Stegzy's Music Project

A commentary on Stegzy's album collection

Feb 11

From Gehenna to Here – Fields of the Nephilim [#499]

by stegzy

From Gehenna to Here Another appearance from Carl McCoy and his dust ridden forsaken cowboys, Fields of the Nephilim. This time with another compilation of songs from their catalogue. I’m not sure if it’s the lack of production or what, but to me this sounds more like recording of a tribute act than actual Nephilim songs. In the recording I have, McCoy sounds like he’s singer from a slightly higher register than usual.

Not going to say much more than that as I’ve already covered a lot in previous entries regarding these guys.

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2001 Fields of the Nephilim

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Jan 26

Forever & Ever – Fields of the Nephilim [#487]

by stegzy

R-571075-1165231721.jpegMore brooding beats from the cadaverous cowboys that are Fields of the Nephilim taken from the soundtrack of their video release Forever Remain.

I suspect after Ginger Chris’ cassette finally drove the music industry into an irretrievable spiral of descent, my enthusiasm for music waned too. As I wandered around the global car boot sale that was the early internet of 2004-2010, I would pick up remnants of forgotten things called albums from the digital flotsam and jetsam and store them for humanity on my hard drive. If it wasn’t for my actions I’m fairly certain the music industry would have been completely destroyed by home taping.

Forever & Ever is a rip of a live video album and features many of FONs “greatest hits”, all favourites of mine. I could have quite happily left my appreciation of the band there but subsequent releases enticed me in with the promise of good music. I suppose by then, the zeitgeist had leaked from the loosely sealed bottle of life and I began to realise that the new rules and flavours brought about by the demise of the music industry were bitter and unpalatable.

 

1991 best of compilations Fields of the Nephilim gothic Live Memories Soundtracks

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Dec 7

Fallen – Fields of the Nephilim [#459]

by stegzy

Fields of the Nephilim - FallenOften with the music project I come across albums I wasn’t even aware I had. As is the case with Fallen, I often find that I’ve not listened to the albums before either.

Sadly I’m at an age where listening to music on a regular basis is no longer necessarily a possibility. Life styles change as we age and we swap dark clothes and music for peaceful evenings in tweed. Then listening to things that probably would have had your younger self bouncing up and down or wearing out the belt on the turntable now seems like an effort and the content seems trite and an inconsequential and unnecessary re-egging of old pudding.

As we already know from Fields Of the Nephilim‘s previous gracing of the music project, I was quite keen on the band in my younger days with a resurgence during the darker days of midlife crisis. I keep remembering that Carl McCoy is about the same age as my older brother and then I’m often amused by the mental imagery of my older brother growling along to rock songs trying to look dark, sinister, forsaken and undead. And looking like someone’s dad at a bad karaoke.

And that is what Fallen is like. Fallen is FON’s 2003 resurgence album featuring Carl and a whole new bunch of mates. Popular in Europe, popular amongst fan’s thirsty for more after an eleven year hiatus but I found it kind of like a shabby chic kitchen table. Firm, well put together but a shade of its former self. With a chalky coat of paint.

2003 Fields of the Nephilim

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Oct 19

Elizium – Fields of the Nephilim [#424]

by stegzy

Fon_front_elizium_smallI’ve talked about Fields of the Nephilim (FON) before on the music project so I won’t over egg the pudding. Feel free to dig around in the music project archives.

Elizium is FON’s third studio album and features a number of tracks from the Cassette given to me by Chris Herbert back in 1996. As everyone knows, home taping killed music back in 1998. As a result little real music has been made since around that time.

This is why I hardly listen to this album. It is my way of preserving some good music in a  sort of digital bottle. As in, each time music from it is listened to, air gets to the contents and slowly turns the contents to vinegar.

 

1990 Fields of the Nephilim

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Sep 23

Earth Inferno Live – Fields of the Nephilim [#407]

by stegzy

Live mix of concerts of Carl McCoy’sEarth_Inferno_Fields_of_the_Nephilim group of forsaken dusty cowboy zombires.

Earth Inferno has all my favourite classic Nephilim songs; Last Exit, Dawnrazor and Moonchild. This was one of the last CDs I bought before the great internet download feast of the noughties. Sadly the CD was damaged but I’m happy to say I still have the rip I made.

Great for wearing black to.

1991 Fields of the Nephilim

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Jun 29

Dawnrazor – Fields of the Nephilim [#343]

by stegzy

DawnrazorCarl McCoy and chums again, this time it’s the band’s debut album from 1987.

If you cast your mind back to Cassette I told you about how I was given a tape with FOTN songs on and how influential it was on my life. Well the majority of the songs on Cassette are from this album.

