by Frank Gualtier -- 08/12/07, 08/15/07
It's been just over a year since I last wrote about The Divine Madness1. A lot has happened since then and the horizon is filling in so I think an update is long overdue.I'll tell you about their album Secrets -- and bit more.
Let's start with the current lineup.
The Divine Madness
Victoria Mazzè - singer/film composer2
Chris Ride - keyboardist
Chris Cano - drummer/percussionist/keyboardist
Moni Scaria - guitarist (Kidney Thieves3)
Dylan Halacy - drummer (Percy Hill?)
In 2006 they released the Precious EP containing the four tracks Closer, Precious, The Future, Crawl and Redemption.
Later that same year they released their debut LP Secrets, a whopping 23 track 11/12 double CD set.
 Disk 1PARADISO | Disk 2 INFERNO | ||
| 01 | Haunted | 01 | Total Addiction |
| 02 | Secrets | 02 | The Future |
| 03 | Gentle | 03 | Precious |
| 04 | Blessed | 05 | Show Me |
| 05 | If Tomorrow Comes | 05 | True Love |
| 06 | Wish | 06 | Dirty |
| 07 | Closer | 07 | Push |
| 08 | Forsaken | 08 | The Sorrow |
| 09 | Dust | 09 | Pacify |
| 10 | Wonderland | 10 | MIA |
| 11 | Redemption | 11 | Crawl |
| 12 | Until The Break of Day | ||
Here are some samples you can listen to or purchase. (excellent review reading music)
Note: Contents of sampler are subject to change.
The genres covered by this album are rock4, 'new wave'5, and a heaping helping of victoriandustrial6 which is beautifully haunted by Mazzè's gothically7 angellic voice and the often operatic8 vocal harmony arrangements. Combine that with rich yet smartly restrained guitar and a set of synth9 patches keying everything from ethereal strings to glockenspiel toy piano'ish10 sounds (think Music Box) and you get a decidedly 'through the looking-glass'11 flavor. Though always rhythmic there are even reaches to 'electro dance'12 here -- a portent of ensuing persuasion. I did mention 'new wave'5.
The content largely covers dark themes from tacit vampirism and death to loneliness and dark fantasy as underscorings to otherwise traditional songs dealing mostly with love and with loss. Most curious and attractive I think is that these don't seem to be the songs of a depressed poet emoting, but rather the works of happy minds exploring. No surprise that 'Alice in Wonderland'13 comes up time and again in association with The Divine Madness. Thank you Grandma Brown14.
Secrets is an enchanted musical odyssey of considerable depth served up in bite size tracks.
The Divine Madness is a group of prolific and tireless professionals. They're also sticklers for perfection. It shows in their sound, their look and everything they touch.
From pen to master15, cover to cover, Secrets is one of the best albums around. It contains a few songs such as Closer and Precious that alone are worth it's entire purchase.
Last I read Secrets was nearly sold out and the band is considering selling a reprint as two single albums 'Paradiso' and 'Inferno'. If you'd like it in it's current incarnation you might want to hurry.
Currently their music sounds like it's heading into more 'electro dance'12 territory. They are, much to my pleasure, doing this without sacrificing that special sound they have and though it stupifies me as to how -- they just keep sounding better everytime I hear them.
If you want to hear their latest hit them up at their myspace profile and check out songs such as 'The Hunger', slated to track one of their upcoming albums 'Rapture'. In a word -- G O R G E O U S. And you'll hear precisely what I mean about bringing in the dance w/out sacrificing their sound.
They're still hugely underrated but I have no doubt in my mind that the road will rise up to meet them. I like to consider myself a part of that road.
-frank-
Videos by The Divine Madness
YouTube / Brightcove | ||
Closer | Gentle | Faith |
Links for The Divine Madness:
- Website
- MySpace - Main
- MySpace - Rapture LP
- MySpace - Secrets LP
- MySpace - Fans of The Divine Madness
- MySpace - Epicenter Soundtrack
- CD Baby - Secrets
- Merch
Notes & References
1Touring the Indies 07/17/06 Article: 'The Divine Madness', 2(UBL) the ultimate band list Profile: The Divine Madness (see bio), 3Kidneythieves Website - KT | News (aka Kidney Thieves), 4Rock Music, 5New Wave Music, 6Victoriandustrial Music - a genre created by Emilie Autumn, 7Goth Subculture/Gothic Music, 8A slow Bel Canto or style of singing usually associated with Opera, 9Synthesizer, 10Toy Piano (see 'Serious Business'), 11Through the Looking-Glass(,and What Alice Found There - 1871 Lewis Carroll), 12Electronic Dance Music, 13Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - 1865 Lewis Carroll, 14MYGOTHICHEART.COM - Interview with Victoria Mazze15Master Recording - a mixed master from which copies are made
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