AshesFallen are a band that have been releasing music, in the goth rock/post-punk style since 2019, and September brings us the offering of a new album, WalkThroughFire, recorded at The Chapel 1898. Members are JamesPerry (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums), MichellePerry (keyboard, vocals, percussion) and JasonShaw (guitar). If the name JamesPerry seems familiar, then you would be correct as he is also a member of industrial rock group DeathlineInternational.
Photo by Kevin Vonesper
Your pointy buckle boots are going to be knocked off just from the opening track. “DamnMe” is steeped in guitar fuelled angst, while the chorus of “TheLastMistake” is punchy with a punk vibe, though shrouded in gothic peeling synths. Southern gothic is alive and kicking with “Reborn In The Cleansing Fire,” as you are immersed in the Fields OF The Nephilim like drawling guitar and ride across the high plains of self destruction.
“Remember Who You Are” is a really glorious track in my humble opinion, between chiming synths, clean guitar, and the soaring vocals in the chorus, just make this so dynamic and anthemic. The idea that everything is far too busy busy oozes from the “NewNormal” as the majority in the lower socio-economic strata struggle with less money and higher expenses.
Social media has made a mockery of what is normal in many ways, and this is reflected in “AnxietySociety” and the recognition 6 representations. A festering wound will become a “Scar” and though there is a lament within this track, there is still a whisper of hope and there is a hint of KillingJoke’s “LoveLikeBlood” in the guitar work.
Even in the face of doom, real love is often all we have to hold onto and “At The End Of All Things” is an ode to this love without condition in the face of insurmountable odds, bleak and yet heart touching. The last track is another brilliant number in the vampiric vein, “The Blood Is The Life,” as the delicious synths and evocative vocals drench you in dark delights of the creatures of the night.
This is an album with a lot of commentary on modern living and is politically charged, which for me is great to hear because music can often express ideas and emotions far better than other conduits. The rage in “Remember Who You Are” is palpable, as the band observes the erosion of basic human rights….even autonomy over our own bodies. AshesFallen are definitely nailing the post-punk ideal of music that matters, and with each release, they just keep getting better, so please check out Walk Through Fire.
Whom is EdleyODowd, some may ask, while others would know him as the musician that formed a deep friendship with the late and great, GenesisP.Orridge, and brought about the rejuvenation of PsychicTV in 2003. After a period of mourning, ODowd has found the inspiration to start forging ahead again, with his style/s of music. What sort of music? Ah well, that is the beauty of an experimental mind, for their art can traverse genres at a whim. At the beginning of 2023, under his own name, Edley released the electronic noise-scapes of F(OUR)-WARD and of recent, joined by bandmates, Christian Cruz and Anthony Diaz in the new deathrock inspired project, ScorpionTea. Onyx has very lucky in getting the opportunity to talking to Edley about his time in PsychicTV and his new projects. Impressively, I think he may have been channelling his fellow ScorpionTea members
Edley ODowd, welcome unto the paradox that is Onyx, that rests in the realm between worlds. Why? Because the rent is cheaper!
Thank you! Sounds like an awesome place to be!
You are based in New York, so I am curious to know if you have always lived in this iconic city and what does being a New Yorker mean to you?
I was born in the suburbs just outside the city and moved to Manhattan shortly after I finished high school. It was the late 80s and an incredible time. I’ve lived short-term in other places but always came back to New York. In 1991, I did a semester abroad in London. I ended up joining a shoegaze band called The Butterflies. Hard for me to even imagine that I was part of the first wave of it, what is now considered a major music movement. I never thought the genre would become as validated and warmly regarded as it is today.
A few years ago, I met the love of my life and moved an hours drive away from New York City. It’s been a radical change that has me raising chickens, gardening, and exploring nature in a way I was never tapped into before. Currently, I travel twice a week to New York to meet with graphic design clients, rehearse with my band, and catch up with friends. I have to admit that I now view the city in a different way. I am inextricably connected to it, but having a 24/7 existence there is not something I feel I would be able to manage long-term at this stage of my life.
How has the city moulded you and your tastes in music?
Being in a city, no matter what city it is, has a concentration of people. So no matter what, you are bound to come into contact with all sorts of music, not to mention culture. Being influenced by acting pot like New York City is inevitable.
Waking the same streets that members of The Velvet Underground did in the late 60s or waking along 3rd Street in Alphabet City dreaming about what Sun Ra gig sounded like at Slug’s in the late 60’s…. I could go on and on, but to me, those are the types of things that have kept me inspired over the years. The streets and buildings of New York are soaked in such rich history.
Not only are you a graphic designer, but you actually lecture as a professor. Do you find your artistic and musical pursuits often prompt each other, and how much do you find your students influencing you as much as you influence them?
I taught courses at several universities during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. The experiences were enriching, and I stayed in contact with a handful of them. I am always happy to hear their success stories and see them develop as human beings. I feel very lucky in that regard.
Back then, I think that my main focus was to keep my musical pursuits and personal interests out of the classroom and stick to teaching they types of traditional design skills that would ensure you get a job when you graduate… I worried about that kind of stuff and wanted to demystify the whole process for those close to graduation.
if I were to be asked to teach again today, I would approach it very differently and integrate all of my influences because now, 25 years later, I have found my voice as a visual artist and have something more realized now to share with the world.
When and how did you manage to fit in learning to play percussion?
Growing up in the late 1970’s I was obsessed with big rock bands like KISS and Cheap Trick. I wanted to play drums on a big stage. At 13 years old, my amazing mother bought me a second-hand drum kit at a garage sale for 50 dollars. I sat down, put on my headphones with “Love Gun” and “Live at Budokan” ready on the turntable. It sounded terrible and I immediately became disinterested. A couple of years later I connected with another person to play music with. We were a perfect match because we were both starting from zero. He had a few chords, I played 2 drums, standing up like Maureen Tucker, (though at the time, I was actually emulating Bobby Gillespie from the Jesus and Mary Chain!).
