JudasKiss - Various – ‘The Appeal of Discarded Orthodoxy: a tribute to David E. Williams’ 2-CD (Old Europa Café)

Various – ‘The Appeal of Discarded Orthodoxy: a tribute to David E. Williams’ 2-CD (Old Europa Café)

Written by Lee Powell

I could have started this review with the question, ‘How many Lloyd James’ does it take to make a tribute to David E. Williams’? But I won’t. Instead I’ll just get on with the review.

David E. Williams is one of those strangely unconventional people who has skirted around the outside of the post-industrial scene for many years now, although his music doesn’t quite sit comfortably within this genre as a whole. True, he is a modern-day misanthropist, and uses verse after verse of inflammatory lyrics, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, against a backdrop of pop-esque, keyboard-based music that I suppose could share similarities to certain elements of the neo-folk genre, especially with the narrative, tale-telling nature of some of his music. However, his use of politically incorrect, politically sensitive song themes, and their derogatory contents, all delivered with a stylised black humour, gives Mr Williams the ability to slip beneath the net cast by the overly sensitive moral majority whose jobs it is to safeguard our wellbeing.

Although he released his first EP, ‘Pseudo Erotica’ in 1988, and his first CD ‘A House for the Dead and Porch for the Dying’ in 1994, it wasn’t really until his four-track 7” ‘Triumph of the Williams’ surfaced in 1995 that Mr Williams really sprang to prominence within the post-industrial scene. It was released on Storm, a record label run by Michael Moynihan, the man behind the legendary Blood Axis, and by the very nature of the label’s connections it was immediately evident that it was only a matter of time before the same scene that Blood Axis called a home would open their doors to the whimsically perverse, confrontational and politically incorrect pop music that Mr Williams produced. From there on in, as they say, the rest is history. A quick stop-off was made to the much-missed German Cthulhu label before a more permanent home was found on the Italian post-industrial/neo-folk label Old Europa Café.

Now it seems, after quietly working away in the background on numerous albums and EPs, that Mr Williams has built up quite a fanbase for himself. Not just of adoring music fans who are endeared and bewildered by his outspoken verses, but also by a huge plethora of other bands and artists who call the post-industrial genre home. And this is where we find ourselves now. At home with a 2-CD tribute to the troubled troubadour featuring 38 bands and artists spanning a huge array of sounds, styles and presentations of the music and lyrics that Mr Williams has delivered over the years.

With covers and tributes pouring in from an impressive lineup including new boy on the neo-folk block, Rome, Changes, Spiritual Front, Spectre (of Ain Soph fame), Foresta di Ferro, Bleiburg, Aesthetic Meat Front and Naevus joined by Rose McDowall, amongst others, with an interesting variety of sounds and styles ranging from more aggressive industrial noise, neo-folk, warped bubblegum pop and bizarre cabaret. It’s interesting to see how Mr Williams’ music and lyrics have touched so many other artists out there and how they each pays homage in their own unique way to him, with some of the covers being reminiscent of the originals with their offbeat pop tinge, whilst others are a warped abomination of his work. Either way, I’m sure that Mr Williams is immensely flattered by the attention he’s received and by how this compilation will lead a great number of new fans to his crooked, warped doors.

That said, like most compilations, especially one that has such a high number of tracks, amongst the gems there are some covers which don’t work quite so well, and sound, well, sound awful. However, like everything this is all down to personal tastes so I won’t go any further down this road. Just bear this in mind and don’t expect that every track will hit its mark with you. It’s also disappointing to see no Blood Axis here, especially with the past connections. We do however have Love Axis who are present on CD 2, but this isn’t exactly the same.

As an introduction to the warped works of Mr Williams, this compilation works immensely well on the whole, and will hopefully help introduce swathes of new listeners to his music. And for those already familiar with this, I’m sure you’ll be able to pull up at least a couple of treats throughout the album’s 38 covers, including my personal favourite ‘Ich Hab Vergessen Wie Man Dich Liebt’, a German language cover of the classic ‘I Have Forgotten How To Love You’ by Ernte.

Oh by the way, the answer to the question, for those who remember it or care, is fiver; firstly with his more post-punk oriented band Womb, then with his main project Naevus. This is followed by a solo number, then as a member of Lark Blames before he contributes to recording and mixing duties on Shining Vril’s track. I bet you feel so much happier knowing this now. With a clear mind, sleep well children.