By DJ Monk
So Long Until The Séance – or SLUTS as they are affectionately abbreviated to in this wee corner of the Überverse – are very much an anomaly on the Northern Ireland scene. Not only are they the only band pursuing the horror punk route, but they are also the only ones who adopt openly camp onstage demeanours (but, then, that does suit their musical style), so much so that the amount of make up they wear would keep Kat Von D in business for the duration of this global lockdown: I mean, going into the male toilets in the minutes before they go on stage is to risk coming out covered in feckin’ talcum powder…
With a couple of EPs and singles already under their belts, and extensive tours with the likes of Michale Graves, they’ve taken the next step up the ladder of musical career progression with this, their debut album… although it could be argued that with it’s seven tracks clocking in at just shy of the 33 minute mark, they are still treading in EP/mini-album terror-tory (sic). But, having said, it is still longer than some albums submitted to ÜRHQ, so we’ll not be too pedantic, shall we?
The SLUTS are a group who have never been afraid to shy away from ridicule or criticism: they are very much a Marmite band – and they accept that. For every person who “gets” what they’re doing, there’s going to be another handful of keyboard warriors happily slagging them off without realizing what they are actually doing – and that is making music that they enjoy making and doing it for the sheer fucking enjoyment of doing it, while at the same time pushing the envelope right to the edge of the table, daring it to tip over the edge. I mean, why else would they include not only jaunty ska interjections alongside sub-thrash riffs, but also take the massive risk of covering (then) teenage pop princess Tiffany on this, their first album “proper”? But then again, why the fuck not? It’s all good clean (well, make-up encrusted fun), innit guv? And, to be honest, the cover is not a bad offering at all.
Elsewhere, some of the tracks will be familiar demons to those who have seen SLUTS live, such as their last single, ‘Spider To The Fly’, and ‘Jekyll And Hyde’, while others demonstrate the new, heavier direction the band has adopted in the last year or so: I’m thinking here of ‘The Shadow You Fear’, with its massive bass line, the epic ‘When Hell Has Frozen Over’ and the snarling, back-alley serial killer fury of closer ‘Rise Of The Bride’.
My only criticism is that the production, by the normally astute Frankie McClay, just fails to draw out Mike Von D’s voice to full effect, muddying the top end of his range and just failing to add the acid to his snarls: it’s almost as if they’re trying to emulate some of the truly atrocious mixes they have received when they’ve played live! But, that’s a minor quibble as, for the little more than half an hour of its duration, ‘The Mourning After’ fulfilled its purpose of keeping me entertained and helping to forget about the craziness and worries of the world around us. If you love your horror metal with about six inches of melted cheddar spread on top of it, they you’ll absolutely lap this up in a heartbeat.
- ‘The Mourning After’ is released soon. You can get your copy HERE.
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