Curse of Cassandra

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Left to right: Jacob Richter, Nicole Richter and Ryan Wolfe

Walking into the room we pass through a chainmail curtain into a space steady pumping with a rhythm like blood flow. The lights are blooming bursts of colors, flashes that feel like explosions of excitement. These effects catch pace, divert from, and charge against. This could have a somewhat dizzying effect if it weren’t for the fact you’re instantly swallowed up, hypnotized, lost in the music. A smooth female voice goes from whisper to pure melody. She sings against a backdrop of pounding beats and haunting synth work. The effect is alluring, disarming and entrancing. This music is often too enticing, to rhythmic, not to dance, but still manages to lose no edge from its darker undertones. It’s like dancing with the devil, you can see and feel the dark dangerous edge, but you simply can’t resist.

This band is Curse of Cassandra and believe it or not they’re from Dayton Ohio. This incredible show, and fantastic performance was in fact a release show for their new album Night. Being a local born Dayton girl myself it wasn’t too hard to hunt down this band.

Curse of Cassandra formed in May of 2013 when Jacob Richter (synths/vocals) began writing songs and discovered Ryan Wolfe (percussion/effects) through the internet. Originally playing bass on synths, Nicole Richter stepped into the role of lead vocals in 2014 to form the band that exists now.

I recently got an opportunity to speak with the lead singer Nicole Ricter. I was excited to find out exactly what inspired and influenced their music; “The music and lyrics are inspired by vampires, cyberspace, the occult and otherworldly encounters intertwined with concepts of the night and the erotic connections that may ensue.” Ricter explained to me.

With a band of such wide influences one can wonder how they developed their specific sound. “Curse of Cassandra’s sound began with dance beats and haunting melodies, and has since become bound up with the seductive undertones of steampunk and gothic aesthetics.” Ricter said.

My mind drifts back to the incredible performance I’d seen that night. I ask about what they aim for fans to experience when attending a Curse of Cassandra show. “Definitely dancing and a sense of beholding the night as a temporary time of play, eroticism and enjoyment.” Ricter said.

Night, this is the one word title of the new album. Night looms overhead, like a black sky sprinkled with stars, like the dark in which people feel unrestrained and anonymous enough to embrace their own secrete desires. This album has been made with professional care, skill and the dedication of a band who gives it their all. “The producer of our album Jason Rubal (Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer) flew to Dayton to spend time getting to know each of us on a personal level, listen to music and consume cinema to better understand who we are in order to create the best possible album that is an authentic representation of us. He so did smoothly and with effervescence.” Ricter explained to me about recording the album. “It differed from previous experiences in that we are an electronic band that seeks to emulate live what DJs and EDM artists do. Jason helped us create live percussion using real drum sounds that are unique to our album, and mixed in the synths and vocals with a sense of space and depth.”

Night is a beautifully constructed album that showcases very well the band from which it comes. In her own words Ricter describes the album as; “Sexy. Playful. And of course, dark and sensual.” Night is undeniably an album that showcases Curse of Cassandra at their best.

You can catch Curse of Cassandra for yourself at their upcoming shows:

Blackheart’s Ball w/Curse of Cassandra, Hematosis and Where the Nameless Dwell Friday, February 13 at 9pm at Therapy Cafe

Blind Bob’s, Friday, March 6th

Oregon Express, Friday March 13th

Saturday the 14th, the day captured in comedic horror parody in the early 80’s, brought the locals to the McGuffy’s stage and one extended Cincinnati local to play a unique variety show of inspirational/experimental tunes. Instead of the oft-accustomed loud thrash head-banging and mosh pits, the audience got some hot club swinging electronica, some southern rock n blues and some quirky-edged modern rock.

Curse of Cassandra (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Opening the show was the new, new-wave dark ambient foursome Curse of Cassandra, electronic gothic rock with haunting vocals and enticing dance beats weaving songs from the synth, drums and keys about obsessive dominating relationships strung whip tight. Formed earlier this year, they’ve already gained considerable attention coming in second place garnering over 500 votes in the June’s featured band/artist of the month contest on Music Connection Dayton. C.O.C., not to be confused with Corrosion of Conformity, is a nostalgically fresh wave of dance floor domination and deviation harkening back to the downtown Goth/industrial era mecca of the 1470, Asylum, Foundry heyday. Their musical muse brings back black nailed, opaque memories of dancing in euphoric bliss till dawn then retiring to your sheeted coffin or rafter. In Greek mythology, the beautiful Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo but after refusing his seduction, he cursed her so that no one would believe her predictions, a female Nostradamus of sorts.

