Rosetta Stone Nothing Is Sacred CD Review

Gothic Rock… This isn’t a term you’ll read often here, it’s still new to me although it’s been around for a long time. When I was coming up the music that’s now called Gothic Rock was called New Romantic Music, Synth Pop, Dark Wave or Deathrock. I guess it depends on your location. So, let’s talk about some Gothic Rock, shall we. The band Rosetta Stone has been around since the late 80’s and they’ve carved out a space for themselves amongst faithful fans of the genre. Personally, I’m not as familiar with the band as most, I’ve only heard the band through various Cleopatra Records Compilations, so it’s only fitting that the first release I cover for the band is their latest courtesy of the label. As recent as last year the band released a new album entitled “Under the Weather”. It’s a bit surprising to see them releasing a new album so soon, but given the content and approach, I can see the reason for the quick release.

Rosetta Stone’s new effort is a cover album called “Nothing is Sacred”. I’d say it’s a perfect album title where the band steps WAY outside of their genre to cover some all-time Rock classics. The lead single off the album is none other than Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”. Admittedly, I’m over this tune, it’s been done to the death, pun intended. However, Rosetta Stone really capture the essence and the mood with dark moody keyboards, programming and the monotone vocals really add to the song. And no, there’s no cowbell so get that out of your head. The shocker off the album for me is the Cream classic “White Room”. On paper this track shouldn’t work, but vocalist/bandleader Porl King’s approach is what makes it for me. There’s a ton of groove and music in this track to overcome or well let’s say to show respect too – Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Fuckin’ Baker! These guys were legendary at crafting some of the most intense and intelligent music on planet earth. To cover the music of Cream and make it remotely listenable you must know your way around melody, music and song arrangements. King’s keyboard, guitar and arrangement skills really shine here. He knows when to hold back and when to lean in and surprisingly it works. This shines through a great deal of the songs here, it’s not about how much King does, but more about how much he doesn’t do. “Black Hole Sun”, the world renowned Soundgarden favorite is another example of this. Here, the song is stripped down in a minimalist manner, and it comes off much moodier than the original. The band also does the unthinkable and covers Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. This tune is covered as closely as possible considering we’re talking about Gothic/Electronic music. I dig the dark aspect of it, but the lack of Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood’s ferocious drumming is missing for me, but it’s still an enjoyable vibe. The lone moment on the album that’s a complete turn off for me is the cover of Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion”. It comes off a bit lifeless and slack considering how lively and rhythm oriented the song is. I guess there are some tracks that just can’t be reinvented in a new manner for me. I still respect the approach and arrangement, but it’s not my bag. The band also tackles another Grunge classic with Stone Temple Pilot’s “Sex Type Thing”. This one comes off like a New Order tune from the early days, the lyrics also do wonders for the approach taken here – they’ve always been dark and a bit risqué, but they were lost in the noisy bits of Scott Weiland’s vocals to me.
 
The band also cover a few more classics on this album that leave you head scratching – Sabbath’s “N.I.B.” and The Beatles “Tomorrow Never Comes”. The Sabbath tune is pristine in the chorus/breakdown after that it’s a little underwhelming. Considering Gothic Rock isn’t a go to for me on an average day, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It makes for a great vibe/mood. There are a few songs that don’t work for me, but that’s to be expected. If you’re into Gothic Rock/New Romantic/80’s Pop music, this is an album that you can really dig into and appreciate owning. It’s unassuming and doesn’t overstay its welcome. I’ll revisit this one often, I’m sure. The album will be released on colored vinyl and CD format.

~Black Angel