The Spiritual Bat – Cruel Machine

Italy might just be the new breeding grounds for the next generation of Goth influenced rock music if The Spiritual Bat has any say. It’s been a long time since there have been any notable Goth releases coming out of Europe that aren’t too heavy on the electronic side or too cheesy for everyday consumption; that was until Cruel Machine dropped earlier this year. At first glance, the album artwork alone is proof enough that this records tone will be a dramatic one at best, finally album art that compliments the music itself! Oh so tragic, cake on the pale makeup and fix your eyeliner, shadow dancing will now commence.

Now this may not be the most original sounding album of the decade, but like they say, if you’re gonna rip, rip it from the best, the duo that is Spiritual Bat have done just that. The obvious Siouxsie stylings are there from the get go as is more than an ounce or two of Catastrophe Ballet era Christian Death. High pitched wails battle thundering drum and bass beats that could move your hips like any classic Goth club hit dating back to the early 80’s. Sinister synth action lends it self to the often reverb and effects heavy guitar lines swishing through the majority of tracks here. The ultra dark 80’s formula is written all over Cruel Machine, and why not? It worked extremely well then and still does nearly 30 years later. Atmosphere heavy songs are the easiest to enjoy in this genre, and the band clearly are aware of it, maybe to a point of over doing it. Cruel Machine isn’t breaking new ground, but it’s definitely doing the Goth scene a favor by producing guitar heavy music that could inspire younger bands to pick up on the bands that made the music exciting to begin with. Any fan of early Siouxsie or the usual suspects like Christian Death and Sex Gang Children will dig Cruel Machine.



 

 

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter
 

 

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