My friend learned some more chords and I began to implement more drums to the setup and learned to play sitting down. I ended up joining my first band the following year and playing my first two gigs.
In 2003, you persuaded Genesis P.Orridge to bring out Psychic TV out of the mothballs and also became a member. What has it meant for you to be a part of such a significant group? /Edley, you became extremely close with Genesis, even before the revival of Psychic TV, and sadly, we lost them in 2022. How did you meet, what was the real Genesis like, and do you feel a hole where they once were?
I’ll answer these two questions at the same time since they are so interconnected. Psychic TV’s out of the mothballs renaissance was a direct result of my friendship with Lady Jaye and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. I was in another band at the time called Toilet Boys. We called it quits after a big European tour with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Once I returned home, I went to visit the Breyer P-Orridge’s, who were recovering from plastic surgery procedures towards their “Pandrogeny” living art project. I posed the question to Genesis of doing a one-time performance of Psychic TV songs at a rather unique club in New York City called The Coral Room.
Wanting to “call my bluff”, Genesis stated that they loved the idea but had no interest in “running the ship” and just wanted to be responsible for performing only. Knowing that I had the ability to put together a band and fantastic event, I agreed to take it all on.
The event took place December 5th of 2003. Within days, I began receiving phone calls and emails from publicists and booking agents wanting to work with “PTV3”. We played our final show on November 15th of 2018. I could have never predicted fifteen years of a productive collaborative relationship with Genesis. The fun we had and the things we learned and experienced together !
I’m my opinion, it was the friendship, trust and camaraderie that made the new Psychic TV the machine that it was. Over time, Genesis and I grew to have a very strong understanding of each other and a very loving friendship, which we could always rely on.
What do you feel being in Psychic TV taught you about the music industry?
I had already been in the music industry for a while before meeting Genesis. I started working as a graphic designer for major labels in 1993. I saw time and time again, bands getting terrible deals and having unrealistic expectations bestowed upon them. As I began to learn more aspects of the industry, I also learned what I didn’t want. Which was to be tied to a company that sees only numbers but does not see any value to the creative side of music and visual art.
After two albums with Psychic TV on an indie label, I decided to experiment and financially rolled the dice on a new EP for the band, self funded. I didn’t print jackets or any colorful art. I had a small embroidered manufactured, affixed one to the front of a kraft paper LP jacket, and rubber stamped the information on the back. I made 230 of them and thought “this might be a slow burn”… however, the edition sold out in two weeks simply by word of mouth. Based on the success of this EP, I was able to launch a label called Angry Love Productions. From then on, we released our music almost exclusively through this, with the profit from each project funding the next.
What has Edley ODowd been doing with himself since then until 2023?
First and foremost, I took time to grieve and focused on my work as a mental health counselor, which put me in the position of being a front-line worker during the Covid pandemic. Shortly after transitioning to my new home and job in 2021, I started work on F(OUR)-WARD…
In February of 2023, the solo release of “F(OUR)-WARD” that houses 6 tracks of sprawling soundscape magnitude, heavily based in experimental electronic, was unveiled. What was the inspiration behind “F(OUR)-WARD”?
The inspiration came from a friend who was starting a new indie label and wanted to work with me on a solo project for it. I had rudimentary skills in building music on a computer, but the pandemic afforded me time, and I began to learn. I would primarily perform sections live, record them, and then arrange them on the computer.
Some tracks are expansive journeys into the ghostly ethereal such as “Morgue Wheel” or apocalyptic science fiction like “Galactic Immersion.” How enjoyable is it for you exploring these subjects in such a visceral way?
My goal was to create sound for transcendental experiences. I simultaneously began to work with video and began creating short vignettes to launch a visual relationship with the music and build a visual space where the listener could relax into the audio through staring at the visuals in the videos
It is a burning question I have about possibly the coolest name ever….what is the Weirdo Factory?
Ha ha ha! When I moved into my house, my partner would hear these eerie sounds coming from the basement while I was experimenting and recording. “What kind of ‘weirdo stuff’ is going on down there?” they would say in their adorable Brooklyn accent. After that, whenever they’d ask where I was going if I was headed towards the basement door, I said “to the Weirdo Factory”.
You do a lot of collaborative work. How important is it for you to be able to include others in the process?
What I love about collaborative work is that I believe everyone has something to contribute. Sometimes it’s amazing to mash two brains together to see what evolves. The trick is to be a little vulnerable, and a little curious. Above all, you have to listen and set aside ego. This kind of level playing field is a place I really thrive, and I greatly credit Genesis for teaching me how to work in this way.
This brings us to your latest project called Scorpion Tea which you have created with other band members Christian Cruz, Anthony Diaz and Fern Puma. What prompted you to get together this group?
Christian and I have known one another for a good number of years. He had spent about seven years traveling in Latin America and stayed in touch throughout that period. When he was forced to settle down in his birthplace of Colombia to ride out the pandemic, he started to write new music. When travel was permitted, I booked a flight to visit him and we realized the project. He agreed to come back to the States for awhile to get the project off the ground.
Chris brought in our vocalist Anthony. The two of them have been friends and collaborators since their early 20’s, so there was already a high volume of creativity between them. I brought in Fern Puma to play bass, which will be a rotating role in Scorpion Tea. There are no plans for a permanent fourth member of Scorpion Tea.