They open the dance floor metaphor with the cold sweetened pain pricks of the Pins and Needles. Asher Black plays the first longing notes calling out to sweet, sweet Aurora, her soft daybreak eyes sparkle with twilight bringing the sun behind her. The classy burlesque clad tattooed Alexis Machine straddles the mic like a personal plaything, fondling its cold rail as she sings a low lunged serenade of Satiation. Electra’s Complex gives a hard boot-licking smash on keyboards so we can feel the deep, dirty throbbing moan of the bass. Alexis prances the stage playing nice on some tunes then getting right in the faces of her hordes of willing subservient followers. Their performance could be described as a husky voiced, musical striptease of sound encasing the cold fanged embrace of midnight and the warm slumber of dawn. We’re immersed in the mysterious presence of the Unknown Woman as we watch her Stardance with a heavy bass groove down the rainy streets of London after midnight. You Complete Me’s robotic heaviness accompanies its techno, Goth, industrial brethren creating landscapes of all night bliss and lyrically obsessive romances.

Everytime I Feel Alone is a slow moving slice and dice of the heart with a wet butcher knife stained with some NIN self-loathing and disdained hope. Alexis pulls out some Maria Brink making it her moment under the smoky spotlight in her lounge singing salute. Dead of Night brings out the slinking serpent tongued Arabian delight reminiscent of The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove. Next we enter into a heavy breathing Binding relationship as Cassandra offers us an addicting taste of the whip and the accompanying pain, pleasure and ecstasy found within. Miss Machine compliments her eurythmic presence with the vocal aura of Grace Slick, Jem, Christa Belle and Siouxsie spreading the curse for the rest of her banshees.

Evil Eye Gypsy (photo by Mike Ritchie)

Next Dayton’s Evil Eye Gypsy protects us from the Maloik bringing its seven members onstage for its fifth trip to the house of rock. EEG resembles a family more than a band with three guitars, bass, drums, five guys, two women, four microphones, tambourines, morocco shakers and a good ole fashioned thunder-stick for effect. They play a unique version of psychedelic blues, alternative, hard rock and folk music. It’s Skynyrd meets Fleetwood Mac with some Credence in the Clearwater for this funky, southern prairie jamboree revival. They play the musical gospel that makes the body move.

Bitter Comedy plays like a surreal desert trip acid nightmare driving down the long dehydrated highways of discarded dreams hoping to meet the sun face to face as beautiful haunting voices remind you of your past life. All I Had to Say breaks out the lyrical attitude alongside some journeyman blues. Mojave’s introduction leaves us deserted, dry and stranded staggering in the sand under a scorching sun in a barren Pink Floyd landscape. Two minutes until the end we delve further and further in letting the desert plains tell us its deepest secrets and memories.

They played a nice lullaby to the tune of War Pigs possibly opening the first ever ‘dance pit’ for worshipping the Sabbath. Playing three tunes off the Dirt Roads CD and a few new unreleased tracks they gave us something to look forward to hearing. Their music is available for free download on www.evileyegypsy.com.

One Day Steady (photo by Mike Ritchie)

From Cincinnati One Day Steady (we’re only the same for one day) starts Slurred and ready with an alternative, modern rock sound rocking the cradle with some punk tasting rockabilly and a 50’s greaser throwback style. The Dave Song’s a weird mixture of Dave Matthews and the Traveling Wilburys hanging out on the right side of the tracks waiting for the train to flatten pennies. They played a collection of new unreleased tunes and a heart breaking cover of Cold Hard Bitch. They Drove Through has a nice surprising Sabbath-like end breakdown and unique lyrical inspiration coming from rhythm guitarist/vocalist Ryan Peters bizarre dream of helping a stranger get revenge on their boss, then waking up and writing the song in three minutes. Break Break’s a twangy, stringy breakup dance after an impassioned phone message. Just over a year old, the band’s earliest roots begin in 2008 with a band called Drop From the Top. In 2010 what would become ODS was formed, and they’ve already played with a list of accomplished musicians in the Cincinnati and Cleveland scenes and are ready to go anyplace, anywhere.