Search - Faith & Muse :: Burning Season

Incredible! Their best work yet!

Richard Van Camp | Vancouver | 01/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Burning Season" is the fourth and best studio album from one of the trailbreakers in goth. The lyrics are exquisite, and the additional programming and treatments by Chad Blinman take the band to a new level never reached before. Every track takes the band to a new level of grandeur that succeeds beautifully, making Faith and the Muse goth royalty forever. As well, Monica Richard goes all out with her voice and reaches new notes I've never heard before, especially in "Visions". Talk about getting the tingles every time I hear it! She's dreamy in "Boudiccea" and "In the Amber Room", intimate in "The Burning Season", jazzy in "Gone to Ground" and she rocks out in "Sredni Vashtar" and the "Relic Song." Of any project Faith and the Muse have ever done, "The Burning Season" is Monica's finest and clearest vocal performance yet. The same goes for William Faith. He's left the spoken word poetry behind and comes through with one of Faith and the Muse's most incredible songs ever: "Failure to Thrive." Hypnotic and disarming, it'll haunt you for years after you hear it. Get ready for "The Burning Season"--Faith and the Muse's most fully realized album yet! I hope everyone who reads this checks it out --especially anyone who misses Siousxie and the Banshees. "The Burning Season" is magnificent. By the way, if you haven't heard Faith and the Muse's remake of "Running up that Hill" off their "Vera Causa", you have not lived!..."

Don't let Monica's photo fool you; the gloves are off.

Richard Van Camp | 07/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Where to begin?Since 1994, William Faith and Monica Richards have created romantic myth-rock with flashes of their shared punk roots. Their only real stylistic contemporaries are Eric and Lisa Hammer (Mors Syphilitica). After the consistent elements among the first three albums (and one retrospective, "Vera Causa"), "The Burning Season" is a sharp slap up the side of the head. All the usual emotion and drama are present, but with a fiercely updated atmosphere. Ain't no "Sea Angler," ain't no "Reine La Belle." The beats are faster, the vocal tactics are more varied, and there's an honest-to-God guitar solo!The intro "Bait & Switch" is a warning shot of deathrock across the bow. Then POW!-"Sredni Vashtar" has an even faster beat and relentless rhythm. Seven years ago, Monica sang "Come to life my second skin / Come protect the madness locked within."
Well, now: "Time to drop the seventh veil and let some madness wander in." The trappings of Renaissance and Celtic music I've come to expect are stripped away, even on songs of historical legend like "Boudiccea." Much of the instrumentation and song structure runs 1980s-present. A notable exception is the funeral-jazz "Gone to Ground." A controlled weariness creeps into Monica's vocals here, and it works. The title track has a very cinematic feel, with Creatures-style drum programming. Overall, this CD has less low-end thunder and music layering than the previous releases. It sounds like the greenery has been burned away. Still, it isn't a TOTAL departure; Monica's vocals on "Boudiccea," "Whispered In Your Ear," and "Visions" are in that gentle, comfortable mid-range she and the late Kirsty Maccoll own. William's acoustic guitar is as soothing and intricate as his electric guitar is energetic. Speaking of which, the old-school punk declaration "Relic Song" features the aforementioned solo, with a hilarious sample of a cheering stadium crowd. It's gallows humor (exhibit A: page 2 of the lyrics, bottom right corner), and it works for me."In The Amber Room" is a seductive ethereal piece, with NIN-esque electronics and soprano vocals that harken to Liz Fraser (Cocteau Twins). William puts a twist on the wrath he brought to "Trauma Coil" with "Failure To Thrive." He doesn't yell this time, but the anger and admonition are clear: "A torch to the error and a cold hard look in the eye." The truth-seeker Diogenes would like this tune.No, this CD isn't a retread of the first three. Faith and The Muse are artists; it's not SUPPOSED to be. They don't sound tired - they just sound tired of the petty aspects of this big, cyclical journey we endure. ("This is not a darker age / Just the turning of the wheel.") As for the gentle closer "Willow's Song:" this may be the ultimate Third Date Song. Monica wore bells on her ankles while recording this one. After about two minutes, ankle bells may be the ONLY thing you're wearing. Trust me."

This CD Is Bound To Stir It Up!

Catera | Los Angeles, CA | 07/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As an appreciator of F&TM, I find their latest release an unexpected and welcome departure from their "usual" musical stylings. Monica Richards and William Faith are the ultimate artists; not only musically but visually as well. The music on
this release couldn't be more exquisite and the visual is just as equal and fitting to the music. The album is an eclectic mix of music that validates that the talent of these two has evolved. As true artisans, they know not one limitation and are driven by their own instincts and talent. They prove over and over again that they are in control without interference; they choose to be true to themselves. I have no doubt that this new album will stir up controversy amongst the die hard F&TM appreciators. I believe that is exactly what Monica Richards and William Faith thrive on! The Burning Season is not to be missed!"