Product Description
This is the 2020 Reissue of Aurelio Voltaire’s 1989 debut
CD: Remastered in 4-panel digipak. With 8-page lyric booklet, sticker + signed insert card.
LP second edition on Orange with Red Marble 140gram vinyl, here.
Purchase in Europe for fast, inexpensive shipping: Information in English here. Click to order LP & CD. |
Aurelio Voltaire’s 1998 debut includes “When You’re Evil,” one of his most-loved tracks. The album is meticulously remastered from the original mixdown DAT tape by Howard Givens at Spotted Peccary Studios NW.
Something wicked this way comes: Voltaire. Direct from the underground New York goth scene emerges this strange brew of gypsy violins, driving rhythms, sardonic wit and turn-of-the-century mayhem. Combining beautiful old-world melodies with viciously sarcastic lyrics, The Devil’s Bris is the Three Penny Opera of the twenty-first century. With Wagnerian bravado and Brechtian allure, Voltaire has crafted twelve songs of love, loss, revenge and dismemberment sure to bring a smile to even the darkest of souls.
BIO:
Aurelio Voltaire is a modern day renaissance man. He’s a singer, performer, creator of comic books, animation and toys. He’s been recording and touring for 20 years, with 12 full-length studio albums. His music is a collection of murder ballads, tongue-in-cheek exercises in the macabre, with just enough bawdy songs about Star Trek and Star Wars to keep a convention audience rolling in the aisles. Many know him for his songs “Brains!” and “Land of the Dead” from the Cartoon Network show “The Grim Adventures of Billy And Mandy.”
Release History
LP first edition: Remastered. Limited edition. 140-gram sepia & black swirled vinyl. With full-color lyric sleeve. Includes a full color lyric sleeve with two never-before-seen vintage photos of Voltaire. The album has been meticulously remastered from the original mixdown DAT tape by Howard Givens at Spotted Peccary Studios NW. The 500-copy limited edition 140-gram orange & black swirled vinyl is a lovely addition to the spookiest of LP collections. Released January 2020. Sold out March of 2021.
March 26 2021 – Remastered CD edition of 500
LP 2nd edition, available here. Limited edition of 300. 140-gram Orange w/Red Marble vinyl, includes full color lyric insert sleeve. Limited edition of 300. Released July 2021.
Aurelio Voltaire: Heart-Shaped Wound (CD)
padmin –
REVIEW FROM ERA OF ORIGINAL RELEASE: From Aracnet.com | With the exception of Lycia and Love Spirals Downwards I had pretty much lost interest in Projekt, but I can now add Voltaire to this short list. The music on this disc is nothing short of brilliant and the lyrical content compliments this quite nicely. Voltaire’s debut The Devil’s Bris is just a bit over 45 minutes (45:05 to be exact) and you will wish that it was longer, I assure you.
The album starts off with ‘Ex Lover’s Lover’ a brutally bitter and twisted tale (complete with Man Bites Dog references) which would make one think that Mr. Voltaire has been somewhat slighted by the fair sex. Cutting up the body, he points out is the best method to avoid detection, a rousing jig which will have you happily spitting on the face of anyone who has fucked you over.
‘Anniversary’ is a nice mid-tempo arrangement with some incredible violin playing, some of the best I’ve ever heard outside of the neo-classic realm. This little tale is poignant in its innocence as Voltaire expresses his devotion and commitment to his beau. Normally such dreck makes my stomach turn but it avoids sappy parallels and remains strictly personal. The last 1/4 of the song also contains some lovely bridgework reminiscent of the Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine’ or the Glove’s ‘A Blues In Drag’.
Next is ‘Parade’ a track of pleading for reason, a cry to be left alone. When everything is perfect, why must it be torn apart would be an accurate appraisal of this song. ‘You know its true, we’re both same’ he says, but do you quite know me, he asks. Similarities do not always make for perfect matches. Why must one explain themself to a person who claims to understand them so well.
