'Climax'
Apocalyptic death
rockers have a sound based in the alienation of early UK post-punk,
mixed with the cobweb covered rawness of the L.A. death rock scene,
and iced with the cold atmosphere of black metal. The result is
something akin to throwing Joy Division, Killing Joke, Christian
Death and Sonic Youth in a blender with a couple of tabs of acid and
a lot of dry ice.
Musically the band
focus heavily on jangling guitars, strong bass groves, heavy drums
while frontman Kvohst (DHG, <Code>, Hexvessel) drives the songs
foreword with his unmistakeably mournful reverb drenched vocals.
Songs like 'Death
Reflects Us', 'The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls', 'Nuclear Winter'
and 'Surf The Apocalypse' are wonderfully visceral with their
unrelenting pace, infectious groove and apocalyptic themes. Their the
kind of songs you cant help but throw yourself around, sing-a-long
and just groove to.
While the likes of
'Ghost Out Of Focus' and 'Strange Attractors', with their slower
tempo and big choruses – and in the case of 'Strange Attractors',
the use of feminine vocals – gives the album a heavy gothic
leaning.
Even though the
production on this album has a definite rough, early 80's vibe to it
with all the reverb and hissing feedback, it isn't limited by it. In
fact this is one of those occasions where the old school style
enhances the apocalyptic atmosphere the band are going for. The
echoing vocals sound as if they were recorded in a cavernous nuclear
bunker, while the hiss sounds like fallout saturation on an analogue
tape. It's subtle but works well and doesn't detract from the quality
of the music with each instrument still sounding fresh and distinct
in the mix.
This full-length début
is a strong step for the band that they will no doubt capitalise on.
'Climax' has a distinct flavour that stands out from a lot of the
modern post-punk crowd and it's going to be interesting to see how
the band develop their style and approach on future albums.