Guillotine Dream – Demigods
UK occult goth rock act Guillotine Dream return this week - appropriately just in time for Hallowe'en - with their latest album, Demigods, which further explores
the vast oceans of the complex dark gothic rock sound first colonized by Fields
of the Nephilim and subsequently developed by the likes of Moonspell, Sweet
Ermengarde and, more recently, the late lamented Sometime the Wolf.
After a debut set Lemuria on Oskar Terramortis’
seminal Gothic Rock imprint and a follow-up EP, Guillotine Dream went for a
darker, rawer sound on Damaged and Damned, which had a
live-in-the-studio feel and positioned the band as serious contenders after the
more light-hearted tone of their earlier videos. On new album Demigods
the trio of vastly experienced musicians deliver a more homogenous and polished
sound without losing the energy and dark vibe which made the brooding
melancholy of their guitar-based goth rock sound so effective in the first
place.
After an instrumental overture (as is common in this
sub-genre), Disengage, which encourages the listener’s brain to do just
that, departing the ‘real world’ for a journey into the darker recesses of the
soul, opening track In Her Hands begins with the distinctive Guillotine
Dream reverberating fog of a crunching guitar sequence, with Ark’s opening
vocal line revealing the progress he has made as a singer in this genre with
his line higher in the mix than previously. The song’s complex structure
includes more angular, alienating deathrock guitar riffs and a faster chorus
section with Mapk’s powerful drumming to the fore. Wild Winds Call
continues the other-worldly ambiance, a vaguely lilting riff somewhat
reminiscent of mid-tempo Sonsombre underpinning a tale of “ghosts of yesterday”
as the album really gets into its stride.
A wonderfully echoing bass note opens another slow-burner of
a track, God’s Waiting, with more Banshees-esque chord changes accompanying
Ark’s artfully whispered growl, begging “heavenly father, give us a sign” to
help overcome “isolation, pain, regret”. Again, the sound is more subtle and
has a lighter touch than on previous GD albums, but the overall effect is all
the more powerful as a result.
The pace of the album changes with the faster-paced Three Score and Ten, with Ark again sounding like (dreadful pun, ahoy!) the real McCoy as he bellows over a circular guitar motif which repeats throughout the song, before lead single Another takes us back into traditional mid-paced goth rock territory, a great introduction to the band’s unique sound for more casual listeners. Come Away continues the less bleak tone, with a chiming guitar riff and more positive vibe whilst remaining firmly within the dark gothic spell the album has cast, a tone which continues on They Never Knew, despite a more spartan arrangement which focuses more attention on the string-bending guitar riff and vocal.
The more deathrock vibe returns on the spidery opening to
band’s new signature tune, Blades Fall (Smells Like Guillotine Spirit)
which harks back to the group’s earlier releases with a galloping rhythm
section (like on FOTN’s Phobia) and a denser, wilfully muddier sound. Final track
Waiting For God starts with a bright darkwave/post-punk riff and cleaner
vocal, an anthemic chorus about “the chosen ones” showing the broader potential
appeal of the band’s sound to the broader contemporary goth audience once the
favoured guitar FX pedals are disengaged. Essentially, Guillotine Dream retain the ability to do pomp without the pomposity, as the tongue-in-cheek strapline on their FB page "Music For Morbid Minds. Others Might Like It Too" will testify.
Demigods is Guillotine Dream’s most complete and polished album to date, further refining the band’s strong yet subtle sound and making a clearer statement of intent. Released on CD and digitally on 15th October, it can be ordered from the band’s Bandcamp page – pre-orders are already being dispatched!
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