Mask

Was ready to write this off as not for me but good after the second song and then it got weird in a Bowie kind of way and it's better than most of what he put out in the 80s

Overrated. Not terribly interesting. It might grow on me.

Ok I get dark themes, sadness loss etc. But I don't, and never will, get this gloomy stuff. Same with Metal, what is it with all the dark satanic devil stuff? Why? What's it all about.....Lars..! So I don't get what Bauhaus are on about except being arty wankers who are very conscious of being arty wankers. Do you need to put on black lipstick, a heavy overcoat and get a really bad haircut to get into this? The old mod in me says no, no, no,no,no,no and no to the thought of engagin with this shit. What's it all about...Wittgenstein! What's it all about Gropius!

In the late 80s/early 90s, I was more into industrial music than goth, but there is a fair crossover between those scenes, considering their shared love of all black wardrobes, extreme hairstyles and harsh yet surprisingly club-friendly beats. I had plenty of goth friends and couple of goth girlfriends, so Bauhaus was on the lounge room playing roster. I would occasionally go to Sanctuary, Sydney's long-standing goth nightclub. And Bauhaus is awesome to dance to at 2am, played really loud under the flashing lights on a playlist between Front 242 and Wolfgang Press or whatever, especially when one is chemically enhanced... I was a young man at the time. But now I am old and tired, and listening in the cold sober light of day. I always felt that Bauhaus were more of a posture than a band. It is, in fairness, a pretty cool pose -- they look like rock star vampires. I dig the Bowie stylings, the spacious noise and cold funk of it all. Particular shout-out to Daniel Ash and his generous use of the pick slide, one of my favourite guitar techniques -- simple and exciting. But I couldn't hum any of their songs except for Bela Lugosi's Dead, and that ain't on this record. And what is with that terrible cover art?

I was a little disappointed by this one. I enjoyed it enough but I expected a little more from Bauhaus. Favorite track: The Passion of Lovers

Very awesome

I didn’t hate it!

Bauhaus really led the goth charge out of post-punk, and were pretty influential. However, I don't think this is their best album, I much prefer its predecessor, In The Flat Field, and of course some of the singles.

I really enjoyed this one. Very interesting.

ned ds abwechsligsrichsta album aber hätt trotzdem was wo mer gfallt

I liked it more than I thought I would!

What a strange little album this is. Unconventional, in an oddly satisfying and original way, with just enough discord to make it interesting.

Mildly familiar with this band so far. Going in, I'm expecting this one to be another that I will enjoy while the majority will hate it. I'm not sure what their live performances were like, but I get a sense Bauhaus was reaching for ambitious art intending to shock and confound. Though a bit scattered and seemingly messy, Mask, and Bauhaus are pretty cool and not always easy to connect with.

Not bad.

Not bad, but definitely not my cup of tea.

This was ok. 3.2

caveman goth..

One song reminded me of Nirvana. Others reminded me of The B-52’s. Those aren’t comparison I’d have expected on the same album… that was before the song that sounded like The Aquabats.

Sorry, any album that doesn’t contain Bella Lugosi’s Dead can’t be a five. Also, Memorex…

This album is absolutely terrible, but in a way that just made me laugh out loud. To be honest, I couldn’t finish the whole thing, but the few tracks I did hear I was about to roll on the floor from laughter.

I was not a fan of the hooting and hollering that went on within this album. It was also a drag and annoyed me quite a bit.

Repetitive, generic, and dull new wave just doesn’t do it for me.

I didn’t enjoy it and it had no redeeming qualities

I was expecting worse, but there were occasionally some jams here.

I'm really not sure what to say about this album. There were songs I liked, and songs I disliked, but I'm glad to know that Bauhaus wasn't just "Bela Lugosi is dead" cause I was never a fan of that song.

Man I was really not vibing with this album at all. I’m not even sure if there was anything in here that made me think this was good. No redeeming qualities. Hated it. Counting the seconds until it ended.

boring

Rv

This album is surprising. I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. I was expecting faux-Gothic horror rock, and there is elements of that, but this really is so much more. Taking influences from Punk, Glam, Bowie, the Clash, Ska, Raggae makes something thats not quite post-punk and not quite new wave. I hear how this influenced others, notably INXS and other late 80s bands. Production is cool. Lo-fi in some songs, but then really artful in others. Cool album to start with. 8/10 Top Songs The Passion of Lovers Of Lillies and Remains Kick in the Eye Muscle in Plastic The Man with XRay eyes

Pseudo PIL metal box. Poor imitation not great.

No thanks.

Q: Hvor mye storbritisk angst-rock må du høre på for å forstå musikk? A: Tydeligvis alt for mye... Igjen, hadde sikkert likt dette på halvti.

I enjoyed this much more that I thought i would. Cure/madness at times, even mighty boosh for the eccentricity. Good band, making good music Will be back for more of Bauhaus. 4/5

Si echas de menos la obra de tu vecino, puedes ponerte este disco. No tiene el encanto de una hormigonera, pero molesta más o menos igual. Estas ganas de resultar desagradable no las entenderé nunca.

Gear: ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio: Odyssey 2 Artwork: 🐼🦹‍♀️✏️ Production: 📏💩🔁 Music: 🧛🍬🧂 Rating: 🎃(🎃)/5

This reminds me of the first Eurythmics album. Hear me out. So much of this early-80s British music seems, from 45 years on, seems to suffer from an all-encompassing obsession with sound and a consequential disregard for the importance of songwriting. It's like the tsunami of incredible new acts that broke through in 77-79 motivated all of these art school kids to abandoned pop-art and form bands instead. But they hadn't spent their adolescences honing musical skills and so all of their energy went into sonic exploration - some good and some bad, but all of it artsy and half-baked. It also seems like too many of them were rewarded with record contracts from coked-out suits who knew that new was in, but had no clue why people liked it. The sound of the 77-79 output from the Clash, Elvis Costello, the Cure, Devo, the Ramones, Blondie, Television, Wire, on and on, was definitely novel and exciting. But the reason the world fell in love with that class, and continues to love their music is because their songs were - and are - great. These guys and the Eurythmics are perfect examples of this create a-sound-as-you-go movement, along with Teardrop Explodes, Jesus & Mary Chain, Everything But the Girl... P.I.L. seems to have been at the vanguard with Metal Box, and, hell, even Robert Smith abandoned his (incredible) gift for melody in '80 to focus on creating a new sound. The sound here was almost certainly interesting at the time. The music, however, is consistently not good. And the novelty of the "new sounds" became quaint fast; leaving us all to realize how sophomoric and haphazard the sonic exploration was to begin with.

