A Passage In Time - Dead Can Dance Reviewed
 

Dead Can Dance

Brendan Perry
Lisa Gerrard

This is the ‘in’ thing to do yeah? Grab a band, and review their discography and hope everyone lavishes praise on them like you do. Thought this would become a pet project when I can’t be bothered finding some obscure album to review. Either way, within this thread I plan to navigate my way through Dead Can Dance’s discography, as well as some live/bootleg releases and possibly Perry’s and Gerrard’s work after the band disbanded. ‘A Passage In Time’ is both a song of theirs, as well as the name for their first official compilation album.

Introduction
In 1981 an aspiring Melbournian quartet of musicians, Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard, Simon Monroe and Paul Erikson, joined together to form a band to be known as ‘Dead Can Dance’. Perry had previously replaced Marlon Hart as bassist/guitarist in an unsigned punk rock band ‘The Scavengers’ located in Auckland-New Zealand, taking over the vocal role in March, 1978. In 1979 the group migrated to Melbourne, Australia, and in 1980, they renamed themselves as ‘The Marching Girls’. They still failed to get a record contract, and in late 1980, Perry left the group, and it disbanded for all intensive purposes. Perry went on to experiment in electronic music for a short time before he announced his intentions in 1981, gathering former band buddy in Monroe, and adding vocalist Gerrard and Erikson. The group saw little promise in remaining in Melbourne, and decided to relocate to London, England, however, only Garrard and Perry made it across, Erikson and Monroe deciding to remain in Melbourne.

Whilst in London the now duo were signed onto 4AD, a popular label for underground musicians including Bauhaus, The Birthday Party, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil and other alumni. The pair adopted a gothic rock style and sound in the early days, not uncommon in the era with The Cure/Joy Division/Clan of Xymox attacking the genre in similar ways, before branching out into various other genres such as classical, folk, medieval, electronic and world.

Their music stemmed from exciting and beautiful rhythm and percussion, poetic lyricism and the sublime vocals, the smooth and melancholic baritone voice that Perry had inherited and Gerrard’s powerful and breathtaking contralto vocals. The band was also ‘famous’ in a way for their amazing live performances, which not only emulated the intensity of the studio releases, but were also made up of a large percentage of unreleased material, meaning each show was unique beyond the performances. If you attended a Dead Can Dance concert, and were hoping for their most ‘widely acclaimed’ 4-5 tracks and the rest of their new album, you were going to be disappointed.

The pair disbanded and went their separate ways in 1998 when their ‘personal relationship’ turned sour, after 17 years, 7 studio albums and countless bootlegs and live recordings. Perry released his lone full album in 1999, ‘Eye of the Hunter’ and has since remained ion relative solitude in his Church-cum-home in Ireland, whilst Gerrard moved back to Australia, and has since released some solo work in ‘The Mirror Pool’ and ‘Silver Tree’, as well as many collaborations and soundtracks, including various collaborations with Pieter Bourke, Patrick Cassidy and Hans Zimmer.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the mystical journey, and I hope you at least appreciate the majestic performances, the morose lows and the awe-inspiring highs that define Dead Can Dance.

Dead Can Dance (1984)
Spleen and Ideal (1985)
Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (1987)
The Serpent's Egg (1988)
Aion (1990)
Into The Labyrinth (1993)
Spiritchaser (1996)

Best of Dead Can Dance... Part 1
Best of Dead Can Dance... Part 2

I've had Into the Labyrinth sitting on my EHD all lonely and not-listened-to, so cheers for the reminder. All the best with this thread too - you're already off to a great start with it, so methinks this'll be a good 'un.

Pretty good band from what I've listened to. Unfortunately, despite that I have the discography, I haven't listened to anything of theirs. Looking forward to this a lot, maybe it will inspire me. Good start by the way, hope you keep it up.

In February of 1984, the duo released their first full studio album four years in the making, the self titled ‘Dead Can Dance’; the album is unique in the DCD landscape in that there is a clear and heavy goth-rock/post-punk influence that is taken out of the equation until much later in their career, and even then it is only used in small doses. They very much fitted into the 4AD mould of that time, as well as garnering attention from ‘The Cure’ fans, and other bands of such ilk. Throughout is littered aspects of experimental ethnic fusion, enough to warn of possible future changes, but none too direct. The album art is of a tribal mask to represent the idea of the dead dancing. From DCD.com, “The mask, though once a living part of a tree, is now supposedly dead. Nevertheless, it has, through the artistry of its maker, been imbued with a life force of its own.”

The album begins with ritualistic fervour with The Fatal Impact, an explosion of sound leading into a basic guitar riff, giving way to an interesting to and fro between two groups of ‘vocalists’, almost like a lead singer imploring the crowd to get behind him in a concert. The Fatal Impact holds off on introducing the duo too quickly by being a purely instrumental track.

Stage right, Perry stands up and takes notice, leading a melancholic ‘goth pop’ vibe with The Trial. He doesn’t attempt anything special, his warm tones kept to a dull drawl. The instrumentals leave a bit to be desired, the drumming almost sounding like they could/have been done on a drumming machine. This isn’t inherently bad, but an interesting note nonetheless. “All my senses rebel” stands out lyrically on the album, nothing spectacular on its lonesome, but its vivid imagery is fascinating.

Stage left, Gerrard joins in the procession as Frontier acts as a symbol for where the band would soon head, metallic and harsh tribal drumming and percussion infused with her angel like vocals. The pace of the instrumentals and vocals in conjunction is wonderful. Fortune signals the return of Perry and his rock style. The comparison between the two artists style is quite wide-ranging on the self-titled, but what’s even more amazing is the difference production-wise, which doesn’t make too much sense. Perry’ vocals seem to be hidden behind not only a veil of ‘sound fog’ but also the instruments and percussion. It doesn’t lend itself well in contrast to Gerrard’s songs. Perry sounds mechanic and processed, whilst Gerrard shines through naturally.

