Customer Reviews

Psycho Magnet

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Wolves howling, hearts beating, thunder crashing. The Story-teller opens the large book of fanciful cover. The pages sweep you inside the dark realm of vampires, werewolves, maidens, succubi & incubi...

Suffice it to say, these gentlemen are of the "Gothic" persuation. They know the value of psychodrama, as evidenced in their stage shows, which becomes a vitrual gallery of horrors. Gargoyles, tombstones, crypt edifices, autumnal leaves strewn about, skeletal trees, & their own personal costuming - like they crawled their way right up from those very graves. The vocalist appears morbidly emaciated, rather like Lestat of Anne Rice fame, after being submerged in the lake. The bassist looks like Lurch, & the others present their own ghoulish attire. They definitely preserve the Halloween spirit wherever they play.

The music is best appreciated by candle &/or moonlight. These nosferatu are brilliant musicians, perfectly timed, perfectly chosen. This is haunted music. In My opinion, LAM just may be the best Gothic Rock that has ever been. LAM is devoid of the annoying whining, but instead, the melancholy voice herein is more powerful, somewhat more robust, & definitely, much more talented. They will go far.

The songs are filled with theatric energy, deep feeling, & tragic romance. They bring the cemetary right into your room. The music tends to touch you on an emotional level. They stand out in the sea of Gothic bands. Thanatos & Dracula themselves seem to speak through the music. The Gothic-Horror myths come to life.

So come take a trip to London After Midnight, & unto Transylvania, where it is more than just a place, but a state of mind.

Why is it that every great, energetic band who chooses to wear black eyeliner and happens to be fronted by a beautiful lead singer gets compared to Bauhaus? "You cannot judge what you don't understand," Sean Brennan sings on LAM's album "Selected Scenes...," is a good enough answer for me. If I were to compare LAM to anyone, it would be Oscar Wilde. LAM goes about their music in a slick, danceable and seductive manner...the better draw listeners into their web of wit and wisdom. Any reference to demons, graves, suicide, and bondage seems very tongue-in-cheek, and their songs about weightier emotions such as lust, power, and greed are nothing short of intelligent. I especially enjoyed the blatant references to Hamlet on "Hate!" and the sexy sarcasm of "The Bondage Song." Highly recommended!

This album makes it hard to believe that London After midnight have only released one album prior. The songs on this album are intense, dramatic and chilling, there isn't one song on the disc that is worth skipping. Tracks like Carry On... and Shatter can almost bring a tear to your eye while songs like Kiss and the Good Girls just may make you want to dance. This is just a solid release and it makes me look really forward to their next studio disc.

This album is great. I keep listening to it over and over becuase I get something new out of it every time. Lyrics are very inspirational and I find I can draw and paint much better while I play this CD! ^_^ It's hard to find "unique" bands out there and I believe that this band dares to be different. After getting this CD I found myself getting all the London After Midnight stuff I could get my hands on! This album is in no way a dissapointment! A must have!

This cd represents all the things that are good about gothicrock. It envelops all the elements of 80 glam - goth and adds a 90sfeel to it, without sounding cheesy (like Nosferatu does more thanonce). The songs are incredible, passionate and they all could easlybe singles. Sound is incredably atmospheric, ambient almost, which ismainly due Tamlyn's exeptional keyboard work. Well paced Avery'sdrumming is truly fantastic, brining just the right amount of tempointo the album's great flow. Ahh the singing, well it's something youdon't quite often see in gothic rock, it's fantasticaly presented bythe frontman Sean Brennan, his voice sounding wretched, sufferinggreat deal of pain as he tells the tails of love, betreyal and thehuman experinece. The lyrics are not short of genious, showing whatgreat mind lies behind London After Midnight. Yes, Sean Brennan isreally an intelligent fellow, proving his 4 years psychology studyingdidn't go to waste. About the songs, well "Kiss" is my definitefavorite, acting as a perfect song to represent what"Pshycomagnet" is all about, there really isn't a bad song onthis album with incredible "Ruins (Carry On Sreaming)","Where Good Girls go to Die", "Shatter" and the title songbeing some of the greatest songs I've ever heard. It also includesbrilliant "Letter To God", a letter written by the hand of aperfect nihilst, asking God rather interesting questions. Finnaly Ijust wanted to add that I've had this cd for a while now, and itdoesn't corode through time not one bit, I can listen to it each andevery day and it always sound exeptional, never boring. That's a valuethat not many albums have. The only thing I don't understand howLondon After Midnight are not more popular, I guess it's true what onereviewer said. It's pearls for swine. It really is. For most of thetime at least. To give this album five stars would be an insult, Ithink it deserves at least six.

P.S. .... Here is a quote of SeanBrennan from an article puiblished in a scotish magazine called NakedTruth (the full version of the interview is available ...) "Sean:The only thing about them I find distasteful are the following-Vampires; pretending to be a vampire is a waste, don't you think? Imean, if you have the time to spend playing vampire, great, knockyourselves out, but personally I don't have the time- ordesire. Fetish; anyone who needs to flaunt their sexual practices inpublic must be lacking in some way and trying to make up for it."In yet another interview("Darkside" issue #2 of 1994) Sean speakthus: "We're not vampires and never said we were. That whole seriesof articles was meant more as tongue-in-cheek and a play on the wholescene... Unlike other fools, I don't profess to being a vampire ofblood drinker. I think the whole vampire thing is incredibly boringand we've never been a part of it..."

This one was recommended to me by a friend, after listening to one song I was hooked. Sean Brennan has an impressive voice that dishes out some great lyrics and is well backed by the instruments. This is not a typical whine about your life "goth" album. London After Midnight have their own unique style that sets them far apart from bands like Sisters of Mercy or My Dying Bride. Songs like Shatter and A Letter to God make this album the work of art it is. I couldn't really find a right classification for their sound. In a way it's kind of like classic Cure with a healthy dose of industrial. In any case, listen and judge for yourself.

London after midnights music is cultivating as well as greatness beyond imaginable thoughts. This cd is for listeners of goth music and those curious ones wanting to find more out about the goth scene. Not saying you will Love this cd either way but if your into this genre it goes far without show. You don't have to be gothic to listen to this music. I wouldn't go straight into buying this if your trying to "become" a regular listener, but make sure you can feel for the music. Download samples, ask friends. All in all Im glad I bought this.

I had never heard of "London After Midnight" until some 2 months ago, when a good friend of mine told me about them, and presented me to one of their songs, "Sacrifice"... I was just flabbergasted!!

"Sacrifice" is actually a song from their "Scenes..." album, but "Psycho Magnet" is SO superior in every possible way! I don't really think any of my words can do this album justice. If you're into the post-punk gothic music scene odds are you already know them; but if that's not the case, please, PLEASE, get this album any chance you get and listen to it... and listen to it... and listen to it... and listen to it...
You owe it to yourself and, mark my words, you won't be disappointed!

Possibly one of the best CDs I own! Sean is an absoloute lyrical genius! These awesome blends of a kind of vampiric goth rock mixed with lyrics and vocals that couldn't suit the songs any better. The best audio samples that amazon has to offer are Psycho Magnet, Where Good Girls Go To Die, and the Bondage Song. Awesome, Awesome CD.

Despite the absurd review the Amazon.com reviewer gave this CD, it is "great", and so is the band. This CD was NOT released in 1996- just shows how closely he paid attention to this release. You must get this CD, its music, lyrics and soundscapes are quite out of the ordinary, otherworldly.