Dark sirens.

     I'd like to talk about a couple of unnoticed musicians whose careers have spanned multiple projects. These are taken from a column I wrote for the Vincennes University Trailblazer.

     The first I'd like to mention is Andrea Haugen, also known as Nebelhexe. She’s brilliant, sensual, dark, and an artist in every sense of the term. Lyrically, her subject matter revolves around pagan beliefs; musically, her singing style has been described as “Enya gone goth.”
     Her band Aghast only spawned one album, ‘Hexerei im Zweilicht der Finsternis.’ It’s a great album to listen to straight through, especially on a dark and rainy, candlelit night. The first song that caught my attention was “Call to the Grave.” At this point is when the Enya comparison kicks in.
     I first discovered Andrea Haugen when I heard the music of her project Hagalaz’ Runedance. Much of the music has a very Celtic feel, although the lyrics are often about Germanic mythology. People who enjoy Dead Can Dance or Love Is Colder Than Death would enjoy this part of Haugen’s career. My favorite songs at this point are “When The Trees Were Silenced,” “Seeker Divine,” and “Frigga’s Web.”
     Under the pseudonym Nebelhexe, Haugen incorporated more characteristics of rock into her music. The title track from ‘Laguz – Within the Lake’ is just damn good. “Invisible Entity” is good to listen to while walking around on an overcast day, with the wind blowing. And “Dead Waters” is beautiful.

     The next talent I'd like to mention is Karin Dreijer Andersson. Throughout the three projects to which she has lent her talents, Karin Dreijer Andersson’s voice has stayed the same distinct style. Especially in her latest endeavors, I describe her vocal and music styles as a shadowy version of Bjork’s.
     She started out in the alternative rock group Honey Is Cool, which ran from the mid-90s to 2000. Their music was typical of that era. It was about the same time Autotune was beginning to take over everything in America, but Honey Is Cool was still good. Among their best, “Early Morning Are You Waking?” “The Lion,” and “Nach Heart.”
     At the end of her Honey Is Cool career, she began a project with her brother, Olaf Dreijer, called The Knife. A vast departure from Honey Is Cool, The Knife is heavily electronic. Hits include “Heartbeats,” “We Share Our Mother’s Health,” and “Neverland.”
     Fever Ray, is what caught a lot of people onto Dreijer Anderson. The droning, seductive sound of “If I Had A Heart,” is fantastic. I’d love to take a big bass speaker and lay on it with my eyes closed with it playing, as the bass sounds feel like a hearbeat. It seems to be everyone’s favorite. However, that is not to discredit “When I Grow Up.”

"The Auto-Asphyxiating Heirophant" by Coil.

     Every once in a while, I will have a song that will pop into my head, but not in that antagonizing way. It will just surface in there, and roll around a bit, and will just haunt me for a few minutes. For the past month, that song has been "The Auto-Asphyxiating Heirophant" by the groundbreaking band Coil. They've released a few albums that I would classify as ambient industrial, and this song is from the album "Autumn Equinox." It's slow, plodding, and discordant. Midway through is this spoken-word poem. It's surreal, esoteric, and odd, so I'd like to share it.

Construction of disasters
Our words not properly fixed
Oral fixate
Is this the threshold?
Is this the threshold?
Fixed in a thousand poisons blended and descended
Indestructible definiteness
It's only zero charges electricity
Enough resistance
No action it seems in action
Making pain
I happen to be content to
It was logical but fatal
Once more the numbers
Confusion with a false ...
It will fall soon
It will fall soon
It will fall soon
The white magic of the moon
Is the black magic of the Earth
The on my hands
To what extent have we deceived ourselves as to the
damage
Being misled, mistaken by instinct
Ice temples crackle
Like in the wave
And my eyes vibrate at a catgut rate
Stagger into the streets bearing after the blood-red
number
The flag banner, stutter and stammer
Nothing will ever be the same
Nothing will ever be the same
Nothing will ever be the same

"The Veil of Queen Mab" by Hexperos

     This album was the first Hexperos album I heard about. I hope any readers enjoy it as much as I do.

     The first three songs seem to come in a set, the first and third sort of frame the second, the titular "Veil of Queen Mab."
     "The Fairy Appears" is the first of this opening triad - a short, dreamy introduction that opens the album, with strings and angelic choruses. It serves as the prologue of the next track, "The Veil" itself.
     This somewhat dirge-like song, named after the dream-fairy mentioned in Romeo and Juliet, is sweeping, and builds to a beautiful gothic crescendo. I imagine listening to this with a window opened on a windy night, with a filmy curtain blowing over the dreamer.
     The theme of dreams is continued in this track, "El Velo Azul" - "The Blue Veil," which would be the epilogue of the previous song.

     "Moon Spell" is aptly named, as flutes, angelic vocals, gebtly strummed strings, and soft drumbeats seemingly descend from the lunar-lit sky. The vocals and drumbeats intensify, and are underscored by the sound of a babbling brook.

     "Summatem Deam" serves as a soft gothic interlude that lulls me every time. I hear it.

     When I first heard about Hexperos, I was shown a link to "Diadem of the Night," and I was enraptured. In the collection of gorgeous tracks, this one stands out. All I can say about it as I'm listening to it right now is "Google it and fall in love."

     There are several more sonic gems in this work of art. Another one of my favorites is "Nocturne," which is a dark lullaby. Like I said about their debut album: get it because I said so.