The balance between the two artists is key to the albums success, and in Ocean Gerrard once again has the scene to herself in the most stunning vocal performance on the album, Gerrard releasing a lush vibrato sound with her singing, accompanied by only minimal chiming and guitar. The use of glossolalia is a huge factor in the sensation the song causes. Glossolalia refers to the use of syllables fluently to create a ‘language’ of sorts that has no literal meaning. From Greek, the word translates into ‘speaking in tongues’.


Perry’s East of Eden is unlike his previous work in that the pace is calmed and instead of aggression shining through his work is a song of stillness and reflection. Threshold fuses the more goth-rock sound present in Perry’s side of the album with Gerrard’s vocals to create a fine crossroads between the two in another album standout. These reviews namesake, A Passage In Time, doesn’t offer too much of interest, and is rather skippable once you've heard it once or twice.

Perry’s best composition on the album comes with Wild In The Woods, despite still suffering from poor production. It is simple but a tad more experimental aurally in comparison to the rest of his work, and his tonal work is just superior in my opinion. Musica Eternal offers a fabulous finale, and who better to lead the procession that Gerrard, though Perry is more influential than in her other pieces, only offering a ‘hum’ but his warm and deep basic tones are unmistakable. The song threatens to take off, but its attempts are futile, being anchored to the earth in a tease.

With the distinction between two artists especially present on their first release, it is often difficult to believe that the pair actually thought they would fit together in a band aspect. Each leaves theirs own individual brand on the album, and sometimes with great results. Production, however, leaves a lot to be desired, with Perry’s work particularly hindered by its poor quality. The two ‘faces’ of the album often feel too separate, each side pulling in vastly different directions which of course destroys any sense of balance until late in the album. Still, there are some gems on the album, particularly Ocean. The album was re-released in 1994 with their 1984 EP ‘Garden Of The Arcane Delights’ attached at the end.


In a Few Words: Not necessary, but an interesting look at the beginnings. If starting out, look elsewhere.
Best tracks: Ocean and Threshold
Running time: ~36 minutes/~51 minutes with EP 'Garden Of The Arcane Delights'
Favourite Lyrics:
"All my senses rebel
Under the scrutiny of their persistent gaze.
It took a lifetime to get here,
A journey I'll never make again."

Rating - A solid 6/10

NOTE - I just learned that DCD are one of the unlucky bunch who get anally raped by WMG on youtube. Apologies.

A good start to what, if finished, will be a well-written and precise discography review. I'll be re-reading this when I finally spin this album enough to clash my thoughts against yours. What's your rating for the album by the way?

Can't decide what I'm going to do with that... Might save it for when I've done all of them so the marks are comparative rather than one off on its own sort of thing. Will brew on it today.

1985 signalled the release of the bands second album, ‘Spleen and Ideal’, with a little more fanfare than the S/T release. At just their second album, Dead Can Dance had evolved their sound that bears little resemblance to the first album save through the vocals and name. Rather than the goth-rock style with a hint of tribal, the sound now reflects greater levels of ethnic fusion, intense neoclassical framework and a greater level of experimentation in general. The title from the album is from an 18th century poem, and it refers to “the conflict between sinning flesh (spleen), the struggle to realise the idea.” The albums lyrics were based on poetry by Charles Baudelaire and Thomas de Quincey.

De Profundis (Out of the Depths of Sorrow), even its name, represents the passionate and haunting lyricism that is present throughout the album. The listener, abused by a wall of sounds created by a classical choir and organ combination is directed into Gerrard’s performance, a majestic one partially relying on glossolalia and some words. The album could not possibly get off to a better start. The song speaks for itself.


The listeners are given a little treat in Ascension, with a horn/brass based instrumental with a smidgen of choir work in the second half, creating a atmosphere of melancholy that matches the album beautifully. Nothing amazing, the song is perfect for its place in the album.

We knew that Gerrard could produce a stunner; however, the real question was how it would be followed up by Perry. Needless to say, he has stepped up his game big time. The undemanding songs and poor productions are replaced with Perry becoming the focal point carrying a sense of grace and civility, evident in The Cardinal Sin. He is supported by a neoclassical brass backing mixed with a basic beat from the drumming with the occasional burst of keyboard.

The demeanour of the album changes from melancholic to menacing for a short time with the beginning of Circumradiant Dawn, string instruments resonate a harsh and squealing pitch. Gerrard’s beautiful tonal work is once again present, stretching her voice to the point of breaking time. Mesmerism is another Gerrard focused piece, and it picks up the pace considerably, a tribal rock fusion sound dominating proceedings. Her ability to not only match the pace but improve upon it is sublime. With only a short amount of lyricism, the balance is unique and fragile, and she pulls it off. The line “For you have been… mesmerised” is particularly fitting for the bands work in general, sung over a dramatic and powerful beat, making it one of the albums best works.

The mannerisms of The Cardinal Sin is replicated in Enigma of the Absolute, which begins with a simple acoustic sound before pounding of war drums and violin work take over with Perry’s best vocal performance from the album. He delivers a sermon like performance that increases in dramatic nature as time continues.

Advent follows Enigma with another Perry vocal performance, although nothing spectacular, is a nice piece, but by now it feels bit similar style wise to his previous songs. Avatar is its ‘sibling’ (purely due to name similarity and proximity), and is yet another great performance by Gerrard. It stands out, similarly to Mesmerism, due to its frenetic pace, but Gerrard’s vocal progression is also a treat.


