cleopatra 1998

this compilation of david bowie covers by modern "goth" bands and even a few bands somewhat more diverse is very impressive. the music styles of the bands are diverse, so the album won't bore you in the least. in fact a lot of the songs are very good.

among the most impressive bands are wreckage, cinema strange, nosferatu, kommunity FK, big electric cat, and even christian death. big electric cat's "car people" sounds amazingly like the cult, which doesnt dissapoint me in the least. the christian death version of "panic in detroit" is nothing new, being the very same track that appeared on cleopatra's "death mix" christian death remix album. corpus delecti's "suffragete city" is also old material, but some of their best. kommunity FK does "hold on to yourself" and seeing kommunity FK appear on an album again is great news (a little more on that...). tubalcain, with an amazing "andy warhol" and ex-voto's "scary monsters" are also great songs. alien sex fiend's "all the madmen" is less impressive if you're looking for something more high energy. this is a great tribute to one of modern music's most revolutionary names, who also served to open the doorway to punk and then later on gothic rock.

the best songs are wreckage's "heroes", some of the best modern gothic rock has to offer, commendably without overdramatized synths and dreamy etherealism that has become oh so popular. cinema strange gives us a cabaret style ballad meets sex gang children that i really liked. tubalcain, whom i never heard of is reminiscent of bauhaus, perhaps because of the bass driven "andy warhol", but the vocals are also somewhat peter murphyish and not dissapointing. kommunity FK gives us an intense dosage of rock on a more upbeat scale that spikes the album with a little diversity. deathrockers would be proud. next, christian death's "panic in detroit" doesnt drop the pace, even though its a remix, this is one of the better remixes of christian death material available. big electric cat's "car people" is cult-like in vocals and music as well. makes me wonder if the original song influenced ian astbury and billy duffy much. this is a really good song, with excelent guitar work and synthesizer layers that i have come to admire from big electric cat exclusively, no matter who else has been doing it just as much as them. the australian based big electric cat is probably one of the best gothic rock acts out today.

fans of bowie will love this album even if they have been living in a cave and haven't heard any of these bands. fans of gothic or even more above ground rock who don't know bowie will appreciate this music as well.

buy on cdnow