Switchblade Symphony Three Calamities CD

With 1999's The Three Calamities, Switchblade Symphony continue their evolution into one of darkwave's most open-minded and far-sighted groups. Jazzy and electronic elements sculpt deep grooves into songs like "Invisible" and "Copycat," while "Naked Birthday" and "Therapy" update the group's faster, more accessible style. Delicate pieces like "Monsters" and "Anmorata" show off Susan Wallace's compositional skills, and Tina Root's versatile vocals heighten the theatricality of "Wicked" and "Fear." The Three Calamities builds on Switchblade Symphony's prior musical successes and puts them ahead of the curve, resulting in the group's most interesting and accomplished album. ~ Heather Phares

Switchblade Symphony includes: Tina Root (vocals, bells); Susan Wallace (piano, synthesizer, bells, programming, loop).

Live Recording

Recording information: Source.

Additional personnel: George Earth, Kevin Danczak, Jerry Breiner, John Bird (gutiar); Jon Mohr (bass, upright bass, erhu); Erick Gebow, Ken DeWar (drums, percussion).

Alternative Press (9/99, p.116) - 4 out of 5 - "...a solid, somber release with one faultless track after another....THREE CALAMITIES is a little black dollhouse, glowing blood-red through its tiny windows, barely containing an adult world of strange dreams."
Magnet (8-9/99, p.88) - "...Will appeal to goths and ravers alike....Tracks creep around gritty industrial territory, with heavy synth treatment rescuing the darkest songs from becoming wrist-slitters..."
CMJ (5/24/99, p.29) - "...mixing traditional goth musicalities with electronic ambiance to build an artistic bridge between, say, early Siouxsie & The Banshees and Portishead....effectively updates the age-old goth aesthetic without sacrificing the inherent spirit of the scene."