I’ve always thought that Greg Puciato had a beautiful voice. Yeah, I said it! While most gravitated towards his heavier works in Dillinger Escape Plan, I tended to latch onto the more melodic turns like “Black Bubblegum” or his more alternative turns in Killer Be Killed or Spylacopa. In other words, The Black Queen is like a dream come true for me.
Add this blanket of ’80’s goth/electro to the mix and Infinite Games, The Black Queen’s stunning sophomore album, is a stellar offering showing off one of the 21st Century’s most eclectic and promising voices.
The glistening “Thrown Into the Dark” hearkens back to a simpler time when shoulder pads were cool and you could smoke anywhere you wanted as Puciato croons “Come find me/If we’re thrown into the dark”. Darkening the vibe, “No Accusations” could’ve been on With Sympathy or Pretty Hate Machine with its’ programmed beats courtesy of Steven Alexander (Tech for NIN, Ke$ha) and Joshua Eustis (Old school Black Light Burns) alongside Puciato’s quieted vocals.
“Your Move” is reminiscent of Puciato’s DEP predecessor with his hushed, airy soprano while “Lies About You” is an electro-fueled club banger built off Eustis and Ryan’s programming mastery. “Impossible Condition” accents that mastery some more with this sprawling juggernaut of electronic ecstasy.
“Spatial Boundaries” is so reminiscent of something New Order would’ve done when they were starting out and still hungry as the vibrant, beats-heavy beast exudes fun until the solemn tones of “100 to Zero” and the acoustic-driven serenity of “Porcelain Veins” slows things down before the grand finale begins.
“One Edge of Two” is a single straight out of Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the ’80’s (So good! Check that out here.) as this Depeche Mode meets Tears For Fears JAM closes out The Black Queen’s killer sophomore opus with Puciato’s soaring vocals and even more sexy synthetic sounds from Alexander and Eustis.
Infinite Games will be unleashed through Federal Prisoner on September 28th. Pre-orders are up and available by clicking here and here. For more on The Black Queen, including their small run of tour dates including Cold Waves in Chicago THIS WEEKEND, head here.