In my day-to-day internet spelunking, there has been a name murmured around the shadows of various communities and journals for quite some time - Anders Manga. Boasting a mixture of electronics and goth, I was hesitant to believe that such a balance could be achieved.
However, Anders has hewn his own niche, his voice carrying the baritone zen of Peter Murphy while the music is an orchestral, hook-laden amalgam of recent Gary Numan and the grim side of futurepop.

"Bloodletting On The Kiss" would be the perfect compliment to a Lost Boys sequel, as it reeks of seduction with nefarious intention. As its seven veils of tender piano, murky bass, and dusty drums unfold to reveal its silky, smoky vocals that caress the victim into a gentle gothic lullaby, its soporific drums are awakened by electronic insect chatter to drive home its processed, cried title with the force of a sharpened snare.
Drunken and stumbling in with a thumping clockwork heart and awkward fuzzy synth lines, “Glamour” erupts with a swagger of defiance burning in its eyes, the stride of synchronized vocals and metallic militant
drums burying a hurt piano beneath thick synths.
Arabian synthesizer whistle in at a sultry tenor to a frenetic dirge of arpeggios and an aerobic drum machine chug in “Gypsy”, where a breakdown to a synth solo and rolling smoky vocals transform this Merciful Fate cover from death metal into dance-friendly electro-goth, complete with perfect breaks and exclamation point cymbals. The measured trudge of machine lurches alongside a liquid bass mumble in "Mutiny", where cloying lyrics of betrayal move smoothly amidst its nocturnal landscape.
"Character in Charm" is charismatic despite Manga's murderous vendetta, its steady bass drum kick and charged arpeggios building to a seductive baritone chorus that curtails into a forceful synth riff. Finally, the disc concludes on a solemn yet uplifting note with "Surrender". Ending the affair with a gorgeous piano as centerpiece, Manga's naked voice strains from baritone to pained tenor, accompanied by grandiose snares, cymbals, and gossamer-light synths. It certainly gives Ronan Harris' VNV Nation ballads a run for their money without riding any coattails along the way.
Truly, the one factor that truly makes this an engaging experience is Anders' ability to sing; it's not very often you find a vocalist in the gothic subgenres with his range and ability to emote. Beyond that, the compositions fall neither into the clichéd pitfalls of either gothic rock nor electropop, rendering their sound immediately recognizable and rather unique.
It is also rather impressive that this sophomore effort remains self-released and produced, leaving me to wonder exactly how long it will be until they gather some label attention... or succeed without even seeing that as a need.