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A review from Sentimentalist Magazine
There's always that exhilaration you feel, hearing something new by a band you admire, an exhilaration laced vaguely with dread. How dare they change, the inner chant goes, even while it insists, How dare they not? Audra's second album, Going to the Theatre, constitutes serious change for this Arizona-based duo, change in that sure-footed, momentarily-unsettling-but-best-possible sense. The music now seems even more true to itself, more true somehow to its original impulse. A number of the new songs are harder, busy with distorted guitar, beefed up with bass and with gripping (almost to the point of not seeming programmed) drums and percussion. But even the hardest and most orchestral songs render restive, guardedly passionate melodies, the choruses each and all simultaneously surprising and inevitable. "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" captivates utterly, with its tinkling synth-harpsichord and electro-tambourine, the human voice presiding (as always in Audra) with a kind of brooding lucidity. The Cranes and The Soil Bleeds Black have made much hay where the sun doesn't shine in terms of sibling dynamics; Bret and Bart Helm of Audra capitalize likewise on blood-proximity, on that knowing residing at the level of cells. The result, measure by measure, song after song, is uncanny, luminous, exquisite, bittersweetly intense. There's much here to love and replay, more even than in the landmark debut release. - Kirk Nesset

A review from BackAgain.de
This second album of AUDRA was the one, I was mostly curious about for a long time, cos their debut was so fantastic. This is not just another AUDRA album, but a brilliant, fantastic, unbelievable AUDRA album and for sure one of my favourite releases this year! Even it is a really short album with only 10 tracks in less than 40 minutes, every track is a masterpiece. I would put it into the same league as Bowies Lowand the solo works of Peter Murphy, the info also talks about Iggy Pop and The Velvet Underground, but all in all, it is AUDRA!

Going To The Theatre contains a perfect mixture of rough-rocking tracks and emotional ballads. My favourite ist the wonderful "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone," which has lovely lyrics."Midnight Moon Swing is a pure Gothic-Rock song, "A Walk In The The Woods is another one. It wouldnt wonder me, if we can hear these songs in the clubs soon. "Dont End This Time seems to bet the perfect mixture of Peter Murphy-like vocals and late 80s 4 AD Guitar sound, "Cabaret Fortune Teller is a driving , powerful track with slanting Synthie-Effects and so it goes on. Every single songs makes this a very many-sided album. Furthermore, the artwork of Going To The Theatre is simply wonderful. Why should I write an exhausting long review, if I can describe this album in only one word: PERFECT!!!! "Heartfelt music is a rarity... -Alexander Pohle

A review from Losing Today Magazine
The Audra homepage describes the music of these relatively young goth-rockers as lying "somewhere between a Tim Burton landscape and a Dorian Gray painting..." Nowhere is this provocative description more evident than in their second release Going To The Theatre. From its opening notes, it's very easy to recognize, Going To The Theatre as being reminiscent of the best of Love and Rockets, David Bowie and Iggy Pop. However, to dismiss this album as a mere throwback to these obvious influences is not only a disservice, but also entirely inaccurate. Musically rich and varied, the Helm brothers show off their considerable talent in arrangements that range from hard hitting and contagious to fragile and passionate while always deeply rooted in pure darkwave and goth-rock at its best. Indeed, while the opening track, "Midnight Moon Swing," heaves with thick rhythmic percussion and potent, electric-charged guitar, the album's title track provides a pure, scaled down acoustic background for Bret's throaty, velvet vocals, yet both are equally powerful and showcase the diversity of this Arizona based band. Lyrically, Going To The Theatre, tells a unique story in each of its individual tracks, and while somewhat inconsistent in quality, together they provide the listener with assorted perspectives and a varied lyrical landscape to explore. Rounding out this impressive album is "Don't End This Time," in which the theme of universal loneliness is directly addressed in a powerful yet melancholy arrangement that brings to mind the best qualities of Human Drama, while maintaining a vision that is clearly and uniquely Audra. - jennifer jones

A review from albion-batcave.com
This is Audra's second full length CD. Going to the Theatre is a real musical masterpiece. After you have completely listened to this CD you will come to realize that you heard ten short stories created to music. The musical talents of brother's Bret and Bart Helm along with Robert Stacey can be heard through out. From danceable, upbeat track's like "Midnight Mood Swing" and "Cabaret Fortune Teller" to the atmospheric "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" and concept songs like the title track "Going to the Theatre" and "Fearless" Peaches". Audra's sound is and can appeal to both the underground and mainstream audiences. They have done that already when Audra's music was featured on MTV's "Real World" and "10th Anniversary" shows. "Going to the Theatre" holds the same values and styles that can easily make Audra a house hold name. - Kim

