:ankoku butoh: is the fifth studio album by Gothic rock

Gothic rock

Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...

 band Faith and the Muse

Faith and the Muse

Faith and the Muse is an American, underground gothic/darkwave band composed of two musicians, Monica Richards and William Faith. They are well regarded in the gothic music scene as innovators and icons. Their music encompasses many genres, from folk-style songs to darker compositions. Richards is...

. It comprises one CD and one DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

. It was the band's first release on the Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre (record label)

Danse Macabre is a record label based in Wirsberg, Germany and founded by members of Das Ich. It gained popularity in the early 1990s, at the same time in which the German Dark Wave movement experienced a marked upswing.-Official Site:* * *...

 label.


Thematically, the album reflects elements of Shinto

Shinto

or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...

 and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese culture. In accordance with this, the booklet accompanying the album was printed back-to-front.

Track listing (CD)

All tracks by Faith and the Muse

Faith and the Muse

Faith and the Muse is an American, underground gothic/darkwave band composed of two musicians, Monica Richards and William Faith. They are well regarded in the gothic music scene as innovators and icons. Their music encompasses many genres, from folk-style songs to darker compositions. Richards is...

DVD Track Listing

Videos

1. Battle Hymn (album video) (link opens in a new page)
2. Blessed (album video)
3. Interview with the band

Live Concert Film

1. Scars Flown Proud
2. The Silver Circle
3. Bait & Switch / Sredni Vashtar
4. Relic Song
5. Shattered in Aspect
6. Paul Mercer: Solo
7. The Burning Season
8. The Trauma Coil
9. All Lovers Lost / Arianrhod
10. Fade and Remain
11. Sparks
12. Cantus

Rarities & Extras

1. Sparks (1994 Video)
2. Annwyn, Beneath the Waves (live at WGT 1998)
3. The Burning Season (2004 Video)
4. Into My Own (2007 Video)
5. Anafae (Official Trailer)

Personnel

• All instruments and voices performed by William Faith and Monica Richards except:
• Violin by Paul Mercer • Cello by Marzia Rangel
• Dragon Artwork by Jim Neely

• Produced by Faith and the Muse
• Recorded by William Faith @ Zone 0, Los Angeles, CA
• Mixed and mastered by Chad Blinman @ The Eye Socket, Los Angeles, CA