#imagika

[innervoiceartblog]

“The Girl with the Hieronymus Bosch Tattoo” by Agnieszka Nienartowicz.

[ancestorsalive]

Audrey Benjaminsen

- Illustration for The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

[innervoiceart]

Image by Anka Zhuravleva

[tyrannosaurus-trainwreck]

Things I found out from the notes of that one best overplayed goth song poll

The Birthday Party and The Birthday Massacre are different bands.

The Birthday Massacre and Imagica (goth electronica) are the same band. Imagica (goth electronica) and Imagika (death metal) are not the same band, which is why The Birthday Massacre is The Birthday Massacre. Once they became The Birthday Massacre, their most popular at the time song, Birthday Massacre, turned into Happy Birthday. Imagika (death metal) stayed Imagika. The Birthday Party turned into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the usual punk-rock reasons having nothing to do with band names.

The Wake (American) and Sisters of Mercy are not the same band.

The Wake (British) and The Wake (American) are also different bands. The Wake (British) is technically classed as post-punk, but their early albums are largely indistinguishable from goth albums of the same period.

All of which explains why I could never find Sideshow again and kind of thought I'd just hallucinated it.

Southern Death Cult and The Cult are basically the same band.

After the Birthday Bullshit and Which Wake Is Which, this one felt like being pranked.

[fukurabi9]

　1085 デジタル編集

このデジタル編集方式はソニーのオメガ方式とセットで発売されあっという間に世界制覇、 VTR産業で世界を席巻していたアメリカアンペックス社は完敗したのである。 このサイトは１０年も前に立ち上げられましたが、当時から個人放送局という名称を使ってます。 現在ユーチューバーやビデオクリエイターなどという言葉をよく耳にします。 10年前このサイトを見ていち早く個人放送をやっていれば今頃はかなりヒットしていたのではないだろうか。 テレビの世界では４０年以上も前から、ブルーバックにし、ブルーを抜き取りビデオ信号を合成するクロマキーという技術が使われて来ました。 もしも貴方が歌手だったとしましょう。 音楽のスタート１０秒前に爆竹の音を入れて録音しておきます。 ブルーバックの前でそのオーディオで演技をします。激しい動きであったりダンスであったり。 それをカメラ二台で録画し、音楽が終わるとまた前の爆竹のところにスタートを合わせ再度動作を録画します。 カメラのアングルやズームを変化させ十回ほど同じ事を繰り返し録画。 結果ブルーバック合成で20種類のビデオが出来上がります。 それを２１のレールに見立て、上記の通り枕木をロック、列車を横から串刺しにし、２１種類のフレーム画を平行移動させて編集。 完成ビデオを５，６種類作ります。これで貴方は素晴らしいユーチューバースターになれるでしょう。 多重録画と多重編集、簡単に出来ます。参考にしてみてください。 当時、ひかるは部下を毎年アメリカ偵察へ出張させ、アメリカの映像情報は逐一把握していた。 そして、開発の途に付いたばかりのオメガ方式をソニーへ乗り込み、数年の間にオメガ方式に決定。 命を懸けたその間の裏話などは、数冊の本になるくらいであるが、ここでは割愛する。 方式が確定すると、映画界、ＶＴＲ産業、ＣＭ産業、放送業界は一気になだれ込んで来たのである。 東洋現像所は現IMAGIKAを設立、ボウリング場を借り切り電子編集を主にフイルムから変換して行った。 納入されたオメガ方式機種はBVH-1100だが、ひかるはその前のBVH-1000��電子編集を試みていた。 しかしひかるにはもう一つテーマがあった。 ロケ技術の遅れでクイズやワイドショーなどスタジオ中心の番組内容に、何とか外の映像を茶の間に届けたい、という夢だ。 これもタケシの元気が出るＴＶやねるとん紅鯨団などで実績を作り一段落した頃、ひかるはやおらアメリカ偵察へ出かけた。 ロスの知人と数十年ぶりに会う事にしたが、アメリカ人を同伴して来た。 一段落すると、その米人がひかるの隣へ来。 貴方を日本へ帰す訳にはいかない、としゃべり出した。 何が何んだか訳が分からない。 よく聞くと、これからメディアを買収する。 だから貴方にはその放送局をやって貰いたい、と言い出したのである。 日本では無名のひかる、あのNASA開発の超精密機械をあっと言う間にこの世から抹殺。 世界初の電子編集システムを稼働させた男としてマークされていたようだ。 このアメリカ拉致事件以後、ひかるの渡米は抹消。

