Title: Walking To The Edge
Artist: The Last Cry
Genre: Gothic Rock
Release Date: 2009
Label: Self-Released
Album Review
Brighton's own THE LAST CRY formed three years ago and have since scored support slots with a range of legendary names from the Gothic Rock pantheon including The Damned, The Mission, Gene Loves Jezebel, Skeletal Family etc. - and on listening to their self-released debut, it is easy to see why. THE LAST CRY produce a very atmospheric take on the Gothic Rock blueprint, but it is a sound that owes just as much to Depeche Mode as it does to The Cure. The songs utilise the heavy keyboard embellishments and vocal styles of bands like the afore mentioned Depeche Mode, but keep that classic Gothic sound very much at the forefront.
'Devastate' opens the album with haunting electronics and gritty distorted guitars over a mid-tempo beat for a classic slice of alienation and rebelliousness. 'Punishment' ups the tempo, adds some classic 80's guitar effects and lets the nostalgia in out the cold for an up beat dance floor friendly track. 'Haunting Me' wanders into The Cure's house, sits down, and makes a cup of tea - the result of which is a great dark indie pop song. 'Cross of Hope' on the other hand favours the Depeche Mode electronics again for a laid back dark dj friendly track. The dance beats get a little harder on 'Nowhere', and the keyboards take on a little EBM feel, but the prominent guitars keep it firmly in the rock zone. 'Out of Nowhere' is a slow, haunting, Flood Land era Sisters of Mercy style track that definitely deserves the Gothic tag.
'Seconds' checks in another Cure riff by way of the darker and more dramatic Gene Loves Jezebel sound, which creates an catch but subtly maudlin track. 'Cry' on the other hand turns up the harder rock elements and adds the punkiness of bands like Theatre of Hate and Death Cult for a very different sound than that displayed on most of the album's tracks. 'Prison of Dreams' returns to the Goth guitars versus up-tempo dance beats formula for another dj friendly track. 'No Resistance' takes the slow stomp and sexy synth sound approach much like Deathcamp Project have a tendency to do, to create a very sexy song. 'Rebekka' on the other hand borrows a cup of sugar from The Cure for the lighter pop number. The album's title track 'Walking To The Edge' is a dark and subdued track that deliberately avoids 'hamming it up' in favour of a solid vocal performance before ending on a bit of rock.
This a fine debut album that straddles a lot of genres quite comfortably and as such will appeal to a lot of people - the band repeat a couple of tricks maybe a few too many times, but that is being picky, as the songs have a catchy quality that forgives any roughness to the mixing and production. But as a record this one is very promising, and I wouldn't be surprised if the band capitalise on it to build a following on the continent.
Tracklist
01. Devastate
02. Punishment
03. Haunting Me
04. Cross Of Hope
05. Nowhere
06. Out Of The Sky
07. Seconds
08. Cry
09. Prison Of Dreams
10. No Resistance
11. Rebekka
12. Walking To The Edge
Line-up
Andrew Birch
Chris Carey
Tim Green
Websites
www.myspace.com/thelastcryuk
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7 / 10
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