Such a peculiarly bizarre record! Such beauty on the front cover of the second release ‘Alabastrine’ EP by Athens-based, GR, outfit Deathbed. December 21, reveals the second mini-album (or EP if you prefer) of Deathbed following last year’s debut S/T EP. The new record is drenched in its own sonic weirdness, and as we adore oddities in art, WLWH couldn’t neglect this offering. Deathbed consists of Ion Solounias (Ion Vader, Eternal Perspective, Declaration of Unity) and Aggelos Mastrantonis (Spooky RedRum) and with fatal help by Nefeli Stam (Spooky RedRum) on vocals, Vangelis Dardalis on keyboards and programming, Jack Walker on also vocals, and Kostas Christou on bass, they present a record that even though it seemingly approaches the darkwave quay, in its meander all the way through the sonic kaleidoscope, it finally sounds way more complicated.
There is nothing typical darkwave in here as the band mixes and blends its music with industrial flashes on the required mechanical swell, while also they inject quite a lot of electro elements too. Put in the obvious post-punk shade too and you have the approximate sounding of ‘Alabastrine’. Another thing that specifically confused me a bit was the outstanding photo at the front. This looks like a Venetian gothic frame, a feast of the untrue in the carnival of lust together with its ‘storms‘. Maybe that is the essence of ‘Alabastrine’. Nothing is obvious in this record as there is nothing de-facto in these 3 songs, ‘In Silence’, ‘By The Swanfield’, and ‘Transgressions’. Alternative Electronic music, yes but a bit far from the strict forms and norms of the genre and a twisted darkwave nerve with a nice story-telling approach. Deathbed‘s musical narration is quite engaging and desirable. It took me 3 or 4 auditions to get to their fantasy and I think that I finally made it there, where nothing is apparent to the listener – traveler. Pretty interesting record as it was their debut exactly one year ago. Now, I am looking forward to a full-length release sometime in the next year because I presume for a complete and very strong album. That is what ‘Alabastrine’ alludes to.
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Written by Loud Cities Mike