We did pre production last Summer, mostly in my home, and recorded the full length with Tomas Dolas (Osees, Mr. Elevator) at Studio 22 in Los Angeles. Since March of this year, we are all based near New York City and have been feverishly rehearsing and getting ready to do our first public performances.
The first single, “Scarlet Misquote” has been released on the GIVE/TAKE label and I am going to admit I didn’t realise that it was a gothic/deathrock track. It is has an early Rozz Williams/Christian Death sound to it and thoroughly enjoyable. Were you aiming for that style of music or is it just the way is turned out?
The album itself was an experiment. We were aiming to collectively include many influences in the music. It varies in style but is for sure tied together through a darker vibe, musically. When we began mixing, certain songs jumped out. We were originally planning on leading with a different single, but Scarlet Misquote turned out to be the track that we felt would represent us best as a brand new band.
What is the story behind “Scarlet Misquote”?
I’m going to turn this question over to our vocalist, Anthony to answer this question as he can describe it best:
“The lyrics to Scarlet Misquote are from a perspective outside oneself, in a state of vulnerability and heightened agitation. They touch on how, in the aforementioned headspace, even the smallest catalyst can wane your resolve and leave you susceptible to making an impulsive decision. Powerless to stop it, you can only live with the consequences.”
There is also the DEATHDANCE remix. The remix is a more electronic take, that ups the claustrophobic atmosphere. How did you get DEATHDANCE onto remix duties?
I requested that Deathdance do a remix for the track. I genuinely loved the previous work I had heard from them, and I made the suggestion to them. They graciously accepted and did a fantastic job. It has now become the standard that each of our singles (there will be two more before the album comes out) will be released with an accompanying remix.
The music video for the single is truly a beautiful thing with a beauty obsessed devil, go-go dancers, and probably my favourite scene of the band relaxing outside, then actively trying to avoid a blown in and creeping invitation. Who came up with the story board and how much fun was it making the video?
Again, I’m going to hand this one over to Anthony, who wrote and directed the video. He did an incredible job and I’m quite proud of his efforts!
“Ever since Edley introduced us to the whimsical, yet dead serious routines of the legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, while we were recording the album in LA, we were amazed at how his choreography resonated with us as a physical manifestation of the hypnotic quality and longing breathlessness of ‘Scarlet Misquote.’ When the band made it clear, based on my initial proposal of the story for the video, that this particular project would be my baby, I got to work on the storyboard (something I’ve never tackled before), and it became clear that Fosse’s dark aesthetic meshed almost seamlessly with Scorpion Tea’s brand of brightside-facing hilarity.
When it came to putting the ideas into action on filming day, the sense of accomplishment was palpable, thanks to the hard work of the band, our lovely cast, and our videographer/editor Vlad Tipicidi, and seeing it all come to fruition was especially rewarding. I considered it a huge accomplishment as it was the second major project (the album being the first) that we had accomplished as a band.
The scene where the band is hanging out in the park was especially fun. We all (including Vlad and his assistant, Max) were having trouble keeping our faces straight as Max tossed the invitation at our feet and manipulated it closer to us using a fishing line. I drew inspiration for this scene from growing up watching The Simpsons, Looney Toons, Ren & Stimpy, and the like; shows based in worlds where absurd is the status quo.”
So, is there an album in the works for Scorpion Tea (I’m crossing my fingers for a yes here)?
Absolutely! The full length will be released digitally and on vinyl on October 27 via GIVE/TAKE!
What is it like having the guys of GIVE/TAKE covering your six/buttocks?
Because we live in different states, Scorpion Teas collective buttocks have yet to met the guys from GIVE/TAKE in person! It’s been a great collaboration thus far. It’s great to be with a label that encourages us to go further.
What bands influenced you into dark alternative music?
I’d say for the band it would be a different story. We all have very varied taste in music, but there are crossovers. It’s very interesting for me to work with Chris and Anthony’s brilliant minds. For example, one of the tracks on the album has a Reggaeton influence. This is not something I personally would think would enhance one of our songs. I personally believe this band to be a perfect storm for innovation. We are all influenced by music from our youth. Only my youth was 20 years before Chris and Anthony, so while I share music with them such as Princess Tiny Meat’s “Wigs On The Green” from 1985, while Chris may share some Latin folk music anther shore, Anthony sharing a rare track by a Death Matal band I’ve never heard of from the 2000’s.
For me personally, I’ve always had a hunger for music and visuals that make me think and consider. Sometimes it’s just a vibe that tickles me inside and I can’t stop listening or watching. When I was 8 years old, my first music love was the rock band KISS. Larger than life visuals with music that broke through traditions. That’s what excites me. To follow KISS were groups like The Plasmatics (Wendy O Williams blew up cars on stage and appeared publicly with her breasts exposed covered by pieces of electric tape over her nipples. Talk about blowing the minds of a 12 year old boys like me!), then on to The Velvet Underground, The Residents, The Birthday Party, Black Flag and the list goes on…
Who do you listen to now and puts fuel in the metaphoric rocket tank?
Lately I’ve been going down a rabbit hole of looking for music from the period I lived in England: 1990-1992. I was in a band called The Butterflies who were part of the Shoegaze scene (more specifically the “Lurch” scene, which sadly was never revived the same way Shoegaze has). There was a lot of music coming out of England at the time, much of which seems to have been forgotten. I’ve been scouring some Facebook group threads and have remembered and am re-listening to a lot of albums from that period. In particular, a band called Sidi Bou Said, who made an album called “Bodies” released on the Ultimate Recording label in 1995. I cant get enough…
Edley, you are going to release the next Scorpion Tea single and you have been told money is no object for the video. Also you can have anyone you want to shoot it or star in it, so what are you going to create and who is going to be in it? ps we have necromancers ready and waiting if so required….
