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Mask

Bauhaus

1981

Buy At Rough Trade
Mask
Album Summary

Mask is the second studio album by English gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released on 16 October 1981 by record label Beggars Banquet.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.83

Votes

9921
Genres
Rock
New Wave
Post Punk

Reviews

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Wed May 05 2021
5

This whips ass. They've got a dude who's probably a worse vocalist than me, the thinnest, shittiest production imaginable and they've swathed the whole thing in reverb. It's simply majestic as to the degree that this sucks, therefore it gets a maximum score from yours truly.

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Wed Dec 08 2021
5

It’s somewhat reminiscent of Joy Division in that it has that Martin Hannett style wall of sound production that sounds like it was recorded underwater or in someone’s bathroom. Unlike Joy Division though, this was good, not as depressing and didn’t want to make me slit my wrists. It’s just balls to the floor straight ahead industrial post/punk no wave that often funks. It’s good stuff and you can dance to a lot of it. Even better, for once the bonus tracks are not just a bunch of shit demos slapped on the end as an afterthought, they actually add to the overall package, rather than detract from it. Winning!

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Fri Mar 05 2021
3

“Mask” by Bauhaus (1981) Never heard this album or group. I’m familiar with Bauhaus, the original early 20th century German art movement, and this group attempts to do a similar thing in the 1980s. Formal order to the point of monotony, accentuating the surrounding chaos. It’s cool. Fascinating, even. Proto-goth rock, anyone who enjoys both Jane’s Addiction and David Bowie will enjoy this album, if he or she has the patience for nearly unending minor keys and mechanical proto-disco rhythms. Thoughtful lyrics, even if frequently obscure. For example, in “Fear of Fear”, we get a hopeful message, encouraging the listener to overcome his or her insecurities or anxieties, bringing to mind that strange advice from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”, which is the silliest advice ever to receive public acclamation. I think Bauhaus would agree. Nice ‘tribute’ to Debbie Harry on “Harry”, although I’m not sure how she would feel about the line “They'll line you up and strip you down and then you'll see / That you're still the horny two-eyed bitch you used to be”. The song "1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash" is very cool. Actual backmasking as an art form on “4. Daniel Ash”. Wonderful fishcake recipe on “2. Peter Murphy”. Highly recommended. Musically, the album is inventive (this 1981, remember), and it is performed with exactitude, both in the solid grounding of the rhythm section and the sometimes ethereal melodies and harmonic flourishes. Lots of 1980s electronic experimentation. A good album, if somewhat dated. 3/5

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Fri Oct 01 2021
5

Groovy haunted and so well paced

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Wed May 05 2021
5

I like it and I’m really sorry that girl sold all your shit, Andy. Five stars.

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Thu Aug 05 2021
5

love my sad boi music this album feels so cohesive, there's not a song that feels out of place

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Fri Jan 28 2022
5

Time to put on my darkest eyeliner, it's goth time

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Wed Jan 20 2021
4

Creepily good. The album cover is a masterpiece. Bass and guitar on ‘Dance’ is dope.

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Wed Sep 16 2020
5

Haven't heard this record before. Love it. Maybe I should become a goth.

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Fri Nov 25 2022
5

2.84??? This is so awesome! Easy 5/5. Sad but wired stuff.

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Wed Jan 04 2023
5

I am digging the groove right off the bat. shit that started me on the third track! I am still digging the groove. THE PASSION OF LOVERS IS FOR DEATH!!! In Fear of Fear is another cool tune. Great album really toroughly enjoyed that.

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Thu Dec 28 2023
5

Oh shit. This is actually playing weird and dark shit the right way. I think I really liked it actually.

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Wed Mar 03 2021
3

A bit weird, it didn't wake up anything inside me, but also didn't bothered me to listen

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Fri Mar 12 2021
3

This was very....strange. I was expecting something like Joy Division or The cure (things that I like), but it was more...darker and strange. I liked it, but not too much.

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Thu Feb 25 2021
3

A solid post punk album, one that made me want to hear live.

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Wed Nov 03 2021
2

Des bruits bizarres puis d'autres bruits et encore des bruits bizarres, c'est vraiment pas le style de musique que je préfère. Reprends toi rapidement Robert.

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Sat Apr 09 2022
5

Kamalt El Hadra 8.M Rbo3 Etheleth M 3l Bouheli Mte3 Dostoevsky.

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Thu Jul 14 2022
5

I love this type of sound, absolute genius

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Wed Oct 11 2023
5

Great album to get in October, definitely get spooky vibes. Great album overall.

