well documented by now) I am such a huge AOL fan. Once I started working with them and getting to know them I started listening to their music more and more, each time finding some wonderful sequence, lyric or riff I had missed previously and before I knew it I was listening to their music often and would find myself often humming their tunes. 

 

This brings us to their newest album, released officially by Secret Sin Records in June, "As the Young Die". As I mentioned before, for this album the band enlisted the talents of Lyricist/author Wayne Reid. Not only did he help out with the lyrics but periodically he can be heard reciting relevant passages from his books to set the tone for some songs. It's also the first album to feature Roberto Thomas on guitar and I have to say, I really love the way he plays. Also featured on some of the tracks are the angelic vocals of Eva Red.

 Before I get into describing the album it's self, I just have to say, having gotten to know both Carfax Haddo and Wayne Reid has really been a pleasure, they are truly great guys and a blast to work with and I truly wish them all the success they deserve.

This is Gothic Rock at it's finest. From the opening track "Touch" the band shows their brilliance with a beautiful song, laced with angelic chorus vocals by Eva Red that seem to sing in response to the slowly paced clear guitar lulling you into a calm, only to switch gears later and increase both in pace and intensity all the while never missing a beat. (Eva's vocals are so consistent, I actually thought it was a synth they were using but after talking with Carfax he corrected me.)  As you progress through the album each track takes on it's own identity, yet all of the songs on the album share certain qualities. Rich guitar rifts, traditional Goth-style vocals. If I had to pick a favorite track on the album I believe it would have to be [VI] Principle of Cause and Effect. There is a guitar rift on there that I could just never get tired of. I also feel that "I Wonder" is another stand out track.   

You can pick up any of Last Dusk's releases, including the CD for "As the Young Die" on Bandcamp. Below I will leave links to all things Last Dusk. Please help support these guys, not only is their music great but you won't find more deserving people.

Last Dusk's Official Bandcamp
Last Dusk's Official Facebook
Last Dusk's Official Youtube
Last Dusk's Official Spotify
Secret Sin Records

Secret Sin Records

 So I want to start this post off with a bit of a disclaimer. I work with Secret Sin records. I don't say this as a way of showing off or anything, but rather as an acknowledgment that naturally, I want the bands on this label to do well. It makes sense that I would want to use every platform possible to aid in that right? Well, I want to tell you that even if I were not a part of this label I would be making a post about Secret Sin as well as the bands that are on it. When I did my first post about Angels of Liberty I still wasn't even involved at the time. 

In my Angels of Liberty post I spoke a lot about my experiences with Voe and Scarlet and about the band, however, I didn't go into detail about the label they started. The original bands were Angels of Liberty, Snakedance, Fear Incorporated, Minnie d'Arc and New Zero God. Between 2011 and 2016 music was released by Secret Sin Records. There was always a DIY feel to their releases and they were known to throw in little extras that made every purchase feel special. What happened next is well documented. When tragedy struck Secret Sin was all but dead. Before Voe's passing Angels of Liberty had completed a lot of new material. The plan was to release another album, but of course that never happened.

 This brings us to the current reincarnation of Secret Sin Records. A few friends who have stayed in contact with Scarlet gathered with the purpose of getting that unreleased material out there and continuing the label that Voe and Scarlet had started. Scarlet Powers from Angels of Liberty, Wayne Reid and Carfax Haddo, from the band Last Dusk, along with two long time Angels of Liberty  friends DJ Xiola and June Moyer. I came on board some time later when it came time for a website. Once the ball got rolling word spread quickly and before long Secret Sin Records officially had on it's roster Angels of Liberty, Last Dusk, NU:N and the Stella Project. While getting everything in place for the release of the new Angels of Liberty ,Last Dusk released the first album under the new Secret Sin regime (although officially we are declaring the AOL release as number 1), "As the Young Die". The pre order for the Angels of Liberty album "Servant of the Grail" is under way with the official release coming soon and all is going according to plan.

