Dead Can Dance [PA]

Performer: Dead Can Dance
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: On the evidence of this, the band's first record, Dead Can Dance can clearly be seen as a "Goth" group in the vein of Bauhaus, et al. The band's sound here is much more clearly based in the "contemporary"--Dead Can Dance uses traditional song structures, the group's instrumentation is almost entirely synthesized, and co-vocalist Lisa Gerrard's voice rarely gets into the truly ethereal, other-worldly realms that it would on later albums. Perhaps the most surprising single song on the album is "East of Eden." Built on a picked (and heavily echoed) guitar line and a rolling drum pattern, it is probably the only track in the DCD catalogue that can be described as relentlessly perky. Standouts include "The Fatal Impact," which boasts a crystal-clear guitar sound, a scaling base line, and tribal chanting; "Wild in the Woods," which is underscored by a threatening, droning guitar; and "Musica Eternal," a subtle track that clearly indicates the path that the band would eventually follow. The CD appends the group's four-track GARDEN OF THE ARCANE DELIGHTS EP, which shows the first true steps down that path and features Gerrard using her voice startling effect, especially on "Flowers of the Sea."

Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard formed Dead Can Dance in the early 1980s in Australia, moving to London before the release of their self-titled debut in '84. Their unique sound bore a dark, gothic feel, but was far more idiosyncratic than that of the goth-rock hordes. Over the years they incorporated Early Music, electronics, Celtic flavors, and various World Music touches, all held together by the pair's trademark vocal blend. Dead Can Dance split up on a high note following their 1996 album SPIRITCHASER, with Perry and Gerrard both going on to solo work, and the latter singing on numerous film soundtracks.

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