I love me some Industrial. If we’re being honest, that’s my favorite genre. But Darkwave is a very, VERY close second. And artists like Corlyx really solidify that ranking for me and make me question whether or not I should reconsider my current genre rankings. But let’s face it, in a lot of the cases the biggest difference is the delivery. Industrial has yer heavy guitars while Darkwave relies on sultry synths to convey intent but in each case, the results are potent.
Like Corlyx’s latest. Which is potent. Important. And powerful.
Let’s all agree that 2020 is not turning out the way we want, okay? On the bright side, though, the music that’s being produced either in resistance to this flaming pile of shit of a year or just before the ish hit the fan has been some of the best ever especially when it comes to Independent artists. In fact, our current RNRF draft for “Best of 2020” is a bevy of Indie artists including the aptly titled Together Apart by London’s Corlyx which is steadily making its’ way (And case upon each listen) towards the top.
And holy shit, do I digress.
You know how you start off an album and you can just tell 30 seconds in whether or not it’s gonna be great? Together Apart is that kind of album. And in terms of follow-up’s, it’s leaps and bounds away from In2 The Skin. Consider it Corlyx’s Use Your Illusion I & II following Appetite For Destruction. Their Badmotorfinger following Louder Than Love, The Downward Spiral following Pretty Hate Machine….see where I’m going with this? It’s frelling fantastic, people. REALLY fantastic.
If “White Wolf” doesn’t completely enthrall every bit of your being the minute it kicks in then you might need to go see your health care specialist. Every time Caitlin Stokes sings “Night fades into the eyes of the White Wolf” and meshes with Corlyx cohort Brandon Ashley’s voice is mesmerizing and pure ecstasy. Intensely throbbing, building to a climax before Stokes’ bass burrows its’ way into your brain AND bootie with haunting howls conjuring up images of dancing in a graveyard underneath the glow from the light of a full moon.
“We See Red” is like Disintegration-era The Cure meets Siouxsie & The Banshees going so far as to be Bowie-esque with the vocal bravado amidst an all around mystifying air as if coming straight from an ’80’s Fantasy flick (Lookin’ at you, Labyrinth and Legend!) And when Stokes and Ashley merge and declare “We close our eyes” to kick off the chorus, it all just clicks together.
“Find The Killer” bounces ominously, creating spooky surroundings as Stokes strums the bass and biting guitar lines accent a hypnotic vocal melody flowing into “Porcelain Skin” which has Corlyx continuing on this joyous division of sounds.
Later, “Stitches From California” is like a merry-go-round of Post-New Wave delight as it glistens with a glossy cover to hide the macabre meanderings underneath while “Black Wind” is ethereal and electric, and wholly Darkwave incarnate.
“Your Love Is A Curse” is a glorious excursion away from the bleak, examining beauty in the breakdown before the closing pangs of “Cold” filter through offering up somber sounds akin to Chris Vrenna’s Tweaker outings.
Together Apart lands on September 15th through Negative Gain. Pre-orders live and breathe here and here. For more on Corlyx, follow them on the ‘web by clicking here, here, or here.