Houston Music Blog

Alanna Wiggins

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Naika Whisperwish and HaVoK continue to bring the sweet, sweet pain to H-Town with tonight's Goth-tacular appearance by Bella Morte. Once more of a straight death-rock band with shades of metal, Bella Morte has steadily grown into testosterone-driven counterpart to Evanescence, and is one of the top-selling artists on the Metropolis label.

The Charlottesville, Va., group's latest work is a semi-self-titled album called Beautiful Death (the English translation of "Bella Morte"), but the name is not an indicator of a return to roots. Rather, it shows the continued evolution of the band into one of the forerunners of modern Goth.

The band, led by the operatically trained Andy Deane, got its break in a Virginia Battle of the Bands, where the prize money for first place funded their debut album Remains. Eventually, the band was picked up by the premiere Goth launch pad label, Cleopatra, and became one a highly sought opener for the likes of The Misfits and KMFDM. The sound is sinister and painful, full of angry angst and wolf-like howls over a graveyard sense of sadness and electronica. Having caught Bella Morte on a previous trip through Houston at Numbers, Rocks Off can assure you that the show itself is high energy and well worth the trip. With Ego Likeness, Versailles and DJ Whisperwish, 10 p.m. tonight at Rocbar (Rob Zombie afterparty), 530 Texas (Bayou Place), 713-236-1100 or www.rocbartx.com.