Moderate Rock

Ever wondered what sort of metal band Elvis might have formed? No, me neither. But what about the sound of a goth Morrissey, or the Misfits if they weren’t such… misfits? Well these questions and many more are answered by ‘Motherblood’, the second album from Scandanavian something-of-a-supergroup Grave Pleasures. Vocalist Mat McNerney and bassist Valtteri Arino from the defunct Beastmilk have recruited members of The Oath, Oranssi Pazuzu, and In Solitude to pick up pretty much where they left off. Which means more black-hearted post-punk, rumbling death rock, lush doom, and gloriously slick and sexy gloom. Except this is without doubt the best thing any of these dudes has ever done. ‘Doomsday Rainbows’ surfs up to the end of the world, ‘Joy Through Death’ is the soundtrack to David Bowie’s darkest dreams, and ‘Falling for an Atom Bomb’ is the catchiest that nuclear annihilation has ever been. Explosive stuff.