So When I got the go ahead to write up a review about a song and band of my choice, my brain was absolutely racked up with possibilities. “Which band am I going to fan boy about?” But that was just the issue. Give a writer the freedom to write about whatever they want, and chances are we are going to choose something we either love or hate. Then suddenly it hit me. Since Christmas, I have had a CD kindly gifted to me by my friend Si that I had yet to get around to listening to. A band I have never heard of, giving me the fun of going in completely blind; said band in question is So long until the séance.
Popping the CD into my laptop and giving it a blast unknowingly on shuffle, The first track that hit my ears was the second on the EP named ‘The bride of Frankenstein,’ and my first thought was “meh;” a generic horror punk band. A simple riff, that was catchy but just reminded me of being 14 and listening to ‘Wednesday 13,’ wearing over the top baggy trousers covered in chains in an attempt to impress the goth girls (yes, I was that guy) and when the rugged guttural vocals came in, it solidified my initial thoughts even more…Then the chorus hit. OH MY GOD! I was not expecting this. Suddenly the guitar switches to a clean channel and fires out a beauty of a riff leading perfectly into the dynamical shift in vocals. That rugged voice suddenly turned into what I can only describe as Myles Kennedy singing power metal. We hit back into the verse, reverting back to the simple distorted guitar, and all of a sudden, the song starts to make a lot more sense. Two minutes into the song and a nice beefy bridge comes along, followed by a melodic breakdown comprised of a rather fun and unique blend of major and minor scales; this added to the haunting aesthetic of the song, turned a seemingly repetitive tune into a fun and unique song for the genre.
My initial plan of action was to review the one song, and that was me. But this left me with an insatiable urge to listen to the rest of the EP. On Repeat. For most of the day. The other two tracks on the EP ‘A stake through my heart’ and ‘Devil in disguise’ do far more justice to the band and I was hooked from the get-go. The band made far more use of vocalist Mike Van D’s incredibly impressive range, and a far better use of dynamics in each song as Tommy D. Bauchery’s guitar riffs danced through my brain. All perfectly held together by the rhythm section comprised of Tonic Tom on Bass and Gizmo on the drums.
I can honestly say it has been a while since I have found myself singing along to songs so quickly, and they aren’t leaving my head any time soon. It’s rare for a band to come up with a unique sound these days, but So long until the séance pulled it off. Is it horror punk? Is it power metal? I don’t know where I’m placing it but all I can say is I like it. A lot. As a rule I’m known for being quite the harsh critic after growing up surrounded by music and musicians, and choosing to continue my adult life doing so. I would still give these guys a 4 out of 5 star rating, that last star only being lost due to my initial reaction to ‘Bride of Frankenstein.’ Anyway I’ll end this review simply saying this: I would not pass up the opportunity to see these guys live if they came to my local city, and neither should you.
https://www.facebook.com/slutsband/