2023-04-19 07:00:48
(c) Tekla Valy
Good things take time – a lot of time, huh Grave Pleasures regards. Their last album is now five and a half years old, they played live, devoted themselves to other projects and generally didn’t let themselves be stressed. This helped the once gloomy hype machine and offered plenty of time to further develop their own sound beyond excessive expectations. Under the impressions of the Cold War „Plagueboys“ for the landing approach and sharpens the apocalyptic sound profile once more.
The result is even more catchy, without being ingratiating. Mat McNerney continues to sing like a master of bittersweet darkness, accompanied by dark, gothic and post-punk delicacies. One such is “Society Of Spectres”, whose initial hesitation and hesitation is quickly resolved in favor of anthemic power. Reduced verses, big refrain, almost pop appeal – sometimes it can be so simple. In the closing “Tears On The Camera Lens” Grave Pleasures hint at a big goth-pop ballad, before finally the regular guitar kicks in and lets the synthetic undertones fueled track really blossom.
“Heart Like A Slaughterhouse” already carries the unique and idiosyncratic charm of the quintet as a trio. The stutter start develops into a driving descent that would have worked on the legendary Beastmilk record, with the built-in light braking, the tiniest hint of hesitation, knowing how to entertain. “When The Shooting’s Done” thickens the action, brings in some wave pop à la Drangsal and shifts gothic chic in the direction of pop fluff – a fine line that is struck with impressive precision. In “Lead Ballons” the Northern Lights are even reminiscent of Interpol and continue their devotion to more wholesome sounds. That works too.
Catchy in the best sense of the word, that’s how this new neck punch can be summed up. The corners and edges become a little less, without completely disappearing from the picture. More pop, some synthetics and even bigger melodies make their entrance and blend nicely with the suffocating gloom of the earlier works. “Plagueboys” writes a new chapter for Grave Pleasures without completely throwing everything old overboard. The hit machine is riding once more, just a little differently – you can’t and don’t want to get enough of this album so quickly.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 04/21/2023
Available through: Century Media (Sony Music)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gravepleasvres
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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#Grave #Pleasures #Plagueboys