COYOTE

This album features a return to form sonically to what KAYO DOT was doing on DOWSING ANEMONE IN COPPER TONGUE; take that as you will. I personally found this greatly satisfying. While BLUE LAMBENCY DOWNWARD's ethereal sonic space was satisfying in a certain way, really playing on the chamber music elements of Kayo Dot's sound, I've always been a bigger fan of the more rhythmically-inclined sound space they conjured on DOWSING. It felt both fuller and more urgent, while LAMBENCY felt at times to be a bit indulgent in the kinds of things prog normally gets slagged off for.

As you've probably read by now, this read was touted as the foundation of "goth fusion", taking equal parts from early goth and post-punk bands and merging them with the sonic tradition of the band. In this regard, they didn't lie. There are strong elements of BAUHAUS in this music, as well as bits of SCOTT WALKER's later works and their classic sound. This is especially evident with the treated bass, with added chorus effects. It gives the low end a rather punchy and rounded tone, which adds to the generally spooky atmosphere of their music from motW-period works forward. This is probably second only to main songwriter TOBY DRIVER's album IN THE L..L..LIBRARY LOFT in terms of darkness, and in that regard it offers something interesting I feel both in the Kayo discography and the prog world as a whole. It has a kind of post-industrial menace to it, not too unlike DEVIL DOLL work, come to think of it.

This plays like an alternate universe's version of rather heavy doom metal, where they play horns instead of guitars and wail like a dying mystic performing an ancient and hallowed rite rather than growling (don't get me wrong; I do like harsh vocals).

On the rating: I gave this one a 4-star review even though I love it to pieces. It is one of my favorite albums from last year, but the darkness I think is replicated in other places rather well, like VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, PETER HAMMILL's solo works, and certain zeuhl bands that makes this ever-so-slightly redundant. However, redundant though it may be, it is excellent and highly deserving of 4 stars.