Dry Wedding : "Thw Back of Beyond"

Portland goth punks make a Samhain-like clanging that is cloaked in shadows. They get more aggressive on the second song, but the moodier vibes of the opening track worked better for me. They feel like they were an obscure band from the 90s that resurfaced, which works in their favor. The ghostly baritone croon of the vocals sits back in the mix until his voice rises to a roar. There are some weird discordant moments from the guitars as well. There are moments where it feels like Danzig is fronting Die Kruzen. They bring more swagger and atmosphere with "Sure as a Gun". There is also a fair amount of influence being drawn from the Birthday Party,

Things drift into darker waters for "Blood Red Vengeance". It is only a two-minute song, so not given enough time to truly build it's dynamis to where you might hope it will go. The bit of bluster that begins to come from the song's crack is in the last twenty seconds. There is more of a punk rumbling in the bass line that drives "One Last Strand". The vocals are muttered in a lower tone here. It runs off energy and attitude more than atmosphere and nuance, which are two factors that are their secret weapons.. The rambling western feel comes through louder on this one. The vocals do not have as much rhyme or reason on this one. 

"Moths" finds the slinky bass line helping to keep the balance between darkness and the rowdy tension lurking under what they do. The vocals kind of wander on this one, leaving the bass line to hold down the weight of the song even as they jam out a bit."Shifting Wilderness closes the album. 

It works off a darker, more hypnotic drone. About a minute and a half, it feels like the song gains its footing. While vocals can be a little hit or miss, I do appreciate what they are doing here enough to give this album a 9. Fans of dark western-tinged pink will dig this one.

6.6

PST283