Gloriously theatrical, witty, panache-filled, this is a lavishly swaggering, swirling cauldron of excess, rock-pop, post-punk, prog, baroque indie, and classical, a debut whirlwind LP of history-spanning reference and energy, from Greek myth to Shakespeare and the apocalypse. But first, the Bristol band’s sound immediately conjures up the style and ironic humour of 90s Detroit rockers Electric Six, best known for their hit Danger! High Voltage! and more, particularly here with the stylishly oratorial delivery of singer Thomas Hawtin, who has an inescapable presence, joined by the ferocious and musically mischief of guitarist and synth player Tom Hackwell, Sean Jones also on guitar, Jools Port (bass) and Jake Cheesman (drums). The Latin album title translates roughly as “a world of wicked, noxious or nefarious black magic, and it’s certainly a heady brew of multiple history-spanning references and stop-start energy, such as Osiris At The Large Hadron Collider, Utterly Rudderless, or The Wheel, The Spade, The Stars In Motion, which make up a trio of singles decorated with eye-popping, entertaining videos. Their songs play with the pretentious, but infectiously pull you in, with these tracks as well as Faustina Filmed in Psychorama, Tenderness Has Failed Me to closing finale The Unstitching of Everything, you simply can’t take your ears away. “The poets they were scrabbling / for matches that were wet / dismantling their Ouija boards / with rusty bayonets…” Epic, energetic grandeur. What a debut. Catch them before the world ends. Out on Deaf Endling Collective.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Feel free to recommend more new albums and comment below. You can also use the contact page, or find more on social media: Song Bar Twitter, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.
Song Bar is non-profit and is simply about sharing great music. We don’t do clickbait or advertisements. Please make any donation to help keep the Bar running: