News
Friday, June 10, 2016
In loving memory of Jerri, founding member and bassist for the Black Dolls, bassist and vocalist for the Hounds of
Heaven. Forever in our hearts.
Fly Free Jerri Lee
Wednesday, December 10, 2015
David Slaya Smith has put together a great Christmas compilation record this year titled "Shadow of Night - A
Dark Christmas." We're really happy to be included, especially since BATZZ in the belfry had the privilege to
collaborate with Skot from Leper on the song "Mary Did You Know" for the occasion.
There are other fantastic Christmas songs
on the record by Leper and many other
brilliant musicians:
Adam London
Hamsas Xiii
Epic Church
The Steamclock
Atlantica Vox
David Galas (from Lycia)
Mick-Kurenbach
Dark Valentine
Magotiv
Open World
You'll find all the info for digital and CD
copies at the link below, including a special
offer for buying the new record along with
David's previous Christmas compilations.
http://darkchristmas.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-of-night-a-dark-christmas
Sunday, June 7, 2015
We'd like to thank DJ Marco Rocha for the airplay on his great show, Transmission Lima, on WFKU Radio. Tune in
every Tuesday from 10-11pm EST, or catch past shows on MixCloud. You'll hear a ton of great new post punk, gothic
rock, techno, death rock, and more.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Merry Christmas, everyone! This year's gothic Christmas compilation record put out by our friend, David "Slaya"
Smith, is titled "Ethereal Dreams." The record includes songs from our friends Accolade and Leper, as well as other
great songs by Adam London, Atlantica Vox, Anemia, and Epic Church. We're happy to be included too.
You'll find it at Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby, and iTunes, and on sale at these sites:
$5 digital download - http://etherealdreams.bandcamp.com
$7 CD - http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00Z0HCDE
Saturday, November 20, 2014
We would like to extend a big "thank you" to longtime friend Chiquinho Nóbrega for the very kind review of our
latest album, "Pendulum," at Brazil's theundead.net web zine. If you can't read Portuguese, just plug it in to your
favorite translator and check out the wealth of news, interviews, and reviews at theundead.net.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
We recently had the pleasure of doing an
interview with Diovim Magazine (a Lithuanian
metal music and art magazine). The interview
can be found in the latest issue (#7). It's a
great magazine and we are very grateful to
have been included.
If you're interested in getting a copy, contact
Diovim Magazine through their Facebook page
or email: diovim@mail.ru
https://www.facebook.com/diovima
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
We'd like to thank Mr. Moonlight at Erba della Strega Dark Webzine for the very kind review of our new record,
"Pendulum." The original review in Italian can be found here. Below is the English translation.
"There are very few groups that manage to combine to perfection gothic rock and shoegaze as BATZZ in the
belfry. The San Francisco band, as usual, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Nelson, released their
third full-length record, "Pendulum," in less than four years after the previous release, "Glow in the
Dark," dated 2009. The musical style of BATZZ, unique and personal so as to make them recognizable from
the first note, is rendered definitively in "Pendulum," the album that completes the group's artistic
maturation.
The CD opens quickly with the gothic rock reverb of "Sapphire," with its Middle Eastern intro, and then
"Flash Before My Eyes," a driving song reminiscent of Sisters and Paralysed Age. The beginning of the
record immediately makes it clear that the musically dark and sad mood of the past work, "Glow in the
Dark," is but a distant memory, confirmed with the tracks that follow, "Star in a Dark Sky," "Infinite
Black," "A Sleeping Place," and "Cross Over."
Inevitably, in perfect BATZZ in the belfry style, the synth-shoegaze ballad like "Brood" or the two tracks
that close the album, "Darkness Comes Quickly" and "The Belfry," give a touch of solemnity to the record
without weighing it down.
Meriting noteworthiness are the love song "The Great Ocean," embellished with soft arches and a languid
piano, to the angry "Agenda," characterized by continuous rhythm changes, and my favorite, "Power Over
Me," in which old school gothic rock takes center stage with sharp, piercing guitar riffs.