Bunch of spooky bitches. I like it. Great album to kick off Haloween season.

I liked emo and goth stuff in high school, but I love this. Bring back real raw goth stuff.

Having stamped their place in the goth roch/post-punk annals of the early 80s, Bauhaus decided to put on a mask in order to transverse forward without tweaking anything that got them under the spotlight. Improving upon what they left off, Mask presents a new way forward for Bauhaus, even if it would eventually fall apart. Favorites: Hair of the Dog, The Passion of Lovers, Of Lillies and Remains, Hollow Hills, Kick in the Eye, In Fear of Fear, The Man With the X-Ray Eyes.

Musik som larmer, overrasker, og pirre min nysgerrighed. Hvad mere kan man ønske sig? Det er skramlet på en helt fed måde, og primal skriget på åbnings nummeret er perfekt!

Bowie spiller Joy Division. What’s not to like.

real goth music. i never got into these guys, but they have always been on my radar from other people. not gigantic for this list, but a very weird and hard to explain time in music. it shows how quickly this scene was changing from the very beginning. 3/5

The Paaion of Lovers, what a kick in the eye. The real interesting track for me through the years has become Of Lillies and Remains. Although the other standout when I first bought this on cd was the bonus track of David Jay/Peter Murphy/Kevin Haskins/Daniel Ash. Lets just say my kids learned how to make Fish Cakes at an early age.

Rating: 2.7 My girlfriend and I were having sex to this album (figured I’d kill 2 birds with one stone) and she was getting where you’re supposed to go and then that song that says “FISH CAKES!!!!” started playing and she started laughing so hard we had to stop early. Fuck you Bauhaus.

Went in with low expectations. Ended up enjoying the new wave

My first thought while listening to this album for the first time was "this reminds a lot to The Cure". They both are very moody and similar in terms of song structures, but I don't think this band reaches the level of emotion of sadness that The Cure achieve in their music. Either way, this is a very interesting and particular listening. It is very quite so be sure that the volume is set up high enough or you will lose a lot of value. It too has a lot of nice noisy touches, some very eerie moments in the songs 'Hollow Hills' and 'Mask', and most importantly, some incredibly catchy bass lines throughout the whole project. The combination of all these elements made this record a worth listening and coming back to project.

нормалек, раньше часто их слушал)

I like the goth aesthetic way more than the music.

Even as someone who listens to a lot of goth rock and post-punk, every time I listen to Bauhaus' albums I just find their style tedious. The way they love to repeat an idea and stretch it for 3 mins, just never winds up clicking with me. I don't know, I think every other big goth band managed to do music that was far, FAR more interesting without making it tedious to listen to.

Do not take culinary advice from this band.

I’m a Bauhaus fan!

Right after being introduced to the dulcet tones of Debbie Harry and Blondie I get this. 54 minutes of these guys braying and yelling and moaning, what a buzz kill.

I don’t love this album BUT I respect the influence they had. Fav song - man with the x-ray eyes.

I’ll always remember Pete Murphy in the Maxell cassette advert back the the 80s. Good looking guy and probably the best thing he ever did. Because this isn’t. Not bad, but totally forgettable 2½

Not horrible, just not my thing.

That was interesting, though fairly experimental for my tastes.

There’s definitely a good amount of creativity and uniqueness in the sounds on this album, but for some reason it just feels kinda so-so for me. I can’t quite tell what it is, but much of the material doesn’t interest me very much. It definitely does have some great stuff going on, though.

sorprendentemente me gustó más de lo que pensé igual ya fuee 7.5/10

As a fellow Northamptonian, part of me wants to say I completely understand why Bauhaus were miserable all the time. But that doesn't tell the whole story. What makes the post-punk scene so interesting is that it was a bunch of weirdos from the punk scene not caring one lick about the supposed 'true' punk ethos. So, in this album we have the sound of Goths stumbling into the Notting Hill Carnival, playing fretless bass and singing a song about fishcakes over a drum machine. It shouldn't work, but the sparse production, chimey guitars, bouncy rhythm section and endlessly imitated vocal stylings of Peter Murphy keep the album cohesive and (believe it or not) fun.

what the fuck is this and why do I need to hear THIS before I kick it? anxiety inducing at best, visceral rejection at worst

Time to bust out the black lip stick and finger nails. I'm goth now

Quirky, super British. Like a weird grungy version of Bowie and the B 52s mashed together

Nije najbolji bauhaus ali je i dalje bauhaus

This is ok. Too long of an album. I get really bored when everything sounds the same.

I don't get it. The whole post-punk, gothic thing. This album is a blend of like Joy Division and Talking Heads, but is mediocre representations of both. I can see how in the early '80s this may have been the soundtrack to high school gothics, but it doesn't do a lot for me. The production sounds bad. The music isn't very good. I know it's the "post-punk" sound, but to me, it doesn't sound too good. It isn't offensively bad, but I don't see a world where I come back to it. But like, it isn't awful. I can see how people could enjoy it. The whole style just isn't for me.

Real punk rocky. Appreciated the use of ethereal/non conventional sounds. But not my cup of tea.

Performative nonsense.

meh

A good choice if you want moody rock/pop music.