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Thu Oct 26 2023
5

9/10 wonderful album from beginning to end I liked this a little bit more than their first album too

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Sun Nov 26 2023
5

After sitting through 2 weeks of mediocrity I'm probably rating this higher than I would normally, but it is also some really interesting post punk

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Fri Dec 22 2023
5

"In Fear of Fear" was my favorite. This is a little Joy Division and a little Siouxsie Sioux. It was raw, simple, and a great, dark listen. Good stuff.

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Sun Mar 03 2024
5

Godfathers of Gothic. exceptional album

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Thu Oct 08 2020
4

1981. Key Songs: Kick in the Eye, The Man with X-Ray Eyes, Dancing

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Wed Jan 20 2021
4

Never would have checked these guys out, like it a lot! Other bands borrowed from them for sure

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Fri Jun 18 2021
4

Puro sonido post-punk / siniestro / gothic rock . Canciones como Hair of the dog, Kick in the eye, Muscle in plastic o The man with X-Ray eyes. Pueden gustar más o menos pero creo que definen un sonido que luego se ha replicado con más éxito por otras bandas. El bajo, la batería o las guitarras afiladas. Estos discos en vinilo los estuve buscando eternamente sin éxito. Son 3 estrellas sobradas, pero les voy a dar 4 por que últimamente he estado muy rácano.

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Wed May 05 2021
4

I kind of love how bad the production is on this. It can't destroy how much I like these songs. Not an album I was familiar with before, but will listen again.

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Fri Jun 25 2021
4

Pretty good album. Never heard of it, but it's a solid mix of goth rock and pop.

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Fri May 14 2021
4

Absolutely loved it. I only give it 4 stars because The last songs of the album felt quite weak for me

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Fri May 28 2021
4

Can hear a lot of ways that they influenced later artists. Interesting stuff!

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Fri Jul 23 2021
4

As I approach my mid-30’s, the biggest driver of what I listen to is that I’m a Deadhead - so the great majority of the time that I’m listening to music, it’s jam bands, or the myriad of genres they draw their influence from. Even in such a kaleidoscope of musical styles, goth rock isn’t one of them. However, when I was in high school I listened to a ton of 80’s alternative & indie, so Bauhaus is a band I’ve known of for years upon years, all the songs most people know like “Bella Lugosi’s Dead”, “Stigmata Martyr” or this album’s own “The Passion of Lovers”, to name a few. I’d always figured these guys were more of a singles band than anything else, and for the first five songs of this record the music was mostly background noise in my AirPods while I went about some chores at home. Imagine my surprise when I reached “Kick in the Eye” and a bass line started that sounded like something Phil Lesh would’ve laid down on a version of “Dancing in the Street” from the late 70’s - I sat up straight and the album had my full attention! From that point on it’s more like a melange of goth, funk, and experimentalism, and a far more interesting album than what the initial five tracks suggest.

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Thu Aug 05 2021
4

I had no idea what to expect, but thoroughly enjoyed the album.

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Fri Sep 03 2021
4

Good but not my fav of theirs

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Sun Sep 19 2021
4

I might be a Bauhaus fan now! Kind of had them looped in with The Cure but I enjoyed it more than them. I can definitely see where AFI got some of their modern sound.

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Thu Sep 23 2021
4

Enjoyed the music, not in love with the filler noise stiff.

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

El disco se me hizo pesado. Sólo conocía The Passion of Lovers. Aunque brinca entre el post-punk y lo gótico, se nota un estilo bien definido que terminará siendo una gran influencia durante todos los ochentas, sólo no entiendo Harry, que parece más una canción de Soda Stereo en el 88. 3.5 Estrellas que voy a subir a 4 porque sí es un gran disco aunque no sea de mi total agrado. Songs: The Passion of Lovers, The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

3.5 | Supuse que Bauhaus estaría en algún lugar de la lista. No se si vaya a venir el debut pero creo que esta es la elección obvia para poner en caso de solo poner un disco. Aunque personalmente me agrada mucho más algo como Bela Lugosi is Dead aquí es música mucho más accesible, a pesar de iniciar con dos canciones poco convencionales el resto del disco es bastante melódico, en tanto que el disco anterior podía sentirse aun más oscuro que el que ha tocado de The Cure aquí se siente más hacia ese sonido de Siouxsie. Son los verdaderos padres del Gótico (al menos en mi opinión) y creo que es muy simple, a quien le gusta el estilo le pueden encantar, a quien no le gusta le sonarán a escuincles pretenciosos hablando de lo oscuuuuro que es mi vida. Debo decir que caigo en el primer campo.

