EP REVIEW: Femme Fatale: Ensnared By Venus – Parrilla

Ahhh, Southend-on-Sea, famous for the world’s longest pleasure pier, the Kursaal, Southend Carnival…industrial metal?! One of these is not like the others, but PARRILLA hope to change that. After releasing their first EP Dancefloor Messiah last year, the four-piece from the South East are upping the ante with a trilogy of releases under the title of Femme Fatale; the first of these, Ensnared By Venus, arrives on July 30th as an independent release.

For a band that come from the heart of Essex, opening a record proclaiming about the Law Of Texas is a sizeable curveball. Yet, this is what welcomes us to Ensnared by Venus, a classic industrial ambience segueing into a riff-driven stomper that incorporates the likes of HIM and PANTERA as it moves through a solid, if well-trodden groove whilst Dani Messmer‘s drawling, gothic vocals add an extra note of darkness on the top.

Bleed, Cry, Pray, Die is a much more straightforward affair, a pop piano opening that develops into a blend of THE SISTERS OF MERCY and RAMMSTEIN, backed by a menacing chorus as Messmer uses his pipes to good effect. Show Me takes a more gothic route on proceedings, evoking thoughts of TYPE-O NEGATIVE; the mix is more balanced so there is no prominent element until the vocals take hold and become more anguished towards the end.

As the EP moves into the second half, a storyline begins to take shape. Mannequin Complex talks about the ideals of attraction alongside challenging cosmetic surgery; it’s the heaviest track in terms of the guitar tone and begins to talk about an individual struggling to find the distinction between love and lust; a dilemma made more difficult with the introduction of Desire as a distorted female voice heralds the arrival of a new character, one that begins to tempt the protagonist into their web of sin; “I will have you/I know you want to”, she says, intent on ensnaring her prey. The title track that ends the EP seems to confirm the outcome, the protagonist singing “You are my femme fatale” as they succumb to the passions laid in front of them. Musically, it’s very much the same ingredients as the first three songs, but the lyrics help it along without things going too stale.

It must be remembered that this is the first of three EPs that PARRILLA have in store for us. Femme Fatale will likely be enjoyed most as a whole experience than a stand-alone record. However, there’s something here that has potential, and it should certainly prick a few ears into waiting expectantly on where things are going next.

Rating: 6/10

Femme Fatale: Ensnared By Venus is out now via self-release.

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