Quite an interesting album, the production is really good, very strong post punk feel

Reminiscent of the Cure but not as catchy. 3.2

Начало довольно бодрое, не очень даже похоже на готику, потом встречаются и готические мелодии, и в некоторых других стилях. В целом, альбом показался достаточно разноплановым, не нудным. 6,5 из 10.

Definitely solid, but not outstanding. Four stars.

Not that great.

This album is amazing on nitrous oxide. Seriously. I've always been a fan of this band. They fit in a very narrow niche as an entity that popularized and defined an entire genre. These guys and Siouxsie really put goth on the map and defined that sound for all time. I think this band is just as important as Black Sabbath or Judas Priest, for example. The live album "Press the Eject and Give Me The Tape" is all time fantastic.

This was weird and some of the baselines were really cool, but I am not sure I liked it. I think I would have really liked this in my skin depression and been like “this is who I am now”, but I’m feeling better so it’s not

What even is this where is the GOOD MUSIC

Interesting music, I can see how someone likes this but it requires very active listening. The mix placing the drums so far forward is also a bold choice which I am not 100% sure i agree with.

Was expecting way worse, but it was ok. It even sounded advanced for its release date.

Er noen bra elementer her, men de klarer jaggu å ødelegge samtlige med rot og lyder som ikke hører hjemme, etter MIN mening. Basta bom, hilsen Rigmor.

Meh

3 from Sian 1 from Deb

Frábær plata. Drungalegt, fyndið, töff og allskonar. Þetta fílum við.

Mjög töff pregoth/postpunk. Kuldi kjarnorkuáttunnar allsráðandi. Minnir auðvitað talsvert á Joy Division.

Very different to everything else Not really my cup of tea Sarah didn't like it Too pshycadelic

Dreary, meandering

Dark gothic industrial songs that are strangely compelling. Vocalist either reminds me of what continental Europeans often sound like.

If i asked for an experimental new wave album to play against my teen amgst film this would be it.

A bit rubbish but does have a sort of endearing nostalgic quality nonetheless. Sounds a bit like the Cure or Joy Division but not as good as either.

I always think Bauhaus are going to be unbearable industrial noise, but they are quite middle of the road, with a sprinkling of Art School pretention. Unfortunately, I had Bella Lugosi's Dead on a mixtape in my teens, and none of their other stuff measures up to it (on first listen).

Ticks all the 80s New Wave/Post Punk boxes. I did like the basslines, albeit basic but effective.

Bass line in Kick in the Eye is cool 😎. It was a very interesting and unusual album and not over the top. 4

# 107/1001. Let's paint our face black and white and go pogoing to the graveyard! Goth music is underrated. Glad to see Bauhaus on this list. This album wasn't so familiar to me, probably just by chance we bought different albums back in the day and got stuck with them. Then insert 30 years of neglect and boom, this music still rules.

I already knew this, but Mask reaffirms. The 80’s are my era.

I was surprised by this album. I looked at the cover and looked at the year and thought that I had a read of what it would sound like. Boy was I wrong. These guys were well ahead of their time.

Another surprise. Based on the description I didn’t guess I would like this, bit I really did. Weird, kind of, and not all of the song, but some I did enjoy. I can see myself listening to this album again.

The original goth band. One of the first darker sounded albums I ever listened to as a kid which led to me seeing them live in a bar when I was probably way to young to be seeing them in a bar. A nice kick of nostalgia. 8/10

Liked this album. Hubba Bubba.

Wel een interessant conceptje, vrij slechte productie (zo klinkt het in mijn leek oren in ieder geval) met veel monotone geluiden. Het krijgt de voordeel van de twijfel en neig toch meer naar een 3.

3,5/5

Atmospheric and artistic, with an experimental edge that felt way ahead of its time. I especially connected with the moody, textured side of the album—it really shows why Bauhaus are seen as pioneers.

Quirky early goth - interesting, but not something I can really get into.

Decent 80’s album. I hear some Joy Division through it all. Instrumentals are good and all over the place. 4/5

Let me start with the premise that I have never been a HUGE fan of goth rock from the 80s. I usually prefer a clearer and crispier production rather than a gloomy and "reverberated" one, so take this entire review with a grain of salt. This album feels like if Joy Division and Talking Heads made a joint record without actually cooperating on the songs. Some songs like Hollow Hills feel like Joy Division, while others like Kick in the Eye straight up sound like a Talking Heads song, from the way of singing to the rythmic section. Speaking of singing, I feel like Peter Murphy's voice is at its best when he's doing his best Bowie impression like in Hollow Hills or Kick in the Eye, but I'm a massive Bowie simp so I'm biased. As far as instrumentation goes, the bass is very catchy in pretty much all of the songs and the droning guitar can add nice atmosphere like it does in Hair of the Dog and in Dancing, but it does gets stale after a while since my pet peeve with this record is that all the Talking Head-ish songs follow the same structure and get boring after you hear the same "beginning of the bass line followed by the drums coming in at full force" for the 5th time in a row. One thing I don't get is why some songs have a much clearer production than others (Muscle in Plastic or In Fear of Dub for instance). It's so odd when you compare to how much clearer other songs like Of Lillies and Remains (which is straight up just The Gift by The Velvet Underground), I just don't get it. Speaking of songs, some highlights are for sure Hollow Hills where the atmosphere is peak "cemetery at night" with the drums accompanying relentlessy the whole song with just the kick. Kick in the Eye is also a great song that makes you just want to get up and dance with its groovy bassline, but the best song is undoubtably Mask: begins like something that could easily be a soundtrack to a hord of zombies slowly but surely marching towards something or someone in the most cinematic way possible and then in the second half you get hit with this absolutely beautiful guitar that makes you feel like you've been freed from a dark tomb, after being forcefully confined in it for years. This alone bumps up the rating a little bit, genuinely one of the Greatest things I've heard in music. Worst song is probably Harry. What was that even? Is it their attempt at a reggae song? Too goofy and in contrast with the rest of the record. Either way, this is just my opinion. So try not to pay too much attention to it. Rating: 3 stars/7-

I enjoyed this but the back half of the album contained a lot of songs that were riding both sides of silly. "Almost silly" is fine, I like "almost silly." But, uhhh, "too silly" was there too.

it's not my favorite bauhaus but it'll do in a pinch

Funky but cool

Pretty repetitive and poorly produced.

