Holy Depeche Mode! This is a total throwback with a slight—and very slight—modern twist, of, say, AFI. Imagine that, as Blaqk Audio IS the side project of AFI’s Davey Havoc and Jade Puget.
As a longtime AFI fan, I want to like this—and it isn’t insufferable; but honestly, Blaqk Audio borrows just a much from the aforementioned, as well as from Marilyn Manson, Skinny Puppy, Nitzer Ebb… It’s goth in that campy, tragic way that is honestly just too much to take seriously.
One thing this album does accomplish is to draw a tangible connection between the early nineties goth-pop club scene and how it has a peripheral presence in modern rock bands like Panic! At the Disco, Aiden or even Evanescence today. The connecting factors on Cexcells make the crossover totally sensible. However, having scoured this for a single song recommendation, there is really not one.
If it were 1989, this might—in fact would—be innovative and impressive; but in 2007 we’re just hearing a re-hash of far too many bygone bands. Why not just dust off Some Great Reward and reminisce to the real thing?
(Sorry, Davey. I still love ya, man.)
