Search - Bella Morte :: The Quiet

Meredith C. from GAINESVILLE, FL
Reviewed on 4/15/2007...

Solid synth based gothic rock. Lots of fun.

A mixture of goth/industrial,synthpop and mid 80's punk

Eric S. Brown | Middletown Ohio | 12/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bella Morte continue to grow in various ways as a band and progress with each release. With thier previous efforts they were caught between punk,goth and seemed they were lost in the eighties with synth driving pop.
Much of the light hearted synthpop was left behind here and and takes more industrial/punk sounds while still having some synths working on specific tracks.
The opening track Regret kind of reminds me of Rosetta Stone a little bit,the guitar is very prominant here.
Track 2 Logic kind of reminds me of bieng taken back to 86-88 era electro pop,Sort of reminicent of the synthpop driven background with a guitar pushing it all. One of the best songs on the cd!
Track 3 Whispers really slows the cd down a bit. It isnt morose or anything and even is a tad bit dancable but no where as intense as some of the other tracks.If they would get a slight push this song could possibly even chart,its that good.
Track 4 First Light , VERY guitar driven but there are still keyboards present. Just a really good song to sit back and listen to.
Track 5 The Quiet, The title track of the cd,The whole track reminds me of the opening chords from A Flock Of Seagull's I Ran. Even down to the guitar effects sounding like seagulls whistling.A very straight forward gothic song. Slow & melodic without the vocal stances bieng droning. This song really makes the cd work!
Track 6 Living Dead - early punk , reminds me of thier early EP's. Its definatly not bad just kind of changed the feel of the cd,they should have made this one of the final tracks on the disc.
Track 7 Echoes, Imagine thier previous single The rain within her hands with a harder edge and a guitar thats sort of like early U2. That would be Echoes. Its a great song but I often feel like I have heard this song before.
Track 8 Hope Again , Ok here is where the classic gothic sound finally comes into play and lets me know I am actually listening to a gothic band. Slow,morose and very moody. It really sets the mood on the disc.
Track 9 I Follow , This song is ALL Over the place, electro drums and bleeps follow keyboards and light guitars. The vocals feel like he is trying to sound like Klay Scott or Trent Reznor at times which isnt bad but when they have such a style of thier own,it just feels forced. Not quite a weak spot on the disc though just a slight distraction.
Track 10 Always , Sort of early Pet Shop Boys mixed with a shot of Erasure. Ironicly eneough it isnt a cover of the classic Erasure song of the same name. This sounds like it could have been a top40 hit if released around 1985-1988
Track 11 Christina , another punk'ish track. Sort of more 90's sounding though. Its good but still a slight distraction from the rest of the cd.
Track 12 Ember , Slow synthpop with a steady guitar drone in the back ground. The cd is starting to slow down more now
Track 13 Wires , Instrumental ending to the cd. Similar to the likes of early Gary Numan. Not bad.
Also to mention the cover artwork is alot like the Spinal Tap release,All black with just the band logo.
The cd as a whole is well worth the price and its very entertaining through out with only a few slow downs,the only song to even think about skipping here is the final track which can get somewhat droning. The Quiet is highly recomended!"

Perfect!

Angela Oja | Saxon, Wisconsin United States | 01/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"They have certainly done it again. I have been a fan of Bella Morte for a few years now, and I've heard just about everything they've released, sans one or two songs. The new batch is simply stunning. While some people might be taken aback by the up and down nature of this album (The Quiet - Living Dead - Echoes changeover, for one), it all comes together nicely. Having heard the majority of the first half of the album months prior to the release, it softened the intensity of those songs, but the last half hit me full force. Andy's voice is as emotional and soothing as it has been on the past few releases (Well, it isn't too soothing on the Death Rock EP... heh...), and Gopal's bass playing supports it perfectly. You can distinct between BN and Tony Lechmanski's guitar technique quite easily... Tony's riffs are harder and stronger, which might have been why some of the newer songs have such a bite to them. Overall, most of the songs are still as danceable and synthpop driven, with one or two deathrock throwbacks in the mix. With each member having distinctly different influences, it really shows in how they play. But that is what makes Bella Morte a great band, such diversity. A definite must have for the record collection."