As well as the album kicks off, it ends with a similarly high note with Indoctrination (A Design For Living), introducing the most distinct electronic sound of the album. The two halves rely on each other, and they both do it well.

The transition between the first album and Spleen is amazing quite frankly. Gerrard is as astonishing as advertised, developing her vocal work from the first album, whilst Perry has caught up, offering his own distinct brand of dramatics which work well in conjunction with the albums style. This is a great starting point for anyone interested in Dead Can Dance, as it offers the first high end production point, as well as offering a place to compare the bands future evolution appropriately. De Profundis, Mesmerism, Avatar and Enigma of the Absolute all stand out in their full glory.


In a Few Words: Its where to start your journey.
Best track/s: Avatar
Running time: ~38 minutes
Favourite Lyrics:
“The insatiable thirst for power has made idols out of mortals, gods into clay, soldiers into heroes,
Children into slaves of damned desire, their hopes betrayed.”

Rating – A top end 9.5/10

Sorry had to upload the live bootlegs rather than the actual songs (Dunno how De Profundis is still up there) just to avoid the whole WMG crap.

I'm a die hard DCD fan, and I enjoyed this.

Welcome to the forums.

I finished listening to Into the Labyrinth about an hour or so ago. Absolutely loved it (brilliant second half in particular), meaning I'm pretty much sold when it comes to DCD now. Definitely gonna go for Spleen and Ideal there as a next stop in their discography now.

Keep up the great work mate. I'll be looking forward to the next one.

Yes, ITL is a pretty interesting one... It has some of my favourite Perry tracks, but we will get to that later I suppose.

Either way, glad you enjoyed it, hopefully you enjoy Spleen and Ideal.

Cheers for the heads up that you were doing this thread Zarko. A quality read. Let me know when you put up more review's as I am more than interested in your "new" takes on the brilliant career of Dead Can Dance.

I have been giving the 2 Gladiator soundtracks that Lisa Gerrard contributed to a serious listen this last week and they are very very good indeed. I see via her site that she has a new album, The Black Opal, released in September/October so hopefully she backs this with a tour. She also has a soundtrack release for the movie Balibo. I have not heard it yet but will get it as soon as I can.


The long rumoured Perry album has still yet to see the light of day. Oh well us fanatics will just have to wait I guess.

In 1987, the band released their third studio album, ‘Within the Realm of a Dying Sun’, which followed in similar vein to Spleen and Ideal. The neoclassical influence is still heavily present, but it is mixed and matched with a darker tone, reaching a point of minimalism at times. Sounds are often more distinct and individual in comparison to the large drone-ish walls of sound present in Spleen. This accommodates a largely ethereal sound present in the self titled, but reflected in a different manner. The album is also quite different to previous releases in that the album is cut into two distinct halves; One half belonging to Perry’s performances whilst the other caters to Gerrard’s talents. Each has their own four songs, with minimal interaction between the two. The album cover is from a picture taken in Paris, at the Père-Lachaise cemetery. The grave taken is of former politician Raspail.

Perry is given the first chance to shine and, as mentioned, he dominates the first half of the album. Anywhere out of the World follows the form of the band introducing albums with spectacular songs. Opening with a heavy metallic chime, the sound reverberates through the song, as other orchestral pieces are slowly introduced; once again producing an eerie choir sound similar to De Profundis.

Windfall carries an almost macabre carnival style with the import of fanciful wind based instruments and sounds. The elongated and dull sounds lend themselves well to the overall atmosphere of the album, the instrumental track the only one from the album (Another continuation from Spleen). The plodding and discreet In the Wake of Adversity does nothing particularly special but is still a nice track overall, with some solid vocals from Perry and percussion.

The first three songs seem inauspicious, and purely used as a lead up to one of Perry’s most powerful performances through his career in Xavier. Sublime story telling is ever present, as Perry seems to almost be reading from a poem of epic standards. The subtle touches to Perry’s vocals at various intervals are wonderful in the studio version, and there is not much more I can say than to listen to the song it self.


From then onwards, Gerrard takes the reins and in standard fashion, raises the standards of the album sky high. Dawn of the Iconoclasts bombasts the listener with all the marching brass and war drums in their possession before Gerrard displays the vocals, subdued and controlled by her own standards. At only two minutes in length it works well as an introduction to her work as the song builds up in vigour and alarm.

A bit more world music is infused into the goings as Cantara carries a distinct Middle Eastern tone. The slow introduction of sharp string plucks and keyboard lead way to a feverish attack, as the pace is increased and Gerrard’s exceptional vocal work begins, quite unlike anything else she has produced yet early on with sharp and high pitch singing dominating, occasionally accompanied by a male vocalist. As per normal, she is in stunning form.


Summoning of the Muse continues the form, kicked off with procession music, with Gerrard producing the most dramatic song of the album. Only the ending of the album can bring about the ending to Gerrard’s consistency, as Persephone matches a wonderful balance between the previous two songs, catching some of raw beauty of Cantara and mixing it with the simple elegance of Muse in another impressive and somewhat sad finale to the album.

The album is filled with some amazing pieces of individual glory that must be checked out if you have enjoyed any of their other previous works. However, the album still suffers from a few problems overall. There is a relatively poor balance throughout the album, partially due to the fact that it was divided into the two sides so blatantly. Whilst Perry’s work seems like a developing story, with the eventual climax, Gerrard is able to suckle each and every drop from her time to make everything seem individual and unique, despite being lined up one after the other. I am not sure how much it would have helped to spread things around, but Perry seems a bit same-same until he does something special, unlike Gerrard who is always special. All things considered though, it is an underrated album by the group, with enough great moments to have it right up amongst their best.


