Lee Kwo
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An excellent listen
I got my copy of 'The Unquiet Grave' last week and I have listened to it several times. Its a remarkable production with each track standing alone and yet a sense of continuity so that one gets the impression of one song leading to another as in a passage of text.
The subtle backing tracks the percussion/beat box really support rather than override the vocals and keyboards and this creates the gothic sadness that pervades the album/a sense of the compositions dream like internal logic which is the emotional revelation of the composers feelings unfolds subversively but not in a self indulgent manner.
The lyrics are sparse and clever and stay in the unconscious at the end of the tracks. 'The Birthday Party' had this impact on my sensibilities and I resonated with it and the chorus remained on the abstract threshold of my mind for days afterwards. The signature tune 'The Unquiet Grave' is a great opening track and sets the mood for the rest of the CD the voice and technique and tones of the keyboards fit perfectly and continue through the other tracks.
Alien Skin's vocals are quite unique and flow through a limited register of tones somewhere between singing and an organic space of symbolic, almost dreamlike allegory; a harbour of secret paradise, singing a poem or a liturgy if you will.
The stripped back restraint becomes mesmerising and overwhelms the imagination until you enter the world of 'The Unquiet Grave' and its cold isolation to quote the titles of two of the tracks. There is a sense of confrontation with death and an exhumation of the inevitability of an end to our short time in this life. The mix is excellent and the various effects and working of the androgynous vocals breaks up the steady flow of the music. I was pleasantly surprised at the more dramatic interludes of sound; some almost industrial effects. These give the compositions a tension and momentum that counter acts with the dramatic melancholic flow of the music itself. For things are what we feel they are. The absence of a bass guitar line does not detract from the dynamics.
A great passage of work Alien Skin, a masterful use of your instruments and clever compositions and story lines makes for an excellent listen as with all your work!
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Side-Line Magazine
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'The Unquiet Grave' is Emotion and Devotion!
Alien Skin is an Australian project that was set up by George Pappas who was previously involved in the famous Australian band Real Life. This band got international fame by the 80s hit 'Send Me An Angel'.
A few years ago now G. Pappas started this new project. After the debut album "Don't Open Till Doomsday" (2008) we now get "The Unquiet Grave". While the title and the front cover of the album are rather gothic like Alien Skin can be easily defined as a pure electro-pop formation. What I like in their sound is the less typical synth-pop production. "The Unquiet Grave" sounds quite intimate and surprising. The title song opening is based on a traditional 14th century folksong. We have to admit that this isn't really common for a synth-pop band. This song sounds like an intro, but we have to recognize it all starts an original way.
The main songs are quite wafting and moody with some ambient touch on top. The album becomes interesting when listening to 'History', 'Love', 'This Isolation' and 'Cold'. You can easily perceive the mature sound and production while the 'pop'-style revealed by Alien Skin takes some distance with the established standards. All songs and especially the lyrics of a few tracks aren't always that groundbreaking, but other cuts are revealing certain fragility and quietness. It sometimes moves on the edge of an imaginary pop-lounge style.
"The Unquiet Grave" is more a kind of down-tempo pop release crafted with emotion and devotion. This is nothing like dance-pop, but just a fascinating experience throughout emotional pop music!
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MUEN Magazine
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'The Unquiet Grave' album is even better than the debut Alien Skin album!
A thought runs through your head when you see a sophomore album from an artist that it can be really great or just more of the same from the debut. Somehow I knew the former would be the case with George Pappas and Alien Skin. I could not think or say enough good things about “Don’t Open Til Doomsday” and now I am faced with the same dilemma with this CD. The only exception is that this album is even better than the first with more attention given to each and every song and every minute detail of the tunes!
The title track has to be the incomparable standout as this is a song that harkens back to many eras in content and also sounds and yet is completely original and contemporary. Amazing synths and perfectly placed spoken words add to the hauntingly beautiful music found in this and all of the tracks on the album. Most artists seem to get “stuck” and almost refuse to stretch and try new things that are outside their comfort zone or what they have always known. This not the case for Pappas, who pushes the envelope with new sounds and arrangements and makes songs very relevant and upon listening closely almost before their time in musical quality. The title track illustrates this exceedingly well but so does “History” and “Cold.” “This Isolation” is a must listen to over and again to capture the feel and emotion within this song and is another example of going outside of an artist’s previous comfort zone and revealing more about themselves and their talent.
Nothing about this CD is stuck in a genre or back in time but rather is a stunning representation of what artists who have had great success should do to move ahead and garner new fans. This album also shows you what creative genius and talent can evolve to given freedom to express. If you have not heard of Alien Skin and think it is not in your genre category then you are mistaken. This is an album with many facets and one that all music lovers should buy!
- Macavity Eliot
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Eric Olsen
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A headphone album, you are going to love it!
