Damien's Lantern
| Damien's Lantern | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by b d Gottfried | ||||
| Released | January 1, 2012 | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock, prog rock | |||
| Label | Cyberaudio[1] | |||
| b d Gottfried chronology | ||||
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Damien's Lantern is a studio rock album by the Canadian band b d Gottfried,[1] the solo project of Bill Gottfried.[2] Following releases such as Element of Left,[3] it was released on January 1, 2012 through the imprint Cyberaudio. The album received a positive to mixed response from critics such as The Province,[1] SPIN,[4] and The Morning Star,[5] the latter writing that "the four-piece group... have a sparse, left-of-centre sound path that has hints of ‘80s progressive pop rock and British new wave."[5]
Production and release
The rock band B.D. Gottfried as of 2012 continued to be based in Kitchener, Ontario, with Bill Gottfried continuing to serve as frontman for the recording process[4] of their sixth album.[1] In the four-piece ensemble, Aaron Gottfried contributed primary vocals, George Chaggaras played guitar, Jack Smith played bass, and Bill Gottfried played keys and drums.[5]
Damien's Lantern was self-released through CyberAudio[1] on January 1, 2012,[6] several years after the release of Element of Left. About the eclectic use of sounds and genres, which SPIN noted as a defining characteristic of the band's sound, Gottfried stated to the magazine that "right or wrong, good or bad, [we're] trying to evoke new emotions in the listener."[4]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| SPIN | (positive)[4] |
| The Morning Star | (positive)[5] |
| The Province | C+[1] |
The Morning Star praised Aaron Gottfried's vocals and the overall ensemble, writing that "The four-piece group... have a sparse, left-of-centre sound path that has hints of ‘80s progressive pop rock and British new wave."[5]
SPIN wrote that Damien's Lantern "sounds like it draws inspiration from progressive rock, industrial, and even a touch of blues. The combination of tailred drus, centre-staged keyboards, and excellent guitar work make for an album that's a bit confusing to listen to, but that may be because it's unusually good."[4]
"The feeling of “other” summons up the vibe from this band and album. A healthy disregard for commerciality inhabits but doesn’t inhibit their songs... overall, Damien’s Lantern has a curious effect – that of music looking for answers."
The Province gave Damien’s Lantern a C+ rating. Praising the musicianship and songwriting but largely panning the lyrics, the reviewer opined that "there’s always been a progressive-rock streak in Gottfried that has become more discernible with each record. With each there has been a new twist, songwriting has become more complex while being moody, the playing and arranging more advanced, even the graphic art has improved. All this refinement indicates a band that is sure of itself and makes following its progress a kind of spectator sport."[1]
Personnel
This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- b d Gottfried - primary artist
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "B.D. GOTTFRIED: Damien's Lantern (Cyberaudio)". The Province. September 10, 2012. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ↑ "Biography". Copyright B.D. Gottfried. 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ↑ "B.D. Gottfried Discography and credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 MacCuish, Rikki (May 26, 2012). "Genre deviants' album interesting, if a little un-focused". SPIN.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gordon-Smith, Dean (June 15, 2012). "Street Sounds: Album is unsolved". The Morning Star. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
- ↑ "Discography". www.bdgottfried.com. Retrieved 2016-01-01.