In a Few Words: An obscure and somewhat forgotten album with enough special moment to earn it a tick, a solid continuation from Spleen and Ideal
Best tracks: Xavier and Cantara
Running time: ~39 minutes
Favourite Lyrics:
“These were the sins of Xavier's past”

Rating - A sycophantic 8.5/10

Yeah, he's sorta teased us a bit with that one hasn't he :p: If you go to Perry's LastFM though you can listen to 'Utopia' which is one of the tracks from the new album.

I am also trying to find the stuff he has done with Peter Ulrich, but to no avail at the moment.

I am not a huge fan of her solo/other collaborations, but that is only in comparison to her DCD work. Can't really go wrong with the Gladiator soundtrack, even if the main song seems a bit 'cliche'd' nowadays. If I have enough passion though I plan to go through all their solo stuff as well though which will be mighty interesting.

Bloody little old Adelaide... No chance she comes these ways :(

By 1988 Dead Can Dance had solidified itself as one of 4AD’s top acts, and spared no time since ‘Within the Realm of a Dying Sun’ to release their next album, ‘The Serpent’s Egg’, released only 15 months later. The Serpent’s Egg added another notch to the bands repertoire of high end albums, improving the albums continuity (Despite the high point coming from the opening track) and consistency. I also love the album cover, minimalist that can represent a vast variety of things.

As mentioned, the indisputable high point comes early and it comes hard in the 6 minute presentation that is The Host of Seraphim. Opening with organs and heavy drumming, Gerrard harnesses all the power in her voice to climb ever higher. Filled with power and mystique, Gerrard captivates the listener, and holds your attention throughout. Words cannot adequately describe the song, with a performance than forces all those listening to take notice.

Though it would be near impossible to match the opening track, the next doesn’t necessarily attempt to, Orbis de Ignis only reaches a minute and a half in length, and is full of chanting, most obviously from Gerrard once again. For it’s length it fills the gap well. Severance is the first of many fine Perry performances, replicating the organs from the opening track, which creates an interesting repetitious vibe. Perry vocals are soft, as he delivers his lyrics poetically, whilst the overarching combination of style and sound offer a melancholic and sad resonance.


The Writing on My Father’s Hand offers an interesting mix of a harpsichord and Gerrard vocals, never really taking off from its minimalist beginnings, and is another personal favourite Gerrard vocal performance on the album. The song doesn’t match the sum of The Host of Seraphim or its grandiose nature, but Gerrard has drawn upon herself to introduce a heartfelt but also seducing tone to her songs. In the Kingdom of the Blind the One-Eyed Are Kings is yet another stunning track from Perry that hits hard and fast and offers no respite. As quickly as its high point has come, it once again falls back to earth at a very rapid pace. It also holds my favourite combination of lyrics and the recital of such lyrics, namely at the highpoint, Perry calling out, “You can see our chaos in motion”.


Chant of the Paladins offers more chanting (As the title suggests) but with some very interesting aspects, with a rich and elegant combination between old folkish percussion and disturbing yet lush vocals from Gerrard. The cyclic nature of the song lends itself well to the style. Song of Sophia is a sparse section of time in which the revel can be hypnotised by Gerrard’s vocals, pure with no accompanying factors for 87 seconds. This is followed up by yet another short song of Echolalia, which reaches only 79 seconds, yet is stunning nonetheless. The album ends with two full length songs (Both going over 5 minutes in length), the first of which is Mother Tongue, the fastest paced track from the album, which harnesses the energy produced from tribal and world percussion. Just before two minutes in length, the instruments are halted, and revert to a much slower pace, allowing Gerrard’s sublime vocals to emerge from the shadows. They still, however, take a back seat to the foreign and spiritual percussion, which forever drive the song. The album ends with Ullyses, and Perry has managed to outdo all his previous work on an epic scale, in a wonderful combination of rhythmic percussion and an odd pious lyricism telling the tale of Ullyses. Needless to say, it is a track that solidifies the album as a ‘must download’.

The Serpent’s Egg is an amazing album for many reasons. Firstly, the band has managed to develop their niche of music, despite the possibility that the idea could have been stretch beyond itself after Within the Realm of a Dying Sun. Instead, the group has changed their sound subtlety to make each new album worth visiting, but they have also developed their production values and taste with more experience. Delivering from the very first punch, the album does not let go, and the listener is forced to experience all 36 glorious minutes, and as a result is left in disbelief.


In a Few Words: Gerrard offers the standout, but Perry owns the album.
Best tracks: The Host of Seraphim, Severance, In the Kingdom of the Blind the One-Eyed Are Kings, Mother Tongue and Ullyses.
Running time: ~36 minutes
Favourite Lyrics:
“You can see our chaos in motion”

Rating – 10/10

Top review Zarks and who am I to disagree with a word written. The Hosts Of Seraphim is goose bump material for those that "get it". It was the song that first attracted me to Dead Can Dance. I went to see the movie Baraka on release and this was used for this visual treat of a movie. I sat there entranced. As I have said to you before it was an amazing performance be her live when she performed it and one day I hope that you have the pleasure of a concert by her.

I have gone and got the latest Gerrard film score for the movie Bilibo. She contributes her usual atmospheric soundscapes though the album is mixed with various East Timorese folk chants and a rather interesting dub version of the old Graham Parker number Don't Ask Me Questions that the Dili Allstars turn into an anti war song with some reworked lyrics. The album is not bad though nothing to get too fired up about. I actully went and bought the soundtrack prior to seeing the movie. Caught the movie last night and from a musical point of view it was a fit.

Looking forward to you next instalment.

Thanks for the kind words mate. I've heard a track or two from Balibo, nothing that has gotten me excited enough to rush out and get it, but that of course is in comparison to her lofty quality.

Can only hope she comes round my ways soon.

