The House Of Usher - Black Sunday Chronology

Trying to get any kind of bio or sensible review of many German bands has become the bane of my life recently, so please bear with me. Tonight’s presentation is from a band that has an unfortunate choice in name, in that it’s also the title of a very well-known book. In the summer of 1990 Jörg Kleudgen (vocals) and Markus Pick (guitar) founded the band inspired by E.A. Poe’s novel "The Fall of the House of Usher". René Löffler (guitar) and Robert Nessler (bass) completed the first line-up. Fast forward to 1998 and the release of Black Sunday Chronology on the UK based Nightbreed label. Kleudgen does a good job of delivering the vocals in such a deliberate and gloomy way that the bands Goth influences are worn on their sleeves, with a huge nod towards an early Sisters swirling twin guitar and drum machine set-up, hints of NDW and bucket loads of dry ice. Nowt wrong wi that if we were still in 1984! The fact that this compilation picks up the band’s first eight years and even today would confuse the casual listener into thinking that The House Of Usher were in fact from Leeds or the North East of England circa 1983 only serves to ask the question, is this a homage to Goth music or jumping on the European band wagon for faithfully re-enacting over and over the underground music scene in England? Either way, because The House Of Usher have based their repertoire in that niche and it appeals to thousands of peeps all over the world, long may their music prosper.