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CD ReviewBitter Grace – “God And The Abyss”By ACyD BURN
The CD was then, as it is now, an impressive outing of old school goth music. To those youngsters out there telling people what is and isn’t goth…THIS is goth. Guitars are the mainstay on this CD; no glowstick swinging arpeggios here kids. Think back to the days of Screams For Tina, Alien Sex Fiend, Corpus Delecti, Fields of The Nephilim, Mission UK…you get the picture. The mixing has been done well enhancing the full spectrum of sound found on the disc and offers some very ethereal gothic masterpieces mixed with traditional goth rock of days gone by. Beneath The Ocean Black starts off the playlist on my windows media player and starts the disc with a very ethereal piece. Drums are very deep and tribal, meshing with orchestral strings and deep bass tones. The vibe is very dark, powerful and ritualistic. God and the Abyss switches gear to some bass banging goth rock as heard on Special One. Bringing to the table elements of Iggy Pop and old post-punk from back in the day. The guitar distortion driven balls to the wall blues. The tempo is upbeat and will be sure to get you banging your head or kicking someone’s shins. Ashes In The Rain uses old school analogue strings weaving into a tapestry filled with up tempo drums and a sound reminiscent of the Mission UK. The song changes tempo to fuel up for a slight change in style and drops back down in tempo while maintaining a constant flow. Precious comes in with a rocking sound reminding me of Tiamat in some instances. The track has a more glam rock sound to it, adding to the eclectic ensemble unfolded on this release. The Very Last Goodbye brings visions of Joy Division, Screams For Tina and The Cure. The androgynous emotion oozes out of this track like a razor across flesh. Fever comes in next and reminds me of Christian Death meets The Empire Hideous. Burning Kisses is another love lost track; emotional and heartfelt. Requiem ends the disc and sounds like background music for a scene in Lord Of The Rings. The piece is neo classical. Wonderfully composed with an elegance all its own. Magnificent work. God and the Abyss totals 52 minutes of gothic goodness and to those old schoolers out that may not have grabbed this disc in the past they should surely seek one out. Traditional goth rock with added neo classical and ethereal masterpieces suitable for any ritualistic activity you may dabble in. The musicianship flawless, the overall vibe is dark and the CD an absolute keeper! Contact Information: |
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Bitter Grace has lasted the test of time
and is still kicking it harder then ever. This review however is focused upon
their freshman effort which I remember well. I was in a band called Martyr
Complex as lead guitarist and had been invited to play the Gothcon 2000
Atlanta, Georgia. While roaming through the plethora of flyers and freebies I
happened upon this very same disc I am reviewing today five years later.
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