A review from MK Ultra Magazine
Shutup, settle down, quiet, relax. It's time for Audra and their moody goth rock. Listen, experience, reflect, absorb, become. Audra, comprised of brothers Bret and Bart Helm, blend a delicate swirl of keyboards that can effectively chime in with eerie rings that fill out the sound or provide ample resonance to the guitar. Track one, "Midnight Mood Swing," is just what its name implies. At times it thrives off its unrelenting bass beat that creeps up like footsteps from behind, and other times it gives way to intertwined guitar that chops through the sound or causes an auspicious rumble of noise distortion in the background. However, their slow, acoustic tunes are the real standouts on this album. Particularly, the track "Going to the Theater" and "Don't End This Time." The title song starts out with very harsh, solid words from baritone singer, Bret, and desolate chords to the lyrics, "Each week I put my clothes on the same way. Each week I put my hair up the same way. Each night I laugh and cry the same way." But midway through it perks up with softer guitar strums, a stronger, serene vocal bellow and ends with the repetition of "I hope tonight never ends." Lyrically, Audra creates illustrative words that back up the sincerity of their sound, and Bret has a dandy, solemn voice. All in all, they have a fresh, sonic sound to them that's perfect for those lazy, summer nights at home or adventurous ones on the dancefloor. -Moe Wyoming

A review from High Bias Magazine
Arizona isn't a place you'd think would be a hotbed of Gothic rock, and perhaps you'd be right. But that doesn't stop the Phoenix duo called Audra from making some of the finest Goth-rocking pop in the country on its second album Going To the Theatre. Brothers Bret and Bart Helm traffic in the usual resigned gloom of Goths everywhere, but invest in it both a sense of dynamic melodicism and a strain of real emotional drama missing from the dancelectronica of most modern darkwave. Plus Bret's expressive baritone was made to sing this music. While the band certainly knows its way around the depths of misery, it's not particularly interested in wallowing there. A song like "Fearless 'Peaches'" pays tribute to the eccentric drag queen that is its star, rather than telling a tragic tale about the perils of walking to the beat of one's own drum. The seemingly morose "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" ends with the line "You gave me hope," while "Don't End This Time" boldly proclaims "Just call for me/And it'll be okay." The band also shows a satirical sense of humor with the title track, gently poking fun at teenage Goth culture. Even when the Helms paint it all black, the imminent singability of their melodies lets in a bit of light. The centerpiece trio "In a Dark Room...," "Face Go Red" and "A Walk in the Woods" puts images of depression, murder and suicide in the service of irresistibly catchy hooks. Audra certainly doesn't bring anything revolutionary to this black-clothed table, but it does what it does so well it doesn't matter. [buy it] - Michael Toland

A review from club-metropolis.dk
The brilliant record label, Projekt, to which the American darkwave/goth band Audra, is signed, doesn't need much of an introduction as I've already made a few reviews of Projekt releases before. Suffice to say, the label has a lot of high quality goth and darkwave bands. Audra, a two-man band consisting of brothers Bret (lead vocals & music) and Bart Helm (music), is no exception. Following the self titled debut which was released two years ago on Projekt, Audra's second album Going To The Theatre features 10 songs, each varying in style and sound. The album starts off with a bit of a noisy song called "Midnight Moon Swing", which slightly Shoegazerishly sports distorted guitars, along with Bret's charismatically dark voice. The album continues on with "There Are No Snakes in Heaven", which is followed by the slow and atmospheric title track, "Going To The Theatre" - a song that seems to have some influences from David Bowie. The fourth song, "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" is also a bit on the slow side but with a heavy and steady electronic beat. The fifth song "In A Dark Room" has all the traditional darkwave influences, and "Face To Go Red" is slow and sad, with catchy lyrics. "A Walk In The Woods" stands in contrast to the previous song as it is a fast song reminiscent of old-school Christian Death. This is followed by the nice, acoustic "Fearless Peaches", which in turn is followed by the ninth song on the album, "Cabaret Fortune Teller", which is a fast song with some neat vocal effects. The last song, "Don't End This Time", is a beautiful track where Bret really uses his brilliant voice to a great extent. All the slow songs on the album are really masterpieces by their own right. Going To The Theatre is an album where Audra take influences from other bands in the goth/darkwave genres, blend them together, and actually manage to create their own songs with their own, unique style. If you're looking for some fresh meat, and want to hear something from a new and fascinating band, Audra's Going To The Theatre is definitely something you should check out. - Brain

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A review from starvox.net
Blu's pick of the month (Blu is the editor, by the way) If you thought you knew what Audra sounded like, think again. Going to the Theatre is Audra's second full length CD release on Projekt and with this - we are ushered into a different world than the one they left us with at the conclusion of their first CD. And although their self-titled CD was dark and brooding, this is quite different in an intense way. All too often sophmore efforts too closely echo their debut and with that the intrigue and mystery of a band is quickly lost. But this - this will make people stop and take notice. The strength and variety of this second album, the growth shown in all areas from song writing to production, should be an indicator that Audra has huge creative potential and staying power. Don't underestimate them -- wonderful things will come from these boys - just sit back and hold on for the ride.

