A great post-punk album
Josh | Boston, NY USA | 09/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is a rather complete collection of material from the band's short life. A large amount of the material on this album revolves around slow, atmospheric basslines, female vocals (with screeches and wails that may appeal to fans of early Siouxsie and the Banshees), dark post-punk guitars, and intricate, often tribal drums, sometimes also employing such production touches as howling wind effects. The end result is dark, haunting, and at times downright creepy.A somewhat smaller portion of the material on this album is faster and more upbeat rock, sometimes even using horn sections. These songs are just as good as the slow, moody material, with the fast rocker "Promised Land" being one of the standout tracks on the album.This being a fairly complete collection, a few of the songs here are repeated in different versions, but the songs are good enough that this is a bonus rather than being excessive. Rounding out the collection is a fun cover of the Batman theme, a nice cover of Stand By Me, and an original rock waltz with great analog keyboards.This album is a must have for any fan of early Siouxsie and the Banshees or The March Violets, and shouldn't be overlooked by any fans of post-punk (or gothic rock, if you prefer) music in general."