ARSENIC UNBIRTHDAY is hailing us from Cagliari, Italy. They have placed their first steps in the music field some years ago; guitarist, Nick Farlight and woman with a voice you'll love, Mary Red Mallow, have started their trip of inner expressions; along the years they've changed their team and many people have come and gone, until the final lineup. Their music goes from Rock and Gothic Rock, all the way to electronically influenced rhythms and tunes.

Starting my today's review with the words: "This, you will find this as something different and promising." This whole concept of a Rock themed EP, made under a veil of Gothicism and shaped by Electronic beats, is a true innovation, and I am quite surprised and relaxed while listening to them. These four people are really into something here, something strange, yet so familiar, something quite oddly recallable. This accomplishment is like watching a favorite cartoon from the childhood, but with new actors giving voices to our beloved characters. You have some spots in here where you will find linking to some WITHIN TEMPTATION or even some EVANESCENCE, but no, they are most certainly not taking steps after these two; as I said already: ".. something strange, yet so familiar, something quite oddly recallable".

Kicking off with a ballad, "My Enemy"; there, the very first seconds will explain you my words from above; but then totally new something jumps in, the "robot-voice", and the combo of dance vs. headbanging - cute and catchy. Heading further to "Unnecessary Pain", the darn introduction, delusional sound, a neurotic pleasure of unrealistic acts, pretty much like you're dosed with some illegal substances; well I would not know how that feels, I only can image the feeling humans get after using the same. I would call this song, the 3^rd one in line, a battle of human brain (brain-made musical instruments) versus hand-carved ones; this whole tango of tempos and the deadly battle of two almost un-linkable musical styles. Boys and girls, I present you "Imperfect". If you're in search of new, upcoming, young, talented bands from Rock and Gothic fields, then "Another Sin To Hide" is your jackpot, your new beloved song and ring-tone on your mobile phone. The true New-Wave ballad, including all the elements that one RockGothic Rock band should have, should carry onwards; I will mark this one as the finest one of all and my personal favorite.

Now and there, you shall find moments of joyfulness and pure fulfillment; lots of "different" people will gain their connection to the whole idea behind "Ravens And Writing Desks" EP. For me, this is too stuffy, slightly monotonic and a bit strive; over all, this could be something folks would rock in their cars and/or go to see in some nightclub.<