Album Review

Lux Interna – A Lantern Carried in Blood and Skin

• 4th Aug 2008

The Projekt label in America tend to favour the darker shades of music – and Lux Interna seem to symbolise the more psychedelic Nick Cave inspired sensibilities as opposed to the ethereal gothic trends that Projekt usually has under its wing.

It is an interesting album as it has been written and recorded over a seven-year period over two continents and several countries. So a travelling piece then? And such a beautiful one at that. There is Joshua L I Gentzke’s commanding and heavy vocals. Sometimes he beats along as if he were an instrment himself, but his voice never intudes on the sometimes whispful strings around him and floating backing vocals.

What is probably missing from a self pro-claimed album produced over different lands and waters is the feeling of global influence. The feel of the album is ultimately from one background, the band just happened to be elsewhere when producing the work. That gripe aside, this is an impressive performance piece. It almost threatens to become theatrical in ‘A Season Apart.’ The pace leaps from a very staged folk, to almost operatic thundering.

As this is a compliation of previously released material it may well be worth checking out the back catalogue to see what other material they have hidden away. There are indications of pastures new in the soothing finale of ‘Distance’, which seems almost a world away from the folk, gothic tempo that builds the album.