[metalsongoftheday]

Wednesday, February 5: Imagika, “Scared to Death”

Despite toiling for 15 years and being apparent heirs to the Bay Area thrash scene, Imagika wasn’t able to gain much traction, and ultimately disbanded after 7 albums.  “Scared to Death” opened Portrait of a Hanged Man, which turned out to be their final record, and carried on the legacy of fellow Bay Area acts like Death Angel, Exodus and Testament.  To be fair, around 2010 all three of those bands were rejuvenated and putting out some of their best material, so maybe there wasn’t enough room for Imagika to plant a stake, but this track raged with menace and mixed old school thrash with more extreme sounds to strong effect.  “Scared to Death” presumably would’ve gone down well on tour, since it was of the times while also containing elements that appealed to different audiences.  

[breath-fresher]

[BAND of the week] 4-piece Thrash Metal band IMAGIKA from the USA. Their 8th album “Only Dark Hearts Survive” has been released in September. 

[特集バンド] 米国のベテラン4人組スラッシュメタルバンド IMAGIKA。今年9月に “Only Dark Hearts Survive” をデジタルリリースし、好評発売中！

[xkibitzerx]

I've been a big #Imagika fan for 20 years now & love every single CD of theirs. A big shout out to them & their new CD #OnlyDarkHeartsSurvive 👿🎃💀👽🐲🔫🔪 https://www.instagram.com/p/B3aazRhppWmXKyTlMZJE37sPFX4X2cQtHuW0kM0/?igshid=16k3bnp5zp8ma

[metalshockfinland]

IMAGIKA To Release New Album "Only Dark Hearts Survive" In September

IMAGIKA To Release New Album “Only Dark Hearts Survive” In September

After 10 years IMAGIKA is back! The most successful lineup of the band with guitarist Steven D. Rice (Kill Ritual), vocalist Norman Skinner (Skinner, Niviane, Hellscream), bassist Jim Pegram (Mudface, Angerhead) and guest drummer Matt Thompson(King Diamond) have recorded a blistering new album that is a modern take on where the band left off in 2009. Their new 8 track effort, mixed and mastered…

[riffrelevant]

Oldschool Sunday: IMAGIKA - 'Only Dark Hearts Survive' Album Ends Decade Absence

Oldschool Sunday: IMAGIKA – ‘Only Dark Hearts Survive’ Album Ends Decade Absence

Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor

The Bay Area of San Francisco, circa 1993, saw guitarist Steven Rice, drummer Henry Moreno, and vocalist David Michael form a band who took its name IMAGIKA from a Clive Barker novel, albeit slightly altered.  (more…)

[innervoiceartblog]

Memory of Ivančice, 1903

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939)

[ancestorsalive]

Old believers cemetery, 1911, painting by the Russian painter Vladimir Aleksandrovich Plotnikov 1866-1917.

