Review: Grave Pleasures – 'Motherblood'

GRAVE PLEASURES
'Motherblood'
CENTURY MEDIA

The rise of Grave Pleasures has been... well, a pleasure. As a long-time fan of gothic/post-punk sounds, as well as a follower of some of the members of this band's previous projects it has been great to see them take a raw and quite frankly old school sound and drag it screaming into the 21^st century. From their formation as Beastmilk and their early apocalyptic raw works through to their dark refinement into Grave Pleasures the band have created some great albums, the third of which 'Motherblood' sees them firmly establish themselves as a major force.

The album is a nice progression from their second outing (first as Grave Pleasures), Dreamcrash, which had smoothed-off some of their rougher edges and seen their cold war punk manifesto augmented by dark and dreamlike 80s indie embellishments. 'Motherblood' builds on these refinements but still maintains that link to the early work that made them immediately stand out.

Songs such as 'Infatuation Overkill', 'Be My Hiroshima', 'Joy Through Death', 'Laughing Abyss', 'Falling For An Atom Bomb', 'Deadenders', and 'Haunted Afterlife' provide the album with a backbone of haunting post-punk anthems that keeps those original influences prominent but maintains and expands that vision and refinement that was evident on 'Dreamcrash'.

The result is a cold, paranoid, dream-like mix of post-punk, proto-goth, cold wave and indie that is underpinned by the band's now signature use of jangling guitars, tribal drums, palpitating bass lines, and the distinctive emotional evocations of vocalist Mat “Kvohst” McNerney.

In terms of production the band have never sounded better. There is still a gritty post-punk core to the songs but they're so refined and high-quality now that they sound timeless rather than old school. The sound is sleek and modern, and it balances the dichotomy of sound within the band of raw visceral energy with expert precision.

'Motherblood' is another brilliant album from a band who seem to be on an unstoppable rise. They have effectively evolved and consolidated their sound without losing sight of what it was that initially made them stand out. So far every one of their albums has been worthy of being called a classic, and 'Motherblood' is no exception.  

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Review: Grave Pleasures – 'Dreamcrash'

GRAVE PLEASURES
'Dreamcrash'
SONY COLUMBIA

Under the moniker of Beastmilk, the band that is now Grave Pleasures instantly seared itself into the rock landscape with a stunning EP release in 'Use Your Deluge' and the follow-up full-length debut 'Climax' Blending post-punk, proto-goth / death rock, and elements of black and doom metal giving themselves a lot to live up to. The band then had a re-shuffle, changed their name, signed a new record deal and have hit even harder with their latest output 'Dreamcrash'. It's arguable as to whether is is in essence a debut or a sophomore album, but that minor complication is by-the-by. 'Dreamcrash' consolidates all the effort the band made under the Beastmilk moniker, expands on it, and focuses its gaze on the horizon.

Icy cold atmospheres, sinister jangling guitars, tribal drums, palpitating bass lines, and the distinctive emotional evocations of vocalist Mat “Kvohst” McNerney come together in such a perfect way. There is nothing forced or contrived. The band feel like they have always been together it sounds so natural. There is a hell of a lot to get your teeth into here with its rich and textured melodies and rhythms swirling around a varied and engaging vocal performance.

Songs such as 'New Hip Moon', 'Crying Wolves', 'Crisis', 'Worn Threads', 'Lipstick On Your Tombstone', 'Girl In A Vortex', and 'No Survival' form the backbone of the record blending raw emotion with desperate aggression that brings to mind early Siouxsie And The Banshees, Joy Division, Killing Joke, Patti Smith, Echo And the Bunnymen, Jesus And Mary Chain, and The Cure but manages to sound completely unique and original at all times.

With a metal pedigree running through the band's DNA, there is a slick modern production that lets the heaviness of the songwriting come across without dulling the edge of their savage melodies. It is a distinctly approachable album. Metalheads can get behind the deep, bleak, black metal atmosphere, while goths and fans of post-punks can engage in the pop-tinged eclectic rock at its core.

'Dreamcrash' is an album that has successfully surpassed expectations. Any worries about the line up change and subsequent re-branding of the band are instantly dispelled and all that is left behind is some of the best gothic-tinged post-punk released in years – and what has to be a contender for album of the year. Grave Pleasures have all the tools needed to become a worldwide musical force breathing life into the dark side of rock music once more.  

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Review: Beastmilk – 'Climax'

BEASTMILK 

'Climax' 

SVART RECORDS 

Apocalyptic death rockers have a sound based in the alienation of early UK post-punk, mixed with the cobweb covered rawness of the L.A. death rock scene, and iced with the cold atmosphere of black metal. The result is something akin to throwing Joy Division, Killing Joke, Christian Death and Sonic Youth in a blender with a couple of tabs of acid and a lot of dry ice.

Musically the band focus heavily on jangling guitars, strong bass groves, heavy drums while frontman Kvohst (DHG, <Code>, Hexvessel) drives the songs foreword with his unmistakeably mournful reverb drenched vocals.

Songs like 'Death Reflects Us', 'The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls', 'Nuclear Winter' and 'Surf The Apocalypse' are wonderfully visceral with their unrelenting pace, infectious groove and apocalyptic themes. Their the kind of songs you cant help but throw yourself around, sing-a-long and just groove to.

While the likes of 'Ghost Out Of Focus' and 'Strange Attractors', with their slower tempo and big choruses – and in the case of 'Strange Attractors', the use of feminine vocals – gives the album a heavy gothic leaning.

Even though the production on this album has a definite rough, early 80's vibe to it with all the reverb and hissing feedback, it isn't limited by it. In fact this is one of those occasions where the old school style enhances the apocalyptic atmosphere the band are going for. The echoing vocals sound as if they were recorded in a cavernous nuclear bunker, while the hiss sounds like fallout saturation on an analogue tape. It's subtle but works well and doesn't detract from the quality of the music with each instrument still sounding fresh and distinct in the mix.

This full-length début is a strong step for the band that they will no doubt capitalise on. 'Climax' has a distinct flavour that stands out from a lot of the modern post-punk crowd and it's going to be interesting to see how the band develop their style and approach on future albums.

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Beastmilk announce 'Climax'

Apocalyptic death rockers Beastmilk have announced their début album 'Climax' will be released through Svart Records on 29th November 2013 in Europe and on 2nd December 2013 in the UK.

The band's first full-length outing was recorded at Godcity Studios and produced by Kurt Ballou and will be released as on vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

The band, which features renowned vocalist Kvohst (DHG, Code, Hexvessel), have released a trailer for he album on You Tube and a full preview of the track 'Love In A Cold World' is available on Pitchfork.com.

For more information on the band, please visit their official website.

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