Customer Reviews

Judas As Black Moth

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

 

 

This 32 track 2-Disc collection provides a surprisingly cohesive overview of David Tibet's Current 93. Emphasizing Tibet's haunting, almost liturgical British gothic folk over his early industrial noise experiments, Black As Judas Moth includes tracks from rare and out of print releases including seven songs from All The Pretty Little Horses from 1996, 4 selections from Soft Black Stars, two cuts from Thunder Perfect Mind & the mini album, Earth Covers Earth (1990), and more. Think of the movie "The Wicker Man" and you'll have some idea of the general mood here. Includes guest vocalists Nick Cave & Shirley Collins featured on "All The Pretty Little Horses." Compiled & remastered by David Tibet. Lack of performer credits in the booklet is the only shortcoming.

Focusing on some of the best work of David Tibet, Steven Stapleton, Michael Cashmore, and friends, this collection gives the listener an opportunity to dive head first into the haunted and beautiful world of Current 93. This is a great purchase for seasoned fans, beginners, and the curious alike.

It's amazing that this collection covers so much ground and spans many years- but never sounds anything less than cohesive and structured... not at all a "best of" collection... Current 93 is sort of beyond notions like that.
The beauty is that none of this music sounds dated... it's actually all quite timeless (a sign of true musical art).
The themes of several albums interweave each other here- spaced out across both discs- and all of it works perfectly together!
If you are new to Current 93- this is a great place to start. If you have loved them for years, than this is a wonderful way to relive some musical memories. Highly recommended!

I first read of Current 93 in reference to Death in June, since David Tibet was in both bands. I'd never heard Current 93, so I took a risk and bought this 2CD set hoping for Nazi-runic death-folk similar to DIJ.

It isn't. In brief, the music is renfest cabaret. Dreary folk music and occasional piano with lyrics that likely mean a great deal to Tibet. It can happen with any art: the content has great meaning to the artist, but it isn't immediately visible to the audience. I have the same trouble with David Lynch films. Admittedly, I could just be *missing* it.

The music is solemn and slow, with no percussion. Tibet sings with a great deal of passion and conviction, though he isn't always on-key. Overall, the music and singing evoke the mood of English late-60's hippie movies. "Sad-Go-Round" is a highlight with unexpected heavy metal guitar (still no percussion). Also, the Disc 2 closer "A Soft Voice Whispers Nothing" is an unsettling piece of droning ambience. It's exactly the kind of thing you'd hear on Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud CD.

Wait a minute - I can do better than "renfest cabaret". Based on "Judas as Black Moth", Current 93's music is what you'd hear at an open-mike poetry night with folk musicians.