Gothtober- Exhuming Tunes with Christian Death's "Atrocities"

Here is where things get tricky: it splits them off into two timelines, so here is the first album with the Valor Kand lineup. This album is just about Nazi Germany with an emphasis on Josef Mengele. After a symphonic build-up that lingers, "Will O Wisp" kicks in with a more metallic heft; Gitane is also along for the ride on this lineup.  It's one of the albums I have not spent as much time with over the years, but I enjoy it when I hear it. "Tales of Innocence' is slow, creepy, and atmospheric, which also marks the stylistic change for the band. On the previous album, you can hear where things were going in this direction. It further cements the shift from death rock to goth. The melodies are pretty haunting, which works for me

. I can understand how people want to take Rozz's side, and it made more sense when he was alive, but you have to appreciate what is being done here if yo uare a fan of dark music. "Strapping Me Down" has more of a punkish death rock jangle to it, showing that even now they have not turned their backs on the genre they created. "The Danzig Waltz" is a more languid wallowing in ambiance. I appreciate how Valor adapted something that was very much unique to Rozz and kept that signature to uphold what this band is about, meaning he got andd respected Rozz's vision. "Chimere Di Ce Di La" leans more in the rock direction with a decent side of weird. 

They are more focused on "Silent Thunder". The solid bass line follows the goth formula to root it.  They wander into a strange, dark weirdness for the more Doors-like crooning. The guitar is angular as the arrangement carries an aura of New Orleans blues. It floats more than grooves."Ventriloquist" snarls back with more punch. This shows that Valor also understands the rowdy punk side of the band. They cover Billie Holiday's "Gloomy Sunday," which is an odd choice considering the theme of this album. Gitane does it in her own touch, which works. "The Death of Josef' closes the album. It's more of a ghostly atmospheric outro. Overall, this album works to uphold the legacy as they kept the band going. I will give it a 9.5 

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