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Thu Nov 11 2021
4

Surprisingly accessible and clear to hear how Bauhaus have influenced other bands. The Bravery, Interpol. lots of Bauhaus in their sound. I always had Bauhaus pegged as a band that were impressive but difficult to love, that's changed after spending time with this album. I'll definitely be dipping further into their work

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Wed Nov 24 2021
4

This is a very weird moody album but I mostly really dug it even if it’s a bit hard to get into. 4/5

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

Definitely got more into it the more of a chance I gave it. It has that 80s vocal-trappings which sometimes bring it down a bit for me, but damn there are some nice grooves in here as well as some interesting instrumentation. Had to listen to it twice, was originally a 3.5 rounded down to 3 but I think I have to go up to 4 since it is intriguing enough to me. Especially as the album evolves/devolves into experimental.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

I'm a sucker for this kind of monochromatic music.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

Utterly charming. Just the right amount of strange.

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Thu Dec 30 2021
4

Absolutely loved this album, totally off the wall, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the lyrics captivating. Interesting.

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Sun Jan 16 2022
4

Never got into Bauhaus which is weird as they would seem on the surface to be right in my wheelhouse. Well the first two songs are great and there are a couple surprisingly good dance tracks. 1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3.... is a strange trip of a song. There's some real variety here and its less dark than anticipated. Enjoyed it more than I thought 3.75

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Wed Jan 26 2022
4

I had never heard of this. They really brought out the fun in goth. I loved the theatricality of the album. So many unexpected twists and turns in each song.

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Wed Jan 26 2022
4

Aw such an immersion of memories for me! Remember booking this out from my local library. Creds to the librarian who added it to the stock!

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Wed Mar 30 2022
4

Highlight: Kick in the Eye, The Passion of Lovers. I'm not sure how to interact with this album. It feels like it's having a conversation I don't know enough to keep up with.

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Thu Mar 31 2022
4

Almost flawless. Better than the debut album?

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Thu Apr 07 2022
4

Not as gothy as I thought it would be. Still a unique voice and sound though.

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Wed May 18 2022
4

I like this record more when it's energy levels are higher. The varied instrumentation, including saxophone and piano, are nice. The slower, darker moments are also nice, though my attention is held more during the livelier tracks. Favorite tracks: "Of Lillies and Remains", "Dancing", "The Man With X-Ray Eyes"

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Thu Jul 21 2022
4

I like this style in general, and some of the tracks sound very different and interesting. The album is a bit long, though; there is definitely some filler that could be left out.

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Wed Aug 03 2022
4

Love a bit of goth and post-punk, and wasn't familiar with this album, so it was a very nice discovery. Judging by some of the reviews I need to get hold of the CD reissue as some of the bonus tracks generated quite a few comments... Fave track - "The Man With X-Ray Eyes" sounded most gothy. Liked the dancepunkiness of "Dancing", too...

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Wed Aug 03 2022
4

Long time listent of Bauhaus, very enjoyable.

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Spooky season is upon us and I am loving this emo boy music

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Had to board a bus at 5:30am, put this song on and was surprised how well this album complemented the pre-dawn atmosphere. So far the two moods are “spooky ghost” and “spooky ghost d a n c e”, and I’m satisfied. HL: “Hollow Hills”, “Mask”, “Kick in the Eye”

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Fri Sep 09 2022
4

Very interesting sounds! Still pretty 80s

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Mon Sep 19 2022
4

Wait until mid-album. It gets worth it.

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Fri Oct 14 2022
4

Driving guitar, intense music from the experimental legends of alternative rock.

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Wed Nov 09 2022
4

Loved this. Bowie meets Art Brut and that is right up my straße

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Thu Nov 10 2022
4

It doesn't have Bela Lugosi's Dead on it, but I still enjoy it. Have never listened to the album in its entirety and it doesn't quite all gel for me but still liked most of it. I know it's gothish, but also strikes me like David Bowie made an album with The Doors after they finished Soft Parade.

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Fri Nov 18 2022
4

This is Tuesday 11 pm WPRB music. It definitely has a crowd, I’m just not in it. In a purely neutral way, it has a timeless quality, it’s hard to assess when it came out without checking. This band feels very influential, “Hollow Hills” feels like the intro to a nirvana song, so clearly the band is pulling on the right strings. Kick In the Eye is a really tight song, and a much better use of that plunky 80s bass sound than yesterday’s album

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Sun Nov 20 2022
4

This kind of classic gothy post-punk tends to be to my taste. It might have to do with the rhythms. Must investigate further

