Life On Venus - Odes to the Void (2019) EN

I have to state it clearly: I'm a fan of the latest shoegaze wave from Russia as both Blankenberge and Life on Venus got to be known as projects playing fascinating music both live and on records. From those two, the Petersburg-based band have already released a good album this year, now it's time for their friends from Moscow. And Odes to the Void doesn't disappoint.

The album is advertised as "loud, gloomy and surreal" making "a story about finding love, overcoming fears and facing the unknown". It's opened with a very ballad-like Glass Gardens in whose sea of  swaying guitars, slow vocals drift. But this blissful atmosphere is not for long as the next track is one already released on this year's EP Departure, namely shoegaze's fastest For the Kill. And it as to be said that the older songs (together with Silver Screen and my favourite What Lies Beneath) really lead this album.

From the new ones, the ones to stand out are the gently rocking A Story Ends, drums-dominated Darker Than Blue and finally the particularly impressive finish in At the Point of No Return. In all of those case, the band's vibe is clear: dark wall of guitar sounds making up the homogeneous background with subtle vocals floating around like fog and with powerful bass line/drums. It's a treat to listen to a young band who know what they want to do and who's so successful in this.

Odes to the Void costs 9.99 USD.

Check: What Lies Beneath

Country: Russia

Genre: dark shoegaze

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