[innervoiceart]

Darkwood Trail 🕉️☸️☮️

Music and film by Arseniy and Yan Lapin

[capitalchaostelevision]

The Triumphant Return Of IMAGIKA To The Metal World

The Triumphant Return Of IMAGIKA To The Metal World

After 10 years give or take IMAGIKA is back with a new CD for 2019! The most successful lineup of the band with guitarist Steven D. Rice (Kill Ritual, Imagika), vocalist Norman Skinner (Skinner, Niviane, Hellscream, Imagika), bassist Jim Pegram (Mudface, Angerhead, Imagika) and guest drummer Matt Thompson (King Diamond) have recorded a blistering new CD that is a modern take of where Imagika left…

[gabrielmanagement]

IMAGIKA launch "The Spiteful One" video

New CD “Only Dark Hearts Survive” September 13, 2019

IMAGIKA have just released the video for the track "The Spiteful Ones" from their upcoming new album ‘Only Dark Hearts Survive’

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XychfO_pa_o&feature=youtu.be

The new 8 track album was mixed and mastered by Andy La Rocque at his Sonic Train Studios and is scheduled to be released September 13, 2019 via Dissonance Productions. With their first CD in nearly 10 years the band is excited to jump back in the game and give the fans a great dose of SF Bay Area Metal!

Pre-order the album here: http://bit.ly/2KBgZG5 www.facebook.com/imagikametalgods www.dissonanceproductions.co.uk    

[zire-7]

A Totally Biased Review Of Violet

A Totally Biased Review Of Violet

Fourscore and 12 years ago, my entire world changed on the way to school one morning. My sister’s friend lent her his copy of Violet and I, being cognizant of the limited battery life of my CD player, was listening to the song I was currently obsessed with before turning it off to conserve the precious batteries. When I regretfully turned it off, it was my sister’s music I was understandably wary, my eardrums were assaulted with the line “two of them are sisters. I’m a murder tramp, birthday boy” I think I said “I’m gonna bash them, bash them in” I think he said”

The Birthday Massacre has owned my soul ever since that fateful truck ride to school. Now, I will confess to taking a shine to just Happy Birthday. I know, what you’re thinking. WTF?! How could you only like just one song?! To be fair, I was teenager at the time and was still in the ‘liking only one song from an album’ phase and Happy Birthday was a song about murdering a bunch of kids at a birthday party. I envisioned all of the bullies at my previous schools and the ones at school being violently murdered at said birthday party. Don’t judge me, its how I got through most of my days at school. Anyway after school I did try to listen to the rest of Violet, but alas I couldn’t make it passed Horror Show. Though I did like some aspects of Lovers End, I remained completely and utterly in love with, you guessed it, Happy Birthday. A couple months later, I revisited the Violet album and literally thought to myself: “What the fuck, this is fucking awesome. My younger self was stupid.”

Without further ado, the songs…

Prologue; Lovers End

38 seconds of weird mystical-y creature and water through a drain sounds before it bleeds into the mesmerizing synths of Lovers End’s intro. Which is fantastic even with the Violet album being TBM’s second record, the synths are haunting and remind me of a broken music box. Then those drums creeping in… pure magic. Lyrically this song goes back and forth between a lullaby and a hellish nightmare. A lovesick teenager goes out to find their lover but is unaware that they have a psychotic imaginary friend that killed said lover. The chorus hits you like a freight train with the way Chibi delivers it. You can feel the fear and despair shrouded in each line.  

Favorite Lyrics: Calling for the other, searching for her lover, secrets she discovers, drain her face of colour. 1…2…3…4…Underneath cellar floor, 5…6…7…8…Lover will suffocate.

Rating: 20 Violets. The whisper-y tone used for the verses is the heart and soul of the song.

Happy Birthday[Or The Birthday Massacre]

This song was originally titled The Birthday Massacre. For any newer fans that have yet to learn this little tidbit, TBM used to be called Imagica. It came from Clive Barker’s novel Imagjica. Now I know what you’re wondering, why’d they change too The Birthday Massacre. Well, another band was called Imagika with a K and they got all sorts of pissed off about it. So the most awesome and kind hearted people you’ll ever meet, TBM, changed it. But why did they pick 'The Birthday Massacre’? Simple it was their most popular song at the time. However, it was also a better fit according to TBM because its two things that don’t go together. Which is very true of their music; juxtaposition of sweet and sour, life and death, good and evil.

