Ruins by The Last Dance
There is a band emerged in Southern California whose name was burnt into the memories of those who were initiated in the worship of Gothic Rock over two decades ago. I refer, of course, to The Last Dance, to whom we owe some of the most far-reaching melodies that have broken onto the dark realm during the 1990s. Evergreens such as “Do You Believe In Angels?” or “Fairytales”, among many others, are good evidence of this. Almost nine years after their last full-length release, The Last Dance are back with their sixth album, entitled “Ruins”, which preserves and even enhances what has made them influential in the past. Furthermore, they have not hesitated to venture along new experimental directions during the songwriting process, resulting in a slightly revamped sound which nevertheless stays true to their trade mark. “Watch me now / watch me, closely as I whisper / and take you deeper and / deeper into your dream / into your dreams…”. Thus the journey begins, with the male/female duet singing these lines in an hypnotically cadenced manner. Together with the metallic bass tones, ominous synths and chiming guitars, it all creates a gorgeous, oriental-tinged feeling of transcendence that fully lives up the title of the album opener: “Mesmerize”. “… / All of this is real / …”. […]