To be honest, I’d have to say I would want it shot by John Waters and feature the cast of Pink Flamingos. But I’d like to change the location from Baltimore, Maryland to Papua New Guinea so a large quantity of Birds of Paradise doing their incredible mating dances could be featured 😉 When can the necromancers get started?
What is next for Edley ODowd?
My focus right now is very much on the development of Scorpion Tea as a live band. I have a follow up to my first solo effort “F(OUR)-WARD” in the works as well for 2024.
Thank you for your time and can’t wait to hear more Scorpion Tea!
Since their inception in 2013, Costa Rican band, Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos have been creating guitar based gothic rock music, which very much pays homage to the brilliance that is The Cure. Maniki has always been the driving force, however, 2023 has seen a change with the line-up including members Janice Black and Eva Red in creative roles. As expected, this has brought about a change in sound, which can be heard in their sixth studio album FRACTALS.
When you come to the end of this existence, most people will dwell on how that life was lived and how we treated the ones we love the most. “The Last Light” is a moving tribute to the nearest and dearest, that any slights, or reservations to show care were regretted. The synths wind their way through the guitar flourishes and the touching lyrics are icing on the cake. Next is the sonically sublime single “Supernova” with the thrumming bass, mimicking the unbridled desire for your lover. Moody and punctuated synths, herald in “Hyenas”, a slower track with weighted singing, that are highlighted by feminine vocals, giving the track an eerie atmosphere of impending doom.
The tendrils of sax coil through your speakers, binding you within the dead sexy ambience of “The Cell”, a track in a 1930s noir throe. “Once And For All” is about the passing of your one true partner in crime, and the hole that is indelibly left, which can be heard in the words Hiéreme de muerte! or Wound me to Death!. This is yet another single and the bass echoes that wound, while the synths capture our attention converging into a funerary vortex of sadness, for nothing lasts forever. The serpentine feel of the music in “Into The Sun” is quite fitting. The image of a snake is part of this lament, of earthly destruction by the normally unseen, and unnatural forces, where the Morning Star has won.
The vignette called “Paralysis” is a sweet duet accompanied only by a lone guitar, and is followed by the intoxicating “Love You Like The Ocean,” with it’s delicate timelessness that encapsulates a passionate devotion. Languid and deep like that huge body of water, twinkling with refracted light and hues of darkening blues. The sunlit shores of a “ADifferentWorld,” with the profound swirling ownership of a place that is yours alone and yet it will decay around the immortal. There is a taste of Latin flamenco in the evocative “RememberMe,” and yet the track waivers with the rich vocals and even richer instrumentation.
FRACTALS can be viewed as a exploration of one’s mortality but, for myself, it is revelling in the warmth of a life lived, having known a great love, a story of joy that transcends death. Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos have made FRACTALS an album that questions does love go on after the body ceases in this world? A part of my shadowy being truly hopes that love defies death and lasts an eternity, and FRACTALS is a gorgeous gothic exploration of abiding rapture.
Should you go into the woods, you might not come out the same….or then again, maybe not at all. Californian deathrockers, BlackHeroinGallery have just released a promo video for the track “TakeThisRose“, which is off the album AFeastOfBats, that was unleashed in 2022.
“Death is seeking out her mark, trying to trick the carefree artist into taking her gift: a rose. She uses a surrogate in place of herself, who stalks the artist through the forest, trying to get him to take the rose, even using spells to will his compliance, or trick him with the poisoned rose in a gift box. Ultimately, she will take him to meet the ferryman.” – Eyajo Joseph
And indeed, the music video is like watching the black and white silent movies, with a goth rock soundtrack. There is also an air of the German Expressionist movement, which would eventually lend itself to the progression of American noir cinematography. The track, “TakeThisRose” is atmospheric and spiritually charged, as if the ghosts of the past are watching on, waiting for the inevitable fall of the unsuspecting soul, by the cold hand of Death herself.
Athenian post-punk project ReflectionBlack’s inception was in 2022, with the EP EnteringDreamtime. March of 2023, saw the debut album released on SwissDarkNights, titled ominously, LastStopToNowhere. ElisAlex is the man behind ReflectionBlack, who previously cut his musical teeth in the huge Greek black metal scene, with the bands Ravencult and Nigredo.
“With Last Stop To Nowhere I can say that I have made an album that I am truly happy with. One record, eight tracks, each one different from each other but still forming a very consistent big picture without any fillers. One should expect quite a few surprises in the album, from catchy riffs to heavily layered atmospheric synths and even guitar and saxophone solos. When it comes to the album’s lyrics, themes such as sleep, death, dreams and the occult are being explored extensively. In the end, most of the lyrical themes come down to a general context of mental and spiritual escapism with the questioning of current realities of all forms.” – Elis Alex
The first thing you notice in “Post Sleep Trauma” is the clinking sound like a hammer in a cavernous void, that is until there is a whirl of guitars to join the rhythm, along with bright synths. Alex’s vocals smoothly light up the track with their dark mourning of not wanting to see any dreams in his sleep.. The guitars chime and sparkle but there are “No Stars In The Sky” for this mesmerising and soaring apocalyptic piece, with the heavens being consumed by a black hole, but the chorus is far more riveting.
In amongst the gloom, true love always shines eternal, and this is the theme for “Under Your Shine” as it reverberates with the melting lyrics/vocals and consuming synths, entwined with the guitar. There is an 80s synthwave vibe to the title track “Last Stop To Nowhere“, bound on a ship going to a destination that is likely doomed. “Call My Name” is atmospheric and is filled with that beautiful echoing post-punk jangling guitar. The track soars with conviction and longing in Alex’s singing.
