Miss FD - Transcendence

MIss FD was not a name I had mentioned on this website for the past couple of years. Part of me thought that the project fell off the face of the Earth as her last album "Comfort for the Desolate" released back in 2013. However it was much to my delight when the ever so talented Gothic producer contacted me in regards to her new album "Transcendence". And of course I was absolutely delighted to hear this news and immediately started following the album's efforts. 

My first - and probably everyone who was following MIss FD - taste of the new album came when I listened to the song and music video for 'Despair'. Like an Ancient Goddess awakening from a long rest, Miss FD was right back in the spotlight. Gone was the brighter musical tones from her previous album and came a poetic ballad bordering the line of industrial rock and slow moving dark electro. Her voice was still as solid as ever and the visuals within the video directed by by Chad Michael Ward easily captured every emotive gesture from Miss FD herself. In every other word I can muster up, 'Despair' was the perfect prelude to what will probably wind up on my "End of the Year" list come next January. 

Alas I was elated when I finally got a literal box in the mail for Miss FD's new album. Opening it was like opening a gift on Christmas as I found everything perfectly in place and wrapped with shiny dark paper. The album came signed just as she has carefully done with the other three album I received those few years back which brought me a bit of nostalgia. The CD itself comes with a full booklet with lyrics of all the songs as well as picture of Miss FD in a pitch perfect dark wardrobe. Perhaps my favorite addition to this little set was a box that you can fold up. At first confused as to how this wide CD box was meant to hold the slim "Transcendence", when I read the spine it revealed "Miss FD I-IV". So I also got a little box to hold Miss FD's previous three releases. That made me happier than I possibly expected to be. 

Anyway, onto the actual album. "Transcendence" opens up with the previously praised 'Despair' of which I've spent enough time speaking upon. The next song 'Vagaries' displayed Miss FD's love for classic instruments blending with her industrial rock elements. Acoustic and string instruments such as the violin give the song that extra mystical element as Miss FD serenades the audience with her awe-inspiring vocals. 

Friend and fellow industrial producer Vulture Culture brought his production values to the third song 'Delirium'. More in route of her softer and electronic years, Miss FD brings back a delightful blast from the past with solid percussion, piano, and violin pieces. The next song 'Little Galaxy' goes straight to neo-classical leaving out most elements of anything that could possibly be considered modern; it was gorgeous. The next song 'Transcendence Intermezzo' sees guest collaborator Robert Dante contribute a beautiful piano performance to the album which was remarkably well done. 

'All the Pieces' brought us back from neo-classical set into electro territory. Post-punk influences fed walls of synths in the background as a main rhythm carried out the base of the song. A little bit of echo placed upon Miss FD's vocals made the song sound a bit ethereal. The final track on the album 'Icarus' focuses once more on the duet of Miss FD's vocals and classic instruments which softly sees its way out. 

Though Miss FD had fans wait for such a long time for her album to come out, the results are stunning. While I was coming in expecting a full on industrial rock release I was fed something that was sweeter than I could have ever imagined. The neo-classical elements were present on her past albums but not to the perfection it has been shown on this one. Her voice is still as deep and powerful as it has always been, and the rougher songs strike correctly in accordance to Miss FD's feelings. This is no doubt the epitome of her work and - painful as it is to say - outshines her other albums by a large degree, If you've never listened to this woman sing and perform before, now's the time to do so. 


Jun 01 2018