Kooper Kain
Turning Cities to Salt
Sinister Records

Kooper Kain are a varied-sounding Gothic band with a dynamic singer who goes by the same name as the band. He recalls Peter Murphy of Bauhaus and solo fame at times, and David Bowie at other times. The singing on "Sentence Now" goes from guttural to soaring as the guitars weave intricate patterns. "Breach" reaches unexpected heights in its U2-esque bombast. The singer even employs some of Bono's vocal tricks.

The melancholy "All That's Needed" uses Sisters of Mercy for inspiration. The singer suggestively moans and croons across the smoky melody. The dance track "Flicker, Flicker & Out" is full of pulsating rhythms but the words speak of existential doubt.

We end with two ambient pieces, one "Cowboy Vampire" supposedly features "the quiet murmurings of an old vampire who rests at the bottom of an abandoned mineshaft." Sounds like a film to me.

It's a long, strange but worthwhile journey Kooper Kain takes us on.

Copyright © 2005 Anna Maria Stjärnell