Search - Switchblade Symphony :: Three Calamities

Don't listen to the detractors

Michael Totten | Portland, Oregon | 01/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I read the reviews of this album on this site and bought it expecting not to like it all that much. Oh, how I hate it when a beloved artist releases a mediocre or inferior album. Well, I fell in love with The Three Calamities instantly. I'm not even sure why the others on this site who liked it said it requires several listens.This album is not as noisy or frenetic as Serpentine Gallery or even Bread and Jam for Francis. It is more ethereal and hypnotic. Dreamlike, surreal, and gorgeous. The songs are more richly textured than those on their previous albums. Yet, occasionally there are echoes back to Serpentine Gallery. There is no doubt that the songs on this album came from the same font of musical genius. Ultimately, I think this is their best work yet. The songs leave a more lasting impact. They have more resonance; the haunting sounds leave their essence behind long after the cd has finished playing.I bought this cd a week ago and haven't been able to pry it out of my cd player since. I bought several other cds at the same time, and I just can't seem to give the others much of a chance yet because that would mean I can't listen to this one! The Three Calamities is an awe-some album. If you haven't yet heard it, I envy you. And if you are a Switchblade Symphony fan and are dissuaded from buying this album because of the negative reviews on this site, then I pity you."

A Grand Good-Bye

Adrian LeGarde | That place your momma told you not to hang out in | 11/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a late-bloomer to the musical joy that was Switchblade Symphony, I was saddened to learn that "The Three Calamities" was to be their last studio release. You don't have to be a member (or even fan of) gothic subculture to appreciate the songs on this album. Tina Root and Susan Wallace brought something extraordinary to a predominantly fashion-oriented musical genre: they gave it substance & credibility. If you want something calming, yet thought-provoking, this CD is for you. If you want great music to fall asleep by, this CD is for you. If you want something positively eerie to accompany your walks in the woods at night by the light of a full moon... then this CD is for you. That's what makes "The Three Calamities" (and the music of Switchblade Symphony, in general) so appealing: it may help set a tone, but it doesn't dominate the listener's state of mind.

If you were a fan since "Serpentine Gallery", then you'll hear songs that showcase more sophisticated melodies and experienced lyrical wisdom. And if you're discovering Switchblade Symphony for the first time, tunes like 'Invisible', 'Naked Birthday', and 'Into The Sky' will inspire you to search out their earlier works. Overall, "The Three Calamities" is a grand finale to an all-too-short but brilliant duo who broke the repetitive, faded, hopeless mold of gothic music."

A wonderful dark & sometimes haunting experiance

Eric S. Brown | Middletown Ohio | 06/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The newest release from the gothic/darkwave band Switchblade Symphony is a wonderful,dark sometimes haunting listening experiance. The opening track Invisible opens you up to a softer more melodic side of the band that was somewhat left behind on thier Bread & Jam for Francis cd.Then songs like Copycat & Invitation take on a new style not seen before on previous releases. On my favorite song by them since hearing the Leatherstrip remix of Clown came Fear. This song takes you into the singers nightmares and leaves you there. If you were to buy any gothic/darkwave cd anytime in the near future,This cd needs to be one of them! I also -HIGHLY- recomend thier first release titled Serpetine Gallery. - Rated A+"