Diamanda Galas

Diamanda Galas' second recording came out on Metalanguage, a label associated with ROVA, Henry Kaiser, and others, with connections to the avant-garde jazz scene in San Francisco, and offered a hint to one of her lesser-known but primary influences. Her expressed admiration for musicians such as Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman provides a reason why her vocal improvisations tend not to degenerate into mere pyrotechnics but retain a substance even at their wildest. This recording consists of two side-long pieces, both employing electronic effects to amplify some of her unusual techniques and to multiply her voices, creating a choir-like atmosphere. "Panoptikon," named after a circular prison where all occupants could be kept under constant observation, deals with the loss of personal identity and the psychosis derived therefrom. "Tragoutha Apo to Aima Exoun Fonos" deals with murderous oppression in Greece from 1967-74, the grief and rage it engendered. Both pieces are intensely emotional but without bathos, bitter yet without a shred of self-pity. Among many other qualities, Galas' radiates an enormous reserve of strength and resolve. Diamanda Galas was a fine follow-up to her sensational debut album (The Litanies of Satan) and is certainly a must-hear for her fans. ~ Brian Olewnick