If Florence Welch lent the firepower of her vocal cords to darkwave-drenched post-punk that hums with the identical ominous cost as Sisters of Mercy’s most shadowy sonic spectres, the end result would sound so much like The Everlasting Flame (Burning Brilliant) by The Judas Kiss. The Newcastle collective summoned a cinematic storm on the opening single from their debut LP The Mirror Crack’d, the place moody synth stabs, snarling basslines, and caustic guitar solos circle round commanding vocals that teeter between seduction and menace. The sincerity could be stylised, nevertheless it thrums by way of each bar, turning the observe right into a gothic prayer for the misplaced and the stressed.
Shaped out of the ashes of Newcastle’s underground scene in 2021 by Steve “Mel” Melaney, who channelled his 20 years of session work and manufacturing into constructing an immersive one-man soundscape earlier than increasing right into a full band, The Judas Kiss have constructed a repute for crafting soundscapes that really feel extra like ritual than rock. Their music weaves themes of religion, horror, temptation, and concrete decay into shimmering chorus-drenched guitars, cathedral-sized drums, and lyrical confessionals that reduce near the bone. With BBC Introducing already giving The Everlasting Flame (Burning Brilliant) its first spin and trade curiosity gathering tempo, The Judas Kiss are poised to etch their title into the annals of goth-rock historical past with an album that guarantees to burn simply as intensely.
The Everlasting Flame (Burning Brilliant) is now accessible on all main streaming platforms, together with Spotify.
Evaluate by Amelia Vandergast