Artist: Christine Plays Viola
Title: F.I.V.E. Fear Increases Violent Emotions
Genre: Gothic / Alt Punk / Indie / Alternative / Dark Wave
Release Date: 19th January 2026
Label: Cleopatra Records
Album Review
CHRISTINE PLAYS VIOLA have been around for quite a while now, two years short of 20 years in fact. The first time I heard of them was 2014 when the album ‘Vacua’ was released. But, a little more back story for those of you who don’t know who CHRISTINE PLAYS VIOLA (CPV) are... They formed in Pratola Peligna in Italy in 2008, released a few EPs and appeared on a few compilation albums before releasing their first album ‘Innocent Awareness’ on German label AF Music. The album was well received by the Darkwave scene and even got the thumbs from Mick Mercer.
A few more EPs and tours later they release their second album in 2014, the aforementioned Francisco Goya inspired ‘Vacua’. Their third album ‘Spooky Obsessions’ arrived in 2016 followed by ‘The Bonds Should Be Only Silver Threads’ (2018) and ‘Fading’ (2020). In amongst all this there was extensive touring and sharing stages with the likes of CLAN OF XYmox, 1919, SHE PAST AWAY, CHAMELEONS VOX and THE BEAUTY OF GEMINA etc and playing festivals all across Europe including Wave Gotik Treffen, Semana Gotika and Fantasmagothic.
The new album is a dark descent into the realms of identity, tension and redemption and, in the words of the band, explores fear, not as a weakness but “as a force that shapes who you become”. And the album has been crafted over a span of three years. Right, now we are up to speed on we go to my first impressions of ‘F.I.V.E. - Fear Increases Violent Emotions’...
‘F.I.V.E’ starts out in a promising manner, an ominous tone, chatter and laughter, a punchy drum and echoey sinewy guitars backed by a full throaty bass. The visual interpretation is one of white tramlines cutting through blocks of obsidian. This track is called ‘Sprout of Disharmony’, it’s pleasing, very pleasing. It’s an experience that feels pleasingly hard. And there’s a focus and determination about it that bodes well for what comes next.
‘My Redemption’ teases the senses to start with a resonation of electronic pitter patter followed by fireworks that emanate from knobs, switches and keys. The bass is just a few notes truncated, it tersely pulls the track forward and then swings around to pushes it. ‘You Don’t Fool Me’ seems perfect. It’s not quite but it gets there with the rounded dark bounce of the bass and nice guitar parts that are like cut aluminium foil thrown into a black space, one spot light illuminating them as they fall to the floor.
‘Desolate Moments’ sets a mournful scene, like a funeral march. A hypnotic regular drum beats through the heart of it. The guitar on this rolls and writhes as if ribbons in a dance of deathly rhythmic gymnastics, i also hear subtle similarities to early CURE and EDITORS. ‘Confessions’ feels 1980s Goth with an eastern theme threaded through it. An urgent trippy dream I’d say, the bass like the hit of a spliff, the guitars the hazy impressions of light dancing in the ocular haze. Nice!!
‘There’s No Going Back’ starts with an electronic vibe, it’s a bit Skinny Puppy, then MARILYN MANSON, even MANSUNESQUE in places. I like the screamy guitars and clean warbling in the vocal, it’s very clear. The whole affair is pleasing down to the sinewy twang at the end. ‘Black Noise’ has me dancing in my seat. The vibe is B-MOVIE, I see monsters and ghouls gyrating in amongst the trumpets and the scaled bass. That bass is simply marvellous cos it does its job. I’m gyrating. A cross between THE CRAMPS and the B52’s.
The opening soundscape of ‘The Crypt Of Misery’ is a floating low mist in a crypt, the urgency of the drums pulsating the mist higher up the cold grey walls. The vocal screams out through the cracks in the door and the broken stained glass of the crypt windows. The voice spirals up to roof height and conglomerates into human form, it floats high then darts low spitting outs its emphatic darts of meaning all backed up by the buttery syncopations of drums. Track nine is ‘Jackie s Curse’ The tone changes, more punk, more raw and dirty and more up and down motion. THE UNDERTONES spring to mind. Not my favourite track on this album but I do like the vocal texture and the keyboard lines near the end. Very organic!
The final track is ‘Blood Calls Blood’ The guitars spit and flow then gush, the palette back to where it was at the beginning, black, slithers of silver, obsidian and now red. I like the vocal. remember earlier when I likened the bass and guitars to aluminium foil dropping to the floor as a spotlight illuminates them? The voice here feels the same, vibrations of the soul being thrown out, hitting aluminium foil that scatters the sounds further afield, with the surround sound turned on I feel a bit disorientated.
The first time I listened to this album a few days ago I was invested in it until track four when I got bored. So I left the album at that point and went off to do something else. Today I came back to it but only after I listened to ‘Vacua’ and ‘Fading’ in their entirety. I had to prime my ears it seemed. ‘Vacua’ is darkly symmetrical in my view with a slight Pop / oriental slant to it at various junctures. The album bobs and sways and does not feel disjointed. ‘Fading’ was gloriously bouncy and elastic due to the expressive bass and I would say, cavernously airy feel with many micro sounds and trinkets firing off in the background.
‘F.I.V.E’ for the most part continues the dark symmetry, sway and bounciness with minimal jarring. I’m not going to attribute to any particular track but only to the whole. It’s the minimal jarring that makes this a very good album and not a great one. Some would say it a bit like my reviews and writings. However I have added the album to my phones playlist for when I’m out and about walking or biking around my area. The jarring bit might work themselves out with patience. Like trying to remove fluff from jam you just spread on your toast.
The End.
Tracklist
01. Sprout Of Disharmony
02. My Redemption
03. You Don’t Fool Me
04. Desolate Moments
05. Confessions
06. There’s No Going Back
07. Black Noise
08. The Crypt Of Misery
09. Jackie’s Curse
10. Blood Calls Blood
Line-up
Massimo Ciampani – Vocals and Words
Fabrizio Giampietro – Guitars, Synths and Programming
Marco Di’ Ianni – Bass
Gianluca Orsini – Drums
Website
https://christineplaysviola.bandcamp.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
