Pete Burns, the multi-instrumentalist behind the Kill Shelter project returns with his second album, third if we count his collaboration with Antipole. As on his first album, here again he collaborates with a great list of guests: Karl Morten Dahl himself, Ash Code, Ronny Moorings from Clan of Xymox, William Faith from The Bellwether Syndicate, Agent Side Grinder, Stefan Netschio from the legendary Beborn Breton and Valentina Veil from VV and the Void. The diversity of voices not only gives the album variety but Peter has also had a good selection from the past and present of Goth music. The album has been released by Manic Depression on CD and LP in Europe and by Metropolis in the US. It should be noted that the European edition comes with two tracks, “The Room” and “A Shadow of Doubt”, which are replaced by “Crossing Borders” and “The Cage” in the American edition.
As we are in Europe, I am going to review that edition, which is the one I own. The album begins with “Time Will Come”, a song in which Pete Burns doesn’t need anyone else to create a great track of pure Goth rock. “In this Place” features the voice of Stefan Netschio in a track which about a quite serious problem: human trafficking. Valentina Veil’s warm voice gives an ethereal touch to “Queen of The Hearts” where synthesizers take more protagonism. In “Buried Deep” we have Antipole‘s guitar and Peter’s deep voice in another track full of darkness, one of the best on the album. We would like to take this opportunity to recommend the album they released together last year, A Haunted Place. “The Room” is an instrumental to end the A-side and move on to a more electronic part. On the supposedly B side (we are really listening to the CD) we have the two members of Agent Side Grinder in a more danceable and electronic track. It was the first single and it’s normal as it’s the catchiest track of the lot. “Feed The Fire” features Ash Code on vocals and synthesizers and is another electronic track with a very powerful and great sound. After two of the most important names in modern Goth, we find two classic voices: William Faith who is frankly fantastic on “Cover Me” and Ronny Moorings, legendary singer of Clan of Xymox. The latter is in charge of singing on “All of this” and it’s always a pleasure to listen to his voice. If we add to this that the track is quite good, it can’t miss in the collection of any fan of the creators of Medusa. For its part, “A Shadow of Doubt” is the instrumental that brings this album to a great close.
