Customer Reviews

Annwyn, Beneath the Waves

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I though that Elyria was a stunning album but this one completely blew me away!! The combination of a pre-tribal Dead Can Dance, The Changelings, and the more guitar oriented previous works of William Faith, but nothing like any of them all at once. The vocalist is from the old band Strange Boutique; very strong and unique. I rarely give 5 stars to anything, but I was very very impressed.

About the Band:
The Los Angeles based darkwave band was founded in 1993 by poet / musician Monica Richards (`the muse') and William Faith who had performed with various deathrock bands including Christian Death and Mephisto Waltz. Both Monica and William are accomplished musicians, with many fans adoring Monica and William's vocals and William's guitar work.

About the Album:
This album was highly recommended to me years ago by another Faith and the Muse fan. Alternating between medieval folk songs (Cantus - perhaps one of Faith and the Muse's most popular songs), guitar based gothic rock pieces in the tradition of bands like the Sisters of Mercy (The Hand of Man or Rise and Forget), and a few more modern experimental / neo-folk like tracks (such as Cernunnos), Annwyn, Beneath the Waves is not only a great introduction to Faith and the Muse, but also an incredible way to introduce people to darkwave / gothic music. Even if you aren't interested in darkwave / gothic music, there is enough variety in this album, that I highly recommend you listen to a few tracks.

My favorite tracks include:
- Cantus
- Fade and Remain
- Branwen Slayne
- Cernunnos (music with spoken word voices)

The CD liner notes include the lyrics for most of the tracks, which I'm sure you'll appreciate the minute you want to sing and dance along to this albums many great songs.

Similar Artists:
- Collide
- Deine Lakaien
- Helium Vola
- Qntal
- Clan of Xymox
- Collection D'Arnell Andrea
- Corvus Corax
- Sisters of Mercy

This is such a great album meldinng power and grace so beautifully The title track of the album is the best "rock" song I've ever heard. There are so many moods on this album from the dark and rythmic to the ublifting to the subtle and sublime. Perhaps every single song won't appeal to all listeners as is bound to happen with an effort as bold and ecclectic as this but the first six songs on this album are all just awesome in my opinion and the sheer quiet beauty of "The Sea Angler" can't be ignored either. As with all Faith and the Muse and Strange Boutique albums, the lyrics are gorgeous and add to the power of the album. The sheer power, beauty and diversity of this album make it the one I would reccomend to someone who has never heard Faith and the Muse but of course all their albums are great!

This album is a cherished return to the thinking-person's Goth (after the dreck Cleopatra has put us through). The lyrical enchantments interweave beautifully with the other instrumentation to provide a sound that can be likened to a more sophisticated, youthful early Dead Can Dance.

...to find what would be labeled a "gothic" band that has intelligence, talent, beauty and grace as well as a dark presence. I have been a long time gothic listener, but have not found much that is new and exciting lately. When I finally recieved FATM "Evidence of Heaven" for Christmas and fell head over heels for it, I immediately purchased "Annwyn". My first experience with FATM was in concert, however, and this definately is a band whose stage presence and overall theatrics rival their stunning studio projects. A definate must for anyone who appriciates gothic, medieval, tribal music. I have also read some of the legends of Annwyn, and I commend Monica Richards (lead vocalist) for her research and use of history and folklore in this album, topping my list of favorites!

I'm a Johnny-come-lately to goth (around '95), but this album would have dragged me into the scene. I first saw an article about F&TM in a 'zine called Shadowed Sky, then went out and bought "Elyria." After that, I spent EIGHT MONTHS trying to find a copy of "Annwyn." It was worth the effort. The moods and centuries of the music are all over the place. The title track is thunderous, the ballads resonate almost as lullabies, and "Cantus" made me want to buy a claymore and battle 10,000 Roman soldiers. This is gothic/darkwave music with mainstream production values and little emphasis on staying within the genre. Plus, after listening to "Annwyn" all the way through, you're qualified to teach European Mythology at the nearest community college. Of all my "goth" CDs (about 200), this one still ranks in the top 3. Their latest album, "Evidence of Heaven," while fantastic itself, is almost a breather from the intensity of "Annwyn."

Annwyn Beneath the Waves is a powerful blend of neo-gothic ethereal and rock which brings new life to the old tales of the Mabinogion. Monica's vocals are stunning, and the overall album is as as epic as the tale it tells. These two again prove themselves worthy of the title of bard by showing that they can masterfully weave the three fabled strains the Sorrow, Joy, and Sleep into a rich tapestry of music.

This was actually the CD that got me interested in the goth music scene. A friend told me how much he thought i'd like it, and after one turn 'round my cd player I ran out to buy it. The music is haunting, poetic and beautiful all at the same time. They're one of the best goth groups around, and if you're just getting started, you couldn't get a better introduction.

I find amazing that Faith & the Muse kept almost intact the sound they pioneered with 'Elyria'. The songs in this CD draw in the same gothic, medieval, Celtic and electronic quality of the first album (they even came up with brand new sounds like 'Cantus').
This CD is like a complement to Elyria (they might as well have called it Elyria II). 'Fade and Remain' reminds me of 'Heal'. 'The Hand of Man', brilliantly interpreted by Michael Faith, reminds me of the previous 'The Trauma Coil'.
Yet I still consider 'Elyria' as the paramount Faith & the Muse CD, and although 'Anwym' is just as good, it doesn't contain anything like 'Sparks'.

This isn't my favorite of their albums but I still love it. I love F&TM's mix of traditional celtic, medieval dirges, world music sounds, and that kind of alternative 80's sound I never actually liked in the 80's. I was a metal head back then (always leaning toward kind of mythology-fantasy oriented stuff) then I got into Jethro Tull, and more recently the Chieftains and Dead Can Dance. And along comes this band that wraps it all up very neatly! I agree with a previous reviewer, "Cantus" is a very addictive, martial tune. I always picture Boudicca and her tribe descending on the Romans! I wouldn't say tracks 4-6 are non-descript however. "Arianrhod" is almost hypnotic. The whole album has sort of a water theme, and "Arianrhod" makes me think of a ghost ship for some reason. William Faith really isn't that bad, his voice has that kind of 80's alternative sound. "Cernunnos" is a very cool, angry song. If I have my mythology right, Cernunnos is a Celtic god and this song is about him raging against what Christianity is doing to the Old Religion.