FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM / Dawnrazor (1987)

The cover art looks like it promises a musical version of John Carpenter's The Fog, but the music within is 90% Sisters of Mercy and 10% Ennio Morricone. Plus, it has Carl McCoy being mysterious and emotionally pained - just like Andrew Eldritch does, yes. If any of that sounds like it'll float your goat, then you're all set.

Songs of Note: Vet for the Insane; Preacher Man

4 weeping flowers out of 5

FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM / Ceromonies (Ad Mortem Ad Vitam) (2012)

A career-spanning double live album from the arcane moodsters that was recorded over two nights at Shepherd's Bush Empire (London) in July 2008. (No shepherds were harmed during the making of the album.) As the title suggests, it's a kind of death and rebirth for the band; they wanted to capture what Fields of the Nephilim (and the short-lived Nefilim) had been, up to that point in time, before they began to sculpt their future. Carl McCoy's voice is as dusty as his coattails, but that's all part of the mystical charm.

Songs of Note: Penetration; Moonchild

3½ crescent moons out of 5

NEFILIM / Zoon (1996)

Nefilim rose like a crippled phoenix from the ashes of British Goth band Fields of the Nephilim; when they ended, Carl McCoy (the guy with the hat) formed Nefilim, and the rest of the guys formed Rubicon. So what do Nefilim sound like? Imagine the aforementioned Fields of the Nephilim put through a blender with Ministry and the resulting pâté moulded into an unrelenting assault of similar sounding riffs.
Gone are the melodic Fields' musings, replaced with violent and scathing esoteric ramblings. On first listen it's hard to pick out any standout tracks, they all sound the same, but the following two will give an idea of what to expect.

Songs of Note: Xodus; Penetration

3 exit rites out of 5