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Mainstream - A Dark Noel - Projekt Records Compilation

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A Dark Noel
Love Spiral Downwards, Black tape for a blue girl
Voltaire, Unto Ashes, Faith and the Muse
Other artists
Projekt Records 2007

For this review of the Projekt Records Christmas CD A Dark Noel you really need to know this: Aside from a brief adventure with the 4AD artists and bands like the Cocteau Twins back in the eighties my musical tastes are very specific: 1976 rock; Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon, Alice Cooper Welcome To My Nightmare, Supertramp Crime Of the Century, and, of course Meat Loaf Bat Out Of Hell. Perhaps this explains why I still have absolutely no clue what to think of A Dark Noel. However, the promo sheet says this is "intimate enough to complement a family-free holiday with your significant other" and I believe that.

A Dark Noel is a Christmas compilation CD featuring artists on the Projekt label. It is radically different from any other Xmas CD I have ever heard. This is not a series of happy, cheery, rosy cheeks versions of Christmas classics. The music on this CD is something called dark wave. Whatever that is, it sure is moody stuff that makes for interesting background music. It also certainly grows on you.

The CD contains a few Christmas classics such as We Three Kings and Carol of the Bells and some more modern stuff like Lennon's Happy Xmas (War Is Over) and the ba-boo-doh-ray song from How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Welcome Christmas. Welcome Christmas, performed by Love Spiral Downwards is, to my great and total amazement, my favorite track. I despise the Whos from Whoville but the moody, slow tempo version of Welcome Christmas is simply amazing stuff. I really like the feel of Cindy Lou Who on tranqs.

I am much, much less convinced by the opening track of A Dark Noel, Carol of the Bells performed by Arcanta. It even almost put me off this CD when I first listened to it. Honestly, I'll be skipping that track but be playing the disc over the holidays.

If you are looking for a totally different, artistically sound, and musically interesting Christmas CD, A Dark Noel is certainly something you should look into.

  1. Arcanta Carol of the Bells
  2. Voltaire (featuring Unto Ashes) Peace in the Holy Land
  3. Love Spirals Downwards Welcome Christmas
  4. Autumn's Grey Solace Through the Snowy Trees
  5. Black tape for a blue girl Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah
  6. Rhea's Obsession with Athan Maroulis We Three Kings
  7. The Crüxshadows Happy Xmas (War is Over)
  8. Audra Let the Reindeer Live on My Roof
  9. Unto Ashes For I Am Winter Born
  10. El Duende Gaudete, Gaudete
  11. Faith and the Muse A Winter Wassail
  12. Attrition Silent Night