The entrancing “Let The Spirit“, delicately picks you up and bears you along on strong and gentle hands. The bursts of synths are truly magical and one could almost believe those spirits have been freed. When you sleep, there is a vividness not experienced in real life which is explored in the dreamhouse of the track “Yet Unseen Colours“, like a prayer for more than what reality can give. “Why Believe” is the final track, and what a track to finish with. Brooding, as if the angelic and devilish sit on each shoulder, pushing their agenda. Again there as the spiralling guitars that are forever drawing you in.
ElisAlex just has this voice to die for. Smooth, evocative and sensual. The music he creates takes the wonderful saturated guitar sound, made popular in the 80s with such bands as TheCure, MarchViolets and TheMission, and then it is mixed in with the modern synths, to give each track a wonderful dark velvet sumptuousness. All this is topped off by those vocals giving us some rather stunningly perfect tracks, as ReflectionBlack takes us to the LastStopToNowhere.
I have been assured that the New Zealand band, After The Flesh, is not named after the My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult track, though that track still lurks in the back of my mind. This four piece, from Wellington, have been around since 2019, and their Bandcamp page also contains demo versions but released their debut, self-titled EP in May.
‘AfterTheFlesh comprises the talents of Slovenian-born vocalist and keyboardist Maruša Sagadin (“Marusha”); veteran local bassist Duncan Nairn; guitarist and vocalist Alec Morris; and drummer Sam Leamy‘. – UTM Music
There is a languid melancholy within “ColdGlory“. The bass is the main instrument of focus, with the jangling guitar and synths backing up. The vocals are intertwined, sinuous, and reaching for the starry skies. “Changeling” has an electronic funk, with off beat syncopation, leaving you feeling unsure and out of step. The idea that one never really changes, as what we are, is always inside us. The track, “PerpetualMidnight“, was originally released as a single in 2021 and has been updated for the EP. It hangs in the air, delicate and sensual, the perfect balance of sorrow versus uplifting. The last song is the ode to love called “Daisychain“. The track builds on the premise that when the significant other has left, there is only bleak loneliness. There is an uncluttered feeling throughout that is saturated in want and resignation.
I really enjoyed the vocal harmonisations within the tracks, playing between female and male, capturing your ears.. The mixing by Bryan Tabuteau is glorious and subtle, allowing each voice and instrument to be heard. So, After The Flesh is a beautiful thing to hear, and the group are growing into their sound, with sonorous and lugubrious gothic melodies.
Some of us have been hearing about TheBellwetherSyndicate for quite a few years, and now, we, and many others, finally are able to indulge in the debut, Vestige&Vigil, an album that has been six years in the making……. It has been absolutely worth the wait. We were tantalized by the singles, which eluded to a mammoth goth rock/glam beast. The core members are WilliamFaith (FaithAndTheMuse, MephistoWalz, ShadowProject and ex-ChristianDeath), and Sarah-Rose Faith, whom is more regularly known as Scary Lady Sarah, gothic DJ.
I remember in the 90s, being in the city on a Friday night, on a regular trawl of the alternative music stores. Skinny’s (RIP) was one such such store, below the street level, dark and inviting. It was here that we first came across a CD copy of Elyria, with its beautiful cover by FaithAndTheMuse, in the goth section. Without listening to it, the album was purchased and has become a treasured part of the collection. Faith has been involved with some monumental American groups and musicians, since the 80s, and still he has the creative fire burning full blast. Running the 13RecordingStudio, collaborations, playing live and writing fabulous music that is filled with truths and insights, with ScaryLadySarah. This album, Vestige&Vigil is an intoxicating mixture of beautiful guitars, sonorous vocals, fluid electronics and most of all, a beating post-punk heart. Scary Lady Sarah and William were gracious in talking to Onyx about themselves. their truths and of course, the debut album for TheBellwetherSyndicate. All I have to add is, woohoo ScaryLadySarah has magnificent taste…NMA rule!!!
Welcome to the Church of Onyx, William and Sarah-Rose Faith (Scary Lady Sarah). We love the night life, we’ve got to boogie, on the disco ’round, as long as it is nice and dark, with cool coloured lights.
William, many associate you with Christian Death but for me, truthfully, Faith & The Muse, Mephisto Walz and Shadow Project are the bands that really caught my ear. What was that period of time like for you and how do you feel it has coloured your music career up to this point?
William: All these experiences are ultimately additive, in that they were all different — creating with and learning from different people — but the end result is that it all becomes a part of you. Faith and the Muse would never have happened had Mephisto Walz and Shadow Project not happened first. I learned so very much during a very concentrated period of time (between Mephisto Walz and Shadow Project, we’re talking a span of 3 years), and those experiences informed my process going into Faith and the Muse. It certainly didn’t hurt having that pedigree.
Originally you were based in California, which was the beating heart of the gothic/deathrock scene and from what I have been told by others, the 80s/90s were a pretty wild time, so how did this shape you musically?
William: It was a fertile and open time. People were free to experiment, and often did. The results speak for themselves, really. I’ve carried that sensibility forward and , hopefully, that ethic and aesthetic still shows in my work. I love art that pushes the envelope, that broadens the boundaries of genre and style, and I actively avoid anything that panders to stereotypes, which was and is the whole point of it, ultimately.
Sarah-Rose, you are the well-loved DJ Scary Lady Sarah. For those of us that are not so familiar with the start of your music journey, how did you end up becoming a goth spinning the dark tracks?