The next couple of blog posts are going to be Secret Sin Record bands. I will be the first to admit, prior to having started working with SSR I had never heard Last Dusk. I had heard a bit of NU:N ,but not nearly enough to say I was well versed. In the last few weeks I have listened to both bands in depth and although I work with them, I do indeed recommend them as a fan as I have these other Artists I have posted about. That and let's be honest what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't add their music to my blog haha. Below I will post links to all things Secret Sin. 

Secret Sin Records Official Website

Secret Sin Records Facebook

Secret Sin Records Official Youtube

Malefixio-Culto a lo Invisible

Malefixio are a Deathrock band from Barcelona, Spain. The members of the band are Eva Lady Stardust , Jordi Nozin and Mauricio. If the haunting vocals I will talk about later in this post sound familiar it's because Eva was formerly in the band "La Peste Negra" (another band I recommend checking out) before their split.

My first exposure to the band Malefixio was the video for Ritval from their self titled Demo "Malefixio" on youtube. The video is full of witches, demons, devils and rituals as well plenty of other spooky visuals. (Which if you haven't guessed by now is right up my alley) The song it's self was in Spanish, which I do not speak, however the sound of the song it's self left me with little question as to what it was about. The sinister guitar rifts and haunting vocals gave me chills and I found myself listening to the track over and over again. Once I read that the song name translated to "Ritual" and that the lyrics all described a ritual, I was over the moon.. After hearing their second song from that demo "Todos Somos Uno" , which is another great track, I was already a fan. I was also delighted to find out that the band name "Malefixio" translates to "spell", "hex" or "curse", which just added to the over all atmosphere.

This brings us to the album this post is truly about, "Culto a lo Invisible". As much as I already loved the demo from the band, this first album only made me like them more. Both of the songs from the Demo I already liked show up here as well as 7 other original tracks and a cover of a song by another great band Madre del Vizio, entitled "Triviallita". The songs on this album, to use the bands words are about society, Mediterranean Mythology or Paganism in addition to Rituals or Hexes. The artwork on the album cover is also great and I read in an interview that the symbols are a "Defixio", which was "a Mediterranean Curse, before Christ era, written on the graves for wish the worst luck to enemies even after death This way the enemies didn't come back for revenge" (For the full interview please click here: Malefixio Interview )

I mentioned before that the guitar was sinister, which it is, yet it is also quite catchy and the riffs will most certainly get stuck in your head along with the wonderful driving bass lines. If you are like me and don't speak Spanish please don't let that keep you from checking out this album as the vocals are just important a part of the over all sound as any other instrument and are executed wonderfully. The lyrics are also translated for you in both the album Booklet as well as on the Bandcamp site.

You can currently buy either the CD or the digital download as well as shirts, buttons or patches from their Bandcamp or Big cartel pages, which I will leave links to below in addition to their Facebook, Youtube, Spotify and Band Website. 

Click the links below for all things Malefixio :
Malefixio Bandcamp
Malefixio Official Website
Malefixio Youtube
Malefixio Big Cartel
Malefixio Facebook
Malefixio Spotify

Horror Vacui-New Wave of Fear

From the first time I heard "In darkness You will Be Alright" back in 2012 Horror Vacui has  had me in their clutches. The dark energy they evoked brought about images of the dead throwing some hellish party in a Graveyard, daring the living to join them. They carried that same energy into their next release "Return of the Empire" two years later. Fast forward to 2018 and the self described "Vampire Punk" band out of Italy release what is in my opinion their best album yet and the topic of this post ,"New Wave of Fear".

With "New Wave of Fear" Horror Vacui has refined their sound. To quote their listing on Bandcamp "The tunes got Darker and less punk". The guitar has a lot more of an echo and texture to it and the tracks are all a bit more melodic. "Vampire Punk" they may be, but this album fit's in nicely with any great list of Deathrock albums. From the driving bass lines, wailing guitars and howling vocals to the wall shaking drums this album is highly recommended.

My favorite track from this album is "On The Other Side", it's the first track on the second side of the record and I find myself resetting the needle often after it plays. The lyrics are so poetic and sweet, yet full of of sorrow. I would go so far as to say it's my favorite track from any of their releases to date. Beautiful guitar riffs and a melody that will stick in your head, if you have yet to hear anything by Horror Vacui, this track is a great place to start. "Grey Shadows", "New Wave of Fear" and "Don't dance With Me" are other standout tracks on an album that is solid throughout. 

