First off it isn’t very good, just so you’re not kept on tenterhooks, but it is often good fun, and it does make some sparks fly. It is also authentically certified Deathrock, with the punk innards are the biggest influence and the now departed (left, not dead!) singer Sarah Deathriage reminded me partly of Kat Arthur (Legal Weapon) and partly an inferior version of George from Action Pact.
We’re back in the early 80’s. Times was ‘ard. And singers had Sarah’s voice - all face and neck – meaning the mouth opens, the jaws lock tight and the sound rips and rasps out of a throat so taut you can almost hear the vocal chords shredding. This means virtually no range or fluctuations in the singing (as proved throughout this record) and you’re dependent on character alone. Luckily she writes the lyrics and gives them the conviction they deserve, otherwise this might sound like Vice Squad, and none of us would want that.
What happens here is the guitar starts and then the bass comes in, as if nervous. They then charge off together with her screeching, and it’s nice, it really is, with some lyrics that impress, reliably noisy guitar throughout and some good, surging choruses, even if there isn’t one memorable melody to be had. It’s about the overall effect in a way, and they’re probably a good night out. What they need is control and more layers to highlight their better points. Too often when a song needed the bass to be brought through to provide some actual texture for the guitar to then play off they just kept on trundling along, and that gets boring, verging on what was always called Rentapunk back in the day, which in America in this scene means they’re like a third division Screaming Sneakers.
There was one odd moment, when it seemed ‘Escape’ might be their punk version of Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’, but it wasn’t, and the vocals are ghastly. Only ‘In The Eleven’ and the title track are they spunkily seen to fully rise out of the feisty mire in fine fierce fashion. The majority just goes graarrgghhhheeeeeeee.

Last year there have been quite some good gothic rock releases. Maybe there is even some indication that there is a renewed interest in classic gothic music and that this will continue (a new generation of ‘goths’ are discovering the history of this music).

DeSADE is a band with a typical American, sleazy, deathrock sound. In comparison with most European bands the play straightforward rock with lyrics and vocals that fit the genre. Most songs are up-tempo and are something like a mixture of the horrorpunk/deathrock Antiworld plays and the classic gothic from Ghostdance.

Highlights on the album are ‘Desperate Need’ and Night Terrors’, on which the band proves they know how to play old skool deathrock. There is nothing new about this music. Suicide Lounge is just a good old fashioned deathrock album.

Visually, DeSade is an archetype of the modern deathrock band from its fishnet adorned female members to its requisite scary big bearded bald guy to the mohawked punk to the essential normal-looking average Joe who appears to have been kidnapped and held hostage by his far-less-average-looking bandmates. The album booklet also screams deathrock, with faked band member suicide photos and the amusing inclusion of tiny Clue murder weapons. Even musically, Suicide Lounge is easily comparable to 45 Grave and Christian Death's debut album with a touch of Siouxsie & the Banshees thrown in for good measure. However, the band's affinity for simple, hook-laden postpunk material and Sarah Deathriage's off-key, angst-ridden vocals are often just as (if not more) akin to early 90s dark grunge along the lines of Hole's first album and earlier EPs/singles.

Consisting of new tracks as well as new recordings of songs from their previous EPs, Suicide Lounge is a 13-track tour de force of rough, loud rock with punk attitude and catchy hooks. The band's performance, while not always particularly tight, is emotive, powerful, and edgy. Vocalist Sarah Deathriage's lyrics are perhaps slightly lacking the depth and wit of some of her peers and influences, but her wobbly punk/grunge delivery (something of a cross between Siouxsie Sioux, Dinah Cancer, and Courtney Love) and the attitude she brings to the mix certainly make up for it. The songwriting is consistently excellent, with infectious guitar riffs and vocal melodies that already had me singing along by the second time I listened to the disc. In fact, the disc is so strong from start to finish that trying to single out specific standout tracks to mention in this review proved to be an exercise in futility. The production is well done but subtle enough to avoid intruding on the band's sound. Overall, it's a solid package that's loud and rebellious yet, at the same time, almost radio friendly.

Whether you call it punk, postpunk, deathrock, goth, or grunge, Suicide Lounge is a great slice of gritty, angst-filled dark rock. In an increasingly electronic and overproduced goth scene, DeSade is certainly a breath of fresh air, and their full-length debut is one of the best albums I've heard this year.