ScaryLadySarah: Music has always been the most important element in my life, even as a child. I found punk rock in the very early 1980’s and that music scene became where I spent practically all my social life and time. My taste in music gravitated more towards the “darker side” of punk and alternative music in the mid- late 80’s and I dove in head first, attending as many gigs as I could, purchasing records and zines, and also exploring the other artistic disciplines and interests that inspired the musicians I enjoyed, such as poetry, visual art, fashion.
As much as punk inspired me as a younger teen, the proto-goth / darker postpunk music of those years was like fresh oxygen. It just immediately resonated with me and still does. I felt so passionate about the music, art, and style which I was into that I wanted to be more than just a punter- I wanted to bring all that to people and help grow the community of fellow enthusiasts. It was first my love of the music and second my love of the subculture that drove me to become a professional nightclub DJ and impresario for the goth scene.
I frequented a nightclub in Chicago called neo (lower case “n”) and became friends with one of the bartenders who also would DJ there on occasion. We discovered that we had a mutual love of dark music, especially the more ethereal side of it, and so we collaborated and pitched the idea to the manager of the club at the time – 1988- and thus, Nocturna was born and still continues, though it has been my sole “baby” since 1996.
Is Bellwether your first foray into playing music Scary Lady Sarah?
ScaryLadySarah: I was in one other band, semi-playing keyboards (I say “semi” because I really just triggered some cues and was hired to look spooky on stage!) That was right around 1990 and the band was called The Dark Theater. I only took up playing guitar in 2011, in anticipation of starting a band (The Bellwether Syndicate) with William.
Photo by David Staudacher
Since William moved to Chicago, you been involved in created the 13 Recording Studio, also the label Sett Records and featured on quite a few tracks for other artists, as well as doing the odd bit of remixing. Where do you find the time and do you like being crazy busy?
William: I rarely sleep. When I do, it’s in a chair.
You both are the nucleus of The Bellwether Syndicate, which began around 6 years ago, but it has really been in the last year and a bit that this project has taken flight. What was the impetus to create The Bellwether Syndicate?
ScaryLadySarah: The band actually began in 2011, so 12 years ago. I had been seriously contemplating taking up guitar for about a year before I moved back to Chicago from Berlin, in 2010. It was a desire that had been brewing in my mind for a while, after having been on the “other side” of music as a DJ for so long. When William moved to Chicago, there was no question that he would continue creating music; it’s just what he does. I am fortunate that he is not only an incredibly talented player himself but also an excellent teacher, so my first guitar lessons from him began in 2011.
William: Coming out of Faith and the Muse, I knew I wanted to get back to playing rock ’n roll. Sarah was interested in learning to play guitar, and explicitly said she didn’t want to be in a goth band, which both delighted and surprised me. We discussed the kind of bands that were turning us on at the time, and we decided to give it a go. This is the result.
Since the inception, you have been joined by three more incredible musicians in Corey Gorey, Philly Peroxide and Steyn Grey for your live shows. Could you please tell us about them and how they came into the fold?
ScaryLadySarah: I first met Philly Peroxide when he started attending my club night Nocturna at the tender age of 18 in 2005. We became friends and eventually began DJing together at various parties and also for what is now our monthly shoegaze & dream pop music night, Shimmer. When William and I started TBS, we wanted live members who we kindred spirits not just good musicians, and as Phil is someone we both loved as a friend already, who also had piano ability, it made perfect sense to invite him to join the band. He has really emerged as an amazing force when we play live- he really gives it his all and is a joy to perform with and watch!
William: We are truly blessed to have some of the best musicians and performers in this band that I know. Sarah mentioned Philly, a dear friend and great performer. Stevyn Grey has been my right arm both as a brother and in nearly all of the same bands I’m known for (Mephisto Walz, Christian Death, Shadow Project, Sex Gang Children, Faith and the Muse, Frankenstein, etc.), and his contribution to Bellwether cannot be overstated. The arrival of Corey Gorey was the missing piece of the puzzle: I’d been a long-time fan of The Brickbats, and getting him in Bellwether was a boon indeed. From our first show with this line-up, we finally became the band I’d always dreamt of.
Photo by Clovis IV
The debut album is titled “Vestige & Vigil”. Vestige refers to the last traces, while a vigil is when one watches for signs. Is there a particular reason for this title and why did you decide to bring out the album now?
William: It’s a view of the world from two perspectives, definitely informed, at least in part, by the Covid experience: Vestige – a celebration of what remains, and Vigil: an acknowledgement of what’s been lost. As this album was our first to be released on vinyl, we were forced to think in album sides for the first time in decades. As such, the songs, which evolved over the years, seemed to fall conveniently into one of the two aforementioned categories. So side 1 is Vestige, and side 2 is Vigil.
How good does it feel to know that the album is finally getting out there?
William: After a six year arc, and an absolute comedy of errors along the way, it is truly a great feeling.
ScaryLadySarah: It’s like finally exhaling. Such a relief and at the same time, a rush! It’s very gratifying to hear so many positive and happy comments about the songs.
We have been delighted to be able to hear singles before the album release, so I would like to talk about the significance of three.
“Dystopian Mirror” was written primarily about someone William knew in his past. I think a lot of us from the 80s and 90s, lost friends to excessive drinking and drug use. So is the track a catharsis, a gentle warning or tribute to a lost soul?
William: Very much a tribute to a lost soul. We lost a friend to the ravages of mental illness, brought about by isolation during a grieving process, which led to a concentrated period of extreme drug and alcohol abuse. In the end, he took his own life, and the resulting anger and grief we felt about the loss resulted in this song. The lyrics are meant to be the voices in his head as he descends into the realm of the unwell. The song was our way of dealing with it, as the feelings just hadn’t gone away, even years after the fact.
