The Smell of Rain by Mortiis arrives at a rather strange time. Although the vast majority of music lovers have abandoned black eyeliner, fringed jackets, cowboy hats, and flour makeup along with their old Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim records, Norway"s Mortiis is at the vanguard of nü-goth, or "darkwave," as it is now known. But instead of the usual trappings of leather trousers and bad crimping, Mortiis is renowned for his prosthetic nose and pointed ears, casting him halfway between a troll and Mr. Spock. Which is quite possibly why the opening track on his fourth album is called "Scar Trek/Parasite God." Looks aside, Mortiis"s transformation from his suspect beginning as an extreme metal musician to this hugely accessible pop creation is profound. Having discovered the virtue of tunes, he"s crammed The Smell of Rain with pounding melodies that bring to mind everyone from Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails through to the chanting choirs of Enigma. With the MTV-friendly likes of "Parasite God," "You Put a Hex On Me," and "Smell the Witch" casting their industrial spell, Mortiis could soon find himself a superstar on the alternative scene. --William Luff