Review: Thou Shalt Not

Thou Shalt Not
“The White Beyond”
(Dancing Ferret Discs)

I feel so sad, but I can’t stop dancing. Thou Shalt Not gives a strong meaning to everything they sing about. It could be donuts or flat tires, but the music makes everything they say important to the listener in a somber way. Despite its somberness, the layered beats and samples make these guys impossible not to move with. Each song goes in many different directions, but they always end up at the right destination. It is a little Irish ballad, a little Nine Inch Nails and a little synthpop all mixed together to
create a new breed of darkwave music.

The extent that these three musicians have gone to incorporate so many different sounds and ideas into a single song is impressive. What is more impressive is that no song feels overburdened or too busy with everything that is going on. Alexx Reed’s vocals flow over the wells of sound like wind across a glass lake. The music has an eerie feel, but with the constant shuffle I wish I was in a dark club wearing all black and I would dance if I wanted to. If my friends didn’t like it, I would leave my friends behind.