Emilie Autumn -
Opheliac (2006)
I got this one from my homey FaSho, and I apologise to him in advance...
I don't want to sugarcoat it because that would be bullsh*tting: apart from a few saving graces I pretty much hated this album.
Strong words, so let me explain. Emilie Autumn uses her obvious classical training to peddle a strange and initially intriguing mix of industrial beats, baroque instrumentation, gothic cabaret stylings (see above) and angsty whining.
And here we come to my main bone to pick with Miss Autumn, she clearly knows the ropes and on a couple of tracks where the cringe-worthy lyrics and Trent Reznor-esque vocal distortion don't overwhelm it, she has a great voice (the title track in particular)...
However her musical expertise are used in a manner not at all compatible with my tastes. It's all as cynically contrived as you'd expect any music defined by it's adolescent malcontent yet made by a 29-year-old to be; with tracks like 'the Art of Suicide' and 'Misery Loves Company'... Unfortunately at my age I just can't take it remotely seriously.
In fact it takes me back to a magical time, a time before anybody had heard the word 'emo' and goths were the target of people's ire with their excessive make up, all-black wardrobe, angst-ridden music scenes and general self-indulgence. In that sense at least it was quite nostalgic and at least goths, as a youth tribe, had a proud musical heritage and were a bit less vain... right?
But that's what this album brought me back to, and despite their being the occasional glimmer of hope for it musically, everything else just made my toes curl. This is not a slight on FaSho who is a very cool dude and not a goth, with an even cooler music collection for someone his age (when I was that young I think all I had were a couple of pop hits cassettes) - I am just being annoyingly honest about with my opinion of this one. Sawwy!
Two bands I am not an expert on but would recommend in place of this - Nine Inch Nails and Dresden Dolls, Emilie Autumn seems to be loving them.