A Spectre Is Haunting Europe
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A Spectre Is Haunting Europe (2002-present) is a progressive deathrock / gothic rock band from Vancouver, Canada.
The band formed in 2002, during the height of Vancouver's 'post-punk revival', initially billed as "Decora". The band's activity was intermittent for the first two years, due mainly to lineup changes and the band's cross-membership with electropunk outfit aLUnARED. It wasn't until 2004 that the band found its initial niche (politicized deathrock) and changed its name. Their first CD, Astonishing Tales of the Sea, was released that year. Through a succession of different drummers, the band stretched this material in a few different directions at once, culminating in a caustic 2004 appearance at the Drop Dead Festival in New York City.
With their second CD Flames (2006) the band broadened their audience to include a more general indie rock audience. Their recordings have been reviewed extensively [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]. In early 2006, former Skinny Puppy member Phil Western joined the group as drummer.
Befitting their name (taken from the first line of The Communist Manifesto), the band takes unapologetically progressive stances on human and animal rights, war, organized labour, collectivization and global corporatism, recalling the pronounced socialism of bands like Test Department, Scritti Politti and Gang of Four.
Aesthetically they are only partly related to their ascribed genre of deathrock/goth, as their later material attests. Evidence in their music of influences such as The Fall, Pixies, Wire, The House of Love, ambient music, and jazz distinguishes the band from others who share the deathrock classification.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Astonishing Tales of the Sea (Simulacre, 2004)
- Flames (Simulacre, 2006)
[edit] Singles
- "Servers/Stop" (Split 12" single w/Entertainme.nt) (Simulacre/aDistant, 2006)
[edit] Appearances On Compilations
- "New Dark Age 4" (Strobelight Records, 2006)
- "Smoke and Spotlight" (X-Pop Society, 2006)
[edit] References
- ^ Punk Planet#62 (July 2004, printed) (Punk Planet)
- ^ The Georgia Straight (The Georgia Straight)
- ^ Starvox (Astonishing Tales of the Sea reviewed by Mick Mercer)
- ^ Drop Dead Magazine, (January 2007, printed, "Servers/Stop" single reviewed by Seth Styles, reprint on Stickfigure Records site)
- ^ Midnight Calling (Flames reviewed by Aiden)
- ^ Nemesis To Go ("Servers/Stop" single reviewed by Uncle Nemesis)
- ^ The Mick (January 2007, printed, "Servers/Stop" single reviewed by Mick Mercer, reprinted on reviewer's Livejournal page)
- ^ Erbadellastrega (Flames reviewed)
