Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect club music for Shakespeare's time, January 20, 2002
I'm a great big ol' F&TM fan. So, with that on record:Others have expressed disappointment over "Evidence" falling short of "Elyria." The albums are five years apart; since F&TM aren't stuck in a rut, of COURSE the style will evolve. (Just like "Annwyn" was an evolution from "Elyria.") Where the previous releases had more Celtic mythology and Dark Ages charm, "Evidence" features mood rock that would have fit just fine in a London dance club around, oh, 1590. The opener, "Joy," is a bright little piano piece performed by Joy Richards (related to Monica -The Muse- I assume) in 1959. From there, they go right into the fast rocker "Scars Flown Proud." This characterizes the two things that stood out most to me on the album: 1) Several songs are reminiscent of "Annwyn," my favorite F&TM to date. 2) The style and intensity change gears A LOT. "Scars Flown Proud" bleeds into the hazy, mid-tempo "Shattered in Aspect." Then they jump into the "Cantus"-esque "Chorus of The Furies." (Dig Monica's "Hungry Like The Wolf" vocalizations towards the end.) The Muse has never sounded better. William gets to shine on the grim waltz "Through The Pale Door" and on a duet with Monica ("Denn Die Todten Reiten Schnell"). The whole thing alternates between acoustic ballad and wailing guitar rock. While not as steeped in myth and history as earlier efforts, "Evidence" features the greatest variety within one F&TM album so far. Something I have to ask with each F&TM release: WHY AREN'T COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS RUNNING F&TM STUFF NONSTOP? Sure, they're goth-identified, but catchier and more melodic than 80% of what you can find on any station. "Evidence of Heaven" is just as good as any other F&TM album, though I am partial to "Annwyn." Go listen to it. Go on, NOW.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Darkwave to Dance to: Lush & Haunting Vocals w/ Excellent Guitars, April 3, 2006
About the Band:
The Los Angeles based darkwave band was founded in 1993 by poet / musician Monica Richards (`the muse') and William Faith who had performed with various deathrock bands including Christian Death and Mephisto Waltz. Both Monica and William are accomplished musicians, with many fans adoring Monica and William's vocals and William's guitar work.
About the Album:
Though many fans will point you to some of Faith and the Muse's earlier works, such as Elyria or Annywn, Beneath the Waves, there are a large number tracks on Evidence of Heaven that actually make this album one of my favorites. Aptly named, at times the album has an ethereal and medieval feel, that points to a quality beyond the earthly world. Other tracks, such as Plague Dance, are much more aggressive and should appeal to deathrock / gothic rock fans.
Some people might find chilling tracks (such as The Chorus of the Furies and the three part "The Haunted Palace": Porphyrogene, Through the Pale Door, and And Laugh - But Smile No More) mysterious and dark, but I find myself imagining what it would be like to waltz alone in an empty dancehall to these tracks. Sadly (for me), my wish to dance alone to these tracks has yet to be realized, and these and many more tracks from this album can be counted upon to pack a dancefloor!
My favorite tracks include:
- Through the Pale Door (which features haunting vox by William)
- Shattered in Aspect
- Porphyrogene (instrumental - i.e. no lyrics but backing vox)
- Dead Leaf Echo
- The Chorus of the Furies (lyrics are not in English and not provided in notes)
For those of you interested in the lyrics (and with a band like Faith and the Muse, whose lyrics are an extremely important part of their music), the CD liner notes not only include the lyrics for most of the English voiced tracks, but are laid out amongst numerous lovely sketches of devices and art one might expect to see decorating the walls of a fancy medieval ballroom.
Similar Artists:
If you like Faith and the Muse, you might also like the Los Angeles band Collide, many of German musician Ernst Horn's projects (including Deine Lakaien, Helium Vola, and early Qntal), the Netherland's Clan of Xymox, or France's ensemble act Collection D'Arnell Andrea.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a wonderful flight of fancy, January 4, 2000
I love it! After seeing the band this summer in concert, I recieved the album for Christmas and have been listening tirelessly since. Seldom are bands good enough performers in concert for me to run out and want to purchase their album. This is an exception. My favorite tracks are Reine la Belle, Shattered in Aspect and The Chorus of the Furies. Amazon should post some sound files for this albums so others can gain an appreciation for the band!
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