Customer Reviews

Headclouds

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

 

 

I first bought 'medusa' and loved it!! How can their music get any better i thought? I then bought 'TOS' and loved that and then the debut and have never found one i didn't like. I even like their new stuff even though it isn't as good as medusa. I can see why true goth music fans would hate this CD. It really strays from "goth". i am not an expert on goth music but i am a huge fan of electronica and let me tell you ; for a group to change genres and do it well they should be congratulated!!!
I would compare this CD to a group i have called "psykosonik". I'm sure many would disagree but that's my 2 cents.

I know I'm out of phase with everyone else in liking this CD a lot. The standard rap is that their first two releases as just plain Xymox (Twist of Shadows and Phoenix) were the best, then they went downhill with Metamorphosis and Headclouds. I have them all (plus Medusa) and I guess I just disagree. Oh well, no accounting for taste... This is one of my favorite CDs in my collection. 4 1/2 stars.

All I can say is....what a relief from the "original" Xymox! I'm glad that 1) they reinstated their name and 2) they are exploring a new field in the genre of Goth/Darkwave, even incorporating a little Electronica into the mix. Simply fantastic. All of these songs should be club hits. It's terribly sad that they haven't gotten enough exposure here in the U.S. Oh, and speaking of new genres, I took a look at the other reviews regarding this album, and the one thing none of those reviews mentioned is this......"Wild is the Wind" = DAVID BOWIE! Yes, you heard right. Xymox (sorry, CLAN of Xymox) did a cover of a David Bowie song. And what a rendition it is! Superbly done! I'm not usually a fan of David Bowie covers, but Xymox pulled it off extremely well. This just goes to show where their roots are. I'm glad to see that they have an excellent musical background, which is clearly apparent in their experimental styles.

Although this album (along with Metamorphosis) is a deviation from Clan of Xymox's style, I still find myself listening to several of its tracks, nearly 20 years after its original publication. "Wild Is The Wind", "A Single Day", and the titular track, "Headclouds", are my favourites.

The album is a sumptuous, synthesized head trip for times when you need just that.

On the heels of Metamorphosis, Headclouds continues Xymox's misbegotten foray into electronica. The band's strength is its dramatic, moody soundscapes most in evidence on early albums such as Medusa and their self-titled debut. Here (with the exception of a few hooky, memorable tracks - Wild Is The Wind and A Single Day) they largely stick to the "Electronic-chirps-whistles-shrieks-with-the occasional-suggestive-female-moan-set-to-a-drum-machine" formula. Perfect for the in-store music at Limited Express perhaps, but for fans of the band that also produced the fine A Twist of Shadows and Phoenix albums, Headclouds lacks just a tad musically. Take heart though, Xymox fans! "Clan of" has reappeared with Hidden Faces - an album featuring music reminiscent of A Twist of Shadows and Phoenix.

Unlike their truly wonderful album "Twist of Shadows," this follow-up release, after their departure from big-label status, "Headclowds" is an utter disappointment, and is not worth buying. As creative, entertaining, and thought-provoking as "Twist of Shadows" is, this release is as much the complete opposite. With the exception of maybe one track, it is dull, uninspiring, and very much boringly generic......as if your nextdoor neighbor decided to create a techno-alternative album, but had not yet learned to play any instruments and lacked any creativity. To make a long story short, don't bother.