Artist: Westenra
Title: Burn Me Once
Genre: Gothic Rock / Post Punk / Alternative / Metal
Release Date: 5th November 2025
Label: Self Release
Album Review
In the beginning there was nothing, and then at some point during 2019 mists started to rise over the cliffs above Whitby. The mists were pure white and heavy, they clung to the ground like ghostly limpets and flowed down into the town, through its streets and then into the harbour. And then, and then out of the ethereal turbidity arose the forms of WESTENRA like sentinels from other realms. Anyway, I shake my head vigorously to centre myself again.
The name has floated around my peripheral vision for a while now but I didn’t get to see them until a few months ago in York although I had met bassist Dominique a year prior in a cemetery. I was interested and curious to hear more. The band is a trio, consisting of Luciferia on vocals, Karl on guitars and the aforementioned Dominique on bass duties. Their musical output since 2019 has consisted up until now of one album ‘First Light’ from 2021, EPs that include ‘BREATHE’ (July 2022) and ‘Toxic Little Tales’ (October 2023) along half a dozen or so singles that include ‘First Light’ (October 2019), ‘The Last Beat Of Our Hearts’ (February 2020) and a cover of Sir Cliff Richards’ ‘Devil Woman’.
‘Devil Woman’ was a taster for the ‘BREATHE’ EP. In 2023 they covered IRON MAIDEN’s ‘Number Of The Beast’ for the Whitby Krampus Run. And the band name was immortalised by Whitby Abbey who christened the famous Abbey Arches “The Westenra Arches”. Anyway this album has been four years stewing in the cauldron of ideas so the flavours should be well and truly infused by now. Let’s dive in shall we...
‘Monitus’ opens proceedings. It is short but grand in cacophony to be followed by ‘Ghost In The Machine’ which has a FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM vibe. It’s a galloper and the vocal is rounded and full. This track I heard when WESTENRA played The Fulford Arms a few months back and I both liked and disliked at the same time. The reason being is that the vocal sounded a tad flat at the end of a phrase and I was expecting a bit of throaty nuance to imbibe the line with a bit of detail.
Also at the time I didn’t know what the track was called. Now I do! The vocal now comes across as human / post human, synthetic and slightly devoid of emotion. Hear the line “Arrrrtificial IIIIInteeeligence”, it blurs the line on everything and can make one uneasy and uncomfortable.
‘Sweet Poison Pill’ commences with a feathery light drum and a simple bass growl. As it progresses the track moves into TARJA TURUNEN territory with interesting guitar noodling albeit with deeper vocals a la SIOUXIE SIOUX. Floaty is how ‘For All To See’ starts then, like the opener it gallops. Then there’s a drum break. The bass is subtly in the background sounding like a bubbling vat of melted silver. I like the guitar riff on the start of ‘Hold Me Close’. The vocal meanders, its nearly note perfect, its full and light, down then up. The vibe is longing and needing!
‘Devil Don’t Change’ is a slow and slinky, it jabs at you, the simple bass doing its job due to how it’s played along with the interweaving of the guitar parts. ‘Stuck In A Cage’ chug-chug chugs then it noodles and stroodles. Then it sounds like THE SWEET in Gothic form. Then it’s Cultish. Then it isn’t anything, just WESTENRA. And here we are Ladles and Gentlestroodles at the last but one track.
‘I Regret’ sounds like LED ZEPPELIN, SARAH BRIGHTMAN and IRON MAIDEN, the bass, which always draws my attention when I listen to music, keeps everything ticking along in a low snarly way. ‘Burn Me Again’ ends the album. The bass is covered in flangy goodness at the start but the vocal is, to my ears slightly off the note in places but there’s an anger simmering in the vocal when the main lines about being burnt are sung. And then it’s over...
Overall I really liked the album. To use a food analogy it was like eating a reasonably sized portion of apple pie with custard. I wolfed it all down and enjoyed it but there were a few burnt bits that hit the senses. I suppose it’s the burnt bits, i.e. a few flat notes that made all the good bits stand out more. I don’t know, maybe a few more listens will iron all of that out. All in all good stuff though.
Tracklist
01. (Monitus)
02. Ghosts In The Machine
03. Sweet Poison Pill
04. For All To See
05. Hold Me Close
06. Devil Don’t Change
07. Stuck In A Cage
08. I Regret
09. Burn Me Again
Line-up
Luciferia - Vocals
Karl - Guitars
Dominique - Bass Guitar
Website
https://www.westenra.band
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
