New Release :: VALLHALL

Witch House is one of those fad genres which kinda came and went rather quickly. Valhall seems to want to change that. A somewhat enigmatic Swedish duo, currently signed to Canadian-based goth mainstay label Artoffact Records, their music definitely draws on Witch House. However, at the same time, there's a clear influence from the same ethereal electronic sounds of bands such as Purity Ring, and perhaps even a touch of EBM acts such as Apoptygma Berserk or Blutengel, all while drawing on ancient Nordic mythos to inform both their lyrics as well as their overall aesthetic.

On their latest album, "Neversleep", they certainly lean heavily on the Purity Ring influence. It's honestly the best EBM album Purity Ring never made. Twinkling synth leads, lots of minor chord progressions and a healthy dose of cavernous reverb round out what has become somewhat of a regular rainy-day listen for me, and I'm curious to see what these two have up their sleeves next.

RATING: 7/10
STANDOUT TRACKS: "Eversleep", "Drown Below", "Down By The Gallows", "Inside of Me"