RoD header

Translate

tbm underyourspell
Artist: The Birthday Massacre
Title: Under Your Spell
Genre: Goth / Wave Rock
Release Date: 9th June 2017
Label: Metropolis Records


Album Review

There are those bands that you always love to come back to, be it either the release of a brand-new studio album, or just that you are in a certain mood right now and you know their sound supports that perfectly. With THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE and me it is a little bit of both. There are times  that I almost never listen to the music, but once a new album’s been released I’m right there. They have a fabulous consistency to how their sound is created so it makes you feel like coming back home, and if I’m looking back on the first songs I’ve heard of them, I also see the development that has been constantly going on, especially with regards to the overall sound quality which has reached its  preliminary peak with the newest instalment ‘Under Your Spell’

With an almost jolly sounding kling-klang introduction comes along the opening track ‘One’ but plunging into murky depths where sun and light soon are nothing but distant memories. A low key beginning leading right over into the album’s title track and bringing a little highlight early on in the tracklist. Even though it might not sound like it at first listen it is all about strength, strength you take from small and grave personal mistakes. It is an auditive lesson on how you sometimes have to go through tough times to come out stronger than ever. The song thrusts forward a little more. It embraces the rock as well as the electronic ingredients that have been matured a lot since the last album. The band depart on a genuinely electronic adventure with ‘All Of Nothing’, genuinely as in they’re not trying to bring the sound closer to a traditional rock structure as far as means allow it. I’d even go as far as to hear dub-step elements in there.

‘Without You’ is taking away a little bit of that but is veering off into industrial rock territory sounding both electronic and acoustic at the same time. Though industrial and rock as it is executed here have probably never sounded that lovely and bitter in unison if you ask me. “I want the stars in your eyes / I’ll take the stars from your eyes” The glimmer of hope I have never known I want to steal from you, so I can learn how it feels. It’s something that comes to mind time and again when listening to ‘Games’. A song of glittering darkness, slow in pace and growing resignation resonating within its boundaries “Why do I try?” Contradictions in music do make things interesting and depending on the genre might make it a challenge listening to a particular piece. In the case of ‘No Tomorrow’, those are not as extreme as could be. Here it's more like keeping up appearances and once a particular point has been reached, the masks fall.

Those to states are being represented in contradictory moods and atmospheres on the track which sees the return of Chibi’s bogeyman vocals at least for once on this album. ‘The Lowest Low’ on the other hand is very consistent in the way it conveys a certain mood and it does the song good. Everything else would completely break the immersion and sometimes a break is a break too much. Here you can figuratively follow the protagonist sinking into sea of thoughts until they hit rock bottom. I’ll have to say I’ve grown really fond of this album over the several listening sessions that I conducted. It does another step of refining, rather than redefining the sound cultivated over so many years, so once it’s out I’m sure you’ll thoroughly enjoy ‘Under Your Spell’


Tracklist

01. One
02. Under Your Spell
03. All Of Nothing
04. Without You
05. Counterpane
06. Unkind
07. Games
08. Hex
09. No Tomorrow
10. The Lowest Low
11. Endless


Line-up

Chibi – Vocals
Rainbow – Guitars/ Programming/ Vocals
M. Falcore – Guitars
Rhim – Drums
Owen – Keyboards
Nate Manor – Bass


Website

https://www.facebook.com/TheBirthdayMassacre


Cover Picture

tbm underyourspell


Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8.5/ 10


See also (all categories):

Comments powered by CComment