At first glance, one might shy far, far away from Satori. The disc's cover is the stereotypical black- and- white gothic image of a decayed gargoyle- esque figurine hanging from the side of an equally decayed stone building. The print on the cover tells us only that the disc is "A Tribute to Bauhaus," along with the album's title, and some Japanese characters. There is no discernible way of determining the bands that may be included on the disc from the outside, and the song titles are left uncredited in red ink on the back cover.

Inside, in a cliched gothic font, there's a short bio of each of the 13 artists that contributed their renditions of Bauhaus songs to the album. Most Americans won't have heard of any of these guys, perhaps an indication to the casual listener that the music is of second- rate quality. However, starting the disc playing opens an entirely new perspective on the package.

Let me pause to confess that I'm a longtime Bauhaus fan, and hence guessed that I would have my own preconceived notions of what I expected to hear. I was therefore initially all about being subjective. This, however, is not a disc of Bauhaus mimic songs, rather a tribute in the truest sense-- the bands pay homage by structuring their own art in Bauhaus' image. Moreover, this is not really a goth disc, but an extremely eclectic compilation of Bauhaus covers.

The opening track jumps right into the intensity maintained throughout the 69- minute album with a furiously paced and rolling drum- heavy version of "Spirit" as performed by Hamlet Machine and Sponge. Although all of the contributors hail from Japan, all but one of the songs are sung in English, and the dark vocal intensity of "Spirit" rivals the original crooning from Peter Murphy.

Later, we're offered an incredible trip-hop version of "Slice of Life" from Mayumi Chiwaki and Pilar Stupa. This is not only my favorite Bauhaus song and favorite track of this album, but also a prime example of the level of adaptation achieved with every song on the album, doing justice to the original without making a facsimile copy. This is followed by the equally eerie "Silent Hedges," a song actually improved by Chu-Ya.

A humorous and fitting combination comes later on the disc with the infusion of "Stigmata Martyr" with the Ministry guitar riff from "Stigmata" by Screaming Mad George. Oddly enough, this is a perfect match, if not somewhat tongue- in- cheek. (Also oddly enough, these were the only two songs that I could think of with the word "Stigmata" in the title.) This is followed seamlessly by a pounding garage big beat rendition of "She's in Parties" by DEF Master that bears so little resemblance to the original, including an absence of noticeable lyrics, that it sounds largely like a remix extension of the previous track.

The only track that sounds even remotely like the original comes as the second- to- last song, "In the Flat Field," by Fiction. Even here, the differences stand out. Although it's instrumentally almost identical to the original, the female- sung lyrics are almost entirely in Japanese, excepting only the refrain.

The disc's only disappointment comes, predictably, with Speed-iD's version of "Bela Lugosi is Dead," a song that should only be performed by its originators. Although much more creative than the multitude of other versions of this song by multitudes of other Bauhaus- loving bands, there's a flare to the original that has yet to be matched.

All told, this is the best compilation of Bauhaus covers I have ever heard. This is not, however, a disc for the classical 1980s Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie- loving goth rocker. Most of the tunes are modern electronic renditions of classic Bauhaus tunes that bear little resemblance to the originals without insulting them with techno breakbeats. If you love the static art and rigidity of the music of Bauhaus, you will hate this disc. If, however, you're open to the subjective interpretation of that art, here is a fine welcome into the gothic underground of Japan.

-Skaht Hansen