Vision Video – Balaclava Kiss
I am sorry to say, but the gruesome, terrible events of the past have not scared us off repeating them. People are drawn to power, to violence, to doing nasty things to one another. Because of this, sadly, extreme right-wing or left-wing politics have not gone away. They’ve moved ever closer, in fact, with politicians, fashion brands and your local news stations all teasing the subtle changes.
What are artists supposed to do? React in their own way. No, they shouldn’t take to the streets. The last few times they did that, it worked out terribly. They either got killed quickly, or they moved to create secret societies that launched revolutions that ended up worse than what they were trying to replace. Nah, artists are just supposed to jot down the things that impress them and how they make them feel.
Vision Video’s “Balaclava Kiss” does a nice job of marrying angsty 80s goth-rock to modern, angsty imagery. Who knew that the sounds of The Cure or The Cult would serve as such a powerful backdrop to our immediate worries? Vision Video are stylish. Over guitar lines inspired directly by the works of the great Billy Duffy, they launch lyrics like slogans drawn out in chalk in front of the Palace. Does it make a difference? Yes, just the fact that someone sees the rise of these dark clouds helps somewhat.
Silver Dust – There’s a Place Where I Can Go
There were times, not that long ago, of great darkness where knowledge was the extravagance of kings, their consultants and mad philosophers. Few people had the means to acquire knowledge of great importance, and fewer still had the time, the resources, or even the ability to appreciate such a thing. As we’ve firmly re-entered there’s a certain romance about those who’ll seek wisdom over on unpaved alleyways.
Heavy metal music must never be too obvious. It’s a style that thrives when a bit of mystery is involved. You’ll hear stories of famous metal musicians becoming occult practitioners, joining cults, getting their lyrics dictated to them from ancient Enochian. Most of this is BS, sure. But the fact remains that this is music meant to play on your desire to attain knowledge that few others have been given.
Silver Dust’s “There’s a Place Where I Can Go” might just remind listeners of the early glory days of gothic metal. It’s not merely the sound or the theatricality that approaches a Mason initiation ritual. Like those bands in their earliest days,
Silver Dust seem to still believe that anything is possible, that the truth is in the mind, and that this kind of music can sponge up sonic influences of all types. This kind of excitement is contagious, although goths must always hide away such thoughts of hope and joy.
