DIAMØND SNAKE – V.
Expect the unexpected is no longer a viable option. If Alfred Hitchcock was still around and making movies, the great English director would need to alter his strategies. Sure, he’d likely still be able to find great ideas. But the element of surprise would not be something on which he could always rely. Modern audiences aren’t just more sophisticated. They’ve just been exposed to more material.
Horror movie fans know, for the most part, when the monster’s going to be brought on screen. In fact, they wait for it. Fans of horror-tinged music are the same way. They come for the thrills and will only be disappointed if the songwriter in charge forgot to load them up. Few are demanding that formulas be changed. What they are demanding is for the formulas to deliver what it is that they expect.
DIAMØND SNAKE’s “V.” is a little on the nose but never disappointing. It is often the case with modern gothic-rock and adjacent styles that listeners have to use their imagination and replace some of the sounds with the ones they would rather hear instead. Nah, DIAMØND SNAKE’s well-designed, neatly written, and smoothly produced. In fact, if there’s a single thing it lacks, it is more of a human touch, a bit of imperfection. That aside, it gets the job done. Whether on a lonely street at night or stuck in a dungeon, the sounds of “V.” resonate fully.
David Delbridge – I Warned You
Societies that exist under the myth that they themselves are a reflection of perfection ain’t got much time for art. What’s there to write about when they themselves represent truth, and their enemies represent falsehood? Why waste your time on creating beautiful things when you can just step into the world and breathe in perfection? And, of course, there’s simply no reason to start criticizing this world through works of art when there’s nothing to criticize.
Everything’s dandy; everyone lives by the same rules and those who cannot are banished or put to sleep in pretty unpleasant ways. But there’s also a downside. These places leave little behind. All of the stories told about them, are told from people on the outside. Since it’s the enemies, the ones who can spare the time for some art from time to time, what history registers is their critical opinion of the society in which everything was perfect.
David Delbridge’s “I Warned You” is music made in a world that is far from perfect, often scary, and where people wake up shivering and write songs about it. This isn’t a song about one event in particular, but modern dread itself. That in itself might be interesting enough, but it’s Delbridge’s great production, clever use of gothic motifs, and, especially, the convincing lead vocals that really sell the song. Hooray for imperfections!
