Various Artists Castle Party 2002
Metal Mind Records MMPCD0172 2002
By Russell Garwood
Held in Polands Bolkow castle, the castle party is an independent festival showcasing some of the largest bands in the darkwave community. This compilation includes tracks from many of the acts featured in 2002s meeting, and provides a varied mix of darkwave, ethereal and many other electronic forms of music.
Opener Project Pitchforks "Timekiller" is one of the harsher songs, whose gabber-influenced electronic drums and less tuneful vocals contrast with memorable synths. This is followed by industrialised darkwave merchants Das Ich with "Engel" and Fading Colours "Techtonic Girl (Beta)" which continues in a similar fashion. Next comes the less generic, hugely catchy New Model Army effort "Flying Through The Smoke" which has world elements and unforgettable melodies. Track five, another standout, is "Flying" by Dance On Glass, whose distorted guitars, dance bass lines and graceful violins make for a touching, if slightly repetitive, track. Next, Inscapes "Mein Ist Die Leidenschaft" is another noisier song, Accesorys "Brainded" adds harsher elements and Closterkeller move things in a distinctly rockier direction.
Track nine, Venus Fly Traps "Europa" continues in a guitar-based vein, but the subsequent Gods Bow tune takes a different direction with the ethereal and dance aesthetics of "Beyond Suns", a well written and memorable effort. Christ Agony turn up the volume for song 11 with "Demons Lover" which has metal elements and Moonlights "Col", the following track, is a neat amalgamation of rock and dance. Variete then provide some variation with world-influenced "Cyganska Mvzyka" before the legendary Clan Of Xymox provide one of their latest new wave compositions in the form of "Something Wrong". Penultimate track from Somnambul, "Waiting", has a laid back loungy trip-hop feel, while the album is closed with the more upbeat "Psychoburbia" courtesy of Dance Or Die.
All in all Castle Party 2002 is a successful compilation; not only are the songs of a consistently high standard and act as good introductions to the bands concerned, they also - most importantly of all go well together. This is a compilation you can sit down and listen to without having to skip any of the tracks, which comes highly recommended for darkwave fans.
Metal Mind Records MMPCD0172 2002
By Russell Garwood
Held in Polands Bolkow castle, the castle party is an independent festival showcasing some of the largest bands in the darkwave community. This compilation includes tracks from many of the acts featured in 2002s meeting, and provides a varied mix of darkwave, ethereal and many other electronic forms of music.
Opener Project Pitchforks "Timekiller" is one of the harsher songs, whose gabber-influenced electronic drums and less tuneful vocals contrast with memorable synths. This is followed by industrialised darkwave merchants Das Ich with "Engel" and Fading Colours "Techtonic Girl (Beta)" which continues in a similar fashion. Next comes the less generic, hugely catchy New Model Army effort "Flying Through The Smoke" which has world elements and unforgettable melodies. Track five, another standout, is "Flying" by Dance On Glass, whose distorted guitars, dance bass lines and graceful violins make for a touching, if slightly repetitive, track. Next, Inscapes "Mein Ist Die Leidenschaft" is another noisier song, Accesorys "Brainded" adds harsher elements and Closterkeller move things in a distinctly rockier direction.
Track nine, Venus Fly Traps "Europa" continues in a guitar-based vein, but the subsequent Gods Bow tune takes a different direction with the ethereal and dance aesthetics of "Beyond Suns", a well written and memorable effort. Christ Agony turn up the volume for song 11 with "Demons Lover" which has metal elements and Moonlights "Col", the following track, is a neat amalgamation of rock and dance. Variete then provide some variation with world-influenced "Cyganska Mvzyka" before the legendary Clan Of Xymox provide one of their latest new wave compositions in the form of "Something Wrong". Penultimate track from Somnambul, "Waiting", has a laid back loungy trip-hop feel, while the album is closed with the more upbeat "Psychoburbia" courtesy of Dance Or Die.
All in all Castle Party 2002 is a successful compilation; not only are the songs of a consistently high standard and act as good introductions to the bands concerned, they also - most importantly of all go well together. This is a compilation you can sit down and listen to without having to skip any of the tracks, which comes highly recommended for darkwave fans.