The first thing anyone will notice, if they thought they knew what Audra sounded like before, is how much heavier and grittier they've gotten with some of their songs. They've definitely ventured out and explored new territory. Infact, I almost bet that if I played tracks one or two to a group of random listeners, they might have trouble identifying the band at all. "Midnight Moon Swing" opens with guitars that could belong to a doom metal band - heavy with just the right amount of distortion; ever so slow and Bret's voice to match the mood as he sings/threatens/enchants -- "I'll keep my mouth shut if you close your eyes."

"There Are No Snakes In Heaven" is a song that's even been getting played at Deathrock club nights and that's no small feat to have crossed genres so easily. It has a fabulous rumbling bass line that would make any punk band proud, driving percurssion and Bret's super stylized vocals - deep but smoothly calm, velvety, completely in charge and some of the best atmospheric goth rock guitar playing I've heard in a long, long time. As if the music alone weren't enough, the descriptive lyrics are brilliant and set a dark tone for the rest to follow by. Verses like this are bound to become classics:

Not as you are
Looking up towards the sky
Your cigarette in motion
My almost best friend
....
The flowers were exquisite
The odor of death and flowers
No one noticed me
Sitting in the back

The title track, "Going To The Theatre" highlights Audra's gift for telling stories musically. I remember hearing them perform this song live and it was so memorable I had most of the lyrics down after one listening. Bittersweet and nostalgic, it takes you on a childhood romp and then taints it with hints of hard adult lessens that are around the corner. These innocent events are punctuated by weighty concerns:

No fun in sitting alone reading a book
No fun in watching some broads in a show
No fun in sitting doing some work
No fun in watching them fight

I'm going to the theatre on a Saturday night
And I'm gonna catch me some great disease
I'm going to the theatre on a Saturday night
And I'm gonna become a great disgrace

And then they give us some release. The tone changes, the mood lifts a bit as the key changes to indulge us in a few moments of suspended reality:

I hope tonight never ends
I hope tomorrow never comes
I hope tonight never ends
So long as I got my black cape on tonight
I hope tonight never ends
I hope tonight never ends

The pointed sentiment in "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" is propelled by a steady beat and Bret's contemplative vocals -- "But you were always different, You gave me hope". With its repetitive "21 candles..." through out the chorus, "In A Dark Room..." was also a song I remember them playing live. The guitars are heavy again here - even more gritty with equally as heavy drum beats pushing the urgency in this song into a climax ... "I found myself along the way, I found between then and now..."

Track 6 is the slower and pensive - "Face Go Red" - (whose lyrics are mysteriously missing from the CD sleeve) is followed by the march-like "A Walk In The Woods" filled with vivid imagery. But truly, the superstar track f this CD is "Fearless 'Peaches' " whose acoustic guitar seems light hearted on the surface but upon listening to the lyrics you're sure to end up with a sentimental tear or two in your eyes because if you are not like this character than you surely know and love someone who is. This is Audra at its most brilliant - from superb miminalistic music to their talent at conveying the most sentimental feelings subltely through their story telling. The climax of the story, and the part that gets to me every single time is the part about snagging a record from a store and...

He races home and puts on the phonograph
God how he loves the sound of the crackle
God how he loves the sound of the pop
God how he loves the sound of the crackle
God woud have said, "That's Iggy Pop"

Truly a nod to one of the greats.

Track 9, "Cabaret Fortune Teller" has been popping up on playlists too I've noticed. It's a fairly fast paced song that has distorted vocals and the chorus packs a hook with quirky keyboard sounds. And finally, "Don't End This Time" finishes up the CD on a quieter note - undoubtedly a bit about their experiences on the road. Sweet acoustic guitars take us home...

Again, if you heard Audra before and think you had their sound pegged, don't be so sure. Spanning a wide range of styles, this new CD is completely different from what they've done in the past. The maturity in their lyrics and the confidence in their delivery speaks volumes about where they're headed. Audra is one of those bands who has "it" - that magical element that can captivate and spell bind audiences.

