"Only Sorrow"
Gothic/Industrial Compilation CD
Produced by Lee Whipple (2001)
Review by Dan Shaurette (ElderDaniel)
"Mmmm, but it happened too quickly;
I blinked my eyes and you were gone.
Were you real or did I imagine?
You seemed to go with the light of the dawn."
-- from "Haunted", by Coven XIII
Music is a difficult thing to review. Like poetry, its beauty is not skin deep but lies in the ears of those who understand it. Music is expressive of a moment in time. An experience held by someone who is so compelled to share it that it can drive them insane. Those talented enough to convey their passion are not always recognized.
Popular music is a commercial industry, cranking out dance beats, sweet lyrics, and sexy artists. Don't get me wrong, this in of itself isn't a bad thing so much as a tragedy when a pure work of art gets ignored because it isn't "marketable".
Myself, I cherish music. As a writer, I admire lyrics and prize them higher than the melody sometimes. If the music is distracting it seems a detriment to me, but this is my own personal taste. Hence why I rarely ever critique music. I am making an exception for one CD.
I recently went to a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show which has a shadow cast here in Phoenix by local troupe Broadway Bound and Gagged. This is always a treat, and I was actually with three very close friends on this occasion. A gentleman was selling copies of a CD entitled "Only Sorrow", a compilation of gothic music, from which the proceeds were going to a scholarship foundation.
The CD was very attractively priced, and as it happens, to encourage its sale, raffle tickets were being sold in order to win an Xbox gaming console. I could not pass up the opportunity, and figured even if the music was not my cup of tea, I was still supporting a good cause.
I am happy to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed this CD. So much so that I wanted to learn more about the scholarship it supports and the young lady it was produced in honor of, Ellen Claire Lawrence.
"The Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship was founded June 1998 following the death of my Fiancé. Ellen Claire Lawrence (Claire) was and still is the most compassionate human being I have met. Her death darkened the world of everyone that knew and loved her - and left us with questions that can not be answered. The only way I was able to deal with the loss was to carry on her memory in a positive way that she would approve of, helping others.
With the advice of close friends of Claire and I (Ethan, Shawn, Matt), the Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship was started at Glendale Community College in Glendale AZ. It was a challenge raising the first $1000.00. Dealing with the pain of her death, and the frustration of raising funds I put the project aside long enough to heal. A year later while listening to one of her favorite musical artists (Lorrena McKennitt) the inspiration came to fund the scholarship with a CD.
I started writing letters, e-mail and personally asking bands that I knew she liked (or would like) to be part of the CD. Two challenging years later the compilation "Only Sorrow" is finished. I know it is something she would love. Please enjoy the CD. The Scholarship is scheduled to make its first award the fall semester of this year 2001."
While all of the music is well-crafted, it was not all my taste. It is probably not fair to classify the entire album as "Goth/Industrial", but as labels go, this fits the best. I know that I found that when I listened to each song, I could feel the emotion that each piece pulled from my soul. That is the mark of great music so far as I'm concerned.
A few songs did catch my ear and I enjoyed them very much.
"Sometimes Silver" by Tri-State Killing Spree
"Libereta Me" by Second Skin
"Fade and Sustain" by The Razor Skyline
"Drying in the Sun" by Deathwatch Beetle Repairman
"Angels" by the Unquiet Void
The strongest song on the album in my opinion was (perhaps appropriately located) on track 13. It is a song entitled "Haunted" by a band named Coven XIII (now named Seven13). This song sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the album. It has no comparison to anything else on the album. (Here is a link to a sample from a different, harder version.)
"Haunted" is pure gothic to the core, with a beautiful dark, almost medieval waltz quality. Don't let this fool you, the rock undertones slowly emerge and the strong vocals carry a true energy. To me, this song expresses exactly the overwhelming sorrow of the loss of a true love. Anyone who misses their soul's dance partner and wakes every morning still crying over their loss will drown in this song.
The entire album is wonderful; it not only speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one, but it is easy to know how Lee felt when he compiled it. May he someday know more than "only sorrow".
The CD is available for sale at http://www.onlysorrow.org for $15.00. All of the proceeds from which go directly to the Ellen Claire Lawrence Memorial Scholarship available at Glendale Community College in Arizona.
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