Did anyone doubt that these guys were into Bauhaus? The opening track actually sounds more like Peter Murphy's solo work. "Behind the Clock" features more motion and showcases Havok as more emotive in his vocal performance. His screaming days may be over, and this seems the logical direction for the band to go as they begin to age out of the Hot Topic brand of punks they found themselves in. Their songs are very concise and get to the point, even amid their brooding. "Holy Visions" features a more Sisters of Mercy-like bassline driving the track. This is nothing new, as bands like Cold Cave and Night Sins have been doing this for some time already, so they are playing catch up. The chorus makes the tribute a little too obvious.
"Blasphemy & Excess" is back on the more Peter Murphy solo album side of the fence, but you can begin to hear a little more of who they are as a band. By the time it winds around to "Spear of Truth," there is more of a Death in June feel. A more focused groove would benefit the song. I think their normal fan base is going to be fooled by this sort of thing, by I am reviewing post-punk revival bands all year long, and Peter Murphy just put out a solo album earlier this year that gives me all the fan service I need.
"Ashspeck in a Green Eye" picks up the pace, as he takes on a more urgent breathy vocals that bounce back up in a register more common for him. I think if they had balanced this out more with what they have been doing up til this point in their career, it would be more effective. Granted, it is still a part of who they are, but the baby feels like it got thrown out with the absinthe here. "VOIDWARD, I BEND BACK" comes a little closer to finding the middle ground. It sounds more like AFI. "Maguerite" sounds a little more like them as well, but is less inspired. "A World Unmade" finds them touching on the more new wave adjacent corner of post-punk. There could be more of a hook.
The end of the album with more of a punk song that works pretty well at finding the balance. I will, however, round this one down to a 9 as I have higher expectations than these guys just coming across a cover band. They have long blended elements of bands like the Cure, so not sure why it was handled this way, and there is an almost obligatory feel to what they are doing like "Ok guys we need to dial up the goth now" this is coming from someone who is the target audience for this sort of thing so less calculated is what I needed here.
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