Review: Inkubus Sukkubus – 'Mother Moon'

INKUBUS SUKKUBUS
'Mother Moon'
RESURRECTION RECORDS

Inkubus Sukkubus have been a mainstay of both the UK and European goth scenes for 25 years now with their unique brand of pagan infused gothic rock inspiring a loyal following and gaining the mainstream exposure now and then. The band have an already expansive discography that includes genres classics such as 'Wytches', 'Vampyre Erotica', and 'Supernature'. Now in 2015 the band have released their seventeenth full-length studio album in the form of 'Mother Moon'.

The band pick up where they left off with perfectly sequenced rhythms, searing guitars, throbbing bass and the always sensuous vocals of Candia taking centre stage. You might not think that there is much room to manoeuvre with their sound after a quarter of a century and so many albums, but they just do that.

Songs such as 'Mother Moon', 'Shadows In the Darkness', 'My Demons', and 'Witch Child'stylistically and thematically link back to many of the strongest offerings from their previous releases and living up to their pagan rock crown. The album has a heavily acoustic leaning that is explored particularly well on tracks such as 'Loose Yourself At The Nymphaeum', 'Zephyrus', 'I Am The One', 'Dark Sisters', 'Bitter Sweet Succubus', 'No End To War' taking the album in an almost neofolk direction. The end result is an ethereal bias that is one of the most overt than on any Inkubus Sukkubus album for a while.

The production is light and airy that particularly benefits the stripped-back acoustic compositions, while the more rock flavoured cuts are up to the usual standards we've come to expect. It doesn't play hard and fast with the band's core elements but compliments them nicely.

The album may not be a revelation or grand reconstruction of their core sound. Also the acoustic bias may limit it's appeal somewhat to fans of their more gothic rock sound. However 'Mother Moon' shows that after 25 years, Inkubus Sukkubus are still relevant and able to craft something genuinely beautiful while staying true to their long- term manifesto. 

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