Their third album, which debuts Simon Raymonde on bass, had the band scaling new heights and the accomplished variety is what stands out. Treasure lives up to its title and then some as a thorough and complete triumph.
The Pink Opaque is a lovely taster for anyone wanting to discover the peerless early years of the Cocteaus, with ten tracks cherry picked from the first three records and some rare, non-album singles.
This ambitious album builds on the eclecticism of the EPs, further broadening the trio's horizons by layering their dark, unforgiving sound with elements of industrial and classical music. A challenging, even punishing album, but a rewarding one as well.
With this amazing album, DCD fully took the plunge into the heady mix of musical traditions that wold come to define its career. The straightforward goth affectations are exchanged for a sonic palette and range of imagination.
Xymox's second 4AD album is a distinct improvement on the Dutch band's earlier work, and indeed, is probably the group's career high point although they went on to far greater commercial success with the album "Twist of Shadows".
