In urban legend, the chupacrabra is a creature, possibly a lizard, possibly a dog-like thing that fed on animals in the early 1990's like a vampire. For Phideaux, the chupacabra has wings and can lead to twenty minute songs (second track). While there are individual parts to this track, it is more unified melodically than The Decemberists' "The Tain" (which can be taken as 6 different songs placed together). The acoustic section of this track is well worth the listen. After track 2, Phideaux gets down to the business of really decent goth-pop songs. "Party" belongs some-where on your next mix tape between Echo And The Bunnymen and early Cure. "Fortress Of Sand" demands a moment and a cup of tea while the blitzkrieg opening of "Ruffian On The Stairs" demands jumping and hitting things, okay? "The human race is cutting back," it appears. From here on it's strong guitars, synths and choral vocals all the way so if you're up for it, there's a monster to be hunted!

"313" by Phideaux (2006)

If you look at Phideaux Xavier's biography, he states his first musical influence is Alice Cooper. That only seems fitting, because the 2006 release 313 plays like a softened, altered shadow of Welcome To My Nightmare. Before you drop this review in disgust, set your underwear on fire and run screaming into traffic, the theatrics on this record are not overwrought and excessive to the point of say, Styx. Even with a song titled "Have You Hugged Your Robot?" Phideaux manages to make their theatrics using sparse materials and lush production. Xavier's vocals act as a balancing point between Alice and Bauhaus' Peter Murphy, especially on songs such as "In Search Of Bitter Ore" and "Watching Machine". When this song deviates from its proggish tendencies, it ends up on the border between Gary Numan and Echo And The Bunnymen territory ("Sick Of Me", "Watchine Machine") and ending on the gorgeously desolate ballad "Benediction" bringing the theatre to a close on this album. Overall, it's a good listen for those looking for a new rainy day album to add to their collection.

Find out more about Phideaux at http://www.bloodfish.com 

About the reviewer:

S. James Curtis is a Peterborough, Canada based writer who has written reviews for The Resin and The Charlatan, both based at Carleton University. His chapbooks "Scientific Breakdown" and "A Long Line Of Short Disappointments" as well as the forthcoming "Quarter Century Crisis" are published by Dusty Owl (www.dustyowl.com). Curtis is also a musician, being the driving force behind musical project The Brilliant Void (www.myspace.com/brilliantvoid). He's 25, single, and doesn't know a thing about those medical experiments, no sir, not one thing.