It’s September. Christmas is around the corner. (I know…I know). This is the time where labels either introduce new Christmas holidays sets or resurrect older titles with fresher updates. There are all kinds of holiday music albums in the world today with more produced every year. Every genre of music have something in the festive category. Some are quite unique like Projekt Records’ trilogy of holiday music. Produced in a series named Excelsis – A Dark Noël, the introduction of Volume 1 arrived in 1995.
Within the album, there are 13 tracks designed for fans of Gothic and Darkwave music. Excelsis – A Dark Noël celebrates traditional songs with amazing takes from Black Tape For A Blue Girl, Lycia (a unique Lycia-infused “We Three Kings”), Thanatos, Love Spirals Downward (where the angelically delivered vocals by Suzanne Perry on “Welcome Christmas” from How The Grinch Stole Christmas makes this a must hear track – heard below), This Ascension (with an extraordinary take on “Carol Of The Bells”), and others.
Excelsis – A Dark Noël has been reissued via Projekt Records and is currently available in a new six-panel digipak CD set, and DD (via Bandcamp). There will be two versions of 140g-weight color vinyl LP editions made available in November for collectors. They will feature the new 2021 remastered album on either Aqua with White Splatter vinyl, and Orchid with Purple and Grey Splatter vinyl. No matter how you prefer this album, it’s a great alternative way to spice up the holidays with familiar and warm holiday traditional songs done up in unique ways. You can begin here (for physical product), and here (for digital delivery). Both CD and LP are limited edition with CD at 500 available copies, and each vinyl LP at 300 copies.
Excelsis – A Dark Noël – Various Artists
01 Arcanta: Carol of the Bells
02 Love Spirals Downwards: Welcome Christmas
03 Thanatos: O Come All Ye Faithful
04 This Ascension: Carol of the Bells
05 Area: O Come Emmanuel
06 Thanatos: The First Noel
07 Lovesliescrushing: Jingle Bells (Snowblower)
08 Balderas & Osborne: What Child Is This? (not on vinyl LP issues)
09 black tape for a blue girl: Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah
10 Lycia/The Unquiet Void: We Three Kings
11 Faith and the Muse: A Winter Wassail
12 Autopsia: Stille Nacht (g)RAVE remix
13 Attrition: Silent Night