Of course to get the full appeal of the “Intergalactic Nomads” who make up Sick N’ Beautiful you need a visual accompaniment… but any outfit worth their weight knows that there has to be some substance behind the show. Luckily, Sick N’ Beautiful back up the stunning visuals displayed in their videos and look (And upcoming film!) with killer album after killer album.
Which brings us to Starstruck, the latest slab of sonic excellence from a group that merges the visuals of Galaxy Quest and Farscape braving the Mad Max wasteland with a Heavy Electro sound that’s like Shiny Toy Guns going Metal. Starting with “Tonight We Go To War”, Sick N’ Beautiful deliver their very own aural call to arms that’s both futuristic and furious with vocalist Herma acting as the captain with the commanding presence on board a spaceship rocketing into the unknown.
The title track is a sonic shredder that crushes as much as it careens into interesting new territory, stomping incessantly at points from Evey’s propulsive pummeling while also offering one of many a memorable chorus from Herma that’ll be stuck in yer heads long after the final notes of the closing track ring out. And on the flip side, “Drop It 2 The B” is a bombastic banger in the vein of old school Rob Zombie (Think Hellbilly Deluxe in particular) with Herma giving a particularly powerful performance from their pipes (Like Jonathan Davis’ Metal scatting almost) as L0r1 and Nemes build an impenetrable wall of riffage alongside Big Daddy Ray’s bass boom.
“This Is Not The End” starts all Doom-laden like but quickly evolves into a massive anthem with “Defy The Light” hot on it’s heels with another stirring rabble rouser that phases in an out of tempos and tantrums bringing both playful and punishing motifs to this frenetic rawker. “Deep End Dark” is a moody mover with “Shadenfreude” submitting a fun, eerie number that’s like a throwback to ohGr’s early solo works. “Pull Of Gravity” is a refined ruckus that leans into the more electronic elements of Sick N’ Beautiful while “Pray Tell Me” lifts off further led by Evey’s throttling thumps and Herma’s calm, cool, and collected commander acting as a guiding light through space. Before the inevitable end, “Angels Be Fallin” collectively crunches for a glistening penultimate jab which suavely leads into the brooding beastie named “YTOPYNONAVEVANONYPOTY” that divinely delivers the Heavy Sick N’ Beautiful goods one last time.
Starstruck arrives through Frontiers SRL on July 15th. You can get yer pre-order and pre-save on NOW by heading here and then head here, here, or here for the latest from Sick N’ Beautiful including updates on the upcoming flick!