BACKLOG OF REVIEWS

TERRORIZER UK November 1994

The Whores of Babylon - Metropolis
Candlelight records 006

Candlelight have relly come up trumps this month, releasing albums by two of my fave bands at the moment. First SOLSTICE and now THE WHORES OF BABYLON. Both of these band`s tapes have been permanent fixtures in my tape deck over the last year. They have a special quality that I just adore. Born out of Mesopotamian mysticisim and Egyptian sand, there is a primal feel to this bands music.

Most of the songs are structured around the relentless drum machine pattern and the synths, guitars programming and vocals are layered on top. I would say that the band have a GOTHIC appeal that brings to mind THE SISTERS OF MERCY and there ilk, but this band approach it from a different angle altogether. Take `Fall of Agade` for example, with it`s violin snippets that remind me of HAWKWINDS `Hasan I Sabha`. It has a brooding magnificence that is perfected by Shaun Atkins deep soulful vocals.

The instrumental pieces, like `Garden of Tranquility` and `Lost Souls` have a very epic, filmscore quality to them and this is also very evident of my favourite track here, `Oblivion` with massive gong crashes overlayed over an alsmost hip-hop rhythm. It epitomises what this band are all about, and lines like `A million tears have quenched my thirst` show the romantic element to this bands music. Add to all that the sexual undertones to material like `Carnal desires` and you have a near perfect release. So what are you waiting for ?

( Russ Smith ) score 4 / 5

METAL HAMMER EUROPE ( magazine ) December 1994

The Whores of Babylon - Metropolis etc.

WOB have tapped into the creative vibe of the West Country ( ie Bristol ), utilise the tools of the dance merchants, added crunching guitars, and coerced it into a rock context. Promising.

( BR ) score 4 / 5

VOICES FROM THE DARKSIDE
( large european fanzine ) 1995

The Whores of Babylon - Metropolis etc

This is a total dream this ! I enjoyed the ETERNE album ( engineered by whores of Babylon ) which is similar but heavier than this , while this is more atmospheric, dreamy and generally similar but different ( buy both albums and you will know what I mean ).

METROPOLIS is like a horrible hybrid of Goth, Heavy metal, Doom and the effects that you find on the finest Black metal releases. Fave ditty ? STIGMATA - 6 minutes of total intense music. Buy this album and the ETERNE album and you`ll never need to buy another album

( Graham Finney ) score 10 / 10

MAKING MUSIC ( magazine ) February 1995

Whores of Babylon Promo tape 94/95

What a cool picture - It is worth reviwing them just for the opportunity to print it. The WHORES seem to think of themselves as a Goth band, but there is more to them than that. There is a hard edge to their sound which reminds me of METALLICA - mainly due to the stuttering, churning guitar and huge drum sound. As ever with music like this, feel is more important than immediacy, and the band have got the threatening, doomy vibe down pat. Debra Rhodes-Grant`s ethereal vocals put a different slant on the sound - adding to the spookiness in a very SISTERS OF MERCY like way. By the time that we get to song three ( THE WHIP ), however, they`ve metomorphosized into an industrial outfit - Dance rhythms and coarse, menacing vocals - still neatly done though. A decent band with plenty of imagination.

( no name given ) score 4 / 5

THE LEGACY
( a large alternative UK fanzine ) 1993

Whores of Babylon - Eternal demo

I will begin this review by stating categorically ( lest charges of bribery and corruption be leveled against me ) that I do not Know Shaun Atkins or Julian Hill ( aka THE WHORES ). We have never met and they are not paying me to write rave reviews of their music. The simple truth is that `Eternal` is brilliant, and despite doing my best to maintain a detached objectivity, I loved every second of it. Further more I want more from The Whores of Babylon. The good news for me is that they have promised more via the project that they are currently working on. Hurry Guys !

In the meantime, there is `Eternal`, which features `Empire of the Jackel`, `Charmeur des Serpents`, `Eve of Creation`, `Eternal`, `Babylon` and `Apparition`. With titles like this, The Whores are unabashedly Goth, and they handle the genre with both studio perfected precision and unrelenting power. The result is addictive.

There is even one of Giger`s nightmare-inspired alien demonesses on the cover of the cassette sleeve to seal what is an overall well produced and highly recommended cassette from this Bristol based duo.

( Bea John ) score 5 / 5

THE BURBS - British Underground Rock Band Directory
www.burbs.org.uk