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Sun Nov 20 2022
4

Vissa va megabangers men de ble lite lustigt och lite långt mot slute

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Wed Nov 23 2022
4

This one took me a few days to digest, I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not at first. I've heard of Bauhaus before but I don't think I've listened to them actively. I knew this was going to be gothic rock so I expected something like The Cure, but I was surprised by just how dark and rough this is. Some of the songs were familiar to me, but the two singles(?), "The Passion of Lovers" and "Kick in the Eye" didn't appeal to me as much as the fantastic "Hollow Hills", "The Man With X-Ray Eyes", and "Mask". I think I'll be revisiting it a lot, and I'm delighted to have found it. It's a 4 for me right now because I find it a bit uneven, but I could see the punkier songs growing on me, which could eventually raise it to a 5. Side note: I'm getting sick of the sneaky "Bonus tracks" and "Deluxe Editions" on Spotify. They should be either clearly labelled as bonus or you should be able to filter for the original version. With this album, the title track has a very definite end to it which is kind of spoiled by the 5 off cuts that follow it. Plus it makes the album like 50% longer...I have over 1000 albums to get through here!

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Thu Jan 26 2023
4

The second release from one of the pioneers of goth rock is more varied than most of the other pioneers of the goth movement. You can hear much more of the post-punk influences, along with a little dub throughout. I was a fan of Peter Murphy's singing at this point (both for the band and for me personally) - I think later material can be a bit monotonous. The rest of the band is more varied as well. The acoustic elements and keyboard flourishes are welcome, as is the sax on occasion. I don't know if this one makes my list, but a pretty impressive effort all around.

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Mon Jan 30 2023
4

I wasn't really in the mood for it today, but I'm glad I gave it a listen anyways. really like this album!

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Wed Feb 01 2023
4

4.0 - Took me a bit to adjust to the muffled drum tracks but I ended up liking this album more than expected. I like the distant guitars that add an element of unrest in the background, as well as the riff on “Of Lilies and Remains.” The vocals, though thin, work well with tortured lyrics, enhancing an overall austere and gothic sound. I imagine I’ll like this even more after a few more listens. Standouts: “Dancing”, “In Fear of Fear”, “Mask.”

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Wed Feb 01 2023
4

I've always like the vibe and image of Bauhaus but apart from their Bela Lugosi hit (which I bought on 12") could never get into them. Listening back now their sound is a lot more experimental (not mainstream at all) and authentic. 'Earwax' is a treat. It's pretty spare and basic (in a good way) so I'm happy to have reacquainted with them.

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Sun Feb 26 2023
4

Very early goth. I'm an 80s everything human so I enjoyed it.

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Fri Mar 17 2023
4

смешанные впечатления от альбома, потому что треки мне либо очень зашли, либо вообще не зашли

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Thu Mar 30 2023
4

Contrary to belief, goths are some of the funkiest people out there

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Thu Apr 06 2023
4

All I’ve previously heard from Bauhaus was their breakout single Bela Lugosi’s Dead and their acclaimed debut album which I found a bit one-note and dreary after a while. Imagine my surprise then when the follow-up release just keeps evolving in so many unexpected ways. I keep making a note of songs that are highlights and have practically listed the whole tracklist for a whole host of different reasons. Very inventive, quirky, goth vibes Update: I wrote the above while listening to Hollow Hills, and found the second half pretty underwhelming in comparison. Muscle in Plastic and the title track were both good, but the other songs didn’t live up to the potential that was clearly on show elsewhere

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Wed Apr 26 2023
4

One of my favorite things about this 1001 albums project is learning how to accurately predict the global score from other people. The fact that this album is almost a full point lower than The Eagles perfectly sums up the clientele of this project. 3.5/5

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Fri May 12 2023
4

If you can get past the Goth preconceptions, this a really strong Post-punk album.

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Thu May 25 2023
4

Cool Album. The tone reminds me of David Bowie I like a lot if the songs. Favourite could be Mask?

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Thu Jun 08 2023
4

Des bons moments, surtout les passages qui font très post-punk/gothic à la Joy Division. J'étais un peu moins fan des passages plus expérimentaux, je les trouvais un tantinet maladroit. Règle générale par contre c'est un très bon album qui a bien vieilli et je suis surpris de ne pas en avoir entendu parlé plus tôt. 8/10

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Wed Jun 21 2023
4

Un álbum fundamental para entender las tendencias de la “música gótica”. Sonidos escalofriantes pero adictivos, con bases bailables influenciadas fuertemente por los primeros sonidos post-punk. A lo largo del disco también se nota una fuerte influencia de Lou Reed, tanto en la inflexión vocal, como en las astutas letras.

