I had come to Projekt many years ago. The dark wave and gothic music sound pulls me in. It always has, going back to 1989 when I was introduced to Bauhaus by my friends Amy and Chad.

Projekt is a small independent label that has been around for over 20 years now, spearheaded by Sam Rosenthal. Likely the most recognized artist name would be Voltaire, but there have been many notable ones.

Dark Noel is essentially a gothic Christmas album. Taking many of the tunes we all know and have pounded relentlessly into our eardrums from the day after Halloween. Pumpkins still smoldering on porches (well, hopefully just the candles within them, and not the pumpkin itself) and candy bowls still sitting on the end table you moved next to the front door to make it easier when the kids came knocking.

A quick run down of the artists on the cd (and I’m basing this on the original cd I bought in 1995!)

Arcanta. Love Spirals Downwards. FuchiKachis Etbu. This Ascension. Area. Thanatos. Lovesliescrushing. Balderas & Osborn. Black Tape for a Blue Girl. Sorrow. Lycia. The Unquiet Void. Eva O. Faith and the Muse. Autopsia. Attrition.

This album is filled with all the songs you know, but arranged in ways that you’ve never heard before. And it sounds weird to say, but Christmas music played in a goth style is amazing. It really works. In some ways, it sounded like this was the way it should always have sounded. The Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey versions feel like the capitalistic bastardizations of music in the same way that the holiday has become more about propping up the economy than about any religious holiday. Sorry Christians, if you want to have a deep dive discussion on it, I’m more than willing, but ripping into people about “Taking the Christ out of Christmas” is pretty hypocritical when you’re putting tinsel on a fake tree adorned with blinking colored lights to celebrate what was originally a Pagan holiday (look it up if you aren’t familiar with the details) on a day that definitively is not the birth date of Jesus… But I am getting a bit off topic of music.

The track listings contain things like Jingle Bells, Carol of the Bells, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy… And many more. Even more than that, because the original Excelsis was followed up by a second and third album, featuring more artists and more songs.

You can absolutely sample these on youtube and hear them for yourself. There might even be enough time to order the cd and get it in time for your family coming over next week. I was surprised by the videos I watched, because the album track listing was changed. Apparently there was a remastered disc release in 2021. And while I didn’t plan to get a new copy of it, they have LP versions. And I really want one of those. (Look, I am a sucker for some things. I even bought the sweatshirt back in 95. There are a couple EP releases now that are not on the albums, and a new Tshirt I am going to need.)

It would be fantastic if anyone seeing this would follow up with Projekt and order it. Mention us if you do!

Various Artists: A Dark Noel (in the Excelsis series) (CD) (Warehouse Sale)

In wrapping up, I should give this a rating. As a Christmas album, it is an easy 10 star rating. Especially as I periodically listen to it outside of the holiday season. (Although not in November, that seems like the one time of year Christmas music is abused and rammed down our throats.)