Album Recommendation: The Mission “God’s Own Medicine”

    There are some albums in the history of rock music that really do stand the test of time and still holdup when you listen to them today. I've come across countless releases that I believe would fall into this category, and the debut album from UK band The Mission titled “God’s Own Medicine,” is in my opinion one of those perennial albums. 

    Originally released in November of 1986, The Mission’s debut album came to be after singer/guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams left their previous band The Sisters of Mercy to start a new group. Joined by guitarist Simon Hinkler and drummer Mick Brown, this new band looked to continue to explore the post-punk/new wave/goth rock soundscapes which Wayne and Craig had created in The Sisters of Mercy, but they would also go on to create a truly unique sound of their own with the release of The Mission's debut album. 

    Lyrically, this album features some extremely captivating lyrics to the accompany the haunting melodies and mesmerizing chord progressions. From the opening lines on the first song, “Wasteland,” where Hussey delivers the memorable lines with such a solemn sounding tone, “I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me,” instantly grips you before being introduced to the vibrant sounding galloping guitar riff. I definitely believe, “Wasteland,” is a great opening song that features some brilliant arrangements to complement the song’s very deep and impactful sound. Wayne Hussey’s vocals are extremely well recorded and his voice perfectly soars over the instruments during the chorus section to deliver some unbelievably emotionally charged lyrics. Throughout the album I would say that the chorus sections vividly stand out on each track, which one can attribute to how the band masterfully transitions from the verse sections to choruses. Also, instead of overwhelming their compositions with unnecessary synths to create massive sounding atmospheres, the dynamic guitar work incorporated on each song really builds up these monumental sounding musical landscapes.  

    Another aspect about this album that cannot be overlooked, and definitely adds to the band's unique sound, is Hussey’s use of a 12-string electric guitar. On tracks like, “Wasteland,” “And the Dance Goes On,” and “Severina” the overall sound benefits from the extra fullness of the 12-string, especially during the chorus sections. Out of the three singles released from the album, "Stay With Me,” “Wasteland,” and “Severina,” I would say that, “Severina,” is the one track that people tend to recognize the most from the album, and in my opinion would be very influential on future goth rock/new wave/post-punk artists. Again, the utilization of full chords mixed with the haunting melodies and tight rhythm section due to the solid bass lines from Craig Adams as well as Mick Brown’s tight drumming, makes the music flow with a profound synergy. 

    My favorite song on the album, “Love Me to Death,” is a very bewitching song that I would describe as a romantic gothic love song where you hear these haunting words that manifest over the gloomy sounding chords. The female vocalist in the background provides a great contrast to Hussey’s voice, which ends up highlight the song’s strong emotional theme. Just like with, “Severina” and some of the other tracks on this album, “Love Me to Death,” is rich with mesmerizing atmospheres conjured up by Hussey and Hinkler guitar work. 

    In the end, I write this recommendation as I strongly believe that this album is one of those releases which can appeal to a wide range of music fans. The band’s sound and style definitely fits in with some of the other goth rock/new wave bands of the time, but also goes beyond due in large part to the exceptional songwriting skills and memorable arrangements. The band has released plenty of other solid albums following, “God’s Own Medicine,” however if you have not heard anything from The Mission before then I think the debut album is where you should start without question. Actually, the band is soon to be going on tour in April with plenty of West Coast dates lined-up, so I'd definitely recommend going if you have the chance. 

Check out the song "Wasteland" below:

Sin Offering "Charnel House"

    When I first came across this four song EP via a Youtube channel that I am subscribed to called, No Deal, I was extremely interested to hear what this band sounded like given the very grim looking album cover. The band’s name, Sin Offering, is very appropriate given this band’s utterly haunting post-punk sound that instantly hooks you right away and covers you in this funeral veil of mesmerizing darkness. 

    Titled, “Charnel House,” this EP by Sin Offering is something that I can see appealing to a wide range of music fans. The band’s sound takes certain elements from gothic rock and post-punk bands like Christian Death, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bauhaus, as well as other acts that have this unique ability of creating macabre themed music while also coming up with very catchy sounding arrangements. The singer in Sin Offering has an unfathomably captivating voice that perfectly compliments the music and reminded me a bit of Debora Iyall the singer from the post-punk/new wave band Romeo Void. During some of the songs on this EP you feel as though the singer’s voice is leading you through this hazy maze as you become lost in the morbid blissfulness created by the other instruments. 

    Another area on this EP that vividly stands out and adds to the band’s profoundly haunting sound is the guitar playing. The guitarist may not be some shredding virtuoso, but they sure as hell know how to come up with some down right catchy chord progressions. Plus, I really like their guitar tone and how they went about utilizing different guitar effects throughout the release to give the music a very dynamic sound. The opening song, “Pleasure Garden,” starts out with these ghastly muffled noises, but once the drums kick in and offer up a solid straightforward heart pounding post-punk like rhythm, you quickly become possessed by the sonic rush of dark hallucinogenic distortion. On the second track, “Bell Glass Mortuary,” I really liked the primitive sounding opening riff along with the singer’s vocal delivery. Some lyrics that caught my attention were, “Pale roses, silver scalpel, Heart-shaped locket, tooth and hair,” which again creates this ghastly romantic tale that the singer is able emphasize with such raw emotion behind every word. 