I hope you kill the Blues this weekend as well ;) Good luck

Thanks and hell yeah:yikes: I could not live with the idiocy of their supporters if we went down. They are worse than that other Melbourne mob. Think of me Saturday night as I brave the chill Gabba wind:laughing:

Released 2 years after the majestic “The Serpent’s Egg” in 1990, Aion had rather large shoes to fill. By this time the previous neoclassical and melancholic tone had been well developed to its peak by the band, and it was seeking a fresher road to travel. Aion signals the introduction of a much wider medieval and folk-ish style, filled to the brim with quick songs that do their part and then breeze off into the sunset. A rapid departure at times from the ethereal Serpent’s Egg, it manages to captivate in a vastly different way. The album cover comes from the well-known Hiëronymus Bosch painting, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, which the band had previously alluded to, naming its first EP ‘Garden of the Arcane Delights’.

The band indicates the direction they will be heading with The Arrival and the Reunion, one and a half minutes of medieval chanting, which is spectacular and powerful on high volume. Saltarello follows this up, which is an instrumental dance from Italy, going back to the 14th century. The frenetic pace and folk sound/instrumentation makes this a favourite from the album, as it lifts the spirits. A short interlude follows, Mephisto lasting less than a minute, yet is beautiful in its subtlety and repetition.

The first hearty song comes with Songs of the Sibyl, again capturing the more classical and harmonious side of medieval type music, with Gerrard leading the proceedings. It creates the imagery of a vast church, filled with onlookers, Gerrard captivating them as the procession begins, and is another modern interpretation of a tradition song (Catalan, composed in the 16th century). Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book introduces Perry vocal-wise to the album, and he happily agrees the invitation. Beginning with minimal acoustic plucking of a guitar with a mysterious haze throughout, John Bonnar joins in on keyboard, with a whole manner of percussion building depth. The lyrics are almost read, story-like, outside of the chorus, when Perry repeats, “When you expect whistles it's flutes,
When you expect flutes it's whistles”. The song screams simplicity is often the better form of elegance.

As the Bell Rings the Maypole Spins is similarly structured, an instrument beginning in isolation (This time Gerrard’s voice) before other elements are bought in, of particular strength are the bagpipes. Despite its occasional domineering moments, the song maintains its sense of remoteness and gloominess, the basic beat and base percussion maintaining a deep beat and tone. The song has multiple small elements that are easy to pick out yet make the song all the better. These two relatively long songs are followed by The End of Words, which reaches a measly two minutes in length. It once again introduces the deep choral work, used throughout the album already, however guest vocalist David Navarro Sust is used well.

This is all a lead up to the best song on the album bar none, in Black Sun. Aggressive, fast-paced, wild, the instruments are released. Pounding drums introduce the track before hard-hitting trumpets bellow from bellow at majestic pace. Basic percussion adds amazing depth as Perry sings over the top, “Like having a black sun, in a white world.” Every factor works to perfection as Perry slowly builds up his song before entering its peak. It all goes too fast in comparison to some songs on the album.


Wilderness is yet another intermission type of heavy orchestral/Gerrard vocal work. The Promised Womb uses an combination of bass and tenor violin to create an interesting and dynamic backing to Gerrard’s most focalised performance on the album. The Garden of Zephirus is a treat, despite it being a rather short one. Summoning recollection of Satyr tales in my memory, it’s a simple and short frolic through the plains. The album’s finale comes with Radharc, in yet another sensational album ending. It uses various small woodwind instruments well to create the most unique sounds on the album that take centre stage before Gerrard enters the piece in my favourite performance of hers on the album.

Aion was quite the change from their previous albums. It took a few risks, some that paid off and some that didn’t. The album, however, is interesting in its lack of creating some standout songs in my opinion. The album works well as a whole, yet there are few shining moments that are ‘must listen to’ on their own, save Black Sun, Saltarello and possibly Radharc. The album is also relatively scarce of individual vocal performances, another interesting twist from their previous works. I did have a problem with the relative shortness of songs. Few were allowed to develop, and rather hit hard from the get go with less development. This isn’t bad when used in moderation, but in this album it is used far too often, and becomes a major detriment.
In a Few Words: Best appreciated in its entirety
Best track/s: Black Sun, Saltarello and Radharc
Running time: ~36 minutes
Favourite Lyrics:
“Murderer!
Man of fire.”

Rating – A collected 7/10

Hi,

Exactly, it is so well appreciated and it is a very nice album no doubt, I simply like this album and I am true fan of this.

The songs takes me to the different world of music.


Thanks!!

Just wrapped up a first listen of this, and I totally agree with your review, it's an absolute stunner of an album. I liked Spleen and Ideal and Into the Labyrinth (the two I already had, plus Spiritchaser which I'm yet to listen to) a lot, but I think this might just be the album that's officially converted me to an obsessive fan. There's just such a unique elegance and grace about this, to the point that I'm actually a bit ashamed it's taken me so long to find it.

Personal favourites from this album - Host Of Seraphim, Chant Of the Paladin, Echolalia and Ulysses.

Anyone who might be reading this post and has no idea who DCD are, get this album for chrissakes.

Top album hey. If you ever get to see a 1992 docu movie called Baraka it made brilliant use of Host Of Seraphim. This was the first time I had ever heard the song. I went to see the film on release on the silver screen and the scene along with the song was utterly spellbinding. One of those goose bump moments that live with one forever. After that I had to explore the world of Dead Can Dance and the rest is history as they say. One thing we never mention when praising this album is the album cover. Somehow right.

If you are going to explore the world of DCD I would actually recommend that you start from the beginning in chronological order. Spiritchaser is a better album to finish with. It has something very final about it that feels correct to the hardcore fan. It could be construed as a weaker album when played side by side with Spleen And Ideal and The Serpents Egg and that would be doing it a disservice.

