Customer Reviews

Farewell

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought the album just recently and I love it . From the beginning till the end I am overwhelmed by the sheer dark atmosphere on this record. I heard it also a few times in the clubs , the song Farewell and Cold Damp Day and I danced till I dropped.
This is their best offering so far and I thought it would be not possible but they did it again. So far I love all the Clan Of Xymox albums, don}t get me wrong I LOVE THEM !! , but yes this new album will be spinning for a long time in my living roon,

keep the good music up and spread the word, see you soon ,
love Jeff.

If you love your Goth electric I suggest you check out "Farewell." The two years between "Notes from the Underground" and their 2003 release have paid off in spades. (Case in Point: "Notes from the Underground" only had two tracks that I loved: "Into Her Web" and "Something Wrong"). The Clan have been around since 1984 but they've finally put out an album I can put on all day and adore every second of every track. Nina Simic and Mojca Zugna takes this album to places the band has never been before with superb key work that'll make your artery blood sing and maybe go backwards!

Listen to the magic in "Cold Damp Day". If this isn't the ultimate electro-goth love song, I don't know what is. Ronny Mooring's voice reaches new levels of intimacy in "One More Time", "Courageous" and "Losing My Head." With Mojca Zugna and Rob Vonk backing him up on vocals, and Rui Ramos' mastery over drums and supersonic percussion, there's no stopping the Clan of Xymox now.

"Skindeep" is perhaps the band's most intriguing of any track of theirs that I've heard and Clan of Xymox proves with "Farewell" that they are one of goth's most versatile and dedicated bands. Twenty years of going strong and they're only getting better. Bravo!

Richard Van Camp
www.richardvancamp.org

I have been a Xymox fan long before most people even heard of them. I have enjoyed their evolution from album to album. I thought their last 2 albums(Notes from the underground and Creatures)combined would have made one great album. I really liked half the tracks off each. They got it right on this one. I like every track on the CD. They lay down a little more techno beat on a couple of tracks but still keep the dark and gothic sound that makes them unique. I was weary about purchasing this one, but I was way off. The tracks are out of sequence at the end of the CD but that is the only negative thing you will find.

Once again, Xymox proves that they are the cutting edge of Goth, Alternative, or whatever style you would classify them. I personally think they have defined their own style. Almost every song on this CD is great. The reviewer who said this is a one star CD and the whole thing is synthpop obviously did not listen to the CD and is not a fair representation of this great masterpiece.

we got the "Farewell" digipack today, and we've just finished listening to
it.
We're shocked by its fresh imposing beauty and extreme originality, the
sound quality and variety is amazing, we can't describe our feelings about
the intertwining electronic sequences, it's like swimming in an ocean of
crystal clear frequencies, we're deeply impressed. Everything's so elegant
and well balanced, the graphic layout too.
This is their best album ever , no doubt about it.

The question that's most often asked about the title of this latest album is if it refers to the end of The Clan. Mainman Ronny Moorings has been quick to point out that it's more to do with the end of certain chapters in one's life, a relationship that has run it's course, for instance. This will undoubtedly be a massive relief to their huge & loyal fanbase & for those of us who have just discovered exactly what they're capable of as they weigh in with a superb & varied release that will appeal to electro fans as well as goth/darkwavers.
Following on from the superb "There's No Tomorrow" single (which is, needless to say, included here!) this is a varied offering that, while retaining a dark, sombre mood throughout, thanks in part to his sombre vocal style while encompassing a great many musical bases in a sumptuous & thrilling fashion.
The electro influences are frequent & unmistakeable, starting with the forthright synth stabs & rhythms that grace the opening duo of "Farewell" & "Cold Damp Day", touches that any electro band would be pleased to call their own although the final touches are added by the gritty guitar work. Moorings' many years of experience is evident here as the fusion is totally perfect & by the time "Into Extremes" comes around you're almost into EBM territory with accompanying harsher vocals. As always, Moorings adds his own touches to make the music very much his own & it's this that makes the album so instantly memorable from start to finish. This also means that when the band do touch on more traditional goth/darkwave territories, as on "One More Time" which utilises violin, guitar & accoustic drums or the brooding "Dark Mood" where a superb sonic tapestry is built up through massed layers of strings & tympanic flourishes, then the effect is actually to make the album a great deal more 'rounded. Add to this the operatic voices that crop up on "Losing My Head", again accompanied by some wonderful strings or the 80s new-wave bass & guitar combo of Into Extremes , "It's Not Enough" is a modern dance floor killer and the results can be nothing but a great success, "Courageous", is a different varied great industrial type of track, This is a total triumph from start to finish. Thanks for making my life spark again:)