Summing up we can state that with "Pendulum," BATZZ in the belfry have reached the highest point of their
decade-long career, confirming their place among the most interesting in the U.S. scene."
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
We're happy to announce the release of the fourth BATZZ in the belfry
record, titled "Pendulum," out this Thursday, October 17th. It's been a
long time in the making. We hope you like it.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
For metal fans, take a listen to Emerson's band, Holy Cross, a mixture of
medieval ambience metal with elements of epic, symphonic, neo-classical,
and gothic metal.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
We'd like to thank The Funeral of Tears
magazine for including us in the April issue.
Special thanks to Azriel for doing the interview.
For copies, please send an email to Azriel:
azrielfd@hotmail.com
Friday, December 07, 2012
Hi everyone ~
We'd like to wish you all an early Merry Christmas. We don't have a
new Christmas tune for you this year, but as always, you can download
the ones we've recorded in the past.
Darkness Comes Quickly
Still, Still, Still
O Holy Night
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
What Child Is This
We're hard at work on a new record, which will hopefully be out
sometime next Spring or Summer.
Be blessed.
Friday, March 02, 2012
We'd like to thank Azriel at Schatten Projekt for including
us in their recent Volume II compilation. Schatten Projekt
is offering it as a free download. Click here to go to the
download page.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
We're participating in the $5 sale at CD Baby. Choose three or more different CDs from the Sales Bin and get each
CD for $5. All the BATZZ in the belfry CDs are included, as well as other great music at CD Baby.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Hi everyone ~
While BATZZ in the belfry remains on hiatus, we'd like to recommend
Verney 1826. This group has produced a number of great records.
The music is a unique blend of ambient, classical, electronic, and gothic styles. Beautiful music and sounds,
masterfully written, recorded, and arranged. We encourage you to take a listen to this great band from Berlin.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hi everyone ~
We're on a bit of a hiatus, but want to share with you a song called "G" we did earlier this year with our close friend
cLint. cLint's moving lyrics and vocal performance were a perfect fit for us. The song is available on iTunes,
Amazon, etc, but you can also take a listen on our Facebook and Myspace pages. We hope you like it!
We have a couple more collaborations planned for 2011, and hopefully some new BATZZ in the belfry music.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Hi everybody ~
Infectious Unease Radio recently released a great 4-CD compilation of various dark music genres: industrial, goth,
ambient, darkwave, etc. It's really quite a nice collection of tunes and you will surely find something new you'll
enjoy.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
We’re very grateful to Mr. Moonlight from Erba della Strega Dark Webzine and Lux_Atman from Lux Atenea Webzine
for their reviews of our new CD, “Glow in the Dark.” Check out the links for the reviews in their native languages
(Italian and Spanish). Below are our best efforts to translate them into English.
Erba della Strega Dark Webzine: http://www.erbadellastrega.it/_NewSite/articolo.php?mcat=4&cat=24&art=1290
Lux Atenea Webzine: http://luxatenealibros.blogspot.com/2010/01/batzz-in-belfry-glow-in-dark.html
English translations:
songs and marginally to guitar-heavy tracks. Listening carefully to "Glow in the Dark" it is apparent that the mood is
darker than previous works. The record is melancholy in synth-wave compositions like "Touch the Stars" and
"Monochrome," grim in "To the End," and depressed in songs like the final track, "These Hands," that with its
combination of sad guitar, mournful keyboards, and restless baritone vocals, is perhaps the darkest track ever from
BATZZ in the belfry. It should be pointed out that the San Francisco group is also and above all a gothic rock band,
and there is no lack of driving adrenaline goth on the disc, with songs like "Tyranny" and "Testify," while a new
BATZZ style is found in the biting guitar reverb in "For the Dead" and "Lost City," that brings to mind the style of Mr.
Galvin and his Mephisto Waltz. I conclude by affirming again the dark tone and pessimism that permeates "Glow in
the Dark" where the only true light, or "glow," is found in the Christmas song "Still, Still, Still," that is, that faith in
God remains the only "glimmer of salvation."