Some of this is good. Some feels like noise.

In a nutshell: your Halloween warm up album. Are there too many 80s albums with goth vibes on here? Perhaps. But this one is different. It's more experimental in my opinion. Overall: 3/10

I remember these guys. Kick in the Eye & Fear of Dub my faves

Brings back memories. I'm into the sound, the feel, the howls. Listening to this album years later, I agree with Stuart, it's got some swing.

The ghosts of Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop inhabit this rather upbeat goth affair. There are still some down tempo numbers but theres a lot of groove here to get the kids swinging there clove cigarettes in the air.

It’s now much clearer why we have Bloc Party

Interesting stuff here, but not for me.

oooo sparkly vampiric ... archi bros?

Actually better than expected. Not a fan of ethereal post bullshit but this goth rock has some teeth. The last 2 tracks are exactly what I dont like but the rest of the record is pretty dang good. I've always heard of bahaus but never made the attempt to listen. Im glad this site made me give it whirl. One song is almost a 3rd wave ska song. Strange but im into it. I was surprised in general here. Way better than I would have expected

Triggers a Republican because of their orange cult leader.

Cool production and unique sound but not really my vibe.

Maybe something here if you're in the mood for it.

An album with a great sound and a hint of Bowie-like atmosphere, where Bauhaus blends post-punk and gothic rock with an experimental approach. It features both dark, danceable grooves and theatrical, atmospheric passages that showcase the band’s versatility. The dramatic vocals and angular guitars create a unique mood that still feels fresh today. 4/5

interesting sound, not necessarily for me but a solid 3.5

The only Bauhaus song I’m familiar with is “Bela Lugosi Is Dead,” so this will be my first album of theirs to listen to. I like “Bela Lugosi Is Dead,” and I have it on a Halloween playlist that I listen to every October, so I have a pretty decent idea of what to expect from this album. It may only be August, but I’m always down for some goth rock! I didn’t fall in love with Mask, but I thought it was really good. I loved how Bauhaus used guitar effects to craft a really unique sound. In a crowded field of other post punk artists, Bauhaus did an excellent job of setting themselves apart from their contemporaries. In addition to the guitars, I really enjoyed the keyboards and drumming as well. I wasn’t particularly fond of the vocals or songwriting, but the unique and haunting arrangements made up for it. “The Passion of Lovers” and “Mask” were my favorite songs on the album. I thought both of these songs had some really great melodies. The closing of “Mask” is particularly excellent, and it was an excellent choice as the closing track on this album. Even though there weren’t many songs that stood out to me, I thought Mask worked incredibly well as a whole album. The sound is incredibly cohesive, due to the dense atmosphere that Bauhaus creates, but each song brings something different to the table. I will definitely revisit Mask, especially with October only six short (hopefully) weeks away.

While I don’t hate this music…..I’m not in love with it either.

Played this while I'm working and it's a vibe!

Not their best…and for me they haven’t aged well no matter how influential

Not really had much like this on the list. Only knew the epic Bela Lugosis Dead before, which doesn’t appear on this album. As the album went on I found myself enjoying it more, a bit more upbeat that I expected from gothic punk. That said nothing really to right home about, of its time, deserves the be here but nothing more

Ominous bass behind dreadful spoken lyrics

Loved the bass. Everything else was a bit shit. Got old quite quickly

Didn't love this album. I'm not totally against the style of music, and some songs did work for me, but there were too many that I found boring and that failed to do anything for me. I felt as though some of the experimental stuff kind of failed and a few particularly poor tracks in the second half of the album left me very much underwhelmed. Obviously apart from the fishcake stuff which was profound. Positives - some interesting instrumental stuff, the first half of the album had some great tracks. Love the urgency of the vocals in Hair of the Dog along with the stripped back drums and the driving bass. Great when the heavy distorted guitar switches into a screech. Holllow hills is the right amount of mysterious. The chorus of The Passion of Lovers is great , a real hook and a proper volume up moment. Peak vocals. Definitely my favourite track. Overall 6/10.

Not for me. 2 stars.

Interesting listen from a band I had literally never heard of. I enjoyed almost everything for it's very specific vibe, but didn't take away any stand out songs. The sound was a mix of 80s synths and guitars with B52s-esque vocal stylings. I don't think I've truly listened to what is truly considered 'goth rock', on thinking about it, that's a label I would expect The Cure to fall under. Perhaps they do? Anyway, the eccentric arrangements and odd rhythms were inspiring. Odd choices like dueling melodic guitar figures suddenly bursting out almost atonally over the title track is cool. Does make me think making weird choices per your instinct is the way to make something good.

It's kind of like Joy Division, but if they couldn't make songs that sound good. Unfortunately, this is not the album with Bela Lugosi's Dead on it.

Loved this one. such a gothic love album for the fall approaching. a few songs weren't my cuppa tea but it was a banger nonetheless.

2.3 I feel like this flavour of avant-garde stuff isn't enjoyable sober, and there's 1,001 other albums I'd rather be listening to if I was high.

The Passion of Lovers Kick in the Eye

Interesting enough

This was sort of dark, gritty post punk. It didn't do much for me, even being post punk.

Goth rock forefathers. I thought it was alright, mainly forgettable with some songs that I don't enjoy. No particular standouts after a few listens.

3/5

J'ai dû manquer d'écoute active, mais c'était plutôt désagréable. J'aime la musique discordante, mais là on pousse.

Cool schmix de Talking Heads et Joy Division, j'aime bien la voix du chanteur.

