Tragic tales have played a major role in goth rock, and you couldn't ask for a darker view of relationships than the one that
Diva Destruction brings to its debut album,
Passion's Price. Unlike other goth CDs,
Passion's Price doesn't get into supernatural themes; lead singer Debra L. Fogarty (the band's founder) and guest vocalist Severina Sol (a member of the Seattle-based industrial band Fockewolf) don't sing and write about witches or vampires. But they do describe relationships that are inevitably tragic. On compelling, darkly poetic tracks like "Hate You to Love You," "You're the Psycho," "The Broken Ones" (an underground club hit), and "Cruelty Games," relationships don't bring happiness -- they bring pain, suffering, and torment. Pain, according to
Diva Destruction, is the price that one must pay for passion. Fogarty's vocals are consistently expressive, and the band's melodies are as appealing as they are gloomy.
Passion's Price is a CD that goth devotees should make a point of obtaining.