British imprint HeviSike Records leaves little to the imagination—you get a sense of what kinda music this is before you even push play. And sure enough, the debut album from London power trio Bright Curse is equal parts heavy and psychedelic, capturing that retro-rock feel of Kadavar or Graveyard.
“Lady Freedom” is led by a heavy, distorted guitar riff, though it’s not all ground-n-pound, with a few mellow passages thrown in for good measure. The singer, who’s originally from France, has a Euro accent somewhere between Klaus Meine and the guy from Witchcraft, which only adds to the continental feel.
“The Shore” has a very Graveyard vibe, sounding like one of the mellower tracks from their latest record, albeit not without a super-heavy chorus. “Cheating Pain” has a similar song structure, with a lighter, sparse verse culminating in a hard-hitting refrain. Suffice to say, this band wears its influence on its sleeve, as the haunting “Walking in a Graveyard (Bloody Witch)” would illustrate.
Let’s face it, this is Graveyard/Witchcraft worship done right… They don’t tread any new ground, but the familiar sounds are well played.
