At a time when so many of the mammoths of the Goth-Scene - bands such as The Sisters Of Mercy or The Fields Of The Nephilim - are either busy having a break from the recording industry, splitting up or currently making music of the sort that not even their most loyal fans can come to terms with anymore, it is comforting to know that there are still bands out there who play dark, true Gothic stuff from the 80's. Bands who show no compromise and who do not add those little trendy antics to carry their music over into the 90's.

One of these bands comes from Germany. It has succeeded in doing precisely this, and on top of that, with such self-confidence and playful ease, all wrapped in an unbeatable style, that the "originals" deserve to hang their heads in shame. THE MERRY THOUGHTS already manifested themselves in the scene as a band to reckon with when they released their debut album ,Millennium Done I: Empire Songs". The single spin-offs "Second Generation" and "Pale Empress" soared to become absolute dancefloor smashers.

THE MERRY THOUGHTS' innovative sound also made "Zillo" - the German central medium of independent music - prick up their ears: "Zillo" included "Second Generation" on the 4th part of their "German Mystic Sound Sampler" compilation series and got the band to perform live in front of more than 12.000 people to much acclaim at the 1995 Zillo Open Air event in Russelsheim.

But last year not only witnessed an enormous increase in THE MERRY THOUGHTS popularity, but also intensive work on finessing their style for the new album. The result can now be experienced on their latest recording "Psychocult". More than three years after their debut, THE MERRY THOUGHTS have finally presented us with another long playing record: multifaceted, yet the deeply embedded style does not deny their Gothic roots. It offers a whole range of songs produced with high atmospheric density to push you onto the dancefloor. Direct comparisons have to be ruled out: just the imaginative instrumentalisation and production alone already speak for themselves.

In a nutshell, "Psychocult" comprises nine well-devised, sophisticated tracks whose quality should fascinate everyone who has a liking for good, high-class, deep rock music.