Feeding into this theme is “Beacons”, which are the people in our lives that guide us to safer shores. Can you tell us a little more about the song?
William: A love letter to our fans — our friends, our family. Connecting with them at live shows is what makes life worth living, and they’re the ones who guide us home every night. Their light never dims.
Your rousing anthem “We All Rise”, is kind of a war cry to the dark alternative community. It is about being proud of who you are, never changing for ‘popular’ opinion and never let the bastards get you down. Is some of this driven by the draconian ideals and laws being driven by the zealot far right in the US?
William: It’s a universal problem — it really doesn’t matter where you live, you are always subject to the prevailing order. It’s meant to rally our people and provide a word of support, while reminding never to lose yourself in the anger, which is always a danger. Never stop kicking against it, but never lose sight of yourself and your tribe — the ones who keep you alive, who provide laughter and support when it all gets too much.
Music has always been used to protest and make social/political observations, especially in the punk/post-punk genre. How important do you feel it is to use this voice and not let it be diminished?
William: It is all important. Having come up through the eighties punk movement, both Sarah and I know that your voice is all you have. You can use it for escapism which, while I begrudge no one the option, never really appealed to me; or you can use it to agitate and push back. My lyrics have almost always opted for the latter.
ScaryLadySarah: It’s essential, especially in these times when some of the media platforms with the biggest reach are so skewed. Music reaches people’s minds in different ways than news outlets. The politics in lyrics of the punk rock I grew up with were integral to me developing a curiosity about the state of things in government and policy. Not all songs need to be of this nature, but is important that they exist.
William, you have done quite a few collaborations, such as the stunning track “Cover Me” on the “Asylum” album for Kill Shelter. What do you enjoy about working with other artists and do you have any favourite tracks from these collaborations?
William: I love collaborating with other artists. It takes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to stretch and grow as an artist, which I really enjoy doing. Pete from Kill Shelter was a joy to work with. I also did a track for our dear friends and tour mates Then Comes Silence right around the same time I did the Kill Shelter track, a song called “Dias,” which was my first time singing in Spanish, despite the fact that it was my first language. I really enjoyed getting to do that.
Photo by David Staudacher
Do you have a favourite track off “Vestige & Vigil” and if so why?
William: You’ll get a different answer out of me almost every day. Today I’ll say “Noir Thing.”
ScaryLadySarah: Like William, my fave can change daily, but I have to admit to being a bit partial to “Clarion.” I love the all, though.
Will there be any little cheeky remixes of the album?
William: Maaaaaybe. 😉
What is the Chicago dark alt/goth/industrial scene like and has it further influenced your music?
ScaryLadySarah: We have the most friendly goth scene that I’ve ever experienced. Maybe because it’s Chicago and though we’re the third largest city in the States, we still have a more relaxed, Midwestern vibe. There are at least five other people or groups of people who produce “dark alternative” club nights in town aside from myself, touring bands generally make Chicago one of their stops, and a few festivals are hosted here. It has changed a lot over the years, like everywhere, and now when I get 700 or 900 people attending Nocturna, it feels very different from when there were 200 and literally everyone knew each other, but the growth has felt organic and everyone seems to just really enjoy the atmosphere and music. I don’t know if it has influenced our music, per se, but there may be something connecting the face that I’ve always showcased some of the more ethereal and shoegaze bands at my club events and the two songs by The Bellwether Syndicate which I have solely written & sing on (“You Can See Through Me” and “Clarion”) are the most aligned with those styles.
How much do you like to play live and has it been good to be set free after 2 years of not really being able to?
William: For me, it was like being able to breathe for the first time in 2 years… Playing live is what I live to do, and being cut off from it for that time was absolute torture for me. Coming out of it with this line-up of the band was the true silver lining to the whole thing, though. We’re positively on fire now, and I think it shows live.
ScaryLadySarah: It’s my favourite thing about being in a band, especially now with the line up we have. Our on stage dynamics are fun and exciting and energetic and I can’t help but smile pretty much the whole way through a set. Being on stage and seeing people in the audience dancing or singing along is joyous. The connection is unlike anything else.
It is incredible how many married couples make music together in the darkwave scene? Is it easier or harder creating, recording and playing music with a spouse?
ScaryLadySarah: I don’t have another experience to compare it to, but I do know that aside from any personal relationship, it has always been an honour and humbling to be in a band with William Faith, a musician whose work I have admired before we ever met. I often feel undeserving as a relatively “new” musician myself- but grateful!
We do like ‘Aargh Like A Pirate Day’ here at Onyx and as they say, loose lips sink ships, so do the both of you go under the pseudonym, The Pirate Twins and how much of a kick is it to DJ together?
ScaryLadySarah: When we DJ together we go under the name ‘The Pirate Twins” which is a reference to the Thomas Dolby song “Europa and the Pirate Twins.” It doesn’t happen with as much frequency now but it’s always fun.
What are your musical influences? The bands and singers that drew you into the dark side?
William: I could fill volumes with this answer, but I’ll try and limit myself: It all started with KISS, but soon followed by Bowie, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Phantom of the Paradise (film), Rocky Horror Picture Show (film), all of which led to the discovery of punk rock, which made the impossible possible for so many of us. Bands like Plasmatics, Germs, Dead Kennedys, The Damned brought the darkness forward in their style and sound, and then the “Hell Comes to Your House” compilation (1981) had tracks by Christian Death, 45 Grave and Social Distortion that set the groundwork for so much of what was to follow. If I had to hang the whole thing on two albums, though, they would have to be Christian Death’s “Only Theatre of Pain,” closely followed by T.S.O.L.’S “Dance With Me.’ Those albums created me, essentially.
