Artist: Bloody Dead and Sexy
Title: An Eye on You
Genre: Gothic / Punk
Release Date: 28th May 2010
Label: Dark Dimensions
Album Review
The Deathrock darlings are back and with them is... well... quite simply a classic album. BLOODY DEAD AND SEXY has come a long way over the course of these three albums. They courted the scene successfully with their fun, fast and fantastic debut back in 2002, before kicking it up a notch with the brilliant ‘Narcotic Room’ back in 2005. But then there was silence, a reissue of their eponymous debut, but no new material for five whole years. Though upon first listen to ‘An Eye on You’, it seems like five years well spent.
The album instantly recalls their Deathrock roots, but there is a stronger Gothic / New wave fell this time round. It feels more mature, measured and in all honesty a lot more widely accessible. It's neither overtly Punk, nor is it irredeemably Gothic, nor is it by any means over saturated with art school New Wave ideas. It's a bit of dark rock for everyone. Opening with ‘Solemn Times’ the band start with their Punk foot forward with it's fast paced and catchy groove. ‘City Ghosts’ on the other hand has more of a Gothic feel with it's bass / guitar interplay and more subdued vocals - sounding not unlike TONES ON TAIL meets GHOST DANCE it goes to show how versatile these guys have become.
‘Decent Scent of Poison’ is a very big sounding track with a catchy bass line and sing-a-long chorus that should make this one a fan favourite. ‘Reaping Day’ would have been a chart hit had it been released in the 1980s - fantastic guitar work and a refined pop pedigree. ‘Song of Truth’ almost has a little bit of a surfer feel with that guitar riff, but it definitely sticks to the albums modus operandi - subdued vocals and a driving bass line keep the song in check. ‘Three Corners of an Eye, Part 1: Lower Right Corner’ is a long name for what is essentially a shortish atmospheric instrumental with lots and lots of guitar feedback - an interesting change of pace.
‘The Fix’ gets things back on track with a similar sound and feel to ‘City Ghosts’. ‘A Clockwork Symphony’ has a brilliant prominent bass line, but the song feels like it's always just about to erupt and yet it somehow never really follows it through. ‘Candy Box’ is more like it though - a fast Deathrock number it has a sharp delivery and follows through on every note. ‘Saeta’ is a nice mid-tempo track with a central chugging feel that the guitars work well over in tandem with the vocal effects. ‘Three Corners of an Eye, Part 2: Upper Corner’ sounds almost like a off-cut from a Rozz Williams album, but it's unfortunately over before it really begins.
‘The Upper Floor’ though is a fully-formed crowd pleaser - a strong riff, catchy beat, and chant-a-long chorus makes this one another instant crowd pleaser. ‘Sunglasses for a Funeral’ is about as Goth as it gets as far as song titles go isn't it? The song itself is a slow bass driven number with the guitars dancing on the top. ‘Der Kuss’ sounds like SHADOW PROJECT at their most raw and punky with the German lyrics giving it an entirely different feel to the rest of the album. The final track is ‘Three Corners of an Eye, Part 3: Lower Left Corner’, another avant-garde and spacey instrumental that brings the proceedings to a close.
The band, I think, has found their true calling with this album. The sound has matured so much in the past five years it's staggering. I think where this album falls down though is that it tries to cram a lot in - cutting three or four of the weaker songs in favour of their instrumentals would give the track listing a little more punch. It's going to be exciting to see where the band goes from here though.
Tracklist
01. Solemn Times
02. City Ghosts
03. Decent Scent of Poison
04. Reaping Day
05. Song of Truth
06. Three Corners of an Eye, Part I: Lower Right Corner
07. The Fix
08. A Clockwork Symphony
09. Candy Box
10. Saeta
11. Three Corners of an Eye, Part II: Upper Corner
12. The Upper Floor
13. Sunglasses for a Funeral
14. Der Kuss
15. Three Corners of an Eye, Part III: Lower Left Corner
Line-up
Rosa Iahn - vocals
Tim Schande - bass
Björn Henningson - drums
Matias 13 - guitar
Websites
http://www.bloodydeadandsexy.de/ / www.myspace.com/bloodydeadandsexy
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7 / 10
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