______________________________________
BATZZ in the belfry is the name
under which the brilliant
musician and composer Nelson
presents us his musical
proposition in tune with the
dark-wave style, through a
modern, present, and dark rock.
His album “Glow in the Dark” is
a record that’s enjoyable from
the first to the last song,
maintaining a balance between
slow and reflective songs and
other much more powerful ones,
which result in their hearing, a
musical experience that urges
another listen. With a style for
composing songs with premium
instrumental and melodic quality,
Nelson’s deep voice will take us through gloomy landscapes where the fog and mystery offer that enchantment so
fitting of the gothic spirit, and with which we so easily identify ourselves. “Glow in the Dark” is a musical work that
will surprise more than one lover of the best dark-wave rock of the 21st century.
The heart of BATZZ in the belfry is Nelson, composer, musician, and vocalist, who, for this album, counted on the
collaboration of Rick for the acoustic guitar on the song “Lost City.” In charge of the album design and photography
is Araina, with a profoundly dark spiritually-influenced style. With excellent programming for a high quality musical
production, “Glow in the Dark” is an album in which the vocals are very well equalized, perfectly integrating bass
with other recorded instruments, offering an impressive special sensory sensation. It’s incredible how current
technology is allowing musical groups to self-produce their own professional albums.
The recording is perfect and has left me speechless, which is the reason why all the praise will be too little. No
distortion, no spatial loss, not even one instrumental overlapping. It’s that not even Nelson’s low voice is at any time
drowned out, nor are any instruments. It’s a self-produced effort to which I take off my hat for its excellence. With
such a good record like “Glow in the Dark, all that’s needed by BATZZ in the belfry is publicity and more publicity for
the public to hear about their musical art, and that one of the better record companies take note of their work.
We begin listening to this album with the neo-classical atmosphere of the song “Nightfall,” an evocative song that’s
perfect for initiating this magical entrance to the gothic rock of “For the Dead” in a progressive form. With an
essentially sinister musical structure, “For the Dead” is surprising in its musical structure that is so classic in the
German groups, and which I love so much. Some sharpened notes and the melodic song “Scarlet” appears,
surrounded by a decadent atmosphere where the piano becomes the foundation on which to add pulses by drums
that enamor by their radical power and force. A musical structure that, in a gothic rock song, hooks you into one
and then another new listen before moving on to the next song. “Pictures” follows, giving continuity to that musical
style characterized by furious drums, but here, the voice gains more grace in an outlined interpretation, more
defined, more suggestive. “Pictures” is one of the jewels of this album and a song that should be included in the
gothic rock set list of a DJ that reviews, of a DJ that enjoys investigating and offering the best new gothic music to
their public.
The song “Still, Still, Still” arrives with a calmer tempo, offering us a marvelous musical version based on the
Austrian musical tradition of the 19th century. A song which was given a dreamy instrumental aura, finds its perfect
setting in the winter. Moving up a level in emotional scale we find “Touch the Stars,” a much more reflective song,
more intimate, and which spurs you to close your eyes to feel it with more intensity. Moving on, with the song
“Tyranny” we return to intense gothic rock of swelling musical shadows where the voice becomes the focal point in
the midst of the grandeur. But instrumentally we return to reclaim the lost terrain in “Monochrome,” a precious
delicate song that is like an ice sculpture. “Monochrome” is highlighted by its musical beauty and for being a
composition inspired in the contrast between a voice easily associated to the first person, and an instrumental
melodic background with sublime atmospheric passages.
“Lost City” is another new musical genius written by Nelson for this album. Listening to this song you’ll feel how the
gothic spirit of “Lost City” is vigorously maintained, throwing it inside the thick fog of human thought. With “Testify,”
the intense emotion of “Lost City” is maintained, but “Testify” is much more turbulent and much more dramatic in its
essence until that passion quiets down in “To the End,” a song that is clearly nocturnal. “To the End” dreams of a
contemplated abyss, an illuminated church in the middle of the immensity, an aristocratic tomb opening in the
darkness of the night. In the way it closes this brilliant album, the song “These Hands” converts itself into a
sentimental goodbye against a darkening horizon, which, little by little, will return to be illuminated.