Also IMO Zarks is a tad harsh on Aion. I actually rate it side by side with The Serpents Egg, Into The Labyrinth and Spleen and Ideal. But then I am just a hardcore DCD fanatic so really my opinion counts for diddly squat haa haa!

I think I've actually seen that Baraka clip when I was looking for Host Of Seraphim on youtube. If it's the one I'm thinking, you're right, it is a very spellbinding piece, especially when it's coupled with footage like that. I agree the cover's a brilliant piece of work too. From what I've seen of them, DCD are one of those artists who used such consistently great sleeve art throughout their whole discography (the Future Sound Of London are another one that instantly spring to mind, who sometimes I think of as a more kind of urban, English version of DCD, if that makes any sense). Makes me wish I could get hold of the 12" copies instead of scrounging around for MP3s as I have done :D

I did listen to Spiritchaser last night. There are some beautiful songs like Song Of the Nile and Song Of the Dispossessed on it, but I agree it seems weaker considering I heard it after getting through the Serpent's Egg twice in a row. I definitely need some more albums from this lot though, so I think I'll do as you suggest and at least fill in the gaps from them in chronological order.

And Zarko, I'll be looking forward to your next update of this, whenever you can manage it :)

I'm convinced. Just went out and bought one of their albums, the self-titled, and am listening to it now. Very impressed so far.

Top, Top thread here. Dead Can Dance have a new fan :)

Self titled ey, risky decision but one I can't fault :D :p:

Grats on joining in the fun.

Hey I love the album really, but I was trying to be objective here :p: Don't want every review to come off as pure wank, but the ratings are probably more in comparison to each other rather than albums in general.

Dead Can Dance released Into The Labyrinth in 1993, however at this point in time there were some key factors in their personal lives that affected the creation of the album. Given the pair had separated pre-Aion, they were no longer writing music together. Perry worked his craft in Ireland, having recently purchased Quivvy Church and converting it into a recording studio whilst Gerrard went home to Australia. The duo moved from a heavy medieval influence seen in their previous albums to a more tribal and ethnic influence. The album runs for over 55 minutes, unlike the normal ~35-45 minutes due to the increased popularity in CDs rather than LPs.

As per normal, the dup kick off proceedings with a Lisa Gerrard epic, this time in Yulunga. Dark and ominous is its early minutes, Gerrard’s elongated tones open up the world to a mixture of ethno-percussion and instrumentation, emoting a seductive, snakelike substance. Perry follows this up with what was to become one of DCD’s very very few radio hits, The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove, one of my personal favourites. Popular with the alternative/gothic crowd of the early 90’s, Perry summons a slow beat, mixed with worldly instruments and sounds. Perry’s deep basslines control proceedings along with an assortment of Indian wind instruments and tribal drums, with fantastic lyricism sprawled throughout.


The mood is quickly changed with a Gerrard interpretation of a traditional folk song, The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Calm and collected, the result is one of sadness and isolation, in one of my favourite Gerrard songs away from glossolalia. The Carnival Is Over is yet another Perry track, this time recollecting memories of his childhood and a carnival. Light string plucking accompanied by a string ensemble lead the way with Perry’s poetic voice calling upon emotions of magnificence, splendour, amazement and yet, sadness in yet another great track. Some may also note a homage of sorts to Joy Division in the lyrics.


The song leads into Ariadne, a short song using a basic level of percussion and Gerrard’s vocals the change the tone to one of hope. It is followed by an even shorter track in Saldek, which encompasses the ethnic style of the album best from the album so far, as Gerrard produces high pitched and paced tribal vocals. Towards The Within sees both performers offering their vocals, initially chanting leading into Gerrard’s glossolalia high points. Middle-Eastern percussion springs forward sporadically, lush drumming ever present. Gerrard begins a subdued solo roughly half way through the song before various whimsical sounds and percussion become more prevalent to create a fleshed out world.

Tell Me About The Forest has some quiet tendencies throughout with some occasional outbursts vocally from Perry, as well as some horns and brass, not yet seen in the album so far. The Spider’s Stratagem carries a funky groove throughout for a Dead Can Dance track led by tribal drumming and flute work, with Gerrard’s ethereal and haunting vocals overlaid, the result is a fairly passive track that doesn’t really do much.

Emmeleia is a poignant vocal track by the duo, light echoing vocals existing in an empty space for two minutes. The album ends with a grand nine minute track, How Fortunate The Man With None. Using the translated words of famous German lyricist Bertolt Brecht, Perry ends the album on the perfect note that words don’t do justice to.

Into The Labyrinth symbolled some dramatic changes in the band, both on a personal level and on a stylistic level. Swept with grandeur, the recurring themes of sadness and distrust make it a reflective album, much more so than previous albums. Sometimes its duration can be a bit much in comparison to their earlier LP creations, but unlike its earlier compatriots, the album is full of songs that can be taken as single doses and still be fully appreciated. In the end, it is one of the Dead Can Dance albums that can either sit on top of the pile consistently. It is a must-experience album as far as I am concerned.


In a Few Words: Top of the pile material
Best track/s: The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove, The Carnival Is Over, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Emmeleia and How Fortunate The Man With None
Running time: ~55 minutes
Favourite Lyrics:
“Dream on my dear
And renounce temporal obligation”

Rating – A ‘Returning to form’ 9/10

I said before in this thread that Into the Labyrinth was the first DCD album I ever got, and I had it for months without ever listening to it (such is the flaw of downloading from blogs like some kinda junkie eh). I'm really glad I did eventually though, as it's an absolutely spectacular album (spot-on review, as per norm). It's a testament to the sheer talent of Perry and Gerrard that they can take a new artistic turn of sorts and make such a beautiful album out of it, which is something a very precious few manage to do successfully.

