Customer Reviews

Nothing & Nowhere

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

 

 

the birthday massacre is not a band that has become "mainstream", at least not yet. and in a way this is very surprising because the talent is undeniable, and their sound so effortlessly unique that few bands are able to succeed at this, especially on their first try. most people aware of TBM know them through their album "violet," especially since THIS nothing and nowhere was out of print for quite a while, until its recent re-release. there are 4 tracks here already present on "violet," [[happy birthday, horrow show, video kid, & the dream]] although owning both albums is definitely NOT "a waste." the tracks that appear again on violet have a different sound, and sometimes sound more "polished" as in the case of "happy birthday." howevever, personally if i must choose between one of the versions of "the dream", i'd say i prefer the one here on Nothing and nowhere. the other tracks [[promise me, under the stairs, to die for, over, and broken]] are pure genius, and pure proof of TBM's ability to mix their sound amazingly well. TBM has often said themselves that they do not like to label their sound, and they are proud to have such a wide variety of fans, from goth to rock to techno/dance fans. i personally found "to die for" to be simply addictive and played it a few days straight non-stop. its mellow, dreamy and romantic state made me a bit melancholic, but in a good way. watch for the track "broken" which is an edgier TBM sound not found in any other track in this album. i'd definitely say it's the album's most "hardcore" track, if not of ALL the TBM tracks combined. it definitely epitomizes a cyber-goth club, at least to me!! this album is definitely something worth checking out, if not only to experience one band's talent and ability to mix such different genres.
my personal favs are to die for, promise me, broken, and under the stairs with my ALL-TIME TBM FAVORITE track being "happy birthday", the version on violet however. =) i am super-excited for their new album, "walking with strangers" which will be released on september 10 2007. they are touring as well this season, so be sure to check them out if you can!! they are one of the VERY FEW bands i know that try so hard to make their venues be for all ages [since they are aware that they do have younger fans too] AND which go for ridiculously affordable prices. LONG LIVE THE THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE!!!!! =)

First and foremost, contrary to some of the reviews regarding this album, "Nothing and Nowhere" is a RE-RELEASE of their debut full-length album. "Violet" was first released as an EP, then as a full-length digipak in Europe through Repo Records (incorporating some of the songs from "Nothing and Nowhere"), and THEN as a full-length release on Metropolis Records.

Secondly, this release has the original formats of the songs "Happy Birthday", "Horror Show", "The Dream", and "Video Kid"- songs that were re-recorded for the Metropolis release of "Violet".

Third (and the most important part), this album is FANTASTIC. Available only on digital download for so long via their website, The Birthday Massacre released it again, along with new artwork, much to the happiness of their fans old and new. This album is dark, lush, mysterious, and approaches horror and fantasy with a tongue firmly placed in-cheek. So many beautiful orchestrations, gorgeous female frontwoman vocals...I can't say enough about my love for The Birthday Massacre. Their growing popularity is well-deserved, and I wish them luck in their endeavors.

By the way, BUY THIS ALBUM. ;)

This is an amazing album. There is not a dull song or any songs that you want to skip. It doesn't matter how you found TBM but consider yourself lucky that you did! Order this immediately and be inspired.

The band photo looks like a Hot Topic casting call. Hit "Play" and you'll see why we seem to like the CD so much. (In all fairness, vocalist Chibi's smile is pretty charming.) The nine songs go by quickly, mainly because they're so damn catchy.

The overall sound is rooted in the best parts of New Wave and synthpop. However, there's often a guitar part you could chip a tooth on. I hear a *big* dose of Curve, with lesser doses of Human League and Kidneythieves.

Chibi has a clear, pleasant voice. With the wall of synth and guitar, she doesn't need to add any operatic drama.

The CD's "perkygoth" appeal lies mainly in its heavy use of synth and dark lyrics. The aggression comes to a head on "Broken," and Chibi rips the silk off her voice on this one. "The Dream" is a nice closer, with gentler singing and lots of minor-key melancholy. To hear a slightly beefier version of the rocker "Video Kid", check out the compilation "Fairies, Elves and Angels Vol. 3".

Go to a site with an audiostream of "Horror Show". This song typifies the album, and if you're not AT LEAST bobbing your head twenty seconds into it, you need to lay off the muscle relaxants.