Il y plane une fureur ou une menace sourde, c’est éclectique, en même temps que d’être très vivant. Il y a une fierté dans l’interprétation

The Good: The house is built! The Bad: We’re not certain what’s behind the mask… The Ugly: Hair of the dog… never a good thing. I’ve known Bauhaus, as a band, since the mid-80s, yet this is the first time that I consciously listened to one of their albums. Why? Well, let’s just say that during the ‘80s I did not listen to “New Wave” (as we lumped all the “alternative” music), instead I was a pop boy. However, during the ‘90s I started listening to Depeche Mode, the Cure, Tears for Fears, etc… and via this list acts like The Associates. It is the latter that is my favorite discovery so far on the 1001 list, so when I started finding certain acoustic similarities on this album, I was getting a little excited. At this moment my excitement is lowered, yet, I’ve not had the perfect opportunity to really sit back and listen to this album. Therefor, it is possible that I might just end up being a bigger fan than I currently am of Mask. I’d say this album is a solid 3* for the moment, and I will give it 1 additional * for the album cover, as I really like it… also, at 4* I know that I will be able to find this album again to have a better listen down the road...

Dont know what to make of this. Sometimes sounds shite, other great.

Really underrated Band and impressive Album.

It was fine

I dont get all of goth. Aside from some drum and bass grooves there isnt much here for me. I like the Cure and some of Joy Division and some other examples of 1st wave "goth" music. But, its decent. I can see the appeal for some.

Gothy, post-punk. I can see why it's on a list like this, but wow it was not a fun listen.

As someone who only really knew Bela Lugosi, this album was...surprisingly funky? Lots of off kilter post punk rhythms and some dub sections. A very enjoyable listen, although the vibe probably stuck with me more than any of the songs did. A low to middling 4.

Oscuro, delineado, engañosamente intenso.

I loved the use of all sorts of different resources to make music (loops and different instruments). At first, the album felt more psychedelic rock to me, but then it morphed into something that could totally be on the radio. The beat on “The Passion of Lovers” really got me, and the opening riff of “Muscle in Plastic” made me jot it down twice in my notes. It’s one of those records that makes you think how much fun they must have had recording it. I even noted that after the title track everything sounded like an ending, like extra bits tacked on afterward, and when I looked it up I realized they were actually bonus tracks, which was pretty cool.

Esse disco sempre fica um pouco perdido pra mim entre In the Flat Fields e The Sky's Gone Out. Acho interessante reparar hoje como tem alguns momentos onde dá pra perceber a influência que sons do do gótico que ainda estão se formando vão acabar influenciando as primeiras bandas industriais. Também acho maneiro reparar como eles são influenciados por fenômenos como o boom dos gêneros jamaicanos e incorporam isso na música deles, no mais, o que acho mais interessantes são as junções nas mesmas músicas de elementos caóticos e um baixo cheio de groove, mas não é algo exclusivo deles ou desse disco.

Guys say that they would do anything to get a goth gf. But are you willing to pretend this is good?

This album oscillates between these weird dance style tunes (The Passion of Lovers, Kick In the Eye) and these songs that sound like a parody of a goth band, like Hollow hills and Of Lilies and Remains. IT's very weird in that way, and I've never really heard anything quite like it. It's almost as if they aren't taking this seriously, but maybe that's the point. In any case, I'm not even sure if I liked it or disliked it. There are points where they sound like Talking Heads, and points where they sound like The Cure, and points where they sound like shit. Considering the The Cure and The Smiths were around before this, I'm not sure what the big hype is around Bauhaus. They certainly are 80's Goth Rock, and maybe they are the archetypical example.

Annoyingly incoherent, not very melodic Post Punk. I wanted to turn it of mostly during listening.

Gothic. Unusual. But, I guess that was what the band wanted? I don't think there are any reason stand out tracks. Above average and quirky. Very 1980's

Solid goth-punk, sounds a lot better than most of the pretender shit that came down the pike.

Never heard this one before, and honestly? Loved it. It’s twitchy, atmospheric, and full of that irresistible gothic drama — all smoke, shadow, and slow panic. The production is murky as hell (like the band set up a studio in a crawlspace), but it works. It’s cold and stylish and just weird enough to stay interesting. A gloomy little gem that connects the dots between Ian Curtis and every black-clad post-punk band that followed.

spotify doesn’t list the bonus tracks as usual so the album ends on “mask” and is about 35 mins long. it was a cool album! i enjoyed it. had to listen twice to let it set in properly. 4/5

I just had Devo 10 albums ago. That was the first comparison that popped into my head listening to this, but this is gloomier. It's worse in most every way, but I know they need to squeeze every English band ever into this list. I was going to be generous and give it a mediocre 3/5, but the last track Mask was dreadful. (I didn't listen to any of the bonus tracks, just the original release.)

The OG goths! Surprising mix of influences here, funk, disco, punk and surprisingly upbeat and fun at times for the kings of the goth style. The Passion Of Lovers is probably the highlight, but this is a solid album full stop, will find itself in my rotation.

I hate this album. Remember those pretentious goth kids who hung out behind the mall smoking cloves? This is the album they really wanted to like, but wasn't even listenable for them. The air of "art school dropouts" lingers on this album like a thick fog. Borderline awful.

Couldn't get into it.

Para la epoca no es de lo peor, pero está lejos de ser memorable.

Interesting one. Very 80s but with its own unique, punk/goth touch. It's certainly a darker record, but reminiscent of Bowie or Joy Division. The rhythms can be fun and upbeat, while the vocals add a nice complement of reverb and chorus. I can also hear how this band influenced other groups that came up after them. This one is good.

Another stupid new wave, post-punk snooze fest.

