THE DIVINE PUNISHMENT

A beautiful but terrifying album. Diabolical - but in a good way. Inexplicable ululations from the startlingly scary, but strangely sexy Diamanda Galas are at the forefront throughout. This is ritualistic dark ambience from someone who's clearly watched 'Rosemary's Baby' too many times. With a vocal range that defies description, next to Lisa Gerard of 'Dead Can Dance' - she's probably the strongest vocal performer I've heard from any female singer.

This is the best and most accomplished of her albums. I once saw Diamanda Galas on 'The Tube' on Channel 4 in 1986 and will never forget the look on my parent's faces, as she wailed through a double microphone plastered in heavy make up and spider's webs with her jet black hair 18 inches high, getting louder and louder with those unearthly frequencies until our aquarium nearly shattered.

It would just be a cruel joke to call this a Satanic Mess - it's far more than that. Guaranteed - you'll never hear anything like this anywhere else.

It's actually an album about 'Aids', released in 1986 - when that affliction was just becoming public knowledge with the death of Rock Hudson.

This will probably be torture for most people to listen to, but it has that something or other that is strangely compelling. The only comparison I can think of is 'Jacula' - minus the vocals. So for goodness sake, don't play this when friends come round!

One way or the other I'm getting my bible out tonight, like a good Christian, just in case I have a visit from the Spanish Inquisition armed with crucifixes at 3.00am.

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