ALBUM REVIEW: Dancing In The Dark – Lucid Sins
“You stumble through the forest. Alone and far from home. All paths have returned you to this place. Lost in a world of green. Hidden in the dark. As the light fades you glimpse flickering flame and catch the scent of smoke. In a tiny clearing, shadows cast by a dying fire take human-esque forms. Leaning in for warmth, they share ten tales of hope and betrayal, magic and madness, love and death.”
This excerpt from the backstory that the Glasgow-based occult psychedelic band LUCID SINS share with their new album Dancing In The Dark is perhaps the best encapsulation of the sound that they achieve on this intricate new release. Such descriptive language may at first appear to be difficult to live up to, but on repeated listens to Dancing In The Dark it becomes clear this ten-track voyage through a mesh of genres is something special and, more importantly, unique.
The album opener Jack Of Diamonds blends soaring HENDRIX-esque riffs with a gloom that hangs thickly in the air like fog, thanks in part to the haunting hums from vocalist and guitarist Andreas Jonsson. While the musicianship speaks for itself – a blend of brighter and loftier 70s-inspired classic rock, combined with the dark atmosphere of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – the true genius of this track and the rest of the album comes from the lyricism, weaving an intricate portrayal of a lore that draws you eagerly into their vivid narrative.
In The Woods and follow-up track The Dance continue this mystical portrait of sun-tinged musical dread, unsettling while all the time feeling uplifting in an interesting and peculiar way. The occult feeling of this record is very evident in these tracks, with the work of MAGNA CARTA CARTEL (MCC) and the earliest work of GHOST coming through in the impressive sound that they create. What is more impressive is how LUCID SINS are able to seamlessly move between these styles. Take Me With You is a toe-tapping jaunt that feels like something that a jam band would knock out in the lounge area of an evil cruise ship.
At times, their sound feels somewhat like a sinister attempt at medieval court music, as is clear on the fantastically strange Sanctuary Stone, featuring harmonies from guest vocalist Hanna Tuulikki. This guest appearance returns late in the album on The Raven’s Eye, a haunting folk-rock saunter through the woods that builds towards the end, channelling some strong prog-rock influence under their dark, intriguing story. Their incorporation of instruments like the Mellotron, the recorder, and the organ throughout Dancing In The Dark serve only to build on the eerie festival of sounds that they’ve constructed.
A Call In The Dark resets from the fantastic lunacy of the previous couple of diverse tracks to a more straightforward occult dirge. “Out of the shadows, a figure approaches / Smile on their face, but malice in their eyes” sings Jonsson with evil intent, sinking his hooks in and drawing you closer as he tells his tale. The sinister tone achieved from the unrelenting repetition of the doom riff throughout and the discordant harmonised chant on the chorus is as unsettling as it is exciting, and while the sundry stylings that make up this album contribute in their own regard to its overall story, tracks such as A Call In The Dark and Jack Of Diamonds stand out on their own and act as strong entry-points for LUCID SINS‘ brand of quirky and distinctive occult rock.
From the opening riffs to the final notes of the clarinet, Dancing In The Dark is a journey through occult-melancholia that entertains as much as it unsettles, regaling the listener with tales of black magic and sorrow, underpinned by solid musicianship and a remarkable dedication to their craft.
Rating: 9/10
Dancing In The Dark is set for release on October 27th via Totem Cat Records.
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