A review from agressiva.de
AUDRA were praised as the next big thing from the US Goth scene after London After Midnight. This is a remarkable album evoking such influences as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music and the Velvet Underground. Going to the Theatre (the second full-length release from Arizona-based brothers Bret and Bart Helm) presents ten snapshots of characters confronting the images and experiences that fuel their passage from child to adult, from innocent to debased. Between the sultry cabaret grind of "Midnight Moon Swing" and the sullen, lonely guitar of "Don't End This Time," Audra leads their audience on a stirring and shimmering journey through a landscape of innocence and its loss. Excitement clashes with sorrow, joy with fear, creating a dark, seductive and mesmerizing experience. Between Bret's deep, sexy, hypnotizing vocals and Bart's melodic and groove bending guitars, this album takes you through a musical spiral of mood altering gothic architecture. Going To The Theatre contains a perfect mixture of rough rocking tracks and emotional ballads. Favourites include the wonderful "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone," which has lovely lyrics. "Midnight Moon Swing" or "A Walk in the Woods" are purest Gothic Rock songs. "Dont End This Time" seems to bet the perfect mixture of Peter Murphy-like vocals and late 80's 4AD Guitar sound, "Cabaret Fortune Teller" is a driving , powerful track with slanting Synthie effects. Every single song makes this a very many faceted album. Furthermore, the artwork of Going to the Theatre is simply wonderful. Heartfelt music is a rarity...

A review from Haloe Productions
Darker than the finely woven fabric that comprised Audra's debut, Going to the Theatre is a seething malevolence eager to bare it's teeth. With ballsy seduction, Bret Helm invites the listener into a darkening, macabre undercurrent that is directed by Bart Helm's guitar. Gothic facets take a back seat to the portraits of Bowie and Alice Cooper splashed upon the backdrop; but this album stands firmly on it's own. At times, the emotion of a track such as "Face Go Red" can be unsettling, because immediately you sense you've lost control of the situation, and truth is...you have. "There Are No Snakes in Heaven", and "All Ghosts Spend Their Time Alone" are ensnaring in their abandoned, delicate textures, ushering thoughts of candle-lit rooms and frighteningly dark corridors. The essence filtering through all the tracks is one of disturbance, or perhaps unseen presence... and it is sometimes as chaotic and cruel as the people that flow in and out of our lives. The mood quickly darkens with "Midnight Moon Swing" and "In A Dark Room", angrily pulsing and building slowly with fiery intensity. Those seeking club fodder can supple "A Walk in the Woods", an 80's goth reclamation, and, "Cabaret Fortune Teller", which seemingly suggests perspective to all us aging goths. Oddly quirky is "Fearless 'Peaches'", a completely unique piece built around acoustic guitar, and is best described as perhaps being influenced by the play, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". The final selection, "Don't End This Time" exudes an atmosphere of a deeply personal nature. It's infused with sadness and abandonment, leaving one deeply affected as the disc draws close.

With it's acoustic textures, Going to the Theatre is a powerfully expressive piece, outshining all expectations. Blending elements of anger, loneliness, sinister fantasies, and perhaps a touch of disdain for a pretentious scene, Audra has painted a remarkable portrait that once again is completely their own.

A review from 1340mag.com
Not being familiar at all with Audra, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this release. Goth music these days is dominated by the more electronic bands so I just naturally expected to hear something in the vein of The Electric Hellfire Club or Spahn Ranch. Not so! In fact , in my opinion, this release is a throw back to better days for fans of goth music. Audra is musically more guitar and vocal oriented like Depeche Mode, The Pixies, and maybe Morrissey at times. Although drum programming is present here, it's done very well and manages to not bring an electronic sound with it. Vocalist , Brett Helm, is quite impressive. He is able to really dominate the music with his dark/downtrodden vocals. The way he sings reminds me of a mix between Brian Healy (Dead Artist Syndrome) and the late Rozz Williams (Christian Death, Shadow Project) yet never sounds enough like either of them to make you think he was imitating them. Don't get me wrong though, guitarist Bart Helm is no slacker. The guitar work here is fairly basic but it is perfect for the lyrics. The songs are simple for the most part but very strong. After listening to Theatre quite a few more times I have found myself liking it more and more every listen. Actually, I am really digging it. It's quietly creative and fans that appreciate music that has to be absorbed will fall in love with this as will fans of more mainstream oriented goth rock bands like the ones I mentioned before. Like always though, try something new! This is a good one to try.

A review from sourcewebzine, Brazil
A julgar por faixas como "There Are No Snakes In Heaven" e "Cabaret Fortune Teller", o AUDRA at que poderia ser chamado de uma banda fortemente influenciada pela msica eletrnica. Mas, isso no se confirma nas demais faixas de seu segundo lanamento "Going To The Theatre". A dupla de irmos Bret e Bart Helm consegue mostrar um repertrio diverso e muito afinado com a msica acstica e com melodias que nos remetem a viagens imaginavis. Um repertrio basicamente acstico com "Going To The Theatre", "Fearless 'Peaches'" e a gtica "A Walk In The Woods" so apenas um dos destaques dessa promissora banda que possue um campo amplo de fs a serem conquistados ! Bom Rock com elementos acsticos, gtico e eletrnico ! Deep and hypnotizing vocals. Melodic and groove-bending guitars. Mood-altering gothic architecture. Go To The Theatre !

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