Coming back to Mask decades after pretending to like Bauhaus to impress my hardcore punk friends, I wasn’t sure what to expect. This album is more varied than I remembered with equal parts gothic gloom, wiry funk, and theatrical art rock. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes I grimaced. T“Hollow Hills” is where the ride down nostalgia lane stalled for me. It’s the epitome of goth atmosphere: slow, reverbed, and ominous. I know this is the kind of track that goth fans live for, but it completely lost me. Can we talk about the start of the track “Mask," though? The opening split seconds sounded like the long-lost twin of The Police’s “Synchronicity II." Both songs deal with identity, pressure, and psychological unraveling. It made me wonder: is Bauhaus describing what "Daddy" becomes when the beast finally breaks free? Coincidence or cosmic post-punk synchronicity? Either way, I loved spotting that unexpected link. As for track 13; I tried, truly. But I had to tap out. I can’t do nearly seven minutes of legalese absurdism over cowbells and spoken-word chaos. It's one Dada fish cake too far for me.

good goth music. funky bass lines

Confusing, unappealing, but at times intriguing.

Good

Delightfully dark.

Quite cool sound - v like the Cure

I found some of this appealing and I like their doomy sound in some tracks, but overall not enough to bring it past a 2 for me. Interesting for sure but not quite there.

Vocals drove me nuts. It was a like a punkier version of Fred Schneider shouting over a bizarre mix of Sonic Youth, The Cure, and Depeche Mode. Some people might really enjoy that. Not me. 1 star.

Another album in the category "kinda cool and memorable, but also kinda shit, so it gets a boring-looking 3-star rating even though it's actually really interesting"

2 - Nope

The second half of Mask (the track_ is so beautiful. Some moments of this album are so inspired, creative and elegant. Some are a bit of a trudge through experimentalism. But I don't mind that trudge. Fave Tracks: Mask, 1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash. 3.8/5

Started off strong with the opening tracks, but didn't really pull me in the same the rest of the way. Nothing bad here, though, and glad I listened.

More like a 3.5. I like the vibes.

It's not hard to imagine that this album was influential in 1981, although, as another reviewer pointed out, "Juju came out 4 months before Mask... and Juju is a much better album. The music is interesting enough, if repetitive. The screeching guitar feedback and thumping toms start to blur from one song to the next. Unfortunately, I just don't enjoy listening to vocalists who don't sing. I had to force myself to finish this one.

Wow I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I like the 80s voice with the gothic melodies and the punky rhythms. There were some major standouts and I think I would actually listen to it again! I think this is the most surprised I've been so far. I guess I'm into 1980s goth rock y'all. Who would've thought. I want to be in a dark club dancing to this. Crazy!

Not my cuppa

Is it just me or are there A LOT of punk bands on this list. No quiero este tipo de música

Kind of like a European knock off The Dead Kennedys mixed with a splash of The Cure. I guess this is probably the equivalent of the Talking Heads for 80’s dorky goth kids. Not my favorite. 2.5⭐️ rounding down

I always thought I liked post-punk before this 1001 album foray. 🤷‍♂️

Meh.

Well this is a weird album (fish cakes?). I've heard about Bauhus before so I guess I'm glad it's included on this list but just too bizarre to listen to regularly (or ever again). I was dragging by the end. 4.25/10 (2.125/5)

Not just any monkey could make this music, unless . . . the monkey was a pretentious Englishman. 3/5

Dark rock/post-punk. The melodies are very bass-driven, with the reverb-heavy, high pitched guitars mainly adding accents that contribute to the atmosphere. It doesn't come together into something catchy or interesting though.

Alternative rock sounded like this for the next 5 years. Favorite song: the passion of lovers

Some of that was pretty cool. Maybe I have an inner goth waiting to get out.

Dark and moody but having a good time, surprisingly funky at times, snarling and aggressive at others - a land of contrasts pairing miserable despairing vocals and angry disco drum machines. Favorites: kick in the eye, x-ray eyes, passion

A fav since i was a 12 year old discovering music. Bauhaus is one of the defining goth band of the 80's. 100% bangers every LP they did. Love and Rockets ( one of my all time fav bands) and Tones on Tail and Peter Murphy's solo still hit right today. Music has history, Bauhaus is a vital part of it. Goth music isnt M. Manson, it starts here with this band and their contemporaries.

Bauhaus is overrated.

I did like Love and Rockets after this

Really didn't feel like this needed to be on this list. Poor cohesion between ok instrumentals and awful vocals.

Oh hell yeah!! Bauhaus!! Okay I'll be honest I don't know any other song they sing asides from Bela Lugosi's dead. But I so love this goth vibe.

Weird

álbum bastante experimental, me gustan que utilizen diferentes ruidos o sonidos variados a lo largo de todo el album, me gustaron algunas canciones, mi favorita fue dancing. 3/5

Great early/proto goth album. Driving, dark, sometimes tinny, but very interesting

I can hear these guys' influence in basically all of my favorite bands. Past that, it's a pretty good record that acted more like a history lesson for me. Not hugely likely to come back to it but it was pretty cool.

IDK what to make of this. Punk-ish, but also 80s-ish. It's ok, not sure what merits it being here. 2*

I swear I had this same thought when listening to a different Bauhaus album in the past, but I expected this to be much more moody than it actually is. The track Harry sounded downright jaunty! To me, this is post punk at some of the best quality. It’s usually not a genre that I’m too keen on, but this seemed to hit all of the right spots for me. I guess they were also considered goth rock because of their dress sense? Either way, this is a pretty good album.

I like Bauhaus in general, but their magnum opus will always be 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' and every other output is just playing catch up.

I’m loving goth rock right now so I enjoyed this immensely.

jävligt ojämt. vissa låtar var coola men vissa rätt dåliga. go bas

An alright spooky sounding Midwest 80s alternative punk.

i thought that i'd hate it but if you skip some parts it's very interesting and fun

Meh

This is one of the most unmemorable albums I've ever listened to. It's not unlistenably bad, but it's boring. There are barely any interesting moments. Won't elaborate more, 2/5

This was enjoyable, new for me. It’s got a lot of playback, I have actually never heard of Bauhaus before, but I’ll definitely go back and listen to their other stuff

Credit for being weird but still not great

Bit of filler on this

Not for me

Spooky ooky fun that makes me wanna go trick or treating

Music by weirdos for weirdos

Dark Wave!