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Fri Jun 23 2023
4

The pop bones and metal bones superimposed are interesting enough. For goth rock, almost every tune is piercingly accessible, but chord progressions and some percussion have a directional relationship with extreme music I think comes later. Sealing the deal is the call to leave the presentation entirely unpolished. Plenty of discord makes the shtick self-aware in a correct way, neither artifice nor irony.

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Mon Jul 17 2023
4

Back when I'd heard about goth music, but not actually listened to it, I always pictured it as being really mopey and morose. While it is definitely morose, goth music is so much more danceable than I would ever have imagined. This is an excellent example of that. It's a really fun listen, with catchy melodies combined with more experimental/spacey sounds. 4/5 Really cool early goth album. It shows a lot of the potential that the genre has. I understand a lot better why goth kids liked this music so much. I just don't understand why they were so sad

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Wed Aug 02 2023
4

Easy album to listen to, The Passion of Lovers stood out for me

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Mon Sep 04 2023
4

"Mask" is the second studio album by English goth rock band Bauhaus. Post punk, gothic rock, experimental. Yep, that all fits. This album expanded on their debut by adding keyboards, acoustic guitar, a funky song and a saxophone. Bauhaus is Peter Murphy (vocals, guitar), Daniel Ash (guitars, sax), David J (bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums, keyboards). This album was also self produced. An annoying laser synth sound leads to the drums kicking in which opens "Hair of the Dog." Ominous synths. The pace picks up. Murhpy's vocals end up in screams at the conclusion. Subjecting yourself once more to the one thing that causes you pain. It doesn't get much more goth than that. Bass and an idiosyncratic drum beat highlight the start of the first single "The Passion of Lovers." Edgy guitar and like the previous song, this song builds and Murphy explodes. A girl seeks passion and ends up dying. "Dancing" actually starts fast. A heavy, heavy bass groove. This is more rock. Ash's guitar has that classic post punk, high pitched sound. This song could have been on Killing Joke's first album. The band adds the funk with the drumbeat and bass on their second single "Kick in the Eye." Guitar sounds going everywhere. Very hypnotic. This reminds me a lot of David Bowie's "Fashion." I think he's looking for drugs. Some more ominous laser synth sounds open the closer "Mask." The beat plodding along. Murphy is moaning. A welding sound. Hey, maybe that plays into the song's meaning. Welding Mask? Idk. Midway through, they add a creepy Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells"-"Exorcist"-esque guitar. This was already a creepy enough song and then you have to go there, eh? This music is dark, hypnotic and has a high creep factor. This album would be in chapter one, page one in your Goth Rock 101 book. The guitar is edgy, the drums and bass have a deep sound and Murphy's voice is perfect for this music. You could pretty much draw a straight line from mid-70's David Bowie to industrial music and Nine Inch Nails with Bauhaus sitting dead center in the middle. Oh, of couse, I liked this album.

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Thu Sep 07 2023
4

Bauhaus’s second album features gothic rock over a lively rhythm section. The rhythms are danceable, and the vocals and guitar are thin and driving. The result is a post-punk masterpiece reminiscent of Joy Division that is still accessible to casual listeners. All in all I found this to be a very enjoyable and tight album.

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Thu Sep 07 2023
4

Bauhaus really kicked off one of my most favorite genres of music—goth rock—so a lot of points for that. I haven’t listened to an entire bauhaus album all the way through before this one. I am well acquainted with Bella Legosi’s Dead, and this album stylistically adheres close to that formula—no real changes, sparse, creepy effects, evocative, strangled vocals, a general atmosphere of dread. Good shit! It always fascinates me how much of the post punk stuff was directly influenced by dub reggae, as reggae has kind of spun off into its own kind of dead-end, backwards-looking genre, while post punk keeps roaring along. The sound effects and bass lines were cribbed from dub. The relative few changes (often none) probably taken from dub. I’m just going to assume that massive amounts of ganja was smoked in studio. Which might not be the vision one has of goth rock, but I find it to be one of the sneakiest most psychedelic genres. Love and light was associated with hippie psychedelia, but there were darker, and sometimes, more true alleyways to be explored, as many people who had bad/deeply strange trips can attest to. It’s sort of the way the word “dream” has been associated with lovely things, when dreams, more often than not are alien, weird and terrifying.

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Wed Sep 13 2023
4

liked it way more than i expected.

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Mon Oct 02 2023
4

Good album, but not their best.

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Mon Oct 02 2023
4

much respect to Bauhaus for experimantal post-punk, paved the way for many bands to-come

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Thu Oct 19 2023
4

I enjoyed listening to this one. Sort of like a Joy Division but not quite as bleak. Or as good.

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Thu Oct 19 2023
4

I guess I was expecting 60 minutes of Bela lugosi. More varied then that. Overall a good listen.

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