‘The Man Upstairs’ follows, showcasing the best damn lyrics I’ve heard in some time. I can totally identify with these words as I’ve often dreamt of killing my neighbors due to excessive noise and other irritants. ‘If you want to be my friend, you will have to prove it’, he blackly states. ‘Please kill that man upstairs’. This is the kind of track which Nick Cave ought to be putting out instead of the insipid works of his last album. A rolling rollicking monster of a song is track four with some very colorful descriptions of this bastard who is slated to die. ‘If you love me, you’ll do this for me won’t you sweetheart?’ Oh the splendor of this song goes beyond mere words.
‘They Know Me’ is a searing endictment of the good old boy, good neighbor we’ve-known-each-other-forever syndrome. This hilarious tale of pharmecutical abuse at the hands of a bastard security guard is one which the people I work with ought to take a listen to. One taking advantage of somebody’s trust simply because of seniority, quite sickens me and I’m pleased Voltaire brings to light the pathetic world of these infuriating people. He even makes a jab at Christianity, ‘And god won’t be angry for the money he stole, he put some in the offering bowl’. A fine song to drink to.
‘Oweee’ is a short thirty second piece in which Voltaire simply tells his ex that she has entered the realm of the unforgivable. ‘Snakes’ revisits the land of the pissed off suitor who’s been done wrong. This one takes the disgust in a different direction blasting apart those who compose sonnets and poetry for their lovers. This is some very angry verbage here ‘This isn’t a love song, I’m through writing those for you.’ Utter repugnance at the object of lost affections. Dark string work underpins this song and some fine military snare rolls take it over the top. He lashes out at everything about this character he despises, mocking her feigned feeling. He lists of all the psychotic traits of a paranoid possessive. I know people who have gone to this extreme and they do exactly this sort of thing. Oh the humor of this one is uproarious.
Following this bleak piece is ‘Raven’s Land’ a sad little stroll down his losses. It’s nice to see that the waltz structure in music still exists. ‘If you ask me how I know what she looks like’ he states, ‘I will tell you, she left yesterday’. He’s reeling on this one, This is as close to sentiment as you’re going to get on this album. This one is oddly uplifting given the fact that he’s never going to see this person again.
After this comes ‘The Chosen’. Here Voltaire receives revelation about a woman he’s involved with, yet never met. ‘It’s nothing personal’ he states ‘I hope you understand why I’m forced to take your life. If I’m schizophrenic, then I am too.’ This reviewer’s weary ears welcome such double-edged commentary. Voltaire seeks escape from this horrid person who has sickened him and shaken his faith. A stalker’s anthemic tale, he’s talking to lampshades here, and his mind snaps each time he thinks of his obsession’s failure (in his eyes). You almost feel sorry for him here and yet you hope he succeeds. ‘It’s not easy being the chosen’. No, I would think that it isn’t.
‘All The Way Down’ brings us to nighttime and the words are heartwrenching. I wish I could elaborate on this track but it is so painful I cannot. Suffice it to say, Voltaire says he’d willingly follow his departed all the way down if only he could be with her again. I don’t like sentiment but this track reduces me to nothing, absolutely. I haven’t felt this pointless since hearing ‘Failure’ by Swans, and that was a long long time ago. ‘I can’t believe in Hell, but I’ve got to believe in Heaven. I wouldn’t sleep at night not knowing that you were somewhere better.’ There is such wry humor throuGHOUt this album I can’t help but wonder if he’s inflicting pain while everyone thinks he’s exfoliating his own. I’d say the latter.
All ‘Gothic’ people who like to think they’re the underbelly of society, the fly in the proverbial ointment should hear ‘When You’re Evil’. This track is for all of you, you Eye of Horus ninnies and your incessant whining about the disparity in the world. Voltaire bluntly states ‘And it’s so easy when you’re Evil, this is the life you see, the Devil tips his hat to me.’ Sarcasm is in fine form here. This probably won’t make the pasty faces very happy but then who cares. ‘It gets so lonely when your Evil. What I’d do to see a smile even for a little while. And no one loves you when you’re Evil. I’m lying through my teeth, your tears are all the company I need.’ I love the searing indictment going on here. His mock sadness as he pronounces these words, you know he doesn’t believe a word of it.
