by Tom Schulte
Combining goth, and the somber sounds of Christian Death and the Damned, Diary of Dreams began in 1994 with the release of Cholymelan. The title track to that debut album is included here in a compilation that brings listeners up to the present day with the electronic artistry of Adrian Hates. Hates is also responsible for European label Accession Records. Gloomily intoned vocals and regular beats encourage a ghoulish shuffle in the fans that gives Diary of Dreams its cult status. Two songs from each of the band's four previous albums complement four entirely new tracks on this career-retrospective compilation. Sung in appropriate German accent, Moments in Bloom is for creatures that blossom by night. File it next to Tones on Tail and New Order and dance under the black lights.