Michael Ciravolo & Michael Rozon - Photo by Liz Ardman
Los Angeles-based collective Beauty In Chaos have rolled out their fourth studio album, Dancing With Angels, thanks to 33.3 Music Collective, and it’s packed with eight eclectic and enthralling tracks. This musical circus was formed in 2018 by guitarist Michael Ciravolo of Human Drama, teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Michael Rozon of Ministry fame.
Over the years, this band has been a veritable revolving door of talent, featuring guest spots from legends like The Cure, Ministry, Gene Loves Jezebel, Bauhaus, and Nine Inch Nails. It’s like a star-studded soirée where every guest has a trick up their sleeve and a story to tell. Dancing With Angels is no different. Ciravolo and Rozon have once again proven they can mix it up with the best of them, delivering an album that’s as unpredictable as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
This time around, the players include Leo Luganskiy (Strangelove), Julian Shah-Tayler (The Singularity), former Silence In The Snow frontwoman Cynthia Isabella, The Bellwether Syndicate’s William and Sarah Faith, and Patrik Mata (Kommunity FK).
“I meant this as a positive thing, taking some of the post-rock elements of our debut album, the stark dark bits that run through The Storm Before The Calm and the gothy dreamy-gaze of Behind The Veil. says Ciravolo. “It was definitely going a bit backwards to take a few steps forward!…I love bringing in ‘less famous’ but certainly no less talented artists to the fold, and I think this album does just that.”
The album’s lead track, Diving For Pearls, ropes in The Mission’s Wayne Hussey and his better half, Cinthya Hussey, partners in Archeometre. The single got the golden touch from legendary producer Tim Palmer, who’s twiddled the knobs for The Cure, U2, David Bowie, Robert Plant, and of course, The Mission. The accompanying video, a visual feast, was whipped up by Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films. Wayne and Cinthya Hussey bring their signature flair, making Diving For Pearls a standout gem in an album already sparkling with talent.
Ciravolo quips, “This might just be the best thing we’ve penned together.”
Holy Ground is a lush, lively number featuring Patrik Mata darkwave outfit Kommunity FK. This track marks a thrilling turn from the usual goth rock and postpunk vibe of Beauty In Chaos. Holy Ground depicts a fallen angel with tattered wings and a singed halo, reflecting on their journey through earthly cities. With scars and tattoos symbolizing past struggles, the singer recounts witnessing the desecration of sacred places. The background music of murder ballads underscores the earthly experience, while the singer offers a twisted version of “True Luv” that comes with a sense of damnation and intensity never felt before.
The video’s a visual treat, all shadows and light, with Mata’s quasi-Victorian veiled visage adding a touch of the macabre. The melody meanders through moody melodies and darkly delightful diversions, a perfect playground for Mata’s brooding vocals.
Julian Shah-Tayler’s excellent Kiss Me (Goodbye) talks about a tumultuous relationship marked by pain and nostalgia for better days. Despite moments of connection, the relationship has driven the singer to frustration and madness. The repeated refrain of “kiss me goodbye” symbolizes a final farewell as they let everything burn and fall apart. Ultimately, the singer resigns to the chaos and destruction, finding a dark sense of closure.
For Dancing With Angels‘ CD format, Ciravolo did something he has long wanted to do… joining songs together with musical interludes, which he’s dubbed ‘Halos’. “
“These are unique soundscape interludes that sonically tie each song together, along with the album’s coda,” he explains. “I do have this… probably unrealistic romantic idea that the listener will give this album at least one top-to-bottom uninterrupted listen.”
The first 100 vinyl copies come with two posters signed by the artists.
Listen to Dancing With Angels below or order here.
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