Search - Rhea's Obsession :: Re: Initiation

Sophisticated Canadian Gothic

girl*Nitro | Russia, Moscow | 08/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of you must know that "new" is well-forgotten "old". Showy Canadians Rhea's Obsession are giving the next convincing evidence for it. In their latest album "Re: Initiation / The Mudra Mixes" they returned to their first record "Initiation", reminded their eloquent beginnings and added something brand new. As the first record, "Re: Initiation" is striking by unbelievable blend of celestial ethereal and earthy industrial, where confident and high-grade guitar noises provided by Jim Field meet Bulgarian and Indian rhythms of elegant percussion performed by Rakesh Tewari and Ed Hanley on tablas, doumbek and bodhran; and the whole of this alloy is ravishingly adorned with Sue Hutton's operatically trained vocals. Leading "Memento Mori" is the perfect guide to prevalent experimentation of Rhea's Obsession creative work and sets the mood to the record. Next to bewitching ballads "Waves (Take Me Alive)", enchanting song of sirens, and "Cun Lacoudhir", Gaelic tale about the breaking ice in the dream, there come hypnotizing splitting sounds of "Strategies of Movement", which makes you sit stunned without any twinkling. "Hymn to Pan", reciting of Allister Crowley's poem, is distinguished by its chaotic eerie intensification. Maybe the most glaring piece of this record is "Anxia", romance-turn-to-murder song, which creates mystical and ominous atmosphere basically because of Victor Rebelo's amazing drums. The piece, where love re-incarnated to hatred, sounded in Valentine's Day scene of sci-fi series "Psi Factor: chronicles of the paranormal"; the insertion of this song to the record is rather humane act concealing to everyone being deprived about "Eclipse", band's second release. Enigmatic "Tsunami" in both elaborations is nothing more but obvious work of art, containing mesmeric tribal notes along with Field's fabulous guitar passages. Haujobb remix of "Cun Lacoudhir" is unforgivable challenge to previous serene version of the song, but also it shows the bright example of Rhea's Obsession's considerable experience in creating remixes. With all diversity and singularity of songs, the whole record has one remarkable dignity: Sue Hutton's sensual voice. From the first piece gorgeous modulations of this multi-layered powerful voice possesses your soul, reaches for every cell of your body, makes you feel yourself in smooth sailing flight over uneasy world; it's certain, skillfully controlled, deep and delicate. Okay, please stop comparing Sue with Lisa Gerrard, because actually it's needless, unfair and mistakenly. Why? Because then you'll have to blame all Goth songstresses in that "they are not Lisa". Ultimately, I want to say, that today's music world undergoes hardships about formed, defined and really professional bands. Rhea's Obsession is definitely that sort of rare bands with efficient level and aims, which they always reach without fail. And "Re: Initiation" shows this statement in all its absolutism. Sue and Jim are still true to themselves: intelligent, experimenting, resourceful, distinctive and simply delectable."

The first album is good. The remixes, a mixed bag

S. Gustafson | New Albany, IN USA | 08/02/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My understanding is that this is a remastered version of their now out of print first album, Initiation, which was released in limited numbers some years ago.

The songs of the original album are rather different and less poppy in sound and structure, more experimental, than the music on their second album -Between Earth and Sky.- This makes them more enjoyable to my ears. The influence of Celtic and Eastern European folk music is more pronounced, and the singing is stranger and more striking.

Standout tracks include the original -Cun Lacoudhir-, -Death by Moonlight-, and the weird and original -Hymn to Pan-.

The additional material on this release is something else entirely. Most pieces are inoffensive. But I have to mark it down one for the Haujobb wrecking job on -Cun Lacoudhir-, apparently aimed at a club-dance market. This Gaelic song is decidedly not improved by the addition of electronic beeps, industrial noise blasts, and the deliberate distortion of the originally lovely vocals. This seems a lapse of judgment."

Re: member, Re: dedicate---Re: initiation

vmohlere | Austin, TX United States | 07/25/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Since the first time I listened to it, Rhea's Obsession's second CD, Between Earth and Sky, has been one of my favorites. I could barely contain myself, waiting for the re-release of their first CD, Initiation (called Re: initiation and containing bonus tracks called the Mudra Mixes). It is in some ways much different from the other album. Sue Hutton's vocals are as haunting and gorgeous as ever, especially on the tracks Momento Mori, Cun Lacoudhir (the breaking ice), and Death by Moonlight. The song Hymn to Pan is a weird spoken-word cacophany that was at first off-putting, but its undeniable power has really grown on me. The Mudra Mixes are set to an electronic background, proving that this band's music can encompass nearly any challenge. Now if only they would tour in the southern US."