Album Review: Soft Block Stars by Current 93

Album Name - Soft Black Stars

Artist - Current 93

Label - Durtro Records

Year - 1998

Genre - Goth, Gothic Folk, Apocalyptic Folk, Noise, Experimental, Neofolk

Preference Rating (1- Hate, 2-Dislike, 3-Okay, 4-Like, 5-Love) - 5

Production Quality (1-Noise, 2-Home, 3-Standard 4-Profesional) - 4

Music Quality (1-Bad, 2-Novice, 3-Amature, 3- Professional, 5-Great) - 5

I am assuming most of you do not know who Current 93 is. Fear not you are in exalted company. Unless you have some affiliation to the Gothic community (i.e. a friend, read weird websites, etc.) you most likely will not have heard the name. Even those near the Gothic community have only heard the name and not the actual band. It is often just one of those bands you recite in litany to prove your credentials. I am sure other people listen to Current 93 as well, but there is a lot of truth in the story I just told you. Current 93 often preforms a style of folk preceded by the words gothic, apocalyptic, and/or neo. Though no two albums are the same style in any substantial way. I am a huge fan he is one of my favorite artists, and this album is my favorite. Soft Black Stars is art. Most of the album is beautiful and melancholy piano ballads haunted with the somber & romantic lyrics of David Tibet all accented by ghost violin, mandolin, flute and the like.  The lyrics are a blend of romantic, gothic, and Christian symbolism. He talks about ‘deaths heads.’ They reveal themselves as death in the conventional since. The death of a loved one, child, friend, or oneself. He also talks of death metaphorically. Of relationships, eras, and ideas. Of course the last of the death heads is apocalypse, the death of all. Most of these songs are like poetry and ballads to differing audiences. Sometime they are to his lover. Sometimes they are to his audience. Sometimes they are to death. The last track and its different versions, while complimentary, offers us a taste of his experimental and or noise genre abilities. It’s like an enthralling and personal dialog with some person and eschatology. Not for everyone perhaps but you never know until you try. Grab your favorite beverage and or vise (a nice pipe) and sit in the most comfortable place you can and try soaking it in…Just my suggestion….

Resources:

• David Tibet + Current 93 (http://www.davidtibet.com/) Artist’s website