Damned cowboys. Bloody good album.

 

1987 Fields of the Nephilim

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Feb 25

Ceromonies: Ad Mortem Ad Vitam – Fields of the Nephilim [#257]

by stegzy

Ceromonies: Ad Mortem Ad Vitam - Fields of the NephilimCeromonies: Ad Mortem Ad Vitam – Fields of the Nephilim

Live music from our gothic dust beaten hat wearing chaps from Stevenage.

Perhaps it’s age, but to me it’s hard to take this album seriously. The guy you can hear growling away, Carl McCoy, was in his mid forties  when this album was recorded. Which is cool. If that’s what you can pass off. But all I can think of is some “dad” like figure dressing up like some forsaken cowboy growling. Not singing. Growling.

That’s not to say I don’t like it. It’s a good album. Nice mix of songs old and new showing progression and a nice introduction to the band for young newbies. But remember kids, the lead singer is old enough to be your dad. Or, in some cases, your granddad.

2012 Fields of the Nephilim Live

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Feb 18

Cassette – Fields of the Nephilim [#251]

by stegzy

UnknownCassette – Fields of the Nephilim 

No. This isn’t some long forgotten album or boot leg. This is a special compilation made for me by Chris Herbert in the 1990s after I expressed an interest in goth music. Chris was happy to oblige and provided me with a cassette, which I still have, with some Nephilim songs on.

At first, I thought it was a bit too dark, but over the years it grew on me. To such an extent that it’s possibly one of my most favourite compilations and one of my most cherished cassette tapes. Even though, now, I still have most of the songs on it in much better and clearer format.

It’s possibly the nice line up of FoN’s Celebrate, Love Under Will and Last Exit for the Lost that has had the most effect. I still remember sitting in parks on cold wet days in February, sulking and listening to this on my crumby Walkman while waiting for youthful opportunity to knock. It also used to accompany me on my long daily commute from my flat on Patterdale Road to Bootle New Strand. Much respect to Chris. Cheers mate, you’ve truly made your mark on my life with this compilation.

Last Exit for The Lost

1995 compilations Fields of the Nephilim Memories

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Jan 28

Call on the Dark – Various Artists (#238)

by stegzy

NB_0233_1167839428_largeCall on the Dark – Various Artists

I think it’s probably best that I warn you in advance. When I get to “G” there will be a whole load of compilation albums similar to this resulting from my search into gothic music. If you read regularly you’ll already know of that search.

Call on the Dark is a compilation album. No idea where I got it from but it’s more than likely I downloaded it because it has a track by Fields of the Nephilim. Anyway, the compilation consists of the following:

  • Annwyn, Beneath the Waves – Faith and the Muse
  • Flash in My Veins – Silke Bischoff
  • Dawnland – Love Like Blood
  • Demon – London After Midnight
  • Kick It – Nitzer Ebb
  • Bin Ich Es Denn – Das Ich
  • Dawnrazor – Fields of the Nephilim
  • Dreamland – Girls Under Glass
  • Chains – Dreadful Shadows
  • If Only – Born for Bliss
  • Disorder – Shock Therapy
  • Godsent – Dreamside
  • Kleine Schwester – Umbra et Imago
  • Precious Limetree – Darc Entries
  • To a Loyal Friend – Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Nephilim aside, there’s nothing much to like about this compilation. I suppose I keep these kind of things just incase I find something I like but 8 years on, I still haven’t.

1997 Faith and the Muse Fields of the Nephilim Various Artists

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Sep 6

BBC Live – Fields of the Nephilim [#127]

by stegzy

Fields of the NephilimBBC Live Sessions – Fields of the Nephilim

I came to Goth quite late although I was a fan of Strawberry Switchblade when they came out in the early eighties. FON was my late introduction to the Goth genre arriving in my mid to late 20s.

Ginger Chris, a goth friend who dressed in black and sported a fine set of natty dreads, insisted that the best band in the world was Fields of Nephilim and that no Goth would be accepted into the fold without a prior love or experience of Fields of the Nephilim.

So he gave me a cassette with some of their music on.

During a very very dark period of my mid twenties, I broke out the cassette and lowered myself on the express elevator into darkness through the medium of Fields of Nephilim. The compilation tape had all manner of songs on it and many I enjoyed.

When the internet, free downloads and USENET arrived, I immediately took it upon myself to get as much FON as I could. This is the first in the 19 albums I’ve managed to obtain over the years.

More of a bootleg than an official album, this appears to be a fan recording of five songs as performed on the BBC sometime. Possibly in the 1990s. Tracks include: Endemonadia, Love Under Will, Moonchild, Bluewater and Chord of Souls.

1992 BBC Sessions Fields of the Nephilim

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