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BEASTMILK
Climax

Svart (2013)
Rating: 9/10

Does anyone remember a time when goth was raw? Before it became commercial, goth was scary. For that matter, let’s go back a little further, to a time when the term goth wasn’t even in use yet, but bands like Christian Death, Radio Werewolf and 45 Grave were embracing the label deathrock, and were truly bringing fright to the masses. The mix of punk attitude, metal attack and a dark take on new wave made the bands who embraced this new subgenre of heavy music unique and unpredictable.

Beastmilk’s debut full-length release taps into the spirit of deathrock, mixing a bit of Joy Division, Christian Death, The Smiths and Misfits to bring us back to the horrifying days of goth gone by, while still sounding wholly modern.

‘Death Reflects Us’ opens this collection with a guitar riff that sounds like a sped up, punked-up version of A Flock Of Seagulls’ ‘I Ran’ or even Morrisey’s ‘First Of The Gang To Die’. All of the references outside of the metal realm end as soon as the verse kicks in, leading to an early Christian Death-style verse, and builds into the chorus with a riff that would fit perfectly on one of the more recent Tiamat albums.

By the time the Finnish band transitions into ‘The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls’ they are in full Bauhaus mode, giving the sound the goth godfathers helped create a new vitality thanks to heavy riffing and clean production. These songs are truly unsettling in a way I haven’t heard in some time, while having a driving power that makes them irrepressibly infectious.

While the description above holds true throughout this release, the songs on Climax are not one-dimensional. ‘Genocidal Crush’ is a uniquely goth take on a love song without all the maudlin teenage bullshit that generally comes with such an attempt. Musically, this song melds the stylings of Joy Division, New Order and Danzig.

Vocalist Kvhost sounds like a young Glenn Danzig, and this suits songs like ‘You Are Now Under Our Control’ perfectly with its Samhain feel. ‘Love In A Cold World’ begins with an upbeat intro and leads into what can best be described as The Pixies meet Christian Death. ‘Nuclear Winter’ opens with such an off-kilter riff that I was tempted to skip the song entirely, but it soon shifts into a driving, dark punk song. Beastmilk succeeds where others fail due to the broad styles brought into a goth setting, a landscape that, while enjoyable, has very few standouts that bring something new to the mix.

After listening to Climax it becomes clear that Helsinki is the global capital of goth metal, and that Beastmilk rules as conquering king of the realm. I am rarely blown away by an album so quickly. Beastmilk is true to their roots while moving goth forward into the future. Deathrock has returned, and if it were possible the late Christian Death mainman Rozz Williams would be smiling in his grave with Beastmilk cranked full volume on his Walkman. Climax is an incredible beginning, and if the dark Gods are fair Beastmilk will rule the world in a few short years.

Jim McDonald

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