ALBUM REVIEW: Bloodsuckers – Saint Agnes
SAINT AGNES are the band to watch right now. The East London quartet cleverly fuse industrial metal, punk and grunge to form their unique sound, and the group have already made a successful leap into the industry since their formation back in 2014. After the distribution of three independently released EPs, they revealed their 2017 debut album Welcome To Silvertown before signing with Spinefarm Records for their upcoming follow up Bloodsuckers. Despite their ongoing success leading to the band playing notable festivals such as Download and Kendall Calling, it is clear that SAINT AGNES‘ career hasn’t been all sunshine and roses.
There is no doubt that the last couple of years have been the most difficult time yet for the band with the replacement of previous bassist Ben Chernett and the devastating, unexpected death of lead singer Kitty A. Austen‘s mother. The latter helped to shape their second LP, as well as themes surrounding mental illness, pent up rage and undying love. Austen spoke about the real life emotions that informed this latest body of work: “I’ve tried to put everything I’ve been feeling into it, all the pain, the rage, the grief, even the unexpected moments of beauty and belief. I hope it makes you feel less alone. I hope it makes you feel bigger, badder and stronger. We might be damaged but that doesn’t mean we’re worthless. This is a record for the defeated, the crushed. We might be broken but that doesn’t mean we’re not whole.” SAINT AGNES are ready to fight and it shows.
The opening title track provides a fantastic start to the album. In the first few seconds, listeners are treated to a ferocious, punky guitar riff which has so much energy and power, and as soon as Austen‘s impactful vocals kick things off, we are obsessed. The chant style chorus is just ridiculously addictive, making you want more with every second. Animal follows and it’s intriguing from the get go with tiger roaring sound effects and a synth heavy melody at the helm. The chorus contains a fantastic progressive metal type riff which is worth a listen. I Mean Nothing To You opens with a RAMMSTEIN-esque riff, before Austen‘s irresistible vocals steal the show. The melody in the chorus is reminiscent of something NOVA TWINS would create with packs of unapologetic feminine energy. In contrast, Outsider sounds as though it could be an early WARGASM track, although it doesn’t have a lot of substance compared to earlier tracks on the release.
This Is Not The End is a welcome change from the fast-paced tracks heard previously, introducing a slower, emotional pace to the album. Austen‘s vocal style fits in with this song so perfectly, expressing her raw feelings with no holds barred. However, we feel like the lyrics could have been stronger for further impact. NINE INCH NAILS‘ musical collaborator and producer Sean Beavan is in charge of Follow You; it’s a musical style which is perfectly unhinged and suits SAINT AGNES down to the ground, although once again the memorability is lacking slightly here, which is a real shame. I Am is up next and it returns to the band’s punk-filled roots. At this point, it seems as though the album is starting to drift off course and become pretty unimaginative and forgettable. At War With Myself manages to intrigue the listener again with an interesting layered opening verse, but frustratingly this doesn’t continue any further and it just ends up sounding like what we have heard before.
Middle Finger brings us back to earth with the addictive SAINT AGNES enthusiasm that we all know and love. From start to finish, this song is a real delight, continuing to wow us with every second that goes by. The following track is Body Bag featuring German doom-trap rapper MIMI BARKS which is another sure-fire highlight. The only negative is that this song isn’t longer, sitting at only one minute and 40 seconds in length. Barks‘ segment in the song is just brilliant – proof of one of the best suited collaborations we’ve heard in a long time. Closer Forever And Ever treats us to an almost nu-metal KORN like introduction that we can’t get enough of. It is chaotic in the best way possible and keeps the listener engaged from start to end. This is the most memorable ending to an occasionally hit and miss release.
Overall, Bloodsuckers is a decent album, but it’s not exceptional. Even though it is clear that SAINT AGNES have most definitely evolved since their last LP Welcome To Silvertown. They have definitely taken a risk here and it hasn’t completely paid off. They undoubtedly have the grit and angst to go all the way in the industry, they just need to pour more of their heart and soul into songwriting for their next record.
Rating: 6/10
Bloodsuckers is set for release on July 21st via Spinefarm Records.
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