Voices of Masada- Four Corners

Despite having a name that brings to mind an Indian curry, Voices of Masada are actually a London-based UK goth trio. Formed in 2002, they follow the well-trodden goth paths of their creative forefathers, the Sisters and the Nephilim. This is drum-machine driven, swirling guitar, and crooning vocals goth at its best, and if that is the yardstick against which we should judge VoM, then they measure up admirably.

The album opens with ‘Vanthek’, named after one of the first true Gothic novels, by William Beckford. This is a melodic, driving twin-guitar assault, awash with reverb.

‘Fallen’ lifts the Nephilim’s Tony Pettit’s trademark delayed bass sound almost exactly, and unsurprisingly is a Nephilim-esque, mid-paced atmospheric experience.

The diamond of the album is the 7 minute closing opus that is ‘Shine’ This builds subtle dynamic shifts upon each other, rising to a melancholy climax.

Essentially VoM produce well written, well played and well delivered traditional goth music. If this is your poison, so to speak, you will love them. I have to honestly say, however, that I always thought Nosferatu were dreadful for copying the Grandfathers of Goth at least 15 years ago, and for me any band doing the same thing today ends up coming across as some sort of weak parody, like a goth tribute band. What made the Nephilim and the Sisters great was that you felt they had some real passion and honesty. There appears to be precious little of this with VoM. Critics of the goth scene often don’t see the scene’s amazing ability to reinvent itself. The marriage in recent years of goth with industrial, dance and metal influences has breathed new life into what was essentially a scene growing weak through introspection. Sadly, bands such as Voices of Masada only serve to perpetuate old, clichéd stereotypes.