Customer Reviews

Evidence of Heaven

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a great big ol' F&TM fan. So, with that on record:

Others have expressed disappointment over "Evidence" falling short of "Elyria." The albums are five years apart; since F&TM aren't stuck in a rut, of COURSE the style will evolve. (Just like "Annwyn" was an evolution from "Elyria.") Where the previous releases had more Celtic mythology and Dark Ages charm, "Evidence" features mood rock that would have fit just fine in a London dance club around, oh, 1590.

The opener, "Joy," is a bright little piano piece performed by Joy Richards (related to Monica -The Muse- I assume) in 1959. From there, they go right into the fast rocker "Scars Flown Proud." This characterizes the two things that stood out most to me on the album: 1) Several songs are reminiscent of "Annwyn," my favorite F&TM to date. 2) The style and intensity change gears A LOT.

"Scars Flown Proud" bleeds into the hazy, mid-tempo "Shattered in Aspect." Then they jump into the "Cantus"-esque "Chorus of The Furies." (Dig Monica's "Hungry Like The Wolf" vocalizations towards the end.) The Muse has never sounded better. William gets to shine on the grim waltz "Through The Pale Door" and on a duet with Monica ("Denn Die Todten Reiten Schnell"). The whole thing alternates between acoustic ballad and wailing guitar rock.

While not as steeped in myth and history as earlier efforts, "Evidence" features the greatest variety within one F&TM album so far. Something I have to ask with each F&TM release: WHY AREN'T COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS RUNNING F&TM STUFF NONSTOP? Sure, they're goth-identified, but catchier and more melodic than 80% of what you can find on any station.

"Evidence of Heaven" is just as good as any other F&TM album, though I am partial to "Annwyn." Go listen to it. Go on, NOW.

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:
Though many fans will point you to some of Faith and the Muse's earlier works, such as Elyria or Annywn, Beneath the Waves, there are a large number tracks on Evidence of Heaven that actually make this album one of my favorites. Aptly named, at times the album has an ethereal and medieval feel, that points to a quality beyond the earthly world. Other tracks, such as Plague Dance, are much more aggressive and should appeal to deathrock / gothic rock fans.

Some people might find chilling tracks (such as The Chorus of the Furies and the three part "The Haunted Palace": Porphyrogene, Through the Pale Door, and And Laugh - But Smile No More) mysterious and dark, but I find myself imagining what it would be like to waltz alone in an empty dancehall to these tracks. Sadly (for me), my wish to dance alone to these tracks has yet to be realized, and these and many more tracks from this album can be counted upon to pack a dancefloor!

My favorite tracks include:
- Through the Pale Door (which features haunting vox by William)
- Shattered in Aspect
- Porphyrogene (instrumental - i.e. no lyrics but backing vox)
- Dead Leaf Echo
- The Chorus of the Furies (lyrics are not in English and not provided in notes)

For those of you interested in the lyrics (and with a band like Faith and the Muse, whose lyrics are an extremely important part of their music), the CD liner notes not only include the lyrics for most of the English voiced tracks, but are laid out amongst numerous lovely sketches of devices and art one might expect to see decorating the walls of a fancy medieval ballroom.

Similar Artists:
If you like Faith and the Muse, you might also like the Los Angeles band Collide, many of German musician Ernst Horn's projects (including Deine Lakaien, Helium Vola, and early Qntal), the Netherland's Clan of Xymox, or France's ensemble act Collection D'Arnell Andrea.

I love it! After seeing the band this summer in concert, I recieved the album for Christmas and have been listening tirelessly since. Seldom are bands good enough performers in concert for me to run out and want to purchase their album. This is an exception. My favorite tracks are Reine la Belle, Shattered in Aspect and The Chorus of the Furies. Amazon should post some sound files for this albums so others can gain an appreciation for the band!

Haunting and powerful. Brings me back to a time when bands like Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cult were putting out music that was both exciting and innovative. A lot of good dark-edged music has been coming out lately but it's rare when it rocks like this does... From the gothic anthem Scars Flown Proud to the epic folk of Patience Worth this is a great album that will hopefully reinvigorate a genre that is "numb but not defeated!"

Being a die-hard Faith in the Muse fan, I was dying to love this. Their live presence is hypnotic, Elyria was a masterpiece, and Annwyn's Cantus gave me hope that they would at last be seen as one of the finest "goth" bands still out there. Sadly, however, they seem to be running out of steam. Granted, Importune Me No More is lush and vivid, and Patience Worth is beautiful. William Faith brings us another generous trove of morose guitar riffs that hearken back to the Christian Death era. So why doesn't this come together? I think it's simply a lack of passion. Nowhere here will you find the pleading, poetic sorrow of a Vervain or a Sparks, and every song virtually bleeds with unfulfilled promise. It's not a bad disc, but if you've already enjoyed the first two, you will be disappointed.

Anyone who likes Faith And The Muse should check out Strange Boutique. It may be hard to find, but it was Monica's band on Bedazzeled records back in D.C. They won best band in D.C. a couple years in a row before they split. And for this cd itself, of course it's awesome.

You'll feel like floating in heaven while listening this wonderful album.I like scars flown proud,it's something about gothic and industrial.Shattered in aspect is the most catchy song in this album,it embraces wonderful structure and you 'll play it non-stop. Old soul ,this material is from Paul Williams,it ends the album with a loney sound and full of sadness. The most seductive one is Dead Leaf Echo,its gorgeous and powerful.The great attraction is the story behind the song,like a poetry ,it makes you cry.

First, I have to begin my review by saying that there are actually 2 versions of this CD. The version sold on amazon.com is the first and the CD was later re-issued in a remastered form. For those reviewers that were unhappy with the production quality and the quality of the mixes, the effects on Monica's voice, the newly mixed version is the answer. It is far far better.

Now, let me say that for whichever version you buy (I own both!) the music is stunning and impressive. Of particular note are "Scars Flown Proud," "Shattered in Aspect," "Chorus of the Fairies," and "Old Souls" (the last being a cover). Faith and the Muse is maturing and growing and this album is more personal and almost more melancholy than the two previous releases, but it is more gripping, touching, and moving.

I adore Faith and the Muse, and if they keep releasing music of this caliber, I will be a fan for a long time to come.

Having purchased Faith and the Muse's last two albums, I found this one absolutely wonderful. I think it's my favourite (Annwyn, beneath the waves being my least favourite). I think anyone who has taste for beautiful music would enjoy this.

On their third album, Faith and the Muse have chosen wisely to abandon the celtic flavors of their previous two releases in favor of a more regal, Elizabethan quality, in that these stylings lend themselves to F&TM's unique approach much more appropriately. As usual, the songwriting is very solid, which, among many other things, contributes to F&TM's status as One Of The World's Most Underappreciated Bands. However, the production quality is sorely lacking on this one. It's no secret that William Faith uses drum machines, but this time out they sound that way. And the decision to over-reverb Monica's vocals will only assist in continuing to subject them to the ranks of the Gothic music genre they have always transcended. If the music wasn't as characteristically intriguing and mesmerizing as it is, it might feel rushed with an under-produced, basement quality. As it stands, however, it's still one of the year's best releases.