A physical copy of this album can be purchased on "Sabotage Records" Bandcamp page. At the time of this post their are currently 5 pressings of the limited edition purple version of the vinyl and 5 of the Black. I will post a link to that page as well as the band's page on Bandcamp as well as their Facebook and Youtube pages.

• https://sabotagerecords.bandcamp.com/album/horror-vacui-new-wave-of-fear-lp
• https://horrorvacuilegion.bandcamp.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/horrorvacuidark/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/MrRitardato

The Kentucky Vampires

As the sun descends into the horizon and the moon rises, so to, do the Kentucky Vampires emerge from their coffins to serenade those of us who delight in the macabre. They sing of Ancient Times, Sinister Love, Vampires, Witches and acts of Sorcery, as well as things that go bump in the night. 

The Kentucky Vampires are a Deathrock band out of Louisville Kentucky. According to their Facebook page the band has gone through a recent line-up change, with their bassist taking over on vocals, however with the songs he is credited as doing vocals for they haven't missed a beat as he sounds great.  They also say they are working on their next album , hopefully they stick to the same formula as their current one is brilliant. They have a great mixture of horror samples, tribal drums, wailing guitars and haunting vocals. The atmosphere this band creates will tug at the dark heart strings of any fan of old Monster Movies as well as those who take a bit deeper interest in the rites, rituals and candle lit corridors associated with horror films. In the background of various songs are various spooky noises that sound as if they are coming from a  theremin. 

My personal favorite track on this album is "Hex". In this one song the band has wrapped up all of my favorite elements from dark music. The sample at the beginning, the vocals and the lyrics themselves are all top notch. The guitar in this song gets in my head and has me humming this song throughout the day. That being said I truly love every track on this release with notable stand outs for me being "Daughter of the Morning Star" as well as "the Spider and the Fly" 

After a brief conversation with the band they do still have a few limited edition, numbered DIY style CDs (Only 200 made)of this release available but they are not listed on Bandcamp so I would recommend if you are serious about purchasing one, or a shirt to contact them through their FB. The band did also say that they are working on a new release and that we may see something new soon, so keep an eye on their Bandcamp page. I will put links to their Facebook, Bandcamp and Youtube page below. please show this band some love and purchase what you can even if it's just the download.

• https://thekentuckyvampires.bandcamp.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClVcddJ532Mk-7FEHTHfx1w
• https://www.facebook.com/thekentuckyvampires/

The Beggar's Blog

I know most anyone who looks at this blog spends a lot of money on music, if you are anything like me it's a silly amount. Bandcamp is usually my go to when it comes to music and every now and then artists we all love throw us either a free download or a "Name Your Price"  This list will be a collection of these that I find. I will update this list often so check back periodically, if you find some you think should be on this list leave it in the comments.

First up is "the Hearse" by the band the Hearse, this is a free download

https://thehearse.bandcamp.com/album/the-hearse

Next up is two downloads from the band Acid Bats: "Srita. Destruccion" and "Exhumacion". These are both Free

https://acid-bats.bandcamp.com/album/exhumaci-n

https://acid-bats.bandcamp.com/album/srita-destrucci-n

Next up is a download from Brotherhood : "Photographic" This download is Free

https://brotherhoodsweden.bandcamp.com/track/photographic

Next up we have the Cemetary Girlz with two downloads: "Opus Vitae" and "Smoke My Brain" This are both "Name Your Price"

https://thecemetarygirlz.bandcamp.com/album/opus-vitae

https://thecemetarygirlz.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-my-brain

