Customer Reviews

Schrei X Live

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

 

 

This is an exceptionally good album to play as background noise--and I mean that literally; elevator music for the insane asylum.

It's not that it doesn't bear close scrutiny. As usual, Galas has unleashed another psychological assault on us that is without peer in non-classical music anywhere that I know of. Consider the last track, "Hee Shock Die". At first glance, it is 7 minutes of Galas auditioning for (and being a shoe-in) for the next cackling witch role in some Hollywood movie. It's all the more surprising, since Galas laughing, however sarcastically, is a rare thing to hear in her music. The only discernible words, meanwhile, are "Okay go" and "Kick my head." Then more of that, now a bit disturbing, laughter. What a chilling shock it is to realize that one is actually hearing 3 people in a room, two of which are torturing the third, and laughing, laughing, laughing as they do. Yikes. And for those who think that Galas is just randomly laughing, note the modulations of the laughter--from the "Deliverance"-style inbred hickness on the one hand, to the hints of Nazi German laughter and the Japanese or Vietnamese POW camp laughter. These details are there if you can stand to listen closely.

Only Diamanda Galas can take us to such places; at least, I know of no one else who does. And not because she is morbid or fixated, focussing on a creature trapped in a space and repeatedly subjected to torture, as the liner notes tell us, but because those darkest corridors of the human psyche are still at work in other countries and in our backyard. And are, moreover, at the heart of the human condition, as the quotation from Job reminds us as well, since in one sense we are all creatures trapped in the cage of the earth, that are repeatedly subjected to tortures. The fact that Galas depicts this, and transforms it into art and artistic expression is, by the way, the refutation of the apparent hopelessness of our condition. As always, her work is about overcoming, creating meaning out of senseless suffering, and so forth.

Meanwhile, I still like to listen to this, one of Galas' most challenging works, as background screams. My mood doesn't call for this often, of course, but when it does, only Diamanda'll do.

Make no mistake, this is a totally mindblowing record. More proof that Ms. Galas is an incredibly gifted vocalist, and more proof that she has a knack for capturing the psyche's state in horrible situations... but let me warn you now, while it says "Play At Maximum Volume" on the liner TURN YOUR STEREO DOWN DURING TRACK 8 !!!! It blew out my speakers, and it will do it to yours. I looked at the levels on various equipment and Track 8 (Hepar) slams them to the maximum and keeps them there. BE WARNED.

Once again the amazing vocal talent of Diamanda Galas presents the listener with a challenging work. There are no real songs in a traditional sense but musical movements of the mind communicating with the vocal cords. The use of vocal processing, especially reverb and delay, is ingenious. Not only do the effects enhance but they also assist in carrying the work, adding space and an air of clausterphobia, to its inevitable violent conclusion.

The listener is subjected to the most contorted and abusive shrieks that one can imagine. At times gentle and others sounding like a horde of various animals being beaten with hammers.

This recording is as near as a well connected mind can come to being in the state of disconnection.

Truly, a beautiful display of what the human voice can achieve.

Well this is an album of screams, groans and other assorted noises that cannot be described. I know that all Diamandas records have a strong message but on this one it's hard to find. If you want to her the full capabilities of her voice or simply want to scare your friends senseless this is the album to get. If you want something that you can stand listening to all the way through whitout getting a headache and need of theraphy I suggest some of her other albums like the singer, Malediction & prayer. when it comes to the pure vocal stuff i prefer Vena Cava. I pretty much only listen to this one or two tracks at a time. but i'm still glad I own it for those REALLY bad days.

This a very difficult album to take ( then again what Diamanda album isn't difficult ). Her 4 octave voice is so convincing on it's own that you would be hard pressed but just submitting yourself as a slave to her. Her voice is that really that powerful. The only thing though is that about this album is that it is a vocal acrobatic work out for her. There's nothing else but her voice and when it hits the right notes.....what's left for you is to shrivel up in the corner of your bedroom and pray that her voice doesn't eat you up alive.

Venture if you dare but be warned.......Mummy ain't here to save you

This album is like "vena cava"... There are only screams,some seconds of silence, and a voice who reads excerpts from autors like Tommaso d'Aquino.Diamanda is a very good vocalist, but are you sure you want to buy only screams?I understand the concept in the album (I think the mental dementia of an HIV+), but I prefer "plague mass", the "masque of the red death" or her blues albums.Sorry