In honour of the 20th anniversary of the first volume of “The Unquiet Grave”, Cleopatra Records presents “The Unquiet Grave 2019”, a compilation that features 25 international Post-Punk, Goth, Industrial, Darkwave and Experimental artists from across the dark music spectrum.

The label’s original concept behind “The Unquiet Grave” varied from other Cleopatra compilations they completed such as “The Goth Box” (1996) as well as “The Black Bible” (1998), that included legacy acts such as Bauhaus, Virgin Prunes and Legendary Pink Dots along with a variety of up-and-coming bands. On the other hand, “The Unquiet Grave” (1999) exclusively featured new artists that deserved the opportunity for exposure to a larger audience. That original 1999 edition would include such bands as Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Android Lust and Rhea’s Obsession, to name a few.

“The Unquiet Grave 2019” applies the same formula as that original volume by showcasing 25 artists that equally deserve your attention. “The Unquiet Grave 2019” will be available on June 14th via all digital and streaming outlets.

The Unquiet Grave 2019 features: The Ink Bats, Social Station, The Sedona Effect, Antidote for Annie, Silver Walks, New Zero God, The Long Losts, Schedule IV, Hypofixx, Lorelei Dreaming, Fear Incorporated, Metamorph, Angel Metro, Abbey Death, The Drowning Season, May May Graves, Red Lokust, Acclimate, Traumabond, ENGRAM, Tragic Impulse, Spider Lilies, RCH IV, Dreamchild, Moss Garten.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Cabaret gothic, ethereal, experimental, cinematographic.

Content: The 5th full length album by Dreamchild is their first opus since “Sleeping Flowers Severed Scream Of Slaughter” (2008). This American band driven by Frank Gerace and Cheryl Wanner has been never quite prolific, releasing 5 albums in 17 years.

“Le Cabaret De L’Enfer” (“The Cabaret of Hell”) sounds like the title indicate. It’s a rather cabaret and theatrical inspired work on which the duo got some help from different guest musicians. The compositions have this strength to visualize the little stories performed by the theatrical vocal performance of Cheryl Wanner.

She sounds like she is exorcizing a lot of emotions in her singing while most of the songs reflect dark themes and figures (like Jack The Ripper) while other songs have been inspired by famous writers like Oscar Wilde and Emily Brontë.

I sometimes get the impression Dreamchild is taking us back to the late 19th Century, walking through dark streets reminding me of the work of Dickens. The name of the label (cf. Absinthe Records) totally fits with this strange and mysterious universe. It’s really magic to realize what the power of music can do with a listener. This album clearly sounds like it was conceived for a performance.

I also like the diversity of the work, which has been accomplished by the use of different instruments. The guitar (electric and acoustic) remains the main instrument, but you’ll also discover passages with keyboards, drums and percussion, bass, trumpet ao. The songs are alternating drama and a kind of childish approach, which comes through in the vocals as well. Some songs are into pure reverie while others are more into experimentalism. The common element between it all often appears to be a real fine taste for delicacy.

When listening to this work I simply got the impression of watching a movie. The work also reveals some little surprises like cover versions of Kate Bush and her mega-hit “Wuthering Heights” and Nico’s “Janitor Of Lunacy”. Both versions are not exactly my favorite cuts, but they have their place at the tracklist. There also is an interpretation of a Mexican folk song (cf. “La Llorona”), which has something flamenco-like.

My personal favorite song is the totally cabaret-devoted and intimate-like “Ophelia’s Melodious Lay”. It also sounds like one of the ultimate songs where the singer really plays with her great vocal skills. She also reminds me a bit of Björkk on “Femme Fatale”.

Conclusion: There’s a lot to experience on this album, which makes it fascinating and quite diverse. This is an album, which can really excel when joined by a strong visual performance like a ballet or a movie;

Best songs: “Ophelia’s Melodious Lay”, “L’Heure Verte”, “Lilies Of the Slab”, “La Llorona”.

Rate: (Elise Din:7)Elise Din.

Band & Label: www.dreamchildmusic.com / www.facebook.com/Dreamchildmusic

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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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