When I was a young lad, oh so many moons ago, there were many bands and musical artists that I enjoyed who put out great, what I would call, "headphone albums." I guess one modern example of a "headphone album" would be the first album by German musical project Enigma, entitled "MCMXC A.D." For those of you who may not have heard that term before, a "headphone album" is an album that has a sound that can virtually transport you mentally to another dimension. The key to reaching that dimension was the combination of the music on the album, and a really bitchin' pair of headphones to listen to the album on.
The new album "The Unquiet Grave" by Alien Skin is just such an album. Alien Skin is the solo project of former Real Life keyboardist George Pappas. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Real Life, they were a Synthpop band from Australia who had quite a number of hit songs in the 80's and 90's. The Real Life song you may all be most familiar with was the song "Send Me An Angel."
In Alien Skin, George heads away from the more Pop sound of Real Life, into a far darker and more musically intimate environment. George combines Ambient, Trance, Goth, and Synthpop elements all into one unique sound that is both immediately recognizable, (once you hear it) and instantly memorable (in a very haunting way). In addition, George's somewhat eerie vocal style lends itself to the music perfectly.
When I was a young lad, oh so many moons ago, there were many bands and musical artists that I enjoyed who put out great, what I would call, "headphone albums." I guess one modern example of a "headphone album" would be the first album by German musical project Enigma, entitled "MCMXC A.D." For those of you who may not have heard that term before, a "headphone album" is an album that has a sound that can virtually transport you mentally to another dimension. The key to reaching that dimension was the combination of the music on the album, and a really bitchin' pair of headphones to listen to the album on.
The new album "The Unquiet Grave" by Alien Skin is just such an album. Alien Skin is the solo project of former Real Life keyboardist George Pappas. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Real Life, they were a Synthpop band from Australia who had quite a number of hit songs in the 80's and 90's. The Real Life song you may all be most familiar with was the song "Send Me An Angel."
In Alien Skin, George heads away from the more Pop sound of Real Life, into a far darker and more musically intimate environment. George combines Ambient, Trance, Goth, and Synthpop elements all into one unique sound that is both immediately recognizable, (once you hear it) and instantly memorable (in a very haunting way). In addition, George's somewhat eerie vocal style lends itself to the music perfectly.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you pick up a copy of "The Unquiet Grave" by Alien Skin immediately at www.adifferentdrum.com. As to what I was talking about earlier...Of course, a really nice car or home stereo with the volume turned up, like "past eleven," is always a good "plan B" when a nice pair of headphones is unavailable. Whatever you play "The Unquiet Grave" by Alien Skin on, you are gonna love it. Also, don't forget to check out Alien Skin's excellent debut album, 2008's "Don't Open Till Doomsday."
Eric Olsen - DEKADANCE Radio - KSCU 103.3 FM IN SANTA CLARA CA
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Kage Alan
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Swept away in the songs
'The Unquiet Grave' album feels almost like a soundtrack to a film we've not seen yet. Listening to it again since getting back into the swing of writing/editing (I'm an author), I have a few thoughts to share.
You asked sometime back what songs on the new album stood out to me or that I liked listening to the most.
History - I love the gothic melody and background tones in this one. That combined with the beat of the piece brings it to life and I find myself pulled away from writing in order to listen to it.
Cold - It might be easy to think it's the faster beat that attracts me to this one, but it's actually the lyrics and vocal strength, pacing changes and background sounds that work for me so well here. This one has the power to create a video in my mind while I listen to it.
Bleed - Another track where the lyrics and vocals are supported/strengthened by the music. Again, the imagery comes through quite clearly here.
Kage Alan
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Xanni
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Ethereal, Floaty, Disturbing… Big
The Unquiet Grave – is Alien Skin’s second album, next to his first, Don’t Open Till Doomsday. When I saw this album put out on A Different Drum, I ordered it straight away, and have waited eagerly to listen. I will attempt to describe Alien Skin’s sound: ethereal, floaty, disturbing… big. Those are just some of the words that come to mind when I think of his music.
I found out after a little Google research, that the album name, also the name of the first track on the album, is an english folk song. The first track sets the mood for the album. The mood is old, ethereal, yet more closer to earth than his debut, Don’t Open Till Doomsday.
The two albums share one theme in common however – vast, emptiness. This is the only way I can describe it.
Tracks that stood out for me were the melancholic “Cold” and “After The Funeral”, the downright disturbing “The Birthday Party” and the particularly uplifting final track “If” (is it not usually the case for Synthpop/New Wave groups to end albums on a low, depressing note, rather than a high? :) ).