Next up we have Corpus Delicti with "Highlights" This is "Name Your Price"

https://corpusdelicti.bandcamp.com/

Next we have Deep Cavity, I am going to list two of them, but there are others as well.  "Cavities E.P" and "Unnerve" These are "Name Your Price"

https://deepcavity.bandcamp.com/album/cavities-e-p

https://deepcavity.bandcamp.com/album/unnerve-single

Next up is Dystopian Society with "Dystopian Socity" and "Violations". These are both "Name Your Price"

https://dystopiansociety.bandcamp.com/album/violations

https://dystopiansociety.bandcamp.com/album/dystopian-society

Next up is the Drowning Season. They have several, I will list two: "Hollow" and "Curse"

https://thedrowningseason.bandcamp.com/album/curse

https://thedrowningseason.bandcamp.com/album/hollow

 

Altar de Fey-Echoes In the Corridor

Before I talk about this album ,I think it's appropriate to give a brief background about not only it's development, but also that of Altar de Fey to give a bit of context when you read what I have to say about the music. 

Altar de Fey was there in the beginning. During those early years when Deathrock was first emerging from the Void in California during the early 80's the band built a dedicated following while playing with other legendary acts such as Christian Death and 45 Grave as well as others. Even though the band had success as well as a dedicated fan base they wound up splitting after just a couple of years in 1985. There was never an official release of their music, however the name and memory never truly went away.

In 2011, after being invited to perform a reunion show at a festival in San Francisco the band was welcomed back with such a great reception that they decided to keep performing. Over the years they have added a few new songs as well as changing out a few members with the one constant being their founder Kent Cates, the guitar player that the sound is built around.

This brings us around to this album, "Echoes In the Corridor", released in 2016. The album is a mixture of songs the band has been performing since their beginning and songs they created since their reunion. This album is hands down the best Deathrock album I have ever heard. My description would not possibly do it justice and I would not compare them to any other band as their sound is truly all their own, yet completely embodies Deathrock. This is the album I would give someone if I wanted them to hear what Deathrock is supposed to sound like as an example. The guitar riffs will burrow their way into your very soul and demand that you submit. The tribal drums and driving bass lines will posses your body and force you to move while the awesome vocals and lyrics will have you wailing along like a banshee.

Normally I pick a favorite track during these posts but in this I cannot, so instead I will mention what are in my opinion some stand out tracks.  Demons, Veil of Death and 1975 are all just amazing tracks and would easily be the highlight of any Deathrock Playlist. If you are a fan of Deathrock I couldn't recommend this album more and if you were not a fan of it before after this album you might just become one.  

I am going to break from my normal format a little and in addition to posting a couple of videos highlighting tracks from the album I am also going to post a video of a performance from them. As of the time of this post you can still order this amazing album on Vinyl from their Bandcamp Page in addition to the digital download but the Vinyl is limited edition so get it while you can. Below the videos I will post links to their Bandcamp and Facebook.

• https://www.facebook.com/AltarDeFey/
• https://massmediarecords.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-in-the-corridor

Deep Cavity - Spectres In the Sacristy

With their debut  album "Spectres in the Sacristy" Deep Cavity have created a Dark, Haunting Deathrock album that has really caught my attention. From the Rozz style vocals (that's meant as a compliment) to the fast tempo beats and wailing guitars the album sounds as if it could have been made in the 80's during the height of the Deathrock genre. The band describes the album as being about "the Haunting activity that goes on behind closed doors we know of, but can't see" and in my opinion they hit the nail on the head.

I have a tough time when picking a favorite track from this album because it's it's so consistent and solid throughout. If I were to pick a favorite I think it would be "Forgotten". The overall dark overtone and subtle shifting macabre melody makes it hard for me to sit still while listening. 

Aside from their great music, the artwork on the album as well as the artwork associated with the various singles the band made available on Bandcamp is great in it's own rite. According to the Bandcamp page it's all done by the band themselves which is quite remarkable. I personally LOVE every image as well as their band logo it's self.  

As of the time of this post the album does not currently have a physical release, however after a brief conversation with Danny Aranda from the band, they do plan to release the Lp on Cassette as well as a Vinyl release limited to 50 hand numbered copies. They are also working on T Shirts. I will update this post as items become available but for now you can purchase the digital version of the album on Bandcamp. Below the videos I will post links to their Bandcamp as well as their Facebook page. If you like the music please let the band know and purchase the album. 