I'll admit Into the Labyrinth wasn't quite the slap in the face the Serpent's Egg was for me (at least not on the first listen), but it's still an album I've grown to really love since. Although I'd add Tell Me About the Forest to them, I agree with your picks of album highlights too - How Fortunate the Man With None is a stunner!

Cheers for the review anyways. Top stuff, as always.

It's why one got a 10 and one got a 9 :p: Both top of the line stuff, its just dependent on how much it knocks you off your feet.

Danke btw ;)

The first paragraph is half the reason I just haven't been 'into' music for the last month. Too much, got sick of scrounging for new stuff and just decided to crank the classics I love for a while (Which then encouraged me to make this thread). Still DL the occasional album though, should have a few interesting reviews later on, after I get the base of this done (Plan to go through some solo stuff and bootlegs/live albums)

BTW, totally friggin' awesome to see I converted someone to such an extent :p:

In the mid-90’s with relationships strained and creative differences at a maximum, Spiritchaser was to become the final Dead Can Dance studio album. During 1994 Gerrard had begun to work on her own solo project (The Mirror Pool, released 1995), perhaps signalling that the end was near, as both continued to work in isolation. The duo had continued with the strong tribal element, however in the same vein the overall ‘spiritual’ nature of the album has been increased tenfold. Rather than short, veracious tribal themed songs, the album is filled with elongated, harmonious tracks that average well over 5 minutes per track. There are also a few collaborative artists that continue from the Toward The Within live album release, such as Peter Ulrich. With the album there carries a sense of sadness, both in the general atmosphere created by the tracks, but also through knowing that something great is at its end.

An abnormal fluctuating noise wave introduces the album, leading way to the standard Dead Can Dance opening track, this time in Nierika. A marathon of percussion instrumentation works with the Gerrard-lead, Perry-assisted vocals. The dynamics between the vocalists, who normally work in their own dimension, is fantastic. This strong opening is followed by one of the albums highlights in Song of the Stars. The longest song Dead Can Dance has produced, at over ten minutes, it certainly delivers. The song begins with relative quietness, only a shaker making the occasional song before the fluctuating noise present at the start of the album opens up the proceedings, Perry’s vocals beginning in a lax-preacher fashion. An assortment of odd sounds, both from instruments and animal calls are present throughout, before Perry on guitar fleshes the track out a bit. The use of guitar as a central focus adds a rock element that has not been prevalent since the self titled release. This makes the album come full circle in a way, connecting with the self titled, but it doesn’t hinder the music whatsoever, in fact it adds to it. It is definitely an album favourite.


Indus, a song in which the pair was forced by 4AD to give partial song writing credit to George Harrison due to its similarities with the song ‘Within You Without You’, is another epic, stretching to over nine minutes in length. A slow plodding track with Gerrard at lead vocals, the song slowly builds up in levels, seeming as if it will soon take off before it settles back into a lull. The guitars are added with touch and class, and they simply work. Song of the Dispossessed opens with a slow picking guitar line with Perry singing a downtrodden folk style. The track is built well, but it doesn’t really lead anywhere, and although it is nice, it would have been much better.


Dedicace Outo is a ridiculously short song compared to the others in the album. At only over one minute in length, the song fades straight into a full performance with no lead up, filled with shakers, various drumming and other suck percussion. As quickly as it fades in, it fades out again. The Snake and the Moon follows, opening with the waves of noise and clapping before a guitar twang signals in the group. Deep reverberating drums and Perry’s exploring and strong vocals are the gut of the song, with guitar lines being the key bridge between Perry and Gerrard vocal performances. The song is full of energy in comparison to the previous tracks, the guitar work sublime and in full force.

With the pace turned down once again, Song of the Nile is another well constructed track; the vibrant vocal combination is best represented in this track. There has always been a delicate give-and-take element to their work, where neither would attempt to outdo each other, and when the balance was compromised it resulted in a poorer album (Within the Realms…). Here though, in probably the first album where the two have united so often in the same tracks, the balance is perfect. In the finale to the album, Devorzhum also signals the ending of Dead Can Dance. Brimming with hope, it carries a sense of sadness for dedicated fans. It is fair to say; it is a fitting song, and certainly an ideal ending.


Not everyone will enjoy Spiritchaser in comparison to Dead Can Dance’s other work. The passionate veracity and intensity is replaced in a sense with pleasant, long and spiritual songs. Whilst not delivering a killer blow at any one time, the album must be experienced in its entirety from speakers rather than headphones on a quiet eve in isolation. It most definitely has its moments, and although it is sad to see the end of DCD, it is a worthy finale to their name.


In a Few Words: A worthy finale
Best tracks: Song of the Stars, The Snake and the Moon and Devorzhum
Running time: ~52 minutes

Rating – An underrated 8.5/10

Whilst Spiritchaser would be the finale of Dead Can Dance’s studio albums, there is still much to explore. As I mentioned in the opening post, most of their live albums have tracks that are unheard on studio albums, or have tracks that were later put on studio albums (Severance would be a good example of this). I will introduce you to some of these later on, as well as the solo work by the pair.

Firstly though, ranking the albums...

7th – Dead Can Dance (An interesting album none-the-less)
6th – Aion
5th – Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun
4th – Spiritchaser (Most underrated)
3rd – Into The Labyrinth
2nd – Spleen and Ideal

1st – The Serpent’s Egg

And a taster compilation, featuring three tracks from each album (Split into 2 downloads).

