Music Review
Band: Ben Golomstock's Stories From The Moon
Title: Stories From The Moon

Gothic / Experimental

Stories From The Moon are:

Ben Golomstock – Keyboards, Guitars, Noises, Melodeon, Percussion)
Katiejane Garside (Vocals on 11, 15, 16)
Katharine Blake (Vocals on 3, 12)
Bethany Hazel (Vocals on 10, Sax on 14)
Audrey Evans (Vocals & Violin on 1, Vocals on 7)
Andrea Kerr (Vocals on 6)
Kevin Bachman (Vocals on 9)
Jon Golds (Vocals & Bass on 14, Bass on 7, 8, 10, 14, & 17)
Frida Alvinzi (Vocals on 5, 11)
Justine Armitage (Violin on 2, 6, 12, & 16)
Pike Galloway (Accordian on 8)

With special guests Naked Goat, who are:

Nick Marsh (Guitar)
Jon Golds (Bass)
Barney Hollington (Violin, Keys)
Vince Johnson (Drums, Percussion)

The opening track ‘Les Chiens’ features what sounds like distant voices of troubled children, promising a dark and twisted journey.

‘The Haunted Palace’ is absolutely unnerving and beautiful at the same time. The melodies build and build – creating a very eerie environment. Imagine kind of a Nutcracker-Suite-meets-a-circus-in-Hell sound.

Upon a 2nd listen, I this time envisioned an open and tattered, little girl’s jewelry/music box with a dancing ballerina twirling non-stop on the inside. The ballerina’s dress was frayed and brown on the edges, her laces were undone and her face was horrific.

‘Amazing’ features the vocals of Katharine Blake of Miranda Sex Garden. It’s a piano song that guides you by the hand deep into a place where you feel so very alone.

‘Make It Stop Now, Please’ – Partly due to the title, and partly due to the song, I feel like I am watching myself on one of those spinning floors on a playground. Faster and faster I go, losing grip little by little. Knowing I will be thrown off with such great force at any moment.

‘The Troll Mother’ – Even if I was a troll, this song would not be comforting. It makes one uneasy. Remember, that’s the point of this journey. Vocals by Frida Alvinzi.

I can’t recall the last time my imagination went so wild, and to such interesting and weird places, while listening to a music cd! I am also blown away by the wonderful & wide-range of sounds created by the use of many different kinds of instruments and vocal chords.

‘The Final Dawn’ – Teasing me with a ray of sunshine, making me think there is a chance of escape in this moment… but it is all an illusion. There is only an eternity here. Vocals by Andrea Kerr of Colt.

‘Les Coeurs Tendres’ – This is an amazing song! It’s sexy, it’s grey, it’s odd, it’s catchy, and it’s danceable. Quite pretty but sad in a way. Vocals by Audrey Evans of Mediaeval Baebes.

‘Martyrdom Of The Chaos Whore Virgin’ – This song would have worked well in the movie Eraserhead – specifically the part with the dancing girl on stage inside the heat register. What do you mean you've never seen Eraserhead?

‘The Moon Song’ – A spooky organ plays in the background as Kevin Bachman speaks. “As hair sticks to your eye and clings to your lips and beaded sweat gathers at your breast” is one lyric section, of many, that stood out for me. This track got me thinking of the old Twilight Zone where a UFO landed on the roof of a farm house in the 1800s. Remember that one?

‘Oceans’ – Bethany Hazel is featured on vocals here. A relaxing song where, if you close your eyes, you can almost feel like you're floating. That floating feeling later turns into a feeling of desperation and you're running from something... but soon you slip back into a comfortable embrace.

‘In Heaven’ (everything is fine) – Imagine the ghost of a woman rocking herself all day long inside of an abandoned mental institution while she sings to herself. Ok, well, Katiejane Garside of Queen Adreena and Frida Alvinzi will sing it for you.

‘Ghost House’ – “A whirlwind of skirts against the shadow of the banister, gliding, twirling,...” Is this a song about the ghosts of the women who came before her? Features what this American thinks is a Cockney accent by Miss Katharine.

‘Dies Irae’ – An instrumental. A track that’s heavier than what’s come before and is also muffled a bit. Very interesting!

‘Wolf Saxon’ – Vocals by Jon Golds. “When I woke up, she was in the kitchen again, talking to herself. She denied it; there was nobody in the kitchen.” A little bit Nick Cave meets Tom Waits - which can never be a bad thing!

‘Silencio’ – Pretty bell-work introduces you to the desperate souls of female vampires who seduce you like the sirens. Or, just another fantastically haunting song.

‘In The Birdcage’ – A variation of ‘The Haunted Palace’ where Katiejane sings with unhinged emotion and in a cabaret sort of style. The piano keys will send shivers down your crooked little spine.

‘Hungarian Prolapse’ - The welcomed sounds of Heaven’s army marching their way to you. Or, are they retreating?

‘The End’ – Electrical static fills the thick, heavy air as you push your way through its wall. With much effort, you break free.

The cd artwork, by Natalie Shau, also adds to the mystery and adventure of the music.

You NEED this cd!

*There are a very limited amount of copies left! This cd is so exclusive that it can only be purchased through Paypal.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.

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