In the end of this decade, it’s nice to receive promotional albums that so profoundly surprise with cutting edge gothic
rock. This 21st century is bringing us impressive musical freshness. If you’re unconditional about the best gothic
rock, and love good music, in BATZZ in the belfry you’ll find that new musical group that you’ve been waiting for.
“Glow in the Dark,” an album with which Nelson has taken the sinister witness of the best gothic rock inspired in
Romanticism. Enjoy!!!
News Archives (2003 - 2009)
Friday, June 10, 2016
In loving memory of Jerri, founding member and bassist for the Black Dolls, bassist and vocalist for the Hounds of
Heaven. Forever in our hearts.
Fly Free Jerri Lee
Wednesday, December 10, 2015
David Slaya Smith has put together a great Christmas compilation record this year titled "Shadow of Night - A
Dark Christmas." We're really happy to be included, especially since BATZZ in the belfry had the privilege to
collaborate with Skot from Leper on the song "Mary Did You Know" for the occasion.
There are other fantastic Christmas songs
on the record by Leper and many other
brilliant musicians:
Adam London
Hamsas Xiii
Epic Church
The Steamclock
Atlantica Vox
David Galas (from Lycia)
Mick-Kurenbach
Dark Valentine
Magotiv
Open World
You'll find all the info for digital and CD
copies at the link below, including a special
offer for buying the new record along with
David's previous Christmas compilations.
http://darkchristmas.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-of-night-a-dark-christmas
Sunday, June 7, 2015
We'd like to thank DJ Marco Rocha for the airplay on his great show, Transmission Lima, on WFKU Radio. Tune in
every Tuesday from 10-11pm EST, or catch past shows on MixCloud. You'll hear a ton of great new post punk, gothic
rock, techno, death rock, and more.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Merry Christmas, everyone! This year's gothic Christmas compilation record put out by our friend, David "Slaya"
Smith, is titled "Ethereal Dreams." The record includes songs from our friends Accolade and Leper, as well as other
great songs by Adam London, Atlantica Vox, Anemia, and Epic Church. We're happy to be included too.
You'll find it at Amazon, Spotify, CD Baby, and iTunes, and on sale at these sites:
$5 digital download - http://etherealdreams.bandcamp.com
$7 CD - http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00Z0HCDE
Saturday, November 20, 2014
We would like to extend a big "thank you" to longtime friend Chiquinho Nóbrega for the very kind review of our
latest album, "Pendulum," at Brazil's theundead.net web zine. If you can't read Portuguese, just plug it in to your
favorite translator and check out the wealth of news, interviews, and reviews at theundead.net.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
- Recently, echozone released the fifth edition of
Gothic Visions, a massive CD+DVD
compilation of dark and underground music
and videos. The collection includes familiar
names like The Mission, Reactive Black, IKON,
The Daughters Of Bristol, Whispers in The
Shadow, and Leaves' Eyes, as well many new
and lesser know groups. We were very happy
to be included, especially alongside our friends
Scarless Arms and our SF neighbors, Saints of
Ruin.
- A big "thank you" to echozone.
Monday, July 7, 2014
We recently had the pleasure of doing an
interview with Diovim Magazine (a Lithuanian
metal music and art magazine). The interview
can be found in the latest issue (#7). It's a
great magazine and we are very grateful to
have been included.
If you're interested in getting a copy, contact
Diovim Magazine through their Facebook page
or email: diovim@mail.ru
https://www.facebook.com/diovima
Sunday, June 15, 2014
- If you haven't already, check out Mick
Mercer's Radio Show. Mick is a subject
matter expert for all things goth and
post punk, and just an all around good
bloke. If nothing else, take a look at the
cat photos on his Facebook page, but if
you want to hear a great goth radio
show, be sure to tune in. Who knows,
you may even hear a little BATZZ in the
belfry.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
We'd like to thank Mr. Moonlight at Erba della Strega Dark Webzine for the very kind review of our new record,
"Pendulum." The original review in Italian can be found here. Below is the English translation.
