EGL Magazine
EGL Magazine
Exclusively Gothic Lifestyle
16 August 2010
Berlin Black: Burn it Down
The Berlin Black concept was actually dreamed up back in 2008 when Chris Banshee (vocals and keyboards) wrote a collection of songs that didn't fit his band at the time, the Screaming Banshee Aircrew. In 2009 he was offered a slot at DV8fest which pushed him into action to put the band together. And so, Berlin Black became his side project and was finally formed in January 2010 when he joined together with Alex King (guitar and backing vocals), Joanna Moy (bass guitar) and Neal Spowage (drums).
Berlin Black is a glam rock band, with singer Chris Banshee stating his influences as "the classic goth bands such as Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees and also the greats from the Glam rock era such as Bowie and Iggy Pop." And his love of The Cure gave rise to the band's name, borrowed from their song 'World War'.
But don't let the accolade of 'glam rock' put you off, Berlin Black is a band with something to offer to a much wider audience than fans of spandex and glittery boots. Running tightly alongside the flambouyancy of the glam influences, their music has a very dark undertone, and a sense of subtlety you wouldn't associate with the genre.
Their CD 'Burn it Down' opens with the title track, which gives you everything you would expect from a glam rock band; an energetic, confident, in-you-face anthem. But then the band turn everything on its head with 'Tired of You'; backed by an almost militaristic beat and led by a heart-felt, gentle melody which inches its way under your skin. There's just something about this band that will keep you coming back for more of their unique twist of the glam rock sound - this is glam rock with feelings, glam rock that understands pain and wants to sing about it, even if everyone expects it to be happy all the time.
Berlin Black graced the DV8fest stage this year, and Chris Banshee told us "DV8fest was great. We couldn't have asked for a better response from an opening gig. I've had a lot of great feedback from people. It's really given the band confidence to really push forward with more gigs and new music. I really think DV8fest is the festival to watch out for next year. It was all about the music which was great." You can see a video of their live performance at the festival on their website.
Berlin Black effortlessly mix their glam and punk influences on this CD, with tracks like 'Roses' which clearly pull inspiration from the classic punk era with distortion on the guitars and that almost lethargic, couldn't-care-less attitude wrapped into the vocals. In contrast, 'Safe Tonight', one of the two bonus tracks, arrives with a clear vocal and a heavy keyboard presence oozing with retro cool.
The instruction on the inside of the CD cover reads 'to be played at maximum volume' and we couldn't agree more. Especially when you hit the second bonus track, 'Mirrors', which is my personal favourite. Crank it up, throw open the windows and let the world know that you're glam and you're not ashamed of it.
Berlin Black's accessible and edgy take on glam teaches us that it's not a dirty thing to be, and that there's a little bit of glam in all of us. So dust of your blue PVC platforms, polish your safety pins and get ready to become totally obsessed with Berlin Black.
Article Written By...
Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. She has a degree in Writing which includes Journalism, and she is happy to admit that she is just a little bit glam!
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