Desade, as usual, ripped up the stage with thier brand of goth-ish punk that hearkens back to (but unlike some other bands, isn't anally derivative of) the fresh punk sound I loved moshing to in Vivian's and other no-rent warehouse clubs in '84. With the crisp, downtuned buzzsaw hooks of John Black, Mouse and Kale T and hard-driven rock-steady beats of new drummer Bob Stubbs, Sarah Deathriage's "angry little girl with a steak-knife" vocals gives Desade a sound that oddly reminds me of Lydia Lunch's 13.13 album sped up to 45rpm (John's always perfect razor-sharp mohawk visually completes this illusion) . Brings back weird memories that I thought I'd safely buried, but I don't mind.. much.. (:

Sarah gave it 160% tonight, spreading her sinnocent sexual energy violently around the Jar, splashing it all over the little moshpit that formed a few songs into thier set and leaving gallons of it dripping from the ceiling and walls. It was only my deeply-ingrained Para Bindu restraint that kept me from joining the threesome under the pool table, who were chewing each others clothes off like rabid wolverines. Others weren't so lucky, staggering into chairs and suffering spontaneous orgasms or crowding into the bathrooms to spend thier lust in groups. Sarah herself isn't immune to this force that grabs her and shakes her around like a sock puppet onstage, remarking later that she'd felt a powerful sexual attraction to the cyclone fan seen in news503.jpg that kept her temperature below critical mass. I didn't ask about the foot-long crucifix.

Of special note: new song "Suicide Lounge". Very smokin!

Nice overall effort. Couple of quick suggestions, kick the instruments up an octave, that would help them blend better with the lead vocalist. If possible add in another bass piece that would set the tempo for the song. The lead vocalist has a strong voice, but the instrumental piece is much stronger.

Incredible melody, bass drop, tempo, and blend. The great thing about this piece is that it hits the core of this style of music. This piece has a lot of potential. Very original and creative, originality is the true essence of music.

Traces of pop, rock, and metal. Our suggestions: add in an additional high treble piece (to emphasize the lead vocals), work on both the outro and intro, and you've got a hit.

A four-song demo CD from Arizona dark punk band, DeSade. I was completely surprised by DeSade. I was not expecting to receive such a gem! This is fast paced, energetic punk rock with a sinister bent to it. Female vocals along the lines of X-Ray Spex meets Vice Squad, there's a lot of potential in the singing. It could be more melodic, but the raw aspect of it contributes to the punk feel. The lyrics are packed with ghoulish imagery in songs like "Black Widow" and "Lullaby" especially. What really impressed me are the choruses. The shouted backing vocals are reminiscent of 82 British hardcore punk but with a more modern take.

The guitars have a slight California punk influence, like a more hardcore DI. The wah pedal on "Lullaby", while demonstrative of skill, just needs to go. The production on this is very clean, but could be brought down a notch to cash in on their old school sound. The songs also have a lot of directions, which could be simplified. Not a bad start though, the energy and foundation is there, where to next?

Pros: Billed as "Arizona's only death rock (gothic/hard rock/punk) band," we like the fact that they try to be evil but only come off as sinister as devil's food cake.
Cons: Singer Sarah Deathriage is a likable enough Siouxie Sioux clone with an even more abstract grasp of pitch. If you were to press this four-song DeSade demo on vinyl, let it warp in the warm Arizona sun and then slap it on the turntable, her singing would still be flat! But that's not the reason we're sending them packing. Any band that lists the Marquis de Sade in the album's "Thanks" credit really oughta surf the Net to learn more about the guy first.

Haunting vocals, deep grooves and thick guitar are the trademarks of DeSade's sound. Sarah Deathriage carries all of the pathos of Ian Curtis (Joy Division) with her powerful, insightful lyrics. The instrumental side of DeSade is just as potent. An amazing blend of styles and experience lend to the unique and haunting sound. From blistering heavy sections to mellow moody middles, DeSade delivers all the emotion and power that you could ever ask for.

Viciously upbeat songs that are a little too loud, bouncy and punchy to be as evil as DeSade would probably like. Considering that, they come out swinging with some killer dark Punk songs in the vein of 45 Grave (complete with female vocals) or even the Misfits.