"There are very few groups that manage to combine to perfection gothic rock and shoegaze as BATZZ in the
belfry. The San Francisco band, as usual, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Nelson, released their
third full-length record, "Pendulum," in less than four years after the previous release, "Glow in the
Dark," dated 2009. The musical style of BATZZ, unique and personal so as to make them recognizable from
the first note, is rendered definitively in "Pendulum," the album that completes the group's artistic
maturation.
The CD opens quickly with the gothic rock reverb of "Sapphire," with its Middle Eastern intro, and then
"Flash Before My Eyes," a driving song reminiscent of Sisters and Paralysed Age. The beginning of the
record immediately makes it clear that the musically dark and sad mood of the past work, "Glow in the
Dark," is but a distant memory, confirmed with the tracks that follow, "Star in a Dark Sky," "Infinite
Black," "A Sleeping Place," and "Cross Over."
Inevitably, in perfect BATZZ in the belfry style, the synth-shoegaze ballad like "Brood" or the two tracks
that close the album, "Darkness Comes Quickly" and "The Belfry," give a touch of solemnity to the record
without weighing it down.
Meriting noteworthiness are the love song "The Great Ocean," embellished with soft arches and a languid
piano, to the angry "Agenda," characterized by continuous rhythm changes, and my favorite, "Power Over
Me," in which old school gothic rock takes center stage with sharp, piercing guitar riffs.
Summing up we can state that with "Pendulum," BATZZ in the belfry have reached the highest point of their
decade-long career, confirming their place among the most interesting in the U.S. scene."
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
- Merry Christmas, everyone!
If you haven't already, we encourage you to check out the gothic
Christmas record put together by our friend David Smith. We're thrilled to
be on it along with a bunch of great bands, some old friends, and some
new friends. Every track is really great. Hope you enjoy it.
Monday, October 14, 2013
We're happy to announce the release of the fourth BATZZ in the belfry
record, titled "Pendulum," out this Thursday, October 17th. It's been a
long time in the making. We hope you like it.
Sunday, June 02, 2013
- Our thanks go out to Emerson Olaf at CYBER10. We're grateful to be included in
the new Dark Nights Volume III gothic compilation. This is a free download of
great gothic music from a number of sub-genres (steampunk, gothic rock, and
gothic metal). You can hear it on last.fm or download it at MediaFire.
We're especially honored to be
on the record alongside our good
friends, The Steam Clock, who's
song, Excruciating Emptiness, is a
true masterpiece. Make sure to
check out this awesome band.
For metal fans, take a listen to Emerson's band, Holy Cross, a mixture of
medieval ambience metal with elements of epic, symphonic, neo-classical,
and gothic metal.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
We'd like to thank The Funeral of Tears
magazine for including us in the April issue.
Special thanks to Azriel for doing the interview.
For copies, please send an email to Azriel:
azrielfd@hotmail.com
Friday, December 07, 2012
Hi everyone ~
We'd like to wish you all an early Merry Christmas. We don't have a
new Christmas tune for you this year, but as always, you can download
the ones we've recorded in the past.
Darkness Comes Quickly
Still, Still, Still
O Holy Night
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
What Child Is This
We're hard at work on a new record, which will hopefully be out
sometime next Spring or Summer.
Be blessed.
Friday, March 02, 2012
We'd like to thank Azriel at Schatten Projekt for including
us in their recent Volume II compilation. Schatten Projekt
is offering it as a free download. Click here to go to the
download page.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
- Merry Christmas, everyone! We're happy to share
with you our version of an Austrian Christmas song
named "Es wird schon gleich dunkel." It's not well
known in the U.S. We took the liberty of coming up
with our own translation, which is hopefully true to the
original, calling it "Darkness Comes Quickly."
- Please feel free to download MP3 copies of the new
song and our other Christmas covers.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
We're participating in the $5 sale at CD Baby. Choose three or more different CDs from the Sales Bin and get each
CD for $5. All the BATZZ in the belfry CDs are included, as well as other great music at CD Baby.