The legends within the Goth/Darkwave genre started in the beginning of the 80s on the British label 4AD. They've since then released a score of outstanding albums such as "Medusa", "Twist Of Shadows" and their comeback album "Hidden Faces" which was released after they took a break for a prolonged period during the 90s. Their biggest success after the
comeback was 99's "Creatures" and in 2001 we got the album "Notes From The Underground". The only original member is the founding lead singer Ronny Moorings with the characteristic vocals that have always made Clan Of Xymox stand out.
Farewell features 10 tracks, including the songs "There Is No Tomorrow" and "Courageous" from the MCD released last year.The album Farewell offers us the classic Clan Of Xymox sound loaded with synthlines somewhat in the same vein of Creatures or the self titled COX album.
The album opens with the title track, "Farewell". It's a great melancholic song, just as the up beat "Cold Damp Day" and equally club stomper "There Is No Tomorrow" are; all danceable songs with great club potential. And even the slow dark wave songs like "One More Time" and "Losing My Head" are great with full of brilliant musical instrumentation. We're also treated with one classic Goth Rock track called "Into Extremes". The best thing about this album is really the wide variation from which Clan Of Xymox shows that they've even also mastered the ability to please the
Industrial/EBM audience with songs like "It Is Not Enough" and "Courageous", the former actually sounding in the style Assemblage 23 and VNV Nations uses, the latter also being very Industrial'ish in its own way.
Overall, the songs on Farewell are all powerful, varied and very well written. It's a great album that succesfully manages to cover a lotof ground, genre-wise, and leaves you wanting more. My compliments!

The question that's most often asked about the title of this latest album is if it refers to the end of The Clan. Mainman Ronny Moorings has been quick to point out that it's more to do with the end of certain chapters in one's life, a relationship that has run it's course, for instance. This will undoubtedly be a massive relief to their huge & loyal fanbase & for those of us who have just discovered exactly what they're capable of as they weigh in with a superb & varied release that will appeal to electro fans as well as goth/darkwavers.
Following on from the superb "There's No Tomorrow" single (which is, needless to say, included here!) this is a varied offering that, while retaining a dark, sombre mood throughout, thanks in part to his sombre vocal style while encompassing a great many musical bases in a sumptuous & thrilling fashion.
The electro influences are frequent & unmistakeable, starting with the forthright synth stabs & rhythms that grace the opening duo of "Farewell" & "Cold Damp Day", touches that any electro band would be pleased to call their own although the final touches are added by the gritty guitar work. Moorings' many years of experience is evident here as the fusion is totally perfect & by the time "Into Extremes" comes around you're almost into EBM territory with accompanying harsher vocals. As always, Moorings adds his own touches to make the music very much his own & it's this that makes the album so instantly memorable from start to finish. This also means that when the band do touch on more traditional goth/darkwave territories, as on "One More Time" which utilises violin, guitar & accoustic drums or the brooding "Dark Mood" where a superb sonic tapestry is built up through massed layers of strings & tympanic flourishes, then the effect is actually to make the album a great deal more 'rounded. Add to this the operatic voices that crop up on "Losing My Head", again accompanied by some wonderful strings or the 80s new-wave bass & guitar combo of "It's Not Enough" then the results can be nothing but a great success, & on "Courageous", another fine track. This is a total triumph from start to finish.

Since the reformation of Clan of Xymox with Hidden Faces, each album has put a new twist on the band's sound. Farewell further develops a crisp techno edge that was hinted at on Notes from the Underground, which has been a favorite of mine since its release two years ago. The production values on this album are excellent and showcase the trademark guitar/keyboard layering on tracks like "One More Time" and "It's Not Enough". There is a nice juxtaposition of powerful electronic beats with shimmering guiters and lush orchestration.
I have listened to the album five times beginning to end and cannot find a song that I don't like. My only complaint is the lack of lyrics in the liner notes. The beautiful cover art work is a consolation, however.
I have been a Clan of Xymox fan for nearly 20 years. I own and love every release, from the shimmering gothic orchestration of Medusa to the experimental techno Metamorphosis. There is something unique to Ronny Moorings's sound and writing that draws me into every album. Thankfully, the title Farewell does not mean that Clan of Xymox is leaving us, because I can't wait to see where the next album goes. I've never been disappointed.

CLAN OF XYMOX delivers the velvet-chocolate vocal tones of Ronny Moorings (vocals, guitar) whose vocals remind me strongly of Johan Edlund (Tiamat and LucyFire), and also of Mojca (Bass & vocals). Musical production and execution on FAREWELL reminds me at times of S.O.M., Project Pitchfork, and The Mission UK. Energy throughout this album shifts from the shallows of reflective grief ("Dark Cloud" and "One More Time") to an apex of EBM momentum in "Courageous". Time and the dark halls of regret are conveyed within the ultra-fantastic cd sleeve artwork provided by Mojca. If anyone has a chance of bringing Dark Gothic Electro into mainstream acceptance, it must be CLAN OF XYMOX! The more electrifying tracks herein carry forth dance-pop sensibilities with dark brooding gothic lyrical concepts, e.g. "the one you love is the one you hurt the most/In My Heart I feel Like a Ghost". Everything we see upon the dance floor, the confidence of the swirly goths, the passion of the dance, the permanence of the beat... FAREWELL delivers all of these elements which must find renewed vigor soon on dance floors worldwide. This could very well be the next best-selling album for CLAN OF XYMOX! Metropolis (releasing this USA version) may have slipped with the track listing order, but they definitely picked a winner with CLAN OF XYMOX! Pandaimonium Records (Europe) is issuing a slightly different version of FAREWELL