Shadows of The Clan

Listening to Clan of Xymox's self-titled LP is like entering a club of black-clad vampires in the mid-'80s. That's not meant as an insult; the album captures a certain time and place. The record epitomizes Ben Folds Five's hilarious discovery in "Battle of Who Could Care Less": "See I've got your old ID/And you're all dressed up like the Cure." This moody, atmospheric record is as dated as a bumper sticker from a "rock of the '80s" radio station. What once seemed cutting-edge is now a nostalgia trip, and for aging goths, Clan of Xymox is home sweet home. Clan of Xymox were never original; they always seemed to be picking from the leftovers of their predecessors: the Cure, Joy Division, Modern English, Dead Can Dance, and New Order…

Gothic vocals surrounded by synthesizer atmospherics will greet you upon entering the world of Xymox. While Twist of Shadows isn't exactly industrial in its sound, the bpm's run mid-tempo and sound totally danceable in a New Order-ish way. This includes the club hits "Obsession" and "Blind Hearts."

Since their formation in their native Holland, Clan Of Xymox's music has been constantly changing, always challenging and often quite breathtaking. Formed in the 1980's, CoX has always been a uniquely evolving band. The act earned a huge fan base with their early releases on the legendary 4-AD label, and later under the moniker Xymox for a Polydor subsidiary. With the album Hidden Faces, Clan Of Xymox released what many believe to be their finest work of that era. Lush layered guitars, pounding rhythms, shimmering keyboards and dark, melancholy vocals blend seamlessly. The singles "Out of the Rain" and "This World" are now considered club classics and were in the top 10 of the German Independent charts and numerous Indie charts all over the world.

Clan of Xymox's second full album (not counting the rudimentary debut EP) is a distinct improvement on the Dutch band's earlier work, and indeed is probably the group's career high point. However, the band's fatal flaws remain clear throughout the album: although these songs are superficially attractive in a goth-dance sort of way, there's little in the way of depth or substance here, and on closer listen, one realizes that the best parts of these songs sounded even better when they appeared on earlier albums by Depeche Mode, Xmal Deutschland, Propaganda, and Bauhaus. The album's high point by far is the proto-acid house "Michelle," which has the dreamy neo-psychedelic textures of Psychic TV's "Godstar" or mid-period Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Xymox - once again known as the Clan of Xymox - continue their late-'90s recording comeback with Creatures, an album of gloomy, goth-tinged electronics flavored with guitars and dance beats.