Great!

Meh

It's a little odd but essential. I was inspired to play In The Flat Field and Bela Luosi's Dead immediately afterwards. Unfortunately for Mask, I preferred both those.

Solid new wave album, I enjoyed it

Club music

Early 80’s gloom

I love Bauhaus and Peter Murphy. This album is a tough one for me to rate, because it has absolutely amazing songs like Passion of Lovers, Hollow Hills, Kick in the Eye, Mask. However, it has other songs that are also great but just are a much different style that, to me, break up the album and make it less cohesive and less impacting than if the album was more consistent. There is a part of me that wants to give it 5 stars, because I really do think all of the songs are great - even if they maybe feel like they should be on two different albums - but I just feel it lacks the impact that Bauhaus can have and ends up being an album that I really don't feel the need to go back to in full.

Schade, wieder etwas vom und für den Schrottplatz!

Favorite Track: The Passion of Lovers

Decent but probably wouldn’t listen to again. Couple of good tracks around middle, didn’t like the start all that much. 3 stars

Артхаусный рокешник не очень

Trying too hard at something but I don’t know what

Less gothy and more pop-funky than I expected. PMs Bowie-esque stylings are at the fore. Especially on the Deram/Newley sounding ‘Of Lillies…’

I love postpunk and most bands of the gothic scene but never really cared for Bauhaus. Didn't change this listen Rating: 2.4

Interesting mix of moody and upbeat songs. I loved the shift around the middle of the title track. Very cool rhythm on Muscle in Plastic.

Weird, experimental shit. Not really enjoyable

There are three types of song on this album, boring atmospheric failed attempts at being spooky songs(Hair of The Dog, Mask, Hollow Hills), louder almost dance songs (Dancing, In Fear of Dub, Kick in the Eye) and just plain bizarre songs (Of Lilles and Remains, 1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash). The dub/dance songs are this album at its best, the slow goth songs are its worst and I don’t know what to think of the weird ones.

the cures long lost cousin that fishcakes song kinda goes hard btw

Чувствуется концепция, но это немного не моё

Rock aus den 80ern. Teilweise recht wilde Meldodien. 3/5

What would you expect from a band named Bauhaus? This is some awesome 80s New Wave, Alt, Post-Punk, etc. 3/5

Не, ничего хорошего

I don’t care how influential a band is. This is awful. Kick in the eye 2 is the only decent song otherwise this would be a zero for me. Hated it.

I genuinely thought I was going to hate this, but it really wasn’t too bad. Enjoyable at some points, even. I feel like the 80s style production actually fits this album, compared to some others on this list.

Dark? Yeah. Powerful? Ehhh, not really. The whole thing sounds like it’s trapped in a tin can trying to be mysterious. It wants to haunt you, but it's mostly just pacing around in combat boots with nowhere to go. Some cool guitar scrapes and a bit of life in the rhythm section but it's no match for The Cure's depth. Feels like one of those albums you pretend to like in college just to impress someone in eyeliner. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - The Passion of Lovers - Kick in the Eye

Fun album

I think the style of vocals here is annoying / stupid. I also think that the music itself verges on annoying. This also failed the headache test for me, meaning that I got one by the conclusion of the album. Didn't care for it.

Meh

I'm not too familiar with early 80s goth rock but it was a fun listen. It is pretty haunting, alienated music, the drums were tight and precise, the singing quite nervy and sad, and the production reminded me a lot of of Joy Divison (though the music was nowhere near as depressing as them). I like compact and short albums which has consistently good songs on it and this album was like that.

Jag lyssnar väldigt mycket på postpunk. Bauhaus har jag inte med mig från ungdomen, men Mask har jag på vinyl sedan några år. Jag imponeras verkligen av deras musikalitet, intensitet och hur mörkret hela tiden utmanas med svart humor och lekfullhet. Allt det som goth sällan är, då det är en genre som kännetecknas av teatraliskt gravallvar och framförallt väldigt tungfotat sväng. Samtidigt har jag fortfarande inte riktigt fastnat för Bauhaus till 100%, kanske för att jag är 50år.

This band was one of my favorites in the early '80s, when I was big into the gloom scene. I always loved Bauhaus's atmospheric sound and Peter Murphy's vocals. I am also a fan of Peter's solo work. Great album!

Has some pretty interesting stuff going on. Too bad none of it is that good.

i forgot how much i love bauhaus what the hell... first five star album so far

Its okay

I can see why this is an Important Artist for music history, but it's not super enjoyable for listening.

Not good

Great album. Love the Bauhaus.

I'm sorry, but this is gawdawful crap to my ears...

Too experimental for my tastes, do not care for the vocals or Goth rock. 1

Didn't like it at all. Grim 80s rock, very depressing and not in a good way

I tend to listen to In the Flat Field most frequently out of Bauhaus's albums, but they've never put out one I dislike. Mask pushed their sound further, evolving it in fascinating ways. Really love the horns on "In Fear of Fear"; it, "Kick in the Eye" and "The Passion of Lovers" became staples of their live shows and sound equally good either way. The album is close to perfect. Maybe the 5 bonus tracks aren't needed, but they don't detract from the experience. Bonus points for "fishcakes". BTW, every Bauhaus studio album should be in this project. If it was my list you'd get all of theirs instead of every Smiths album.

2.5

I've liked Bauhaus since we lived in Hemenway. I've never done a whole album though, just bits and pieces. I dig the spooky goth sound, but there seems to be a limit. I really liked The Passion of Lovers, and the more melodic songs. I would have liked a few more of those. They start to lose me when its all clanging noises and he's wailing stuff like "Ooooooooh I'm covered in bats. Beware the Bats" or whatever it is. Anyway, Bauhause remains a band to pluck specific songs from. Album cover: (C-) It reminds me of early internet edgelord videos. Happy Tree Friends and the like.

