The Horrors- Strange House

When an unhealthy group of teenagers emerged at the back end of 2005 dressed like rejects from the Russell Brand factory its no wonder some people were sceptical. Even after releasing their debut EP containing a mixture of outlandish electro melodies and gritty beats it seems The Horrors cannot escape their image.

For example their wonderfully gothic album cover matches every aspect of Strange House. As the album begins with the eerie ‘Jack the Ripper’ followed by the anthem ‘Count in Fives’ The Horrors are brilliantly confident. Lead singer Faris Rotter manages to scream with raw vocals yet somehow sound clean cut, resulting in an almost edited chaos on record. Complete with the sound of uneasy distant noises and their almost Doctor Who like traits The Horrors are the musical equivalent of the Addams Family.

Yet despite their hardcore ethos the band are hardly turning heads. Rotter is known for attending the famous Rugby School and with many band members currently attending art school it is something which is visibly apparent in their music. In ‘Gloves’ the narrative of Rotter’s vocals commentating “a hand through my ribcage” over the discordant guitar is the perfect perspective for a band dressed as the living dead. Also through ‘Excellent Choice’ it does feel like you are listening to upper class school teenagers having a tantrum, which in many cases could be a problem, yet along with ‘Sheena is a Parasite’ it is something which enhances rather than diminishes the appeal throughout the record.

As the album veers away from Goth hits into the obscure instrumentals of ‘Gil Sleeping’ it is tempting to skip the last two tracks, but what the blend of improvised guitars and ghost like keyboards proves is that The Horrors have finally shown themselves to be not all image, despite looking like extras from ‘Nosferatu’.

The Horrors- Count in Fives. mp3

The Horrors- Gloves. mp3

The Horrors- Little Victories. mp3