Various

Gothic Sanctuary is a uniquely Canadian contribution to the slew of gothic rock compilations that have surfaced over the past decade trying to preserve a "dead" sound. Where else would you find a compilation that includes Images In Vogue, Skinny Puppy, Vital Sines and the Vampire Beach Babes in its definition of goth? In addition to the Cancon present, Canada's ongoing obsession with British music is also clearly reflected in the track listing of Gothic Sanctuary, which focuses largely on the UK goth giants of the '80s and all but ignores American and Euro contributions to the after hours genre. You wouldn't get the impression from this collection that bands like Switchblade Symphony, and Faith and the Muse have cast the shadow of the genre into the '90s and beyond (not to mention other strains cultivated by labels such as 4AD and Projekt). With these biases in mind, Gothic Sanctuary is a fairly decent walk down the moonlit path of memory lane, gathering true classics such as Alien Sex Fiend's "I Walk the Line," Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood," the Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary," Tones On Tail's "Go!" and Skinny Puppy's "Smothered Hope" together for your pleasure. It all seems like pretty harmless fun in retrospect, so turn down the lights and enjoy the angst!