The soundscapes are complex, and cause the mind to wander. Probably not the best type of music to place in your car to listen to as you drive ;) Pappas’ smooth unique vocals blend perfectly with his poetry and his excellent synthesizer programming. The drums used are not intrusive (don’t get me wrong, I love a big reverbed Snare, but would not suit Alien Skin), and sounds are delicate. A hell of alot of care has been put into this album, you can not only hear it, but feel it.
I really enjoyed Don’t Open Till Doomsday as well, but for different reasons. Pappas has improved a huge amount since Don’t Open Till Doomsday, and The Unquiet Grave sounds simply a lot more smooth, and less rough around the edges.
You can listen to The Unquiet Grave and Don’t Open Till Doomsday in their entirety on the Official Alien Skin Website if you are interested. If you like it, why not put in an order for a CD? It’s well worth it :)
I can see this album being in my car for a little while longer, I think :)
http://xanni.es/?p=76
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Muselvr
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Beautiful, raw emotion, and quite simply AMAZING!
I had already enjoyed “Don’t Open Till Doomsday” by Alien Skin so it was with great anticipation that I watched and heard "The Unquiet Grave" be created and unfold in all its beautiful musical glory. As each rough demo that really did not seem very "rough" kept being presented one at a time on MySpace, I was drawn in to listen even more closely to the new work and the changes from DOTD. I was never disappointed with any of the songs that were a precursor to the proper album and actually found many that became INSTANT favorites!
Once I ordered the album and had a listen many times to the "finished" songs I was even more pleased with each and every song and interestingly all for very different reasons. They each have a rare quality of raw emotion and feelings that is so palpable in the sounds and lyrics. While some may call the music melancholic and brooding or haunting, I found it to be rather just a true full range of emotions and life experiences that sound amazing! Yes, some are brooding and sad but they are balanced with sultry and loving as well. This is such a rare treasure and one that should not be passed up so that all can appreciate the unbelievable talent that is George Pappas and Alien Skin. Don’t even think about whether to buy it…just buy it and enjoy it as much as I have and continue to enjoy muchly!
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Jane from Vermont
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From the soul with deep emotion and passion
The new CD, The Unquiet Grave CD came in the mail yesterday afternoon, AND I CAN'T STOP PLAYING IT!!!
The unique look into a vampire’s life and feelings is incredible, simply amazing; even the movies have not been able to do this correctly. They charge through life because well, basically they can; but they have so many sad memories about the loves and lives that have passed on or faded from them. I know not all the songs were about them (This Isolation was very Poe-esque), but they do fit. I’m not much help when I say it is hard for me to choose favorite tracks for this glorious album, but attempt I will; obviously track 1 'The Unquiet Grave', but also tracks 2 'History', 6 'Dirty Kisses (A Vampire Love Story) and 11 'If' are my begrudging choices. I love them all!
'The Unquiet Grave' - I tried to get around describing this masterpiece as hauntingly beautiful, but I cannot! As the characters lament their situations and lives, there was a kind of joy also; even in their regret. I was as deeply moved as they were; this music came from the soul with deep emotion and passion.
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Grave Concerns E-zine
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Goth with the rock bled out of it!
In the 80's, you probably heard "Send Me an Angel" so often that Heaven imposed a draft just to meet the demand. The band was Real Life, with George Pappas on keyboard. He continues as Alien Skin with "The Unquiet Grave" (not related to Cleopatra's goth compilation series). If you like Depeche Mode or Martin Gore's solo work, Alien Skin is a close fit. Gentle, vibrato-laden singing with moody synthpop.
The album starts with a cover of the anonymous traditional ballad "The Unquiet Grave". For fun, play this version and Faith and the Muse's version in either order. They're both good and it's fun to hear how something changes in different artists' hands. The next track, "History", reminds me of DM's "The Sweetest Perfection". That kinship to DM recurs throughout the CD.
"Dirty Kisses (A Vampire Love Story)" is a guilty pleasure. I mean, c'mon: "Dirty kisses / from a Vampiress / dirty kisses / Dirty kisses / from the mouth of death". When I can afford Absinthe, I'm revisiting this song. Later on "The Birthday Party" takes the baton from "Enjoy the Silence". The closing "If" isn't based on Rudyard Kipling's poem, but for me this track has the strongest lyric: "When I held you in my arms / I thought I was special". I'd wager that strikes an old bell within many people.
Alien Skin exemplifies goth with the rock bled out of it. We have Pappas' voice to guide us through a haze of dark and mellow synth.
- Scott Sweet
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Steve
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Evocative and Powerful
The Unquiet Grave is simply an outstanding collection of soul-baring lyrics set to dark, yet illuminating, music. It is impossible not to feel this music; the artist has done a magnificent job of evoking powerful emotion in every song on the disc. I would recommend this album to anyone, whatever genre of music they may prefer. I would bet that, as I am doing, you will listen to this collection of songs over and over.
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