Tom Waits inspires industrial Gothic gospel blues.
Now this is a strange one. Adam Donen is a multi-faceted artist; apparently, he “invents art forms, writes, directs and composes” Hmmmm. To be fair, to back this up, he has produced Symphony to a Lost Generation, the world’s first holographic drama, and Nixon in Agony, the world’s first binaural audio drama. No… me neither. Either way, fair play.
Bible Stories is apparently his fourth album, not that you would know it from his website or biography, which makes reference to his libretti, theatre pieces, symphonies and classical works, but nothing at all about this album, released April 2026. It’s already not a commercial piece, but this lack of promotional support is… odd. Maybe part of his pure artistic vision. Anyway, Bible Stories is here, trailed as being for fans of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. And you can see exactly where this is coming from, as a series of gothic tales emerged from a cracked, unemotional voiceover, over sweet lullabies and, on occasion, a more industrial grunge.
Lord knows how a record store would categorise this back in the day when record stores were a thing. Made with Robert Harder in Joshua Tree, it carries the aura of that barren landscape. It has hints of gospel, hints of blues, hints of industrial rhythms, more than a little Mule Variations-era Tom Waits, and, well, it’s bloody great.
Opener What Doesn’t End sees Donen contemplating the point of life. “It’s hard to be sincere, when there’s nothing to gain” is one of the greatest opening lines of any album. “What doesn’t end on defeat is now worth doing”, he intones later, as he cheers up. The sweeter the melody, the more bitter his mood.
I’m Ready for the Next World (But The Next World Ain’t Ready For Me) is the wonderfully titled second track. More Waits inspiration as Donen growls about the end of the world and the influence of the Devil over industrial groves. With multiple biblical references, there’s little doubt where Donen sees his place in the world: “No-one’s buying what you’s selling in Satan’s bazaar /But how much for the conscience? / Hell, how much for the arm?”
If you’re not sold at this point, you probably never will be. It’s an album to play in a certain mood, at certain times of the day, in certain weather, in darkness. But you can’t say the guy isn’t convinced about his artistic vision: “The Israelites were massacring / Some small nomadic tribe / My friend the General led the purge / While I lay with his wife” goes Bible Stories, over wailing blues guitar.
It’s not perfect. Even at only 8 tracks, the slightly monotone delivery and slow pace wear after a bit. But dig into each track, and there’s a lot there to be found. Go investigate.
