Ez Luscombe
LA-based industrialist death pop darkwave duo VOWWS have been shrouded in gloom and mystery since their formation in 2013. But between star-dotted fans including The Smashing Pumpkins, Korn and A Perfect Circle to collaborations with high-profile guests such as Gary Numan, Chino Moreno, Chelsea Wolfe and Korn guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer, it’s very easy to see why VOWWS have gained such a cult following with goths, metalheads and everyone else in between. New album I’ll Fill Your House With An Army will no doubt to continue to see VOWWS take one and all under their shadowy wing.
With two LP’s and a multitude of EPs and remixes under their belt already, this third album is track after track of pure ghastly despair. From the dissonant guitars, reverb-heavy 808’s, and the lush vocal harmonies from dual vocalists Rizz and Matt James, VOWWS’s experimentation have made them one of darkwave’s most interesting outfits in recent years. Intro track ‘Blood’s On Fire’ sets the tone of the album; with drums of a thousand armies, hauntingly eerie synth lines and lyrical content self-described as the desire to lose yourself in something, regardless of the outcome, it’s truly a perfectly ominous choice for a first single, and a memorable introduction of things to come.
Whereas more energetic tracks such as single ‘Reanimator’ puts focus on the stripped back garage-rock influenced guitars akin to The Cramps and Joy Division, the ferocious yet precise drumming of Josh Freese, (The Vandals, The Offspring, Nine Inch Nails) and catchy synth lines lift such material beyond being average rock affairs. ‘Out Of Line’ is another standout darkwave hit and allows vocalist Rizz to showcase their prowess as a vocalist whilst background synths create a soundscape that can only be described as post-apocalyptic, something that matches the scrappy, yet oddly enthralling visuals all too well; VOWWS are as much an art project as they are a musical project-and a bloody good one at that.
I’ll Fill Your House With An Army provides the listener with some well-needed variety which is unfortunately far too rare in more industrial-adjacent genres nowadays, furthermore cementing VOWWS and their latest endeavour to be even more enthralling and memorable. Although the entire project seems to be cloaked in enigmatic mystery and darkness, the small glimmers of hope dusted throughout the record pulls a genre that has been synonymous with experimentation into a new and more animated musical direction.