Serpentine Gallery

Tina Root is the main vocalist and she reminds me of The Creature's Siouxsie (a common comparison in this specific genre). Susan Wallace sometimes underlies and harmonizes the singing parts that accent the brooding melodies but she mostly takes care of the synthesizers and programming while Robin Jacobs provide the guitars, bass and drumming on "Wrecking Yard" and, one of my favorite tracks, "Clown". And if you're obsessed with the words, the lyrics are all included inside the booklet.

I really hope that Switchblade Symphony team up again but it's very unlikely... However, wishful thinking can't hurt ... much, anyway.


Quite simply, an absolute must-have   December 10, 1998
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I had never heard of Switchblade Symphony when I bought Wired Injections, a Cleopatra various artists disc. The song of theirs on that disc, "Clown," had me completely entranced. It took me months to find the elusive disc that was mentioned in the liner notes on WI, and when I did finally see it, it was mine. While I was searching for it, I heard "Wallflower" on Gothic Rock 2, which only made me want the disc more. Since the day I got it, it has become one of my all-time favorite discs. If it were a tape or record album, it would be totally worn out by now. This is a disc that you can put in, turn the lights down low, sit back and just drift to. Even my fiance like them, and she doesn't like "goth" music. It's almost impossible for me to pick a single favorite from it, although I'm tempted to say "Clown." It was the one that first entranced me, and it continues to do so to this day. However, it has very strong contenders in "Sweet," "Gutter Glitter," "Mine Eyes," and "Dollhouse." The ending instrumental, "Bloody Knuckles," is the perfect way to end such a perfect album. Bravo, ladies. 5 out of 5.


The spirit of Grace Slick is alive and well   December 3, 2000
S. Gustafson (New Albany, IN USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Forget labels, forget the way they dress.

This record is an excellent piece of 90's electronic psychedelia, with lyrics that are hardly as eeeevil as some folks here would make them out to be. As a first album, this record contains several years' worth of tested material.

But what makes this group stand head and shoulders above its peers is the phenomenal voice of Tina Root. Think: Grace Slick with -range-. Unlike some of her contemporaries, she knows her lyrics won't carry the impact they should, unless she e-nun-ci-ates. Just about every track sounds like a -White Rabbit- with 90's electronic instrumentation.

I know I like music like that. If you think you would, forget the scene, forget the clothes, this is a good record.


By far best goth of 90's   February 13, 2000
Noah Lyons (Earth)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This, to me, is the best gothic cd of the dull 90's in the goth scene. in the tradition of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Switchblade Symphony delivers dark poetic lyrics accompined with moody, dreamy, experimental sounding music. Best listened in the middle of the night with the eyes closed. Tina Root places images of flowers,darkness, dollhouses, and other shadowy figures in your mind, and this to me is pure genius. They break the barrier of music, and not just deliver songs but movie like imagery. Starting with the goth rock sounding Bad Trash, and ending with the skipping,(purposefully), piano accompined Bloody Knuckles, the listener will get a treat full of candies aand flowers. Buy this, you wont be dissapointed.


Textbook example of a good goth album   February 11, 2001
Scott Sweet (Colorado Springs, CO)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I wish Switchblade Symphony had stuck with this mid-90s sound rather than going trip-hop. Why? I'm a whinybutt, THAT'S why. "Serpentine Gallery" is a great "how to" darkwave rock album. The opening track, "Bad Trash" is a goth dancefloor classic. The songs are a good balance of guitar, 80's synth and spooky vocals. They don't all sound the same, but it sounds like the band's having fun all the way through. The lyrics are better-than-average goth poetry. "Bad Trash," "Dissolve" (dramatic tune, I must say) and "Wrecking Yard" cover a lot of ground and Tina Root's faux-operatic vocal style is cool. Sorry for using "faux." They moved into more Miranda Sex Garden-type music with the next two albums, but the lyrics stayed pretty close to the mood of "Serpentine Gallery." Switchblade Symphony is more about beguiling songs than Fitting Into Goth.