    “Gilt Hotel” and “Velvet Ossuary,” are a couple killer tracks as well featuring more addictive sounding guitar parts and macabre lyrics delivered in an enchanting manner. Some of the guitar melodies like on, “Gilt Hotel,” are really brilliant sounding, because even though they are not overly complex in terms of technicality, they have this ability to demand your attention as the notes feverishly ring out over the deafening drum noises. The bass part at the ending of, “Velvet Ossuary,” was another very creative idea and did a great job wrapping up the release by creating this ghastly atmosphere where the solemn bass riff sends you off into the pitch black void. 

    From the start of the EP to the harmoniously eerie end, “Charnel House,” is an EP that I highly recommend listening to if you are a fan of horrifyingly catchy post-punk and gothic themed rock music. The band is able to convey an amazing amount of raw and hypnotic energy, while achieving an unbelievably tight overall sound. To me this album’s haunting production and recording quality, as well as the phenomenal gothic lyrics, makes this an atypical listening that is highly needed in our world right now. Society has really been inundated with such cheap sounding overproduced garbage that when you come across a band like Sin Offering, you are completely blown away and hope to hear from them in the future. 

Check out the full EP below (Also, subscribe to No Deal's Youtube Channel! Tons of killer punk and underground releases worth checking out!) : 

Bandcamp link to the EP: 

https://soundgrotesca.bandcamp.com/album/charnel-house

Murderbait “When the Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever”

    If you are a consistent reader of this blog, then you will have noticed that I give a fair amount of coverage to bands that are on the label, Sentient Ruin. The reason for this being that Sentient Ruin works with a wide variety of unbelievably creative and unorthodox extreme metal and punk artists. Now, in the case of Murderbait, I was pleasantly surprised to be sent this band which one might not right away think would be associated with the label. However, if you have followed this label from the beginning, then you would know that Sentient Ruin is all about promoting hard working and passionate underground artists. 

    Murderbait’s sophomore EP, “When the Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever,” released back in 2019 is finally getting vinyl release thanks to Sentient Ruin. Originally only available on cassette and digital, this group of Portland, Oregon based goth/post-punk rockers are going to be capturing even more curious listeners now that Sentient Ruin is releasing this album on vinyl. Honestly, as much as I enjoy the bludgeoning extreme metal bands that write such savage offerings of sickening brutality, I too yearn for something a bit different to listen to once in a while. 

       I am glad that Sentient Ruin sent me this promo, as I sometimes feel that I do not get an opportunity to talk about the plethora of different musical styles which I also enjoy. Murderbait’s mesmerizing sound mixes together a variety of haunting elements, but the gloomy almost western influenced post-punk sound is what seems to be the main driving influence on this two track EP. When listening to the band’s sound I hear a bit of New Order, Depeche Mode, Bauhuas, Nick Cave and The Cure, while also those beautifully haunting moments one might expect to hear on a Type O negative release. I think the band’s ability to pull such a vast amount of influences together and form their own unique sound is what makes this group really stand out. 

    Also, the lyrical creativity along with the somber delivery of the vocal parts tells a tale of haunting grace accompanied by this macabre atmospheric sounding world of soothing gothic post-punk. As I mentioned earlier I hear a bit of New Order in their sound, especially in regards to the bone-chilling bass melodies. The song, “When the Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever,” comes masterfully rolling out of the speakers in a hypnotic post-punk fashion. Each sound slowly builds to this tidal wave of melancholy emotion that compliments the singer’s dark delivery. 

    Track number two, “Unravelling,” definitely picks up where the first song left off by stringing you along with this glossy atmosphere, which eventually begins to unravel towards the end of the song by offer some dynamic instrumental arrangements. Overall, the guitars create a landscape shrouded in a veil of heavenly gothic tones, but the production never sounds weak, or loses its potency. From the start of the song until the end, you feel draw to this spectral aura emanating from your speakers. 

     Murderbait is highly recommend for fans of gothic rock and post-punk looking for something that breaks the stereotypical music mold. Music likes this could be used in a horror film as people are gathered in a cemetery under a cluster of dark ominous clouds, because the music paints such vivid images in your mind. In the end, having this EP finally released on vinyl through Sentient Ruin will allow for the band to be discovered by more potential listeners, while also offering current fans a chance to own this release on vinyl. The way I see it, everyone wins in the end (Besides those close minded bestial blackened death doom grindcore elitists who will continue acting like badasses until their parents tell them it is time to go eat at the Red Lobster). 

Check out the video for the song “When the Sun Goes Down, It Goes Down Forever” below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/when-the-sun-goes-down-it-goes-down-forever