Dead Can Dance

Part 1
The Fatal Impact (Dead Can Dance)
Ocean (Dead Can Dance)
Threshold (Dead Can Dance)
De Profundis (Out Of The Depths Of Sorrow) (Spleen and Ideal)
Enigma Of The Absolute (Spleen and Ideal)
Avatar (Spleen and Ideal)
Xavier (Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun)
Summoning Of The Muse (Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun)
Persephone (Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun)
The Host Of Seraphim (The Serpent’s Egg)
In The Kingdom Of The Blind (The Serpent’s Egg)
Ullyses (The Serpent’s Egg)

Part 2
Saltarello (Aion)
Black Sun (Aion)
Radharc (Aion)
The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove (Into The Labyrinth)
The Wind That Shakes The Barley (Into The Labyrinth)
How Fortunate The Man With None (Into The Labyrinth)
Song Of The Stars (Spiritchaser)
The Snake And The Moon (Spiritchaser)
Devorzhum (Spiritchaser)

Enjoy!

A wonderful review of Spiritchaser. Better than any that I have ever read by professional music journalists. Congrats mate.

Top review, I agree. Spiritchaser's not quite a favourite of mine, but that's probably as I've only given the one chance, and the fact that you've got 7 songs at around or over 5 minutes can make it seem a bit challenging to some. Definitely one I'll give another chance soon though. Worth having for Indus and Song Of the Nile alone if you ask me.

Welcome to the Editor's Pick as well. Thoroughly deserved.

Yeah, I think that would be the biggest barrier - The fact that it requires 'commitment' in a sense in comparison to the rest of their discography. Especially the opening 3 and the final 3 songs. Needless to say, still worth a go around, but its probably better if listneed in one sitting.

Thanks a lot mate.

Spectacular band, spectacular review.

The first bootleg of the group, released 1987, roughly around the same time, if not a bit after, Within The Realm of a Dying Sun. The songs were recorded on an early DCD tour, with little effort. As a precursor, don’t worry, I don’t plan to make these reviews as hearty as the actual studio album reviews. A few of you may notice that I used the Europe 1987 bootlegs as my Youtube songs, given that the actual studio versions themselves were disallowed by Youtube. I will be doing bootleg/live album reviews a little differently as well for what it’s worth.

Quality – This is the first question you really have to ask when it comes to bootlegs. So how does it stand up when it comes to Europe 1987? Let’s just say there is a lot to be desired. There is a constant fuzz that whilst isn’t actually noticeable as a sound, noticeably veils the actual bands performance itself. The sound quality is dull and uninspiring, meaning that a lot of the ‘magic’ that is present on studio albums or live performances themselves have been destroyed. Then again, what do you expect from a band that was at that time quite niche, with little following and the band themselves attempting the recording with little help from 4AD. The sound quality variation is obvious, but it doesn’t really kill the bootleg for me. It is no where near their later bootlegs, but for an early attempt, it isn’t too bad. 4/10


Songs – 1987 focuses heavily, for obvious reasons, on Within The Realm of a Dying Sun (Being the album they were advertising). It contains most of Dying Sun, with a healthy sprinkling of Spleen and Ideal, such as Circumradiant Dawn, Avatar, Indoctrination and Enigma of the Absolute. They completely forego their debut album songs; though I guess this is understandable given their variation form their then-current material. Nicely, they add ‘In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated’ and ‘The Arcane’, from their EP Garden of the Arcane Delights. 8/10 for the song selection. As I mentioned in the opening post, the band introduced a lot of unheard material in their live concerts. So what do we have here?

At First, And Then… - Introduced with some slow and undisruptive flute work, menacing drumming enters the fray, but the song never loses it’s measured and deathly trudge, before exploding roughly half way through the song to a galloping frenzy. The song is entirely instrumental, and it’s pretty interesting, especially when heard for the first time. It would have been nice for this song to have been studio-ised in a loud, abrasive manner such as Black Sun from Aion, though it holds its personal mystique by being here all on its lonesome.

Severance/The Host of Seraphim – Early variations of the two songs that would later be released on The Serpents Egg. Severance reaches only 2 and a half minutes, whilst the Host had similarly not been entirely fleshed out, barely reaching 4 minutes in length. Both, unfortunately, lose their power through the inferior production, but both are worth listening to, if only for comparison to their future counterparts.

The Children’s Toys – A Gerrard/Perry duo performance, with the supporting percussion suggesting the title of the song has been aptly attributed. The song builds up eventually into a seemingly playful and slow tune, that manages to sound quite menacing.

Swans – A nice and short Gerrard performance that she would alter adopt in her solo career (Appearing on The Mirror Pool)

Performance – Given the production levels, you can’t really complain that the vocal work is inferior to the studio albums. That is almost a certainty, and probably unfair to compare them on an equal billing. The duo do well with what they have, though the occasional stuff up is present. Personally, I much prefer the songs from their EP on this bootleg than the EP itself, which is released with their debut album nowadays. Everything is also much shorter perhaps most obvious with Avatar, which seems much much faster than her counterpart, despite being similar lengths in time. This is due to the sounds not really being fleshed out, and instead the sudden and abrupt tones make it seem faster. 6/10


Now, chances are if you find this album online, it will be well and truly stuffed up, specifically order wise.Unfortunately, Ocean is not present on the album (The track list is lying to you :p:) and tracks 10 and 12 are misspelt. I think I had to re-label everything to get it in the right order.


In A Few Words: An interesting bootleg but mainly for purists.
Rating - 4/10

It's based on a poem by Quevedo (1580-1645) one of the most notable Spanish-language writers of all time. And by the way, with a deep social criticism:


I think that's why there are some reminiscences of Baroque music in that song.

¡Oh, sorry! It's Góngora, not Quevedo. I've mistaken the writer for his worst enemy (they both loathed each other). That's unforgivable. :banghead:

Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book Lyrics by Dead Can Dance

Both Baroque, anyway.