Wow! If you're new to this band start here. Being a lover of this genre I can't believe I haven't heard about this band before I did. Excellent excellent music! As an owner of all TBM's albums this one is my favorite. I have five definite favorite songs by this band, four of which appear on this album: Happy Birthday, Horrorshow, Under the Stairs and Broken (To Die For almost made the cut into my top five however Red Stars off of Walking With Strangers is my absolute favorite). Honestly I would rate every album by this band, so far, a solid five stars. TBM has such an amazing sound that they are easy to listen to over and over without getting tired of them; as you'll notice many other reviewers have mentioned the very same thing whether it be on this album or the others. I recently saw these guys perform with Mindless Self Indulgence and damn they rocked it "hardcore"! If you get a chance to see them live don't miss your opportunity. I don't know about you, but when I hear an album this remarkable and realize that there are other albums out there by the same band with potentially the same greatness -I buy them. But like I said you should start here and advance with each album. Happy Birthday Massacring!

If you like "Violet" then you *should* like this album. "Happy Birthday" and "Video Kid" are noticeably down-tempo compared to their "Violet" versions. The other songs that are on "Violet" will be noticeable for their differences as well, but it's mainly in how the songs were mixed (i.e. some effects are stronger - brought "more to the front" of the mix; the vocals are stronger on the "Violet" version). My favorites of the album are "Broken" and "Promise Me".

I think the album is far more mellow than "Violet", with the exception of "Broken". If you're a fan of The Birthday Massacre, do yourself a favor, buy this re-release and see how far they've come. Then pre-order "A Walk With Strangers".

From the first second ive listened to The Birthday Massacre ive been intrigued to say the lest. Theres alot of bands that try to break the mold especially in the electronica/industrial/dance genre. But none try to break it in such a smart, colorful flare then TBM. There music is incomparable, and best explained as modern day 80's pop/rock. Every song, every cord, every riff is wonderfully thought out, and the end production of each song is unimaginable. Every note leads to something more. Songs can start with a slow nostalgic 80's pop feel, and flow into a lighter side, before hitting hard riffs, and head bobbing beats. The mixture of styles within each song isnt where youll see the real art however, its the seamless transition of the styles that occur in almost all songs that make this a masterpiece in its own right. Songs flow together perfectly despite the contrast of styles being used. Its more then just music, its something of its own. Some say music is art, and there is no stronger example of that then the Birthday massacre. They may not be the best band, but the best band isnt always the most ingenious and creative band...and that, that is indeed what TBM is. TBM didnt break new ground, they paved there own street.

My comments are probably going to be about this band in general, as much as they referring to this album specifically.
First off, this band is simply amazing. They seem to have successully balanced every type of music that I like under the "rock" banner. There is some metal, industrial, 80's new wave melody, female goth. There is plenty of melody here that you can sing along to, but enough aggression to not worry about this being a dance-pop band. Chibi has a nice voice, but she knows how to play to her strengths. She is not one of those opera girls who like to show off, but she is not ultra-depressed either.
This album in particular leans a little more towards the industrial/dance side of the equation than Violet does. For example, there is no song that goes for the throat like "Blue" (but one could make an argument that "Broken" goes in this direction). However, there are lots of strong songs on here that were not on Violet. I would have to say that my favorite somg on here that was not on Violet is "Promise Me". This song has a certain sweetness to the lyrics, even though you could look at them as depressing too.
I wish more bands expanded on this type of sound, but that just shows you how great this band is. Overall, I can't say enough about TBM. Check out a couple full length songs on their my-space page. I think you will either "get it" or not immediately. If you are one of the folks who do, run out and buy Nothing And Nowhere and Violet as soon as possible!

I first learned of The Birthday Massacre on the Cleopatra Records compilation "This Is Neo-Goth." I had also heard the same track from that disc at a local goth club. I knew I had to listen to more TBM. Thus, I came upon Nothing and Nowhere. Released in limited quantities the first time around, now that the band has started gaining some fame, they re-released it, and it is just as original, just as powerful, now as it was when first released. For anyone who is into dark wave, synth pop, EBM, dance, or gothic music. A must have, get it now and say "I had that before they were huge" in a few years.

All three studio albums by Birthday Massacre are ridiculously awesome. Chibi (funky name) is hot with a hot voice, ranging from ominous whispers to pop star quality vocals. I understand this was their demo album, and you have slightly different sound for the songs that appear also on "Violet". There are several songs exclusive to this album as well. It is a short album, but if you have the other two studio releases you will be unable to resist this one. I'm glad an EMO (OEMO?) nerd told me about this band, because I don't think I ever would have heard of them in the USA. Can we put our anti-Canadian-alternative-metal-goth bias aside so I can hear some good music?