Speaking of juxtaposition, murder and mayhem at a birthday party. Lovers End and Happy Birthday bleed into each other. [This album has a lot of Bleeders, its one of many things that I happen to appreciate about it as a whole.] The instrumental interlude, this band does them a lot and does them well, has a powerful blend of synths, drums, and bass. This one will get your fingers drumming along to the synths, you’ll also want to sing, and dance. The verses are sung in a whisper that caress your ears drawing you further along to the song’s imagery. Chibi’s vocals are strong and powerful, growing more intense with each chorus. This whole song builds on the subtle elements until it bursts into a stunning crescendo at the beginning and the end of it.

Favorite Lyrics:  I think my friend said, “Don’t forget the video.” I think my friend said, “Don’t forget to smile.” “You’re a Murder Tramp, Murder Tramp,” I think he said. “You’re a Murder boy, birthday boy”, I think I said.

Rating: It introduced me to The Birthday Massacre, it is my favorite out of all of them. It gets all the awards. I would happily listen to it until my ears bleed, if I could only have one song on the magical ipod that never dies with indestructible headphones on the deserted island this be that song, and I will never tire of it; repeat for eternity.[It hurts my soul when any of my family members skip it when I don’t have control of my ipod or they ask me to, I’m too nice to say no.] So it can’t be rated, if its already got the highest rating it can get with me.

Horror Show

You will dance, you will sing, and this song will make you its puppet. Chibi’s voice is angelic throughout. [Honestly I was super disappointed in my younger self for not loving this fun energetic anthem.] Did I mention that you will sing? This song is an accurate AF depiction of what happens when a popular kid falls from grace. As well as the losers, and freaks rising above such pettiness and working to include the outcasts; though not really. [Outcasts are former popular assholes at the bottom of the pecking order. They don’t get made fun of because us losers and freaks are better than that.] Or how hard it is to ever forget a bully that tormented you because you confessed to liking them, they then proceeded to make your life a living hell. It backfires and the both of you are tormented now.  The synths are crazy and so on point. The 80s vibes are strong with this one especially that interlude; it reminds me of A Night At the Roxbury.  

Favorite Lyrics: They shut the door. We fell far behind. We try forgiveness, but they cross the line.  And now the moment has passed and we can’t rewind. We are dead long before we run out of time.

Rating: 40 Violets. I’d be surprised if you make it to the instrumental interlude without moving your head to the beat. [You lie!] The interlude will break you.

Violet & Red

An explosion of synths opens Violet before a true blending of instruments and synths ushers us into this violet ballad. For it is a ballad of love gone wrong, of longing, of empty wistfulness for feelings starting to fade. The synths and drums accompanying the melancholy vocals of the chorus is breath taking. You’ll definitely want to sing along to this one as well as dance to the drums and synths. Seriously, you won’t be able to help it, this song will get you to sing and dance to it. [Fight me!]

The synths slowly fade getting softer and softer before bleeding into one of two instrumental tracks. Red is a nice little tune with very pretty synths that are a breath of fresh air from the ups and downs of Violet.

Favorite Lyrics: Past uncertainties combine, bringing tears to sleepless eyes. Memory runs the course of time, blood runs cold beyond the violet prison for violent visions.

Rating: 60 Violets. An emotional roller-coaster ride that brings us down to make us get up and dance to the beat.

Play Dead

Red sweeps us into my second favorite synths on the album and my favorite drums. My second favorite vocals, they just have so much power over me. [It was with this song that I wanted to go back and hit my younger self over the head while saying; listen to the whole album] This song was and still is a fast favorite, I connected with it so much because of the story the lyrics weave. [Its how I often felt after a day of elementary school and middle school. Hell its how I felt about school in general.] A tale of a witch granting a boon to a gender queer personage. The boon is a spell to make everyone play dead, forever. As I said the vocals are amazing, but are epic for the last chorus after the instrumental interlude. You now that moment, where your soul is screaming 'YEAAAAAAAAAS’, and the singer is giving their all; you share a moment together. [This band gives 110% to the power of INFINITY!!!]  