ScaryLadySarah: Some will come as no surprise: Siouxsie & the Banshees, Cocteau Twins, New Model Army, Dead Can Dance, Bel Canto, Curve, The Cure…and many more.
Photo by George Grant
What bands catch your ears these days and set your hearts pumping?
William: Fortunately, there are many: Then Comes Silence, VOSH, Actors, The Soft Moon, Drab Majesty, Bootblacks, Algiers, VOWWS, IDLES, Nyx Division, Kite, Blacklist, Bestial Mouths, True Moon, The Feral Ghosts, Bloody Knives, Bob Vylan, IAMX, Wovenhand, the list goes on…
ScaryLadySarah: Literally, all the ones that William mentioned, and dozens more- it’s such a great time for music- but so this doesn’t run on too long, I’ll just add Gvllow, Casual Worker, Autumn, Ash Code, Topographies, Haunt Me, Yves Tumor, Male Tears, Urban Heat, Nox Novacula, Cold Cave, Cerulean Veins, Ultra Sunn, the new material coming from The March Violets, Fever Ray, Softcult, Violentene, Linea Aspera, Whimsical, The City Gates, Pink Frost, Alvvays, Noktva… (I am forcing myself to stop here but one just has to look at my DJ playlists to see which bands keep popping up!)
You have been asked to create a compilation of your favourite gothic/glam tracks and record them with the original artists, which songs/artists do you pick? (Of course, they can be 6 feet under as all necromancy is on the house and we will get the witch doctors straight onto it…no mucking around here)
William: I’ve been blessed to play and record in a few of my own favorite bands already! This may seem like an absolute cop out, but the fact is I’m not one for looking backward (as the song “Golden Age” suggests) — I’d be much more interested in recording NEW songs with these artists, which would likely include: Bowie, David Sylvian, Stiv Bators, Peter Gabriel, Marc Bolan, Kate Bush, Einstürzende Neubauten, Lou Reed, Jim Thirlwell/Foetus, Paul Williams, Nick Cave, Gary Numan, Diamanda, Galás, and, if they could ever be found, Crash Worship.
If you will, please look into the crystal ball. What do you see in the future of The Bellwether Syndicate as well as William and Scary Lady Sarah?
William: For me personally: Record. Tour. Repeat. Never stop. ∞
ScaryLadySarah: I’m trying to live more “in the moment” but of course, I hope our music reaches everyone who would love it and that they all come out to see us play live!
You heard the Scary Lady…..go out there and hear the music live, because it is all too good to miss out.
There was a stirring on the winds in New Jersey, and behold, the debut single “April” spang forth from goth rockers, TheAntoinePonceletBand. The band is made up of members, AntoinePoncelet (vocals), PeterQuilla (guitar), MarkMcClemens (bass), SantosMenendez (keys), GregBullock (keys) and JustinWright (drums).
There is the wailing and gnashing of teeth in “April“, for there does seem to be a questioning of why one has been left to fend for themselves, when the muses have fled. Is there meaning if you cannot see it? The music is boisterous, and the over all ambiance, reminds me a little of AndyPrieboy. There is also a b-side in the track, “VirginiaPlain“, originally released by RoxyMusic, back in 1972. They have retained that glam edge with the great keyboard work and lead singer Poncelet, pulls off a rather convincing modern take, of the sneering BryanFerry, though this version is more attacking.
Hearing a cover of RoxyMusic was rather delightful and a good reminder of what a great songwriter Ferry has been. The single “April” is this interesting dichotomy of 90s goth, grunginess and even honky-tonk blues at times, which is surprisingly enjoyable. It might no longer be “April“, but you can still indulge in TheAntoinePonceletBand.
Never ones to sit on their laurels, the crew of BeautyInChaos (BIC), with guitarist MichaelCiravolo, firmly at the helm, have been joined by JulianShah-Taylor (vocals/synths), for a brand new single, “Kiss Me (Goodbye)“. Just adding to the mix is long term BIC collaborator MichaelRozon on bass/piano/drum programming and drummer PeteParada of FaceToFace and TheOffspring fame.
Photo by Tish Ciravolo
There is an 80s electronic vibe throughout this track, though the guitars most certainly are at the fore, in the rich, surging chorus. Everything will turn out fine, sings Shah-Tayler, even if we are watching the world burn, so with the sweet lyrics and up tempo lilt to the music, you can believe him.
Shah-Taylor might be channelling the Thin White Duke, aka Bowie, especially in conjunction with the video. There is something warm and familiar about “KissMe(Goodbye)” that really resonated with me and maybe it is the 80s/goth glam feel. The track is both delicate and stirring, and the vocals are perfection. “So “Kiss Me (Goodbye)” as there is only Beauty In Chaos.
The second GirlsUnderGlass single has been released with video, called “DreamYourselfAway“, in anticipation for the new album Backdraft, out on DependantRecords. Original singer, TomLücke, re-joined the band in 2016, after leaving back in 1989, which has brought back those wonderful vocals that greeted us on the first GirlsUnderGlass releases and this track can be found on the Deluxe Version of Backdraft.
“It is a positive outlook on life in the present and in future. The text asks to deal with the important issues now and with confidence. The song is directly linked to my time with GIRLS UNDER GLASS back in the days, but it is also connected through the 1980s vibes within me to the present. To me, it nearly appears as if the days in between have never existed. I regard this song highly as a present and it moves me very much to see it being released as a single.” – TomLücke
There is a thrill that goes down my spine and I can’t decide if it is from the ringing guitars, the thumping bass or the succulent keyboards, but Lücke’s vocals definitely lend themselves to creating a mesmerising track. So builds the hunger for the new album from GirlsUnderGlass.
Onyx Music Reviews 