• lphttps://www.facebook.com/deepcavityband/
• https://deepcavity.bandcamp.com/album/spectres-in-the-sacristy-lp
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1x2UWgC-UsSjfHO97J8G3g

Twin Tribes- Shadows

Twin Tribes are a Postpunk/Darkwave/Coldwave band out of Texas. Shadows, is their first full album release but already it has catapulted them to the top of my list of current Goth/Wave bands.With the release of Shadows they have already cranked out 6 tracks that could all be singles (Shadows, the Vessel, Tower of Glass, Dark Crystal, Portal to the void and Talisman) with three other complimentary tracks that really help inject even more atmosphere.

Every track on this album is sure to please even the harshest of Dark Music critics. With their combination of classic driving post punk bass lines, reverbed, twirly guitar riffs, dark atmospheric synths and melodies, the 80s style melodic vocals and high production you will find yourself playing this album over and over again and humming the tunes throughout your day. If I had to pick a favorite it would most likely be "Tower of Glass", but really any of the other 5 previously mentioned tracks could compete.

There are currently two different cover art options for the album as of the time of this post. The top two images are from the re-release, the image just above this text is from the first pressing and again at the time of this post does not appear to be available officially on Vinyl. The repress version of the Vinyl along with t shirts and other merch can be purchased through Big Cartel, the CD can be Purchased through Manic Depression Records and the digital version can be purchased through the bands Bandcamp page. I will leave links for all of these at the bottom of this post.




Please help support this great band by purchasing their album as well as any other merch. Below I will put some helpful links.

• https://twintribes.bigcartel.com/
• https://manicdepressionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/md098-twin-tribes-shadows
• https://twintribes.bandcamp.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/TwinTribes/                                                

Angels of Liberty

                               

                     

Angels of Liberty blend reverbed out echoey guitars with super dance-able drum machine beats and rhythms. Always lurking in the background, but never overpowering the guitars and drums are catchy synth melodies. Rising above the dark symphony of sound, Voe sings about a wide range of different subjects including Mythology, Conspiracy Theories, and the contrast between Shadows and Light to name a few. I would highly recommend  this music to anyone, whether you are a dusty old Eldergoth or someone new to the genre all together. 

I think it's only fitting that a blog dedicated to Gothic Rock (and other dark music) start with Angels of Liberty. Like many people in the Gothic community Voe Saint-Clare and his wife Scarlet Powers were really good friends to me as well as my wife. We had the good fortune of getting to know them in the very beginning. I stumbled across the video of "Monster in me" on Youtube and it only had 3 views. This song- completely blew me away, I played it over and over again as I searched the internet for information about the band but found nothing. It was then I messaged Voe for the first time. We went on to have a long conversation and when I asked where I could get more of his music he explained that this video was it. 

We continued to talk and I plastered his video anywhere I could, Gothic forums, Facebook groups, everywhere. More and more folks were realizing how awesome this music was and it was really getting around. Finally Voe and Scarlet started recording more of their awesome music and eventually put out their first release. By this point we had been exchanging emails every other day and I truly considered them to be good friends. I realized how good of friends we were when they put a special thanks to my wife and I on their first limited edition releases. Not only that but they were hand numbered and they gave us the number 1 copy. The picture above is just some of the original things Voe and his wife sent us. Voe was a huge collector of all things Gothic and it showed in the things he put out there for his friends and fans. 

What really amazes me is that as much time as they took with me, I have come to realize that they did the same with many many other fans over the years. I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about Voe's passing as I'm sure by now everyone is well aware but more so I want people to know the huge impact that he and his music made, not only on countless people lucky enough to have called him a friend, but also the Gothic Community as a whole.









Recently, Scarlet Powers, along with some friends of the band  have gathered to re-open Angels of Liberty's label Secret Sin Records. They have talked about releasing the material they were working on before Voe's passing. Here are some links for all things Angels of Liberty:

•  https://www.facebook.com/secretsinrecordsofficial/
• https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAngelsOfLiberty/featured
• https://angelsofliberty.bandcamp.com/