If nothing else, the cover art for Deadsy’s latest album “Phantasmagore” is awesome in a straight-out-of-1981 kind of way.
The oh-so-retro cover features menacing-looking white-on-black shadowy outlines of the band sporting eyeliner and other accessories that just scream “Goth,” perhaps suggesting that the guys are looking to bring old school Goth-punk ghoulishness back to life.
However, Deadsy is not exactly the second coming of the Misfits or even one of the many My Chemical Romance-style pseudo-Goth mall-punk acts littering the musical landscape. Although vocalist/guitarist Elijah Blue looks suspiciously similar to MCR front man Gerard Way on the album cover.
Instead, the Los Angeles-based rockers play a sinister-edged hybrid of Joy Division-inspired post-punk and metal that sounds like She Wants Revenge if it ever decided to bust out the guitars and bring the rock.
Deadsy certainly has the musical skills and songwriting savvy to definitely combine metallic riffs with spooky synthesizers, and there are a number of tracks that conjure up a sense of melodic dread in a way that would make Bauhaus proud.
Unfortunately, the album tends to lose focus at times, giving the impression that Deadsy is either holding back somehow, or struggling to decide whether or not Goth really is the way to go. Although a number of songs are delightfully hard-rocking and hair-raising, there are also some moments of generic VH1-friendly “metal” that have no business being on an album, titled “Phantasmagore.”
This contrast is made apparent at the beginning of the album. After Blue and company kick things off with the blistering-yet-catchy three-chord rocker””Razor Love,” which seamlessly incorporates haunting early ’80s-style synth riffs. One would think that the second track would keep things dark and intense.
Instead, “Carrying Over” is a plodding post-grunge number (complete with a cliched acoustic guitar opening, no less) that grinds the album’s momentum to a halt.
With its heavy-but-not-really-heavy guitars and generic lyrics that perfectly suit the generic melody, the song sounds more like Godsmack than Glenn Danzig.
Fortunately, the rest of the album is not as musically mundane, although there is an uninspired cover of the Rolling Stones classic “Paint It Black” that sounds exactly like the original song only with heavier guitars but without the aura of mystery that made the original so memorable (and yes, Deadsy decides to keep the original’s sitars in a decidedly not-so-Goth touch).
The highlights of the album showcase Deadsy’s ability to combine elements of its musical influences into Goth rock that makes room for both catchy riffs and dark atmospheric touches.
“Babes in Abyss” is a driving new wave throwback, complete with angular guitar riffs and whooshing synths, and it puts Blue’s morose and possibly vocoder-enhanced vocals to perfect use.
The title track is also a haunting brew of eerie synth effects and pounding guitars that lives up to its colorful name.
Lyrically, doom and gloom is the order of the day on most of these tracks, although with an album title like “Phantasmagore,” what else would you expect? It is true that the lyrical accounts of darkness and despair that dominate the album don’t break any new ground, but they perfectly suit the record’s sinister sonic atmosphere.
If you can look past the generic nature of some of the songs, as well as the fact that the music and lyrics tread on familiar territory, “Phantasmagore” is a solid collection of Goth rock that proves Deadsy has the skills and intensity to make an impact.