Favorite Lyrics: And boys are so cold, they speak without meaning. The only time they talk is in their sleep. And girls are a bore, their touch without feeling. Their secrets always far to grim to keep. And up until now, you’ve lived in their shadows trying hard to please them. But they’ll never change, as long as their breathing.  I’ll cast you a spell, a magic were everyone plays dead forever.

Rating: 70 Dead Violets. This song will get you to sing along and dance to it. I know, I know, but I only speak the truth.

Blue

Play Dead crashes us into Blue, and my favorite synths on the album. They are epic and magic and misleading in combination with the harsher edge to the opening. All the verses are sung in a sweet airy, like cotton candy, tone that unsurprisingly enhance the song. Than wham into the chorus with growling vocals. [Fun fact, the band referrers to the growling as Chibi’s snake man voice.] Granted the growling is not for everyone but, I love it so. There is not enough of it in my opinion. Throughout these gritty and fairy tail esque refrains the instrumental music reminds me of a twisted music box. The synths on the chorus are twinkle-y bells…

[Wait…peeps, I’ve listened to the Violet album so much, that I memorized the lyrics without ever glancing at the lyric book or looking them up. My sister put the album on our computer and then gave it back to her friend; I didn’t have my own copy for awhile. Any ways, I just realized that the synths on the chorus and in the opening, are a xylophone!!!]

so yeah there’s a xylophone, it rocks. It meshes so well with the music. [I love this even more now.] Those. Instrumental. Interludes. Though…

Demented tea party song or a dark interpretation of Toy Story???

Favorite Lyrics: Black tongues speak faster than the car can crash. You supply the rumors, and I’ll provide the wrath. Romance is breaking every heart in two, casting shadows in the pale shade of blue. Fate changes than the death of light. You supply the envy, and I’ll provide the spite. Reflections cutting every face into two, casting shadows in the pale shade of blue.

Rating: 80 African Blue Lilies. This song will not only get you to sing, you’ll growl along too, even if you can’t growl. You will do so. Tis the heaviest song on the album. [Really wanted to go back in time and smack my younger self for missing out on this amazing song too.]

Video Kid

Like something right out of a Mario World start screen or the sound effects from The Ping Pong Video Game, but softer, these opening and closing synths: NEED TO BE IN BAND HERO 4. [I want to play them on the key board, damn it! All of TBM’s songs need to be in Band Hero 4.] Easily my third favorite synth sounds on the album. Every time I listen to the song, I go back and forth between deciding what I like better, the music or the vocals. True, its all music, but peeps there is a whispered bridge that is magnificent and on point drums, guitar, bass, and synths. I just can’t pick what to fangirl about to get you to listen to it. Just listen to it. Do it.

Favorite Lyrics: Got a voice like something I heard before. The message misleading. We’re lying, we’re cheating. We’re only repeating the motions, preceding.

Rating: 90 Violets. Dance, sing, and do your own version of The Robot; the song commands you.

The Dream & Black

Video Kid doesn’t quite bleed into this song, but it transitions beautifully into some weird synths that I don’t know if I like them or not; even though this record has killed many, many, many, batteries. [Before killing my ipod battery too.] I am permanently on the fence about these synths, I don’t love them, I don’t hate them. Anyways a strong drum presence as well as enjoyable synths. They are softer for the verse getting more intense in the chorus. Them vocals with 'just so’ synths in the background makes my soul very happy. I’m weak for the bridge with Chibi bring down the rafters, there are no singer friendly octaves to be had here. Not that you’ll care when trying to sing it, you’ll sing it anyway.

The music of The Dream pulls back, leaving you in the star filled night sky. Where you drift on soothing waves of synths.

Favorite Lyrics: She flies over clouds in twilight skies, nothing to bind her, no one will find her this high. Far above the rainy weather, all plans have come together, and for the first time she feels just fine.

Rating: 110 Violets. There will be singing, you will sing, and dance or at the least you won’t be able to sit still. This album is catchy AF.

