Kirlian Camera - Schmerz FLAC download

Romance seems to permeate the Italian mien - after all, etymologically, I'd hazard a guess they invented the concept. But do not panic, or discard this album with preconceived ideas of romance - it's not all roses, kitten-soft kisses, sun-blessed days of idle strolls arm-in-arm through verdant countryside, knowing glances across candlelit meals in dark, cosy surroundings with soft music playing in the background. Romance is pain, realism falling short of dreamy ideals, aching loneliness, darkness & loss. That this music comes close, touches whisper-soft the outer edge of that we call Gothic is no coincidence - both music styles come from that place within us, a place of beauteous darkness, grand inspiritor of poetry & creative thought. You could play this music while wandering through the grand majesty of some city Necropolis and somehow get something more from what it has to offer - reading headstones, imagining these people, their lives, love, hopes & dreams dashed by that inevitable blackness which we assume closes over us when all biological systems fail - and perhaps think of the people they left behind, their aching, inconsolable loss, people who were fated to join them in the grave, but who felt their loved ones were stolen from them forever. That's Romance, as much as the rush of blood you feel when you catch a glimpse of the one you love, or the thrill of their voice when they telephone you to ask something trivial like what you'd like to eat tonight. That's love - a two way, mutual feeling which outsiders observe but cannot interface with. Romance, therefore is probably the by-product which radiates outward from love, something we can all voyeuristically share with the lovers. This album maintains that feeling of beauteous sadness, while changing from semi-religious songs from the pit of the soul to curiously martial structures ("It Was Raining") over which a calm, almost filmic male voice orates to soulful Folk Music tradition, to a larger, more symphonic sound you might associate with, say, the "Godfather" soundtrack. It combines charm and an eclectic compositional prowess which might bring surprises at every turn. The female vocalist (EMILIA LO JACONO) relies on the tonal strength of her forceful, pushing voice, sounding like a more tuneful NICO - giving you a sense of obstinate innocence, or perhaps knowing, trusting naiveté, or even pious religious fervour. The most obvious comparison musically, would of course be ATARAXIA as they play in very much the same field, with at least equal, if not more charm & appeal. DISCORDIA released it in two different versions - one as a single CD, and another inside a smart black A4 presentation box which is a highly collectable item limited to 999 copies. With the KIRLIAN CAMERA logo on the front & numbered sticker on the back, the copy they sent us contains the CD, a smart metal lapel badge, a poster of the album cover and a 7" single entitled "Le Printemps Des Larmes" which is reviewed elsewhere. It's one of the nicest packagings to an album SW/MJ have received (along with the beautiful IGORT / SLAVA TRUDU CD / book) which again says something about the Italian soul. Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.