Voltaire's first album contains the song "When You're Evil", which he still performs life at all of his shows. A classic. 1998 didn't know what it was getting into when this album came out.
His second album, Almost Human, continues down the dark path with songs like "Feathery Wings", "The Headless Waltz", and of course the title track. The dark cabaret styles perfectly meshed together, and the true legend of Voltaire was born.
Voltaire's third album was titled "Boo Hoo" and it featured such spooky hits as "The Vampire Club", "Graveyard Picnic", and of course the song "BRAINS", featured in the Cartoon Network show "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy". Voltaire is known for his wit and it was ever present here.
We'll jump ahead to 2007, where Voltaire had risen to fame with the song "Land of the Dead", the theme song of the aforementioned "Billy and Mandy" show. This album also featured his hit "Zombie Prostitute" and one of his most popular live songs "Day of the Dead", which I had the pleasure of seeing him perform bilingually this year. So here's a wonderful live version of the song, showcasing his on-stage bravado.
My favorite Voltaire album is the first one I heard from him, titled "To The Bottom of the Sea". It's a story that takes you through the life of a hero who escapes the tyranny of his old country and eventually perishes on a ship. It's a tremendous album, and will probably always be my favorite by him. There are many highlights on this album, notably "The Beast of Pirate's Bay", "To The Bottom of the Sea", and of course the song "Death Death, (Devil, Devil, Devil, Devil, Evil, Evil, Evil, Evil, Song)". This song is the first song I ever heard my fiancee sing out loud (she hates singing when people are around) so it holds an extra special place in my heart. Hahaha...
After his intriguing country album (Hate Lives In A Small Town), Voltaire came back with another strong effort, amusingly titled "Riding a Black Unicorn Down the Side of an Erupting Volcano While Drinking from a Chalice Filled with the Laughter of Small Children". Typing this out was exhausting, but it's another solid album from the Goth-king. Voltaire says he took the title from an online comment a listener made describing his music. The album features the live staple "The Dirtiest Song That Ain't", as well as "The Straight Razor Cabaret" and of course the title track. No, I'm not going to type it out again. You just listen and enjoy.
Voltaire's next disc was featured several re-recorded hits and a few new gems about Star Trek, Star Wars, and even a Dr Who song. It's mostly filled with humor, so we'll skip to the 2014 release, entitled "Raised By Bats". It's as good as anything he has ever put out, and shows that even into his fourties he is still able to make tremendous music. It leans more on gothic influences rather than the cabaret stylings featured in his previous efforts. The title track is solid, and it has creepy songs such as "The Devil and Mr Jones", "The Conqueror Worm", and the most fun of the spooky songs, "Oh My Goth!".
Oh My Goth!
The first time I saw Voltaire live, it was a spur of the moment thing off the invitation of my fiancee. My sister knew of him and so I figured I might as well go down and have a fun Halloween evening. I threw on my Jester costume and the legacy was born. We saw him again a few years later and he came out and danced with Kelly during the opening set, and asked if he could eat her candy corn necklace. We saw him again in May and finally got to meet and chat with him for a few minutes. See below, the man among men, and the biggest smile in the world. Good times, Aurelio. Thank you, sir.
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