- CD Baby BATZZ in the belfry page: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BATZZinthebelfry
CD Baby $5 Sale page: http://www.cdbaby.com/Sale
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Hi everyone ~
While BATZZ in the belfry remains on hiatus, we'd like to recommend
Verney 1826. This group has produced a number of great records.
The music is a unique blend of ambient, classical, electronic, and gothic styles. Beautiful music and sounds,
masterfully written, recorded, and arranged. We encourage you to take a listen to this great band from Berlin.
- You'll find their music at
Shinto Records and Reverb Nation.
- Two copies of the original wooden
tape cassette box of the recent
release "Catonium (Archive I)," a
split album with Project: N.A., are
still available.
- We hope you like them as much as
we do.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hi everyone ~
We're on a bit of a hiatus, but want to share with you a song called "G" we did earlier this year with our close friend
cLint. cLint's moving lyrics and vocal performance were a perfect fit for us. The song is available on iTunes,
Amazon, etc, but you can also take a listen on our Facebook and Myspace pages. We hope you like it!
We have a couple more collaborations planned for 2011, and hopefully some new BATZZ in the belfry music.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Hi everybody ~
Infectious Unease Radio recently released a great 4-CD compilation of various dark music genres: industrial, goth,
ambient, darkwave, etc. It's really quite a nice collection of tunes and you will surely find something new you'll
enjoy.
- You can read Mick Mercer's review here:
A big "thank you" to Gordon for putting it
together.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
We’re very grateful to Mr. Moonlight from Erba della Strega Dark Webzine and Lux_Atman from Lux Atenea Webzine
for their reviews of our new CD, “Glow in the Dark.” Check out the links for the reviews in their native languages
(Italian and Spanish). Below are our best efforts to translate them into English.
Erba della Strega Dark Webzine: http://www.erbadellastrega.it/_NewSite/articolo.php?mcat=4&cat=24&art=1290
Lux Atenea Webzine: http://luxatenealibros.blogspot.com/2010/01/batzz-in-belfry-glow-in-dark.html
English translations:
- To familiarize yourself with BATZZ in the
belfry, I would refer you to my review of
"Sparks Fly Upward," the first album released
in 2007 by the American group, which is
proceeded by this new full-length album, "Glow
in the Dark," released at the end of October.
songs and marginally to guitar-heavy tracks. Listening carefully to "Glow in the Dark" it is apparent that the mood is
darker than previous works. The record is melancholy in synth-wave compositions like "Touch the Stars" and
"Monochrome," grim in "To the End," and depressed in songs like the final track, "These Hands," that with its
combination of sad guitar, mournful keyboards, and restless baritone vocals, is perhaps the darkest track ever from
BATZZ in the belfry. It should be pointed out that the San Francisco group is also and above all a gothic rock band,
and there is no lack of driving adrenaline goth on the disc, with songs like "Tyranny" and "Testify," while a new
BATZZ style is found in the biting guitar reverb in "For the Dead" and "Lost City," that brings to mind the style of Mr.
Galvin and his Mephisto Waltz. I conclude by affirming again the dark tone and pessimism that permeates "Glow in
the Dark" where the only true light, or "glow," is found in the Christmas song "Still, Still, Still," that is, that faith in
God remains the only "glimmer of salvation."
______________________________________
BATZZ in the belfry is the name
under which the brilliant
musician and composer Nelson
presents us his musical
proposition in tune with the
dark-wave style, through a
modern, present, and dark rock.
His album “Glow in the Dark” is
a record that’s enjoyable from
the first to the last song,
maintaining a balance between
slow and reflective songs and
other much more powerful ones,
which result in their hearing, a
musical experience that urges
another listen. With a style for
composing songs with premium
instrumental and melodic quality,
Nelson’s deep voice will take us through gloomy landscapes where the fog and mystery offer that enchantment so
fitting of the gothic spirit, and with which we so easily identify ourselves. “Glow in the Dark” is a musical work that
will surprise more than one lover of the best dark-wave rock of the 21st century.
