Something Wicked This Way Comes: New York City’s New Dark Sisterhood

PART III:









So what will you find in the flesh? Onstage, with strobe lights flickering or smoke machines churning, Anastasia’s “highly stylized explosiveness,” is sure to attract you and Destiny’s “charming and delicate” ways will captivate you, Tamaryn predicts. While Zohra describes Destiny and Anastasia’s approach to performance as “decidedly different” from hers and Tamaryn’s, they nevertheless share “the same fundamentals.”

“Together I think we represent something exciting,” Tamaryn continues, “a group of performers who share an affinity for the dramatic and mood-oriented side of Rock n’ Roll.” And though the intention might be the same, the visual aesthetic surely isn’t.

Zohra looks to Middle Eastern haute couture and all “things that sparkle and glisten,” while Anastasia works to suit her mood, coming up with outfits like “suicidal bride,” which is a torrent of veils and virginal fabric. Destiny has worn headdresses, masks and colorful paint to perform and Tamaryn also insists on theatricality: “Everything must be high contrast but not in a plasticized modern way...more in the way of the graphic quality of flowers.”

And so this is how Destiny, Tamaryn, Zohra and Anastasia entrance and ensnare their audience. On stage and on record, their sonic spells stir the senses and spark the soul. These women represent four corners of the NYC music scene, yet are one and the same. It all boils down to a perfect mix of sound and vision and Gotham has been the breeding ground for this sisterhood. ‘Tis time, ‘tis time. Something wicked this way comes, indeed.