No doubt I was not alone in looking forward to see GosT when electronic artist James Lollar was unceremoniously sent scuttling back home by Covid, future dates scuppered. It’s a familiar story and it only just seems that things are getting back to any sense of normality with bands and people able to play live again in certain areas. What is a person going to do in these strange times? Well record a new album is the obvious answer and Rites Of Love And Reverence is the result here, an album based on the persecution and trials of witchcraft through the ages from the feminine perspective.

With this in mind it is only natural for some witchy femininity to intrude as the Bell Book and Candle are opened, rang and lit and this intro comes courtesy of the incantations of Bitchcraft who a bit of digging has resulted in discovery that she is no less than Mrs Lollar. More on her later but for the moment we are left to steam into ‘Bound By The Horror’, the ropes of which tighten by some fantastic digital noise and beats that really highlight the fantastic production here and give the speakers a fantastic shaking. This is fast and furious stuff, and digital noise for the Atari Teenage Riot generation along with synthwave pulses and massive glitchy shudders. Vocals are more sensitive, placatory in essence and drape things with a bit of a darkwave vibe around the burgeoning soundscapes. There’s a stalk and slashing diorama too that takes back to 80’s horror films and with the subject matter I’m tempted to line this up with Argento’s Suspiria and see how the music and visuals co-ordinate. Futurist synths and an ethnic twist have ‘The Fear’ induced, in a bit of a Gary Numan meets John Carpenter sense and a sinuous swaying beat drawing into its musical web of mystery. The clean vocals give it a poppy fragrance and it is a highly danceable number, a bit less of the extremity and the blackened blastbeats that accompanied ‘Possessor’ are going on here but this is certainly made up for via the fantastic digital gyrations that seethe through the songs, rearing up when you least expect them.

Considering the album has a perfect running time of three quarters of an hour there is stacks packed into its 10 numbers and they keep you on their toes as much as their frenetic energy has you unstably twitching along to them. It takes a few listens but after you have had them you will be welcoming the songs back like old friends whose hooks have been not so much dangled but have pierced the flesh and are hard to shrug off. We go from the frontline electro rock and shock of ‘A Fleeting Whisper’ to the spooky thudding ‘We Are The Crypt’ with vocals that make it sound like a fantastic Depeche Mode remix, uniting past and present decades and melding them together.

Some ghoulish organ pipework sees ‘Blessed Be’ invoking the blood on Satan’s Claw and high energy thrives and electrifies making this a possible dancefloor smasher for the clubs or shows when we get them, guaranteeing a horrorave and a half. The bitch is back on ‘November’s Death’ and there are no cries of nepotism found here as her enchanting spells are cast on point with deadly accuracy. You do suddenly realise that guitars have been lacking somewhat as they heavily churn in ‘Embrace The Blade’ and this Giallo-laden thumping thrill-ride complete with disco floor mayhem brings visions of blood-soaked carnage to the fore, the rubber gloves are donned and there is no chance of escape. Some female screams suddenly blaze in and this has a twist, the killer is most definitely a lady! ‘Coven’ goes a little Head Like A Hole with heavyset posturing and before I realise it I am heading to the last track having mentioned each and every one along the way, which no doubt illustrates sense of identity throughout the album. It’s left to the age-old tradition of ‘Burning Thyme’ to cleanse the evil. The closer seductively inviting into its circle before literally clashing away with the crash of the anvil at the nightclub school (oldies will get that reference) and bringing the album to a memorable finale. Now fingers crossed for some rescheduled shows!

(8.5/10 Pete Woods)

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