Album a Day: The Crüxshadows - Wishfire

This fourth album from Europe's favorite American goth/industrial band might be my favorite perhaps because I had just begun DJing when it came out but I think it may just have to do with the timing in the bands evolution as they held over a lot of the slower darkwave they started with and began moving towards the much more electronic sound the band has become accustomed to and so you have a great mix of sounds. This album is also one of only two with my favorite lineup from the band with Rogue, Rachel McDonnell, Stacey Campbell, and Chris Brantley. This album also adds in nice smaller touches such as minimal but well placed moments such as the video game sound from Return (Coming Home), the Rogue duet on Tears, and the tasteful Martin Luther King Jr. sample on Resist/R. Speaking of Resist/R this 2002 album also continued the band's trend towards pushing for tolerance that may seem like preaching to the choir in the scene they are in but I think any band that attempts to continually push acceptance should be applauded. Really nice production and beautiful cover art. As a band of the band I also always appreciate the beautiful fantasy imagery that is constructed while maintaining a foot in reality as to help with relatability. Favorite Tracks: Return (Coming Home), Binary, Spectators, Tears, Orphean Wing, Resist/R