I can see a photo of the band as I open their album on Spotify. They look like a glam-rock version of The Addams Family. This is a good sign. I'm enjoying this album. "Of Lilies and Remains" is the first song to make me look up. I love a spoken word song like this. The tempo is great. I like "Kick in the Eye". The rest of the album was fun, but not remarkable. I didn't take note of many more individual songs. I don't love the vocals, and the instrumental sections were a little too experimental and zany for me most of the time. 6/10

Loathsome

An album that was interesting mostly because I was surprised the goth rock sound originated this early. That said, I've no particular fondness for goth rock so that isn't exactly a point in its favor.

meh

Ok album nothing great

I wanted to like this more but I was definitely not in the right mood for it, although the fish cakes song made me laugh. Their influence on Interpol and Franz Ferdinand is really evident

Spooky scary!!!!!

Brand new band to me, loved it - goth new order

Low 4

It’s OK

Weird yet beautiful. Cavernous and drenched in reverb yet still articulate. Upbeat and depressingly grim at the same time. Took a couple plays through to really sink in, but once it did, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not a perfect 5/5, but certainly a solid 4/5 for me

I listened to this under blue skies and sunshine which is not at all the right type of weather for this.

Weird that they’re supposed to be the quintessential goth band. “Mask” is the only track that screams “goth” to me. Mostly I find it’s Bowie derivative post-punk that’s not as emotionally powerful as Joy Division and has some annoying rockabilly thrown in there.

eh

Love me some goth stuff once in a while, and great to get to know this one in more depth.

This is #day258 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… getting this album today was like a balm to my ears. The music speaks directly to my interests: early post-punk, goth, darkwave, and all that jazz. I did wonder at first why Mask and not In the Flat Field? But after relistening (or maybe really listening to Mask in its entirety for the first time (I honestly don't remember doing it before), I see it now. This is a more approachable album than the debut. The raw intensity and overall doom and gloom are still dominant, but there's a certain smoothness around the edges in the form of acoustic guitar, sax, and funky rhythms that can't be ignored. If you're interested in the gothfathers of the genre, this is one of those records to hear before you die. Some absolute bangers are "The Passion of Lovers," "Dancing," "Kick in the Eye," and "The Man with the X-Ray Eyes." But honestly, the whole record is amazing. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day259.

6/10

5/10 Not for me

Going into this, I had never heard of Mask or even the band Bauhaus—so I was curious to see if this album could turn me into a goth. Right away, the sound reminded me of Joy Division: minimal, moody, and atmospheric. But as the album unfolded, it veered into darker, stranger territory—and I mean that in the best way. The production is raw and unpolished, giving the music an edge that feels authentic and deliberate. It’s goth rock stripped to its essentials, and done incredibly well. I gave the album a few spins to really sit with it. The first listen was compelling enough to hit replay immediately. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be coming back to it. It’s brooding and unconventional, with flashes of punk energy woven into its gothic-rock core. It just sounds effortlessly cool. Favorite Track: “Kick in the Eye 2” was a standout—sharp, punchy, and full of energy. “Muscle in Plastic” also left an impression. Honestly, most of the tracks hit the mark. Least Favorite Track: The album lost some momentum toward the end. Tracks like “Earwax” and “Harry” didn’t land as strongly and felt a bit less focused. Album Artwork: The cover is excellent—strange, stylized, and perfectly aligned with the music it represents.

It wasn't terrible, but there felt like there was a lot of noise for noise's sake. The vocalist was a bit too whiny, but ... British, right? I can see where this opened up a lot of things for rock in britain, there's a lot of different styles and ideas. I just wish they percolated a bit more rather than being so punk-ish. "Of Lilies and Remains," WTH was that? Top tracks: "Kick In The Eye," "Muscle In Plastic"

Goth rock pioneers, yes. And similar sound to, but not as good as, Joy Division. Is there really that much else to say?

Interesting sound. I really like the dark sounding guitars and bass, along with unusual stylings throughout (Of Lillies and Remains has very 80s King Crimson-esque guitar sounds - the high-pitched warbling sounds hovering behind much of the track). I also like the unusual vocals. A little out there, but that alone isn't a negative for me. Probably the biggest issue is that the second side gets a little repetitive - driving tracks with cool bass lines, but not quite as unique as the first side. Of course, the final track, Mask, breaks that mold. It sounds like something I should add to my Halloween playlist. Cool ending. Finally, they seem to have influenced a ton of subsequent acts, which puts this as one of those "you have to hear it to understand the development of indie/alternative music." Favorite tracks: Hair of the Dog, The Passion of Lovers, Dancing, Kick in the Eye (I hear Bowie and Fripp stylings in this one).

Complete

good

2.26

Bizarre. Not much more to say.

Moody, creepy and avant-garde. Some of the songs with drive and momentum are really good, though there are too many that end up nowhere and lost. Particularly when they went on about fishcakes. Best Tracks: - Hollow Hills - Kick In The Eye Worst Tracks: - 1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash Rating: 4/10

A bit gloomy. Kinda sounds Bowie-ish sometimes

Sounded a little bit like Joy Division just not as good.

Dark Wave experimental album. With the characteristic voice of Peter Murphy.

No va

Some nice post-punk/gothy stuff. Feels like if soft cell fronted a joy division like band.

so bad. Shame on the person trying to liken this to LCD

Awful noise.

Pra quem está fazendo esse tipo de arte deve ser incrível mas para quem está ouvindo, nem sempre vai soar bem!

Repeat listen

I didn't enjoy this album all that much. The vocals, though a bit weird and different, I didn't think were particularly nice to listen to, and definitely got a little irritating when getting through the whole record. There were some decent and catchy enough tracks with a bit of drive and momentum here and there, but the 'sound' of this album does get repetitive and boring after a while. Overall, a moody, slightly creepy album. Nothing I would actively seek out to listen to but wouldn't necessarily turn it off if it was playing.

Another one that I simply don't "get" I suppose....

no thank you