Diva Destruction
Passion's Price

New millennium, gothic rock, Diva Destruction. It's all consequential. Missing is the one who made this mechanism possible, namely Robert Smith, the discoverer of the group. In these few words, there are already many cues to think about and get a first impression of this Californian band, led by Debra Fogarty, which has now reached its third active album.

I prefer to start from the first album, which for me was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2001. Like all bands dedicated to any genre and coming from their parts, the two female members of Diva Destruction (which is a quartet) also present themselves to the public with a very curated and clearly dark appearance. Corsets, garter belts, hair in different shades of light colors submerged in a forest of black braids, very clean makeup on the face, with skillful use of eyeliner and lipstick. Taking advantage of their aesthetic qualities, the two position themselves as leaders of the combo and convey a lot from the first impact. It must be said that, although very flashy, I immediately thought of the Californian bands that played glam rock between the 80s and 90s, making their style a manifesto and producing finely crafted records. For this reason, I was not put off by this heavily "dark fashion" presentation of the group and listened without prejudice.

Passion's Price definitely sounds rock and is certainly the result of the influence of the typical sounds that California rockers have gifted us over the years. The guitar plays a very important role in this album and in all of their productions: it's well-distorted, makes itself heard, and doesn't just want to prick with hopeless highs. In fact, it dictates the tempo along with a bass that really spins heavily to build gothic plots I would dare to define as street. The sensation this work gives us is precisely that of being on the secondary streets of a great West Coast metropolis, semi-dark and deserted, where every corner can hide a surprise you would never want.

And, moving on to the most important aspect regarding the band's sound, where would they have taken all their gothic charge from? In my opinion, the answer is easy, perhaps too easy. If London After Midnight means anything to you, then you've got it. Diva Destruction certainly owes a lot to their compatriots, who have a much broader history and fame to boast of. I was just thinking that if it weren't for the two negligible males in the lineup, Diva Destruction could be considered the female version of LAM. That tendency to compose small, imaginative, and sleepy lullabies, that influence rising from the punk ruins, that desire to show off without censorship, and above all that (in some ways amusing) '80s tendency to want to appear dark at all costs, makes Diva Destruction the typical American product trying to offer the "core" (meaning the essence!!!) of gothic rock, perhaps resulting a bit gaudy but certainly not rushed offspring.

The album opens with "The Broken Ones" a piece that made the quartet famous and is indeed appreciated because it's well-conceived from the brief opening of keyboards and drums that give us a taste of what the album will be more or less like. "Metropolitan" darkness at a brisk pace. The guitar is heard immediately, almost a warning to let us know that this will be the level on the record. And then the debut of a definitely good voice, well done Debra! Here the aim is never to be very heavy in sound, not seeking a voice with completely splayed vocal cords, not tending to give that official dark tone by trying to imitate old bands. Here the aim is to create a feline atmosphere, and our girls, good panthers that they are, succeed brilliantly in this. Going back to Debra, it must be said that she plays her voice very well, keeping it low, warm, and enveloping but very feminine. When she raises her tone, it's tremulous, a bit unhinged, but always beautiful. The chorus of the track is a haunting lullaby very well interpreted. In short, a justified success.

The next "In Dreaming" is an evocative keyboard/atmospheric suite well accompanied by all the instruments that make little impact but is instead very well sung. Here we are very close to London After Midnight, in their more manic and sweet pieces at the same time, those that would do very well accompanying a dark fairy tale.

Here we are at the best episode of the album: "Enslaved". Truly an excellent song, dark, obscure, scratching... a keyboard trick makes it always very intriguing, guitar and bass make it hard, Debra sings decisively, and the drums write a typical tempo of faster gothic rock tracks. A small dark pearl that this album gives us.

Subsequently, the album becomes sometimes more obscure, sometimes more melodic... it must be said that they worked very well in the studio, in fact, some electronic inserts do not bother at all but integrate perfectly with the overall sound. I suggest listening to the whole album because it is very enjoyable and fun. Among others, I recommend listening to "You Are The Psycho" with decidedly '80s effects in the drumming and with a very interesting overall tone of the track.

In conclusion, remember that my rating is certainly rounded up, but in essence, this album deserves it.