The Texas duo Delphine Coma returned with their second album "Tortuosa" released in
October 2020, on the Swiss Dark Nights label, two years after their debut
"Leaving The Scene". Delphine Coma combines elements of post-punk,
shoegaze, and darkwave to create their own unique and entrancing sound using
lush atmospheres and harsh guitars to create entrancing soundscapes that blur
genres. It’s members Ashe Ruppe (former The Elysium Facade, Trance to the Sun,
Nocturn) and Amendoa Lizzbeth Tamburri have described their music as "The
ideal meeting between Sisters of Mercy and My Bloody Valentine".
The album begins
with the dark and hypnotic "Light And Shadow" where the guitar sonics
really bring to the atmosphere. The rhythm kicks in on "Dissolve"
although hidden behind their solid wall of sound of synth and guitar with
Ashe’s vocal mixed in the misty haze. In the same lines we have the song "Lost
All Feeling". While on "Plastic Flowers" the guitar riffs step
to the foreground and Ashe’s singing get more melodic. Things change on "Arrival"
that features vocals by Eric Cope (of Glorious Din) and has a jumpy bassline.
The next track, "Secondary Eyes", a dynamic track that stands out has
a more upfront vocal. Although things step back again into more atmospheric
more with "Desolation", the track is a treat. As the album progresses,
things get more addictive as they enter more gothic rock territory on the
desolate "Mirror Of Ice". In similar gothic mode we have "Death
Of" with its throbbing bass, icy synths and Ashe’s voice sounding even
more like Andrew Eldritch. The album closes in similar vein with "Tension",
a bleak track driven by a brooding bass and a minimal stark drum machine with
all the instruments building a heavy atmosphere over them.
This collection
of ten tracks has managed to fit all the qualities of the darkwave and goth genre.
The band delivers all these known to us sounds and styles with their own personality,
bearing fruit to a great record for fans of dark scene. The album "Tortuosa"
has been released on CD and 12" vinyl in various colors. In red marble
vinyl and white with black splatter.
Review
by Nick Drivas
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