Closing out this release is a cover of ‘Shalom’ a Jewish festival song. It picks up the pace and never lets go, ending the album on a frantic frenetic note. I recommend this album to all those who crave acidic wit, who tire of simplistic nonsense and to those who are bored with World Serpent. This one continues to see a lot of play around here and I’m hoping to catch him when he goes on tour. -Peter Marks
padmin –
REVIEW FROM ERA OF ORIGINAL RELEASE: From Dreams of Decadance | The level of musicianship on The Devil’s Bris is outstanding. The music is primarily violin driven, though both the guitar and cello are also prevalent. The overall musical effect is pleasant and gothic. The disk opens with “Ex Lover’s Lover,” a bitter song in which the vocalist fantasizes about the different ways he’d like to kill his ex lovers’ current lovers. The second song, “Anniversary,” is a heartfelt love song that plays an interesting counter point to “Ex Lover’s Lover.” I liked all of the songs on Bris, especially “The Man Upstairs,” “Shalom,” and “When You’re Evil.”
padmin –
REVIEW FROM ERA OF ORIGINAL RELEASE: From Gothic Revue | This has been on my club playlist since I received a copy a few years ago. I’ve always thought that everyone knew who Voltaire was and was recently informed by my lovely Rachel (and my kids) that they had never heard of him, (or his music). So here is this review for all of you unVoltaire-ists This was Voltaire’s first release of music and it was very unlike most of Projekts other albums. Every song is created from a waltz melody and strung with wry and sarcastic lyrics over the top. Besides the now club staples, “When You’re Evil”, and “Ex Lover’s Lover” I really enjoy Anniversary, The Man Upstairs, and Oweee from this collection the most. Voltaire also does Animation, comic books and action figure designs, (and is an executive producer for the new :24 hour horror channel.) what a busy Angel he must be. -Azrael Racek
padmin –
REVIEW FROM ERA OF ORIGINAL RELEASE: From Thomas S. Roche | This new artist on the Projekt label is a big surprise. Voltaire does not have the “ethereal” sound that has become Projekt’s hallmark. Voltaire comes from the NYC Goth underground and is supposed to be proof that Goths have a sense of humor. “Hey, wait a minute,” I thought upon hearing that, “that’s my department!” But I decided to give Voltaire a chance. Whoa, am I glad I listened to this album before letting the guy move into my house. This album is vicious. Lovely, but vicious. Voltaire delivers his lines in a deep-throated croon which can be alternately charming and cruel. His songs are constructed around very linear rhythms on Voltaire’s acoustic guitar and Grisha Alexiev’s drums, while Gregor Kitzis and Matthew Goeke offer violin and cello, respectively, evoking a 19th century chamber-music flavor; but if this is chamber music, then it’s chamber music gone deliciously, psychotically wrong. More like a burial chamber where you’ve interred your unfaithful lover or your nagging mother or something. Truth be told, the songs themselves sound, in many ways, like a cross between Peter and the Wolf and some kind of ‘60s folk love song. Hey, but don’t stop reading yet! Because Voltaire’s intention on this album, like that of his barb-penned namesake, is one of parody and vicious, merciless, bloody satire. This guy is absolute evil, which he knows and seems to be proud of. I mean, the first song, “Ex-Lover’s Lover,” is about dumping you-know-who in the river (you just killed ‘em, got it?). It just escalates from there; we soon progress to the charming “When You’re Evil:”
While there’s children to make sad
While there’s candy to be had
While there’s pockets left to pick
While there’s grannies left to trip
Down the stairs
I’ll be there
This album really does sound like it could be the soundtrack to the musical Brecht and Kurt Weil would write if Weil was reincarnated as an lesbian folksinger from Estonia who recently emigrated to Marin County, and Brecht as a vicious show-tune queen from New York who’s just been dumped by his lover of 40 years who ran away to Sedona with a 19-year old Italian model named Carlo. Have it performed by a well-armed cadre of highly-talented and faintly phosphorescent Gypsy mutants from a toxic waste dump outside Bucharest, and fronted by a guy who just finished a six-year run of Man of La Mancha at twelve shows a week without a vacation and finally was fired when he tried to strangle the stage manager — and voila! You’ve got Voltaire. But whatever you do, don’t move in next door to this guy or get engaged to him. You have been warned!