Before I saw Ego Likeness recently on their tour with Bella Morte, I had never really listened to them. This was surely my loss, and the well produced  West EP is here to prove it.

“Sirens and Satellites” is a true gem. Steven’s Guitar and synth merge effortlessly and expertly with Donna’s vocals to create a song that is edgy, dark, and powerful. The breaks are perfect, and vocals are layered just right. This is a great song to dance to, and even better to drive to, especially in the middle of the night with the freeway stretching into the distance and the volume as loud as you can stand it. The electronics are sharp, yet moody, leading to an eerie ending. If I get back into DJ’ing. This song will definitely make my playlist. “Don’t be afraid, we are the light/You see us burning the night”.

“I Live on What’s Left” is slower and more reflective. A veritable anthem of remorse and longing, this song has an ‘80s sort of feel, particularly because of the vocals and the backing ambiance. The listener is taken into a valley of deepest despair, only to rally to a defiant last stand on the peaks of…well…despair. About midway through the song there is a very cool break, which hangs on a single keyboard note, which sounds expectantly. Donna’s voice breaks the silence, wistful and sad. Steven’s strident guitar suddenly erupts and the pace quickens. Right when you think you know where things are going, the song abruptly changes direction. Great stuff.

“Burn Witch Burn (Hypofixx Remix)” is obviously a dance number. I’ll admit that I hate dance remixes. I utterly despise them. Yet, if I had to live on a desert island with a remix, this would be one of the few candidates. First, it really has much more of a techno sound than an Industrial skull pounder. Think of “Run Lola Run”. Second, there is sort of nifty sequence there. And third, I like Donna’s vocals, especially with the echo effect. So there you have it. From me, the remix hater.

“The Egg of the Mother”. begins with the wind. A classic horror-movie sort of intro is next, from which Donna’s vocals emerge, breathless and ominous. Brooding and dramatic, the suspense builds. Distorted vocals, like whispers of sacrificial incantations on a windswept hillside, reach a rather muted crescendo. The songs trails away in fits and starts into our deepest nightmares.

“Severine” opens with a sound reminiscent of Dead Can Dance or perhaps Lycia. The song is a dark, disjointed opera, with haunting vocals, distorted snatches of dialogue, echoes, and dramatic percussion and synth. The song fades like a distant radio station after the apocalypse, then rises to a chorus. “Show me no mercy, Serverine.”

If you get a chance to see Ego Likeness, by all means do not miss them.  Their show is magnificent.   If not, do not miss this EP. Better, still, don’t miss either one. Ego Likeness will release a full length CD sometime this fall, which I await with eager anticipation.

http://www.egolikeness.com/

http://www.myspace.com/egolikeness