By Jonny Bakes
I’ve been living under a rock for most of this year so a lot of new music has really passed me by, but I’ve managed to surface just in time for spooky season which is often accompanied by a flurry of releases. Naturally, I’ve picked out something suitably apt for this time of year and pulled out a fresh new EP from the goth/grunge quintet, Venus Grrrls to kick things off.
‘To Die As Lovers May’ is the third EP from the band who dare to do something a bit different in a scene where it feels like the majority of breaking bands I come across are pushing to be harder, heavier and more aggressive, Venus Grrrls head in the opposite direction.
Combining 80s goth stylings with a mixture of classic rock and grunge, ‘To Die As Lovers May’ delivers something melancholic that manages to pack a punch at the same time.
You won’t find this album in a chillout mix, that’s for sure, while the vocals may be somewhat haunting, it’s layered ontop of high energy rhythms and some pretty shredding guitar riffs, which can be reminiscent of Royal Blood at times.
And if you shut your eyes, you could almost imagine this being a band playing down at The Bronze (y’know – that bar from Buffy), which I think is the best way I can try and convey what this EP is bringing to the table! Clocking in at less than 20 minutes, this is more of an appetizer than a feast, but it certainly does the job of showing what Venus Grrrls are all about.
Opening the album is ‘Eve’, which is a pretty rocking opener to pull you in, with fuzzy guitars bringing this song to life and a catchy chorus to boot. And if you thought that was catchy, then wait until you bounce straight into ‘Carmilla’ which had the chorus bouncing around my head for hours. But I was most drawn to ‘Mother Knows’, partially because of its darker tone to convey the myth of Mary Shelley having sex on her mother’s grave – it’s dark, somewhat romantic, and a pleasure to listen to.
Overall, ‘To Die As Lovers May’ is a great EP for those who are looking for something a little different and never really grew out of their goth phase, or perhaps for those who dreamed of being in the Hex Girls… I feel like there’s still plenty more to come from Venus Grrrls, and I’m intrigued to see whether they’ve got a full-length album up their sleeves anytime soon.
But in the meantime, they will be heading out on a ÜK tour at the end of October in support of this release, so I recommend you pick it up and give it a spin. If it does it for you, then check them out in a city near you!
- ‘To Die As Lovers May’ is released today (Friday 16 October).
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