Maud the moth : "The Distaff"

 I really loved the last healthyliving album, so when I saw this project was their singer Amaya Lopez-Carromero, I jumped at the opportunity to give it a listen. In some ways, it's darker. It falls outside the realm of what we define as rock music, so if it's goth it's the same way Dead Can Dance is goth, but two songs in it's lush and grandiose at times but not dark. There is an almost prog-rock climax to "A Temple by the River builds up". Her voice is even more impressive in these songs than it was in healthyliving.  Scott Mclean from healthyliving plays guitar on this album. But it's not loaded down with guitars. Amaya handles all the piano, which is the backbone of the songs as more abstract sounds come in contact with it, 

In fact "Exuviae" wanders in this neo-classical ambiance, and holds less hook to its melody, but she is not writing anything in the realm of pop hear. Her multitracked harmonies work well on "Burial of the patriarchs".  The piano lines are not riffy like say Tori Amos or Elton John who adhere to more traditional song structures. Though this music owes more to classical than jazz, I can hear a slight hint of Kate Bush influence in how the songs hang in this hovering haze of magic. Her voice flows along this to add to the ethereal swathe of sound she is creating, at times darker modes shift into play as a dynamic, but not the overall mood of the album. The almost ten-minute "Despenaperros" serves as the centerpiece of the album. 

In comparison to some of the previous songs the four-minute 'Fiat Lux" is almost a pop song. It is certainly one of the album's most well-written pieces as it uses contrasts of sonic intensity well. The final song is possessed by a more dissonant ambiance. I will give this album a 9, while I  might listen to a new healthyliving album more I can appreciate the artistry and talent invested in creating this piece of sonic whimsy.

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Black Tape For a Blue Girl : "These Fleeting Moments"

This is where we separate the hipsters from Brooklyn who latched onto a Sisters of Mercy album from the real goths. With fans ranging from David Lynch to Sasha Gray the neo-classical goth band returns on their 30th anniversary for their 11th album. The album opens with an almost 18 minute song called the vastness of life. Oscar who sang on the band's first seven albums in back in the fold. There is a lengthy atmospheric break in the opener. The string bring a thicker layer of sadness to the gloom. Oscar's daughter Dani lends here voice to the album and is pretty impressive. The fact that Sam Rosenthal runs Projeckt Records enables them to nab many guest musicians including Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione makes his presence known on "Limitless" which might also be the album's strongest song.

His voice isn't as confident on "One Promised Love" . The strings on this song and the backing vocals keep the song afloat. The vocals show improvement on "Absolute Zero". The synths are more kraut rock like in there drone on "Affinity". "Please Don't Go" carries an atmosphere that is a shade darker. It is goth as fuck and doesn't need vocals. "Six Thirteen" sounds like something that Black Philip could have gotten down to in "the Witch" and even then it's not as exotic as the song that follows which might make you want to seek out the closest opium den. I really like the Pink Floyd like guitar solo on this song. There is a very ritualistic quality to "Mediation on the skeleton".

There is a more traditional choral tone to "Desert Rat Kangaroo". Lyrically it ponders who the universe favors. It sounds a little like a children's song to me. The folk ballad "She's Gone" might be fitting for the mix tape, "Songs For A Heart Broken Lesbian". Though she could be singing about her mom. The distorted guitar helps switch things up toward the end. More rolling atmosphere twinkles in the dusk on "She Ran So Far ..." . It wanders with a very post-rock feel . There might be more rock on this album than you would expect from this project. There is an angular plastic sound to the synths that open "Your'e Inside Me" to close the album. I am unsure of some of the vocal choices, they are not always in key. In some way I suppose it might be influence by David Byrne. I'll go ahead and round this up to an 8.5 as it touches on moments of vastly dark beauty.

Yngwie Malmsteen : "World On Fire"

This is the first album I have paid attention to where Yngwie is doing everything. He plays bass and sings on it with , Mark Ellis handling the drums .  The bass tone is better than I thought it would be. He doesn't  cover much in the way of new ground with his guitar playing. It's really fast and clean sweep picking, but at this point it's been done to death if you listen to metal. Vocally he is also better than I thought, I would prefer Ripper because Yngwie's style of power metal belting is a little bland. He can carry a tune and sing in key, saying in more of a modest mid range. The second instrumental "Abandon" is a little better than the song before it. "Top Down, Foot Down" is typical shred fest that you know you are in for at this point. By the fourth song almost all of his solos sound the same to me. He indulges in a little more melody, though with the song title I would think he would follow the more up tempo pace set by the Van Halen like bass and drums. I remember as a kid liking songs like "I'll See the Light Tonight" and "You Don't Remember I'll Never Forget". In fact I even caught him on the 'Odyssey" tour, "Eclipse" was the last album I bought. So at one point I had more of a stomach for this sort of thing.

There is more punch to "Lost in the Machine". Vocally it's a mixed bag, some phrases he sounds like he could run out of breath at any minute, others he sounds stronger than the first song. The solo that keeps playing over the chorus toward the end of the song seems un-needed. Here is my sticking point with Yngwie, is sure he can solo like a mother fucker, but the riffs he comes up with sound like re-hashed Man O War on a good day. "Largo" shows him dazzle you while using a cleaner guitar tone, which is more impressive to me. It is almost silly how "No Rest For the Wicked" starts off with soloing right on the one. Yngwie takes to the mic again on "Soldier". You can hear how Deep Purple has influenced his approach to singing. This one gets bluesy, but walks that line Ritchie Blackmore does fusing the blues with neo- classical. I'm unsure about how the song speed up, but this is more comfortable for Yngwie to sing. "Duff1220" is another shred, there are only slight variations with this from what we have already heard , most in the bass and drum tracks which are both really low in the mix. Yngwie obviously mixed this album as the leads are way up front. The slight return to "Abandon" doesn't do anything we haven't heard on this album so I am not sure what the point of it was. While "Nacht Musik" is cool for what it is, the licks are pretty similar to what we have already heard at other speeds.  Overall I'll give this wank bank a 6.5, there are some decent moments that impress, I would think even if shredding is all you need in your life, you at least need it is varied doses that don't seem like the same song on the same album.