•
Rating: These six guys present themselves with a not overly eccentric look that includes white schoolboy shirts, black ties, a dash of synthetic blood on the lips, and notably pale faces.
They have been known for a few years in the alternative scene under the name The Birthday Massacre and hail from Toronto, but it is more than evident that their music is far more suited to the German audience than to the one across the ocean. It's no coincidence that the success so eagerly pursued with their debut "Nothing and Nowhere" (2002) didn't take long to arrive precisely in German lands, where in 2005 the lucky EP "Violet" made a splash among the audience. In it, we find the right dose of nu metal energy, industrial temptations, electronic reverberations, an unmistakable accessibility with an intriguing pop aftertaste that draws liberally from the eighties decade, and the display of a childish spirit corruptible by gothic perversions, cleverly depicted in the tasty and fascinating cover artwork. Initially, it's the refinement of a sweet and childlike voice, that of the alluring Chibi, that accompanies us through this brief journey, halfway between dream and nightmare, traversing an emotional kaleidoscope of nine chromatically violet-coated songs. Then, suddenly, we are awakened by the boldness of guitars that are sometimes rock, sometimes nu metal, sometimes industrial (which denote the band's underlying aggression) and seductive keyboards, ready to play with the listener and envelop them in a whirl of danceable rhythms.
Among the proposed tracks, the neurotic and disturbed "Lovers' End", the lightheartedness and easy-listening appeal of the title track, the power of "Play Dead" (which could very well compete with acts such as The Love Crave, The Dreamside and other modern-gothic metal bands), as well as the extraordinary "Blue" stand out. The track forms a whirlwind of perversion where rosy and childish downturns alternate with fierce screaming vocals (hearing such a possessed Chibi is almost frightening!); the keyboards help in creating a murky atmosphere and the guitars pay tribute to Rammstein, destroying any barrier imposed by the frivolity of other tracks. However, from the first listen, the need to add more substance to fully convince and gain wider approval becomes immediately apparent.
"Violet", in short, does not have the adequate potential to shake up the current industrial scene, or the synth-pop one, or that of nu-gothic metal, but the EP in question knows how to play its cards right, succeeding in assembling a small series of memorable episodes, and it will surely satisfy anyone in search of music transcending the prefabricated standards of the current dark scene. The only regret pertains to the short duration of the record in question, interspersed here and there with atmospheric interludes that skillfully recreate a childlike nightmare ambiance, but which could have also been blended with a greater number of tracks, and for two not so memorable songs like "Holiday" and "Nevermind" placed at the end. If you're interested, get the expanded version of the album, in which you can find four bonus tracks retrieved from the equally interesting "Nothing and Nowhere".
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Prologue (00:37)
The Birthday Massacre - Prologue
(Música somente instrumental.)
Introdução para 'Lovers End'
02 Lovers End (04:18)
Hands cover whispers of the lovers' fright
Fear-cloaked renditions of that autumn night
Digging up rumours of the kids in the park
What awful things happened in the dark?
Take, just one last dare
Pretend you don't care
Till twilight falls
Wait, is someone else here?
And I can't stop my tears
I've never been so scared
In the cellar buried 6 feet deep
The lover's shaken from a dreamless sleep
Nails clawing splinters from the ceiling and floor
Shrieking like the witches til his stitches are sore
Take, just one last dare
Pretend you don't care
Till twilight falls
Wait, is someone else here?
And I can't stop my tears
I've never been so scared
Calling for the other, searching for her lover
Secrets she discovers drain her face of color
1.. 2.. 3.. 4 Underneath the cellar floor
5.. 6..7..8 Lover will suffocate
1.. 2.. 3.. 4 Underneath the cellar floor
5.. 6..7..8 Lover will suffocate
1.. 2.. 3.. 4 Underneath the cellar floor
5.. 6..7..8 Lover will suffocate
1.. 2.. 3.. 4 Underneath the cellar floor
5.. 6..7..8 Lover will suffocate
03 Violet (03:37)
the tragic comedy devine
paints the way to peace of mind
leaving shallow lovers far behind
past uncertainties combine
bringing tears to sleepless eyes
memory runs the course of time
blood runs cold beyond
the violet prison for violent visions
and so the broken record plays
as you throw us away
we’re never enough
we’re drowning in cliches
so desperate to love
we’re twisting every word they say
so we sleep through the days
within the heat of passion’s war
lust is spilled upon the floor
staining red the wasted metaphor
the selfish need for something more
claws in vain at closing doors
scarring faces once adadored
tracing circles in the
violet prison for violent visions
and so the broken record plays
as you throw us away
we’re never enough
we’re drowning in cliches
so desperate to love
we’re twisting every word they say
so we sleep through the days
06 Blue (04:29)
Plastic blue invitations in my room.
I've been waiting here for you.
Reservations made for two.
Sunlight fading.
Black toungues speak faster than the car can crash.
You supply the rumours and I'll provide the wrath.
Romance is breaking every heart in two.
Casting shadows in the pale shade of blue.
Plastic blue conversations in my room.
Saving every tear for you.
Trusting every word untrue.
Twilight fading.
Fate changes faster than the death of light.
You provide the envy and I'll provide the spite.
Reflections cutting every face in two.
Casting shadows in the pale shade of blue.
08 Holiday (05:15)
It's getting late
It all just wanes and pales and fades away
If we just want it too much
And what a shame
If all there is is is all that's gone away
There's nothing left here for us
Deadlight holiday
Killing time to make us stay
Hollow as the promises of yesterday
On and on the music plays
Memories in paraphrase
Falling past my window like the morning rain
It's all the same
So many words remaining
Always too late
It never seems worth taking
And all the days
And all the nights lost sleeping
And in the end
The secret's not worth keeping
Deadlight holiday
Killing time to make us stay
Hollow as the promises of yesterday
On and on the music plays
Memories in paraphrase
Falling past my window like the morning rain
(x2)
09 Nevermind (04:45)
Five glasses changed my mind.
Seems like the ticking hands are taking their time.
I guess I've been at home for longer than it takes to unwind,
So slap me if I step out of line.
Now in smaller spaces, careless lust intoxicated.
Away from prying eyes and rabid smiles and everythings shattering.
My invitation was involuntary dilation and now I cant recall your name.
I think we've met before
It was last christmas on our parent's accord
You where the young man in the costume that was hard to ignore
And I was feeling hopelessly bored...
Now you're conversations scholarships and occupations.
You look so different than before when... Never mind... Anyway...
This reckless violation, tarnishing my reputation
Has left me nothing kind to say
Loading comments slowly
