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During what was defined as the technopop period of the Clan of Xymox, the Dutch group, in addition to simply calling themselves "Xymox," released the most successful album of their career, namely "Twist of Shadows," thanks also to the shift from Ivo Watts' 4AD to the major label Polygram.
The album's main merit was its ability to break into the U.S. market, where it sold three hundred thousand copies and where Xymox can still count on a substantial core group of fans who consistently follow them.
In an interview read online, which you can easily find, Ronny Moorings, the band's founding singer, has heavily disowned the album, judging it too commercial and not reflective of the true spirit of him and his musical creation.
If I were in his place, I wouldn't be so categorical, given the success of the album, which made them known beyond the borders of the old continent.
"Twist of Shadows" is, in fact, a good album, even though heavily influenced by the 80s synth-pop that was prevalent in those years, but fortunately free of those plasticky sonic excesses so fashionable at the time.
In short, Ronny's statement seems to me yet another attempt to appear pure and hard to please the most traditionalist fans who don't forgive any commercial turn.
Indeed, after some time and a noticeable drop in sales of the following album "Phoenix," they returned to the old name "Clan of Xymox," to more distinctly electrogoth sounds, and the inclusion of the guitar in what is still today their traditional musical style.
The most representative and notable songs are also the melodic and danceable singles from Twist of Shadows, namely "Evelyn," another song with a female name title, a constant in the Clan of Xymox's discography, "Obsession," whose clip was even played by MTV, "Imagination," perhaps their most commercial song ever, in which they were even compared to Spandau Ballet, and the Depeche Mode-esque "Blind Hearts."
Negligible, instead, are the slower and darker episodes, too formulaic, with the exception of the instrumental and concluding "Clementina."
In short, all things considered, Clan Of Xymox did well to abandon synthpop for the current electrogoth, but "Twist of Shadows" nonetheless represents an important step in the band's career, which deserves your listening attention.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Evelyn (04:03)
WE WALKED TILL THE SUNLIGHT DIED HOW COULD I BREATHE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE LIKE OTHERS WE ALL FIGHT AGAINST THE CRUEL CRUEL TIME A HUNDRED TIMES A YEAR THE WIND BLOWS A HUNDRED TIMES A YEAR THE WIND BLOWS THROUGH MY SKIN THROUGH MY SKIN ALL THE CHOICES AND MANY VOICES KEEP ON TELLING ME IT'S YOU, EVELYN IT'S YOU, EVELYN WE TALKED ABOUT WRONG OR RIGHT I COULDN'T AGREE I HAD TO SHOUT SOMETIMES WE ALL MUST FIGHT AGAINST THE CRUEL HEART OF DOUBT A HUNDRED TIMES A YEAR WE FIND OUT A HUNDRED TIMES A YEAR WE FIND OUT BY EXPERIENCE ALL THE CHOICES AND MANY VOICES KEEP ON TELLING ME IT'S YOU, EVELYN IT'S YOU, EVELYN YOU KEEP THE RAIN FROM FALLING YOU KEEP THE RAIN FROM FALLING DOWN ON ME EVELYN EVERYTHING WILL DIE FOR YOU EVERYONE WILL CRY FOR YOU EVELYN, EVELYN, EVELYN YOU KEEP THE RAIN FROM FALLING DOWN ON ME EVELYN
02 Obsession (05:49)
We sit in your room
Sp dark and strange
With yellow candles
Burning straight
Outside it rains
So silver and bright
A glaring light
Crashed into the sky
It's just the way it should be
It's so right as rain
It's just the way it should be
It's so right as rain
We stayed awake at night
With vision so unreal
We stayed awake at night
With visions so ideal
It's got a hold on me
It's got a hold on me
Smiles and voices suddenly changed
Eyes and shadown on a distance too short
Is there someone who I know?
Is there someone at all?
Is there someone who I know?
Is there someone I called?
It's just the way it should be
It's so right as rain
It's just the wat it should be
It's so right as rain
We stayed awake at night
With vision so unreal
We stayed awake at night
With visions so ideal
So when the rain comes running in your eyes
And the wind shakes the forest leaves
We stayed awake at night
With visions so unreal
We stayed awake at night
With visions so ideal
It's got a hold on me
03 Craving (05:43)
I wandered through the streets
Hoping to be found
Do you wanna meet
Do you wanna feed
There is this empty space
It's the hunger I feel inside
There is this killing game
And my head will roll
There is this waiting game
Today there is this wall
My soul is not my own
Today I want to forget
At night I hear this call
Play this killing game
I listened to a name
Listened to the craving
Do you remember
There was a time
A very moment
The anger I feel inside
Do you remember
When all colours died
Do you remember
Bland and blind
All the craving was mine
I want to forget
Shadows
I want to forget
Shadows
There is this killing game
And my head will roll
There is this waiting game
Today there is this wall
My soul is not my own
Today I want to forget
At night I hear this call
Play this killing game
04 Blind Hearts (03:48)
How long will it take
Before you see
There is no room for you
Inside of me
Deep in our hearts
We are alone
Deep in out blind hearts
Skin and bone
In many ways
You've lost your dignity
Hey girl, give up
Your hopeless ecstasy
Deep in our hearts
We are alone
Deep in out blind hearts
Skin and bone
Kiss high heaven
Kiss one other
Kiss the earth
And kiss the sea
Everytging instead of me
Everything instead of me
Kiss your precious destiny
Deep in our hearts
We are alone
Deep in out blind hearts
Skin and bone
Deep in out hearts
We only know
Deep in our blind hearts
Skin and bone
Bone of contention
We only know
Bone of convention
We only know
06 A Million Things (03:50)
Words won't occur to me
At half past three
My reason die
Why couldn't you make that choice
Noise of life begins too soon
I closed my eyes
How could you be so cruel
Sweet vision of mine
And I keep dreaming of
A million things
And I keep dreaming of
A million things
They have wings
I layed down my sleeping head
Time burns away
Let the living creatures lie
Midnight visions awfully die
And I keep dreaming of
A million things
And I keep dreaming of
A million things
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