Merry Gothmas from The Crüxshadows

If there are two things I very much enjoy but never thought I'd enjoy together, they would be Christmas music and Dark Wave. So it is rather surprising and nice to hear a trio of Christmas songs from goth/synthpop outfit, The Crüxshadows. There is something about the combination of bells, holiday themes and The Crüxshadows beautifully dark melodies that clicks so very well.

Now admittedly, Christmas music seems to be becoming a hot-button topic in recent years, and there are no shortage of people who actually cringe at hearing the old chestnuts year after year. Then there are those of us who welcome the limited edition window of Black Friday to 12/25 at midnight (my hard and fast window for maximum enjoyment with no burnout) when holiday sounds come from seemingly everywhere. If you have read this far, I will presume you are among the latter group.

This year actually marks the second time The Crüxshadows have released a Christmas single. The new track is an original piece, also a welcome change of pace, entitled "Anmi's Christmas (Red, Green, Silver & Gold). Crüxshadows vocalist Rogue has a nice little blog post about its inspiration and writing it for his daughter, Anmi (on the cover art above).

Ringing in (sorry, had to do it) with obligatory bells at the outset, The Crüxshadows blend New Wave sythns with orchestral flourishes to form the basis of the song. Rogue's vocal delivery (both in-mic and processed) is in the same style as their regular material and is a core part of the band's sound. Truly, The Crüxshadows could easily slip this into a live performance in the summer and it wouldn't sound out of place.

The song is available as free/donationware, along with the two tracks from their Holiday 2010 release (including a gorgeous rendition of "O Holy Night") in the same pay scheme on the band's website. Grab them from the links on the right side of the page). This is a great way to directly support these creative and very hard working DIY artists, so if you enjoy the track(s), kick them a couple bones!

If you are unfamiliar with The Crüxshadows, I encourage you to check out their non-holiday material, as it is quite strong. Don't let the band's look scare you off. Even if you've never worn all black, heavy eyeliner or teased your hair into a gravity-defying coiffe, you may very well enjoy their snyth-laden gothwave sound.



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