Holiday

Black sets you on the ground as the first rain drops of synths fall. Lighting up the darkened streets before you’re swept along in the lyrical melancholy tide. From the drums to the guitars, the song is a true follow the Will-O-Wisp to another time and place, where its always night time and raining.   With every line sung you are taken further and further away from the chaos around you to a peaceful abode.    

Favorite Lyrics: Deadlight Holiday killing time to make us stay,  hollow as the promises of yesterday. On and on the music plays memories in paraphrase falling past my window like the morning rain.

Rating: 120 Violets. I have to say it, I have to, you will sing, and maybe you’ll dance. But you will sing along.

Nevermind

Holiday fakes you out, all like: “nah, I’m going to get all quiet and totally not going to blend with the start of the next song. “ [Off stage whisper: 'Lies and Deception’!] Don’t be fooled its a bleeder like the last three songs. However, unlike The Dream, Black, and Holiday this song is an abrupt, but not unwelcome, departure from the nice little three song tale you were in. There’s a rich family throwing an X-mas party at their winter villa in the middle of nowhere, where everyone is trying to stab each other in the back. [The Lannisters.]

I love the vocals, they are unapologetic and carve themselves into your ear drums, helped immensely with the beat of those drums. [I couldn’t resist.] By far it contains my third favorite instrumental interlude; Blue’s are second and Happy Birthday’s is first.  

Favorite Lyrics:  Now your conversation’s scholarships and occupations, you look so different than before when…nevermind…anyway this reckless violation, tarnishing my reputation has left me nothing kind to say

Rating: 130 Violets. I officially dubbed this TBM’s Karaoke album. It will make you want to sing every damn song. Every. Single. One.

Score:  

50 Shades of Violets [I had to.]

Ahh…once more we have come to the end of another Biased Review of another TBM album. This time it was more personal for me, as I was introduced to The Birthday Massacre with the Violet album. I will freely admit that my younger self was unbelievably single minded in her focus on just one song. Albeit a life-changing song, but it took a brush with a knife for me to revisit more than that one song on the Violet album. [I did not draw my own blood that day, it was a near thing, and I AM OKAY. AND I HAVE BEEN OKAY FOR A LONG TIME NOW. DON’T WORRY FOR ME.]

Oh boy, guess I have some explaining to do. What I’m about to say is the unvarnished reality of myself, I mean it when I say this; The Birthday Massacre saved my life. You’re rolling your eyes and going: “pfft, yeah you and everyone else in the world.” That’s just it though, you weren’t there in that kitchen, feeling the cold seep into your socks from the linoleum, with a knife held over your arm, waiting for the last note of music from Happy Birthday to end so you could drag the metal clean through the skin with a shaking hand, you didn’t let that interlude speak to you, and you didn’t allow the thoughts to surface.  Thoughts that said, “man, these guys are going to make some fucking awesome music. Its too bad that I won’t be around to hear it.” and “I want to see them play live.”

Those were my thoughts that day. A day I have never forgotten, a day that I gave to another person, I let them in, and they threw it back in my fucking face by bad mouthing The Birthday Massacre.  They also weren’t there when I took my sandwich back to the room I shared with my sister, still feeling like I wanted to use that knife to make me bleed, and the only way I could think of to silence those thoughts; listening to the Violet album from start to finish.

And guess what? I was right, they have made awesome fucking music. Are there songs that I dislike, you bet your ass there are. I dislike, 8, 8 songs out of 119. They are a amazing to see live, I’ve seen them 3 times. I saw them on their Pins & Needles tour [Nov 22, 2010], the tour with Black Veil Brides, I saw them on their Superstition Tour with New Years Day and The Red Paintings [ Dec 09, 2014], and I saw them on their Under Your Spell Tour with Army of the Universe, and Sumo Cyco [May 26, 2017].

They are my favorite band, their music saved my life, and lent me the strength to fight off my demons. Which is why I will always be a fan of The Birthday Massacre.