BRIGHT CURSE ‘Before The Shore’ Album Review.

Words Paddy Regester.

Judging things by their cover is bad. It’s fickle. It’s shallow. It’s unfair. And, more often than not, it’s wrong. But God damn is it fun.

So, let’s take the new album from the UK stoner-rock trio Bright Curse.

Before the Shore has a pretty damn fine cover. Three guys, who I’m sure wont be offended if I call them wizards, are beckoning towards the heavens where a big old bird triumphantly swoops down from the snow-capped peaks illuminated by a rare break in the seemingly impenetrable clouds. And all this “before the shore” of a pristine lake high in the mountains. Hot damn.

The beauty of this cover is that it doesn’t just look awesome; it tells you exactly what’s in store for you in the next 45 minutes. It’s powerful, in depth and beautiful.

The entire album ebbs and flows like the tide against a shore. The opener, ‘Lady Freedom’, confidently pounds along as lead singer and guitarist Romain Daut channels his inner Maynard James Keenan throughout.

Daut’s vocals are triumphant on every track, expertly transitioning from a gentle crooning to an oppressive bellow without warning.

Tracks like ‘Walking in a Graveyard (Bloody Witch)’ highlight the song writing talents of Bright Curse. A wild fusion of jazz-swing grooves and rollicking riffs have no right sounding this good, but its perfect execution makes it six of the best minutes you’ll spend with headphones on.

‘Candles and Flowers’ is plain and simple doom, no mucking about. Max Ternebring’s bass rattles my one bedroom apartment so furiously I have to make sure all the breakable objects are secured away. And when they burst into the middle section of the song you’ll want to thank the beautiful person who thought it would be a good idea to buy Zacharie Mizzi his first drum kit.

The album is perfectly capped off with the eight-minute monster ‘Earth’s Last Song’. It’s a dazzling crescendo of everything Bright Curse does well. Daut’s vocals and guitar sore whilst Ternebring’s bass hums along obediently until Mizzi grabs you by the scruff of the neck and pulls you along.

We are constantly bombarded by albums seemingly built to test our mettle whilst being reassured that without multiple listens we wont truly comprehend. It’s refreshing to sit down and listen to an LP that doesn’t require that, it just fucking deserves it.

Bright Curse – Before The Shore is out NOW on HeviSike Records.

Bright Curse: Site // Facebook // Bandcamp // Twitter // Instagram // Youtube // iTunes // Spotify.
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