Elyria

Faith & The Muse | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 5, 1996)
• Label: Tess
• ASIN: B000008O3O
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,477 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Elyria

2. Sparks

3. All Lovers Lost

4. Interlude: Annabell

5. Vervain

6. The Unquiet Grave

7. Iago's Demise

8. Interlude: Maleficio

9. When to Her Lute Corinna Sings

10. Caesura

11. The Trauma Coil

12. Mercyground

13. Heal

14. Epilogue: Twilight

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To quote Barry White, "Ohhhh yeaahhh...", February 1, 2002

By 

Scott Sweet "Music Freak" (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Elyria (Audio CD)

Appropriately enough, this was the First F&TM I got to hear. The tribal chant of "Elyria" lets you know the album has both drama and savvy. The mythology and literary touches on this debut are a trademark of the now-married duo. Though their first album together, neither was new to the scene. William Faith is an alumnus of Christian Death and Mephisto Walz, while Monica got her chops in bands such as Madhouse and Strange Boutique.

Track two, "Sparks," is just a damn good song. Most F&TM reviews on this site mention the song at least once. A balanced, waltzy rocker with bells, wet guitar and vocals that show energy AND restraint. The third song ("All Lovers Lost") shifts the CD into a Celtic gear for awhile. The guitar instrumental "Interlude: Annabell" is worthy of Jose Feliciano.

The Celtic tracks are right out of a Renaissance fair. The coolest thing I've seen yet in a live show was when F&TM played in Denver, and not ten feet from me a guy in full Native American dress and facepaint strutted his stuff to "The Unquiet Grave," a bouncy Celtic lament.

William brings his A-game on the thunderous rock epic "The Trauma Coil." Here again, smart mixing; he's yelling but mixed lower so you can hear all the instruments. A trace of Rozz Williams pervades the song. "Mercyground" is a good cool-down from the intensity of the last few tracks. It's slower, and allows Monica to showcase her full vocal arsenal. Then comes "Heal," their first song as a team. A tasteful, pleasant ballad of voice and acoustic guitar. "Epilogue: Twilight" is a soothing close to a great album that led to 1996's great and mighty "Annwyn, Beneath The Waves."

Listen to the samples on this site just so you can say "Yeah, I'm a smart consumer." If you like goth/ethereal/rock/Celtic in any combination, you're gonna end up buying F&TM's catalog anyway.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, July 29, 2001

By 

Jorge Reyes (Quebec, QC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elyria (Audio CD)

Faith & the Muse must be one of the greatest bands ever to hit the gothic scene. The combination (Mr. Faith an ex-Christian Death, and Monica Richards coming from Strange Boutique) is explosive; indeed, the couple is now running its own music label. Although Faith & the Muse have produced three albums, 'Elyria' is definitely their masterpiece.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful, June 26, 2000

By 

M. Hicks (Nebraska, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elyria (Audio CD)

Elyria by Faith & The Muse is an absolutely beautiful addition in the gothic music scene today. While I still like Evidence of Heaven a wee bit more, that's not to say that this one is a second rate product at all. Gorgeous melodies, wonderful vocals, and a real understandment of the feeling of "renaissance" music make this a treasure of a CD. Personal favs include "Elyria", "The Unquiet Grave", the Shakespearean themed "Iago's Demise", and the various musical interludes between songs with vocals. If you like Faith, but don't have this CD, you are missing out!