Brix & The Extricated are back to release their third studio album Super Blood Wolf Moon on 25th October nearly a year on from their last one Breaking State, which saw them move on from the past to newer ventures. It’s released on Grit Over Glamour Records and they start touring 26th October. The cover features the brilliant cartoon animation, once again, by Rufus Dayglo (of Tank Girl 2000AD and Gorillaz fame).
The album starts off with Strange Times with a mellow vocal that recalls her earlier pop outfit, The Adult Net, with a nursery rhyme style melody a bit like Lou Reed’s gentle song Jesus. Hustler is edgy with that tight rhythm section of the Hanley Brothers. Wolves has a driving beat, that fuels the song whilst Brix’s voice breathes fire. It is haunting and raw. “I run with wolves and sleep beneath the stars…the cross I bear is etched into my skin, I run with wolves, they’re my next of kin”. This is a real definitive track with an almighty conclusion of guitars.
Vibrant, pulsating bass commences Waterman with Oriental style guitars. There is a dark undertone that runs through the vein of this album. It’s primal and instinctive. Brix’s guitar riffs and layers combined with the pounding drums and bass form a strong foundation. This allows her to weave and wend her magical vocals throughout each song. Dinosaur Girl is catchy and wretched referencing our over-dependency on medicines culture. Crash Landing is hypnotic, fluid, and shimmering.
Each song is emotionally electric such as Wintertyde with its female/male harmony that is rapturous. It has a mystical feel conjuring up “fingers tracing pentograms”,” …with tumbleweed and mistletoe” and the harpsichord (by Sarah Brandwood-Spencer) wraps the scene up perfectly. Wasteland is powerful and has an Armageddon operatic feel. “I told you, I can control the weather” exalting climate change. The God Stone is a fitting end to the album. It has a sense of foreboding with brooding violins building up the drama to the final explosive climax.
The term Super Blood Wolf Moon refers to a total lunar eclipse when the earth passes in-between the moon and sun. The last one of this decade was January this year. Maybe the album was conceived then as it conveys a sense of displacement and enchantment at times. These are songs that explode from the gut,
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