Website | Facebook | Bandcamp [none is available, they’re too oldschool for that]
Released: 1993
Recommended tracks: “Nie wiem”, “Czarny koń”, “Siostra nocy”
For fans of: Inkubus Sukkubus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Xmal Deutschland
You need to have proper attitude starting with this one. It is 20 years old and was recorded in home conditions, it sounds very raw and can give You an earache. You know what I mean if You’ve listened to early The Stooges or Bauhaus stuff. Why is that asskicking than? For the same reason Iggy was – raw power is about the energy, not the production. In addition Bruno the Questionable was a very important band in the history of independent music in Poland.
Band started as Bruno Wątpliwy, what is translation for Bruno the Questionable (later they’ve changed the name for English version), and what is inspired by a character from Monty Python’s “Jabberwocky”. First it was punk rock band, they even had some big time thanks to one of the most famous rock fests in Poland – Jarocin, but later on their sound became more gothic rock thanks to the voice of a new vocalist – Katarzyna Ziemek (known as De Coy). Her later husband, Leszek Rakowski – also Bruno’s musician, is now known mostly as organizer of one of the biggest goth culture festivals in Europe – Castle Party in Bolków. Anyway, name “Bruno the Questionable” was way to hard for polish audience, so after only one release band became Fading Colours and incorporated some electronic elements. They’re considered as ancestors of polish dark independent music.
What we have on “Black Horse” album is a goth rock, nearly punk (or rather post-punk) music. There are some great ideas (like “Nie wiem” – “I don’t know” song), but studio couldn’t handle it well enough. You will need to have a specific kind of imagination and sensitivity to pull out of this album what’s the best. And what could that be? In gothic music it’s pretty obvi – atmosphere. Doesn’t matter if You’re listening to The Sisters of Mercy, Clan of Xymox or Suicide Commando, gloomy atmosphere is what they must create to satisfy their audience.
Funny thing is that band name, album name and all the lyrics are in English language, but the titles of the songs are in Polish. Or maybe there’s something wrong with my copy.
Asskick From Poland 