The heart of BATZZ in the belfry is Nelson, composer, musician, and vocalist, who, for this album, counted on the
collaboration of Rick for the acoustic guitar on the song “Lost City.” In charge of the album design and photography
is Araina, with a profoundly dark spiritually-influenced style. With excellent programming for a high quality musical
production, “Glow in the Dark” is an album in which the vocals are very well equalized, perfectly integrating bass
with other recorded instruments, offering an impressive special sensory sensation. It’s incredible how current
technology is allowing musical groups to self-produce their own professional albums.
The recording is perfect and has left me speechless, which is the reason why all the praise will be too little. No
distortion, no spatial loss, not even one instrumental overlapping. It’s that not even Nelson’s low voice is at any time
drowned out, nor are any instruments. It’s a self-produced effort to which I take off my hat for its excellence. With
such a good record like “Glow in the Dark, all that’s needed by BATZZ in the belfry is publicity and more publicity for
the public to hear about their musical art, and that one of the better record companies take note of their work.
We begin listening to this album with the neo-classical atmosphere of the song “Nightfall,” an evocative song that’s
perfect for initiating this magical entrance to the gothic rock of “For the Dead” in a progressive form. With an
essentially sinister musical structure, “For the Dead” is surprising in its musical structure that is so classic in the
German groups, and which I love so much. Some sharpened notes and the melodic song “Scarlet” appears,
surrounded by a decadent atmosphere where the piano becomes the foundation on which to add pulses by drums
that enamor by their radical power and force. A musical structure that, in a gothic rock song, hooks you into one
and then another new listen before moving on to the next song. “Pictures” follows, giving continuity to that musical
style characterized by furious drums, but here, the voice gains more grace in an outlined interpretation, more
defined, more suggestive. “Pictures” is one of the jewels of this album and a song that should be included in the
gothic rock set list of a DJ that reviews, of a DJ that enjoys investigating and offering the best new gothic music to
their public.
The song “Still, Still, Still” arrives with a calmer tempo, offering us a marvelous musical version based on the
Austrian musical tradition of the 19th century. A song which was given a dreamy instrumental aura, finds its perfect
setting in the winter. Moving up a level in emotional scale we find “Touch the Stars,” a much more reflective song,
more intimate, and which spurs you to close your eyes to feel it with more intensity. Moving on, with the song
“Tyranny” we return to intense gothic rock of swelling musical shadows where the voice becomes the focal point in
the midst of the grandeur. But instrumentally we return to reclaim the lost terrain in “Monochrome,” a precious
delicate song that is like an ice sculpture. “Monochrome” is highlighted by its musical beauty and for being a
composition inspired in the contrast between a voice easily associated to the first person, and an instrumental
melodic background with sublime atmospheric passages.
“Lost City” is another new musical genius written by Nelson for this album. Listening to this song you’ll feel how the
gothic spirit of “Lost City” is vigorously maintained, throwing it inside the thick fog of human thought. With “Testify,”
the intense emotion of “Lost City” is maintained, but “Testify” is much more turbulent and much more dramatic in its
essence until that passion quiets down in “To the End,” a song that is clearly nocturnal. “To the End” dreams of a
contemplated abyss, an illuminated church in the middle of the immensity, an aristocratic tomb opening in the
darkness of the night. In the way it closes this brilliant album, the song “These Hands” converts itself into a
sentimental goodbye against a darkening horizon, which, little by little, will return to be illuminated.
In the end of this decade, it’s nice to receive promotional albums that so profoundly surprise with cutting edge gothic
rock. This 21st century is bringing us impressive musical freshness. If you’re unconditional about the best gothic
rock, and love good music, in BATZZ in the belfry you’ll find that new musical group that you’ve been waiting for.
“Glow in the Dark,” an album with which Nelson has taken the sinister witness of the best gothic rock inspired in
Romanticism. Enjoy!!!
News Archives (2003 - 2009)
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