The Dead And Living – Damage (EP)
Release Date: 28th February 2025
Label: Rexius Records
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Genre: Goth Rock
FFO: Cradle Of Filth, Tribulation, Nightwish.
Review By: Ross Bowie
Swedish goth rockers The Dead And Living are back with their first new music in six years, following 2019’s comeback album The Authors Curse. There has been a goth rock revival in recent years, and I don’t know if it’s the polar nights or just the general darkness, but the Scandinavian countries produce goth rock bands better than anyone else.
This time around, the band wanted to apply their goth rock template to 4 tracks based around space, an unusual setting for this kind of music as it usually revolves more around crypts or graveyards, but why not apply that template to the big dark void in the sky? The band have promoted their synths and keys to ringleader on the Damage EP and utilise them not only to craft melodies but to set the scene and create atmosphere.
The band channels Cradle Of Filth’s Thorography through a 2025 lens as the male and female vocalists often play off each other rather than coming together, while vocalist Coroner has his vocals in that low, raspy register. It’s not quite screaming, but not quite spoken word either. It’s somewhere in-between but keeps things dark and spooky against what can often be an expansive musical background. This is apparent right from the off, as the EP’s opening track, Damage, opens with some lusciously crafted atmosphere; the guitars keep things simple as the keys take the lead and the vocals sit perfectly in the middle before the female vocalist breaks through the chorus, opening the song up.
Demons Till I’m Dead is the EP’s crowning moment, where the band gets the blend of everything right. The synths at the start immediately set the tone with a simple but ear-catching melody, while the vocals in the verse flow alongside it, building up to the chorus. It’s the only real time The Dead And Living vocalists really combine to elevate the song to that next level, as they two-pronged attack works really well. The use of strings is a nice touch and gives the track a very modern feel, while keeping in line with goth rock’s heyday. However, the track does run into the same trap that all four songs seem to have. It’s missing that one big scene-stealing riff. The guitar is utilised more as a backup instrument to keep things going, except for Army Of Mankind’s main riff, but you can’t help but feel that one big moment where everything comes together and smashes would feel so rewarding. Every time the band feel like they’re building to that big release, it never happens, and the song carries on. There’s no real change of pace or direction across the four tracks, leaving the whole thing feeling often one note. A lot of focus is on the atmosphere, which is crafted well, but that one, hair down, foot on the monitor moment would really take Damage to the next level.
Damage has some fun moments, especially when the female vocals lift the melodies to new and exciting places, but the EP also has some weird choices. This is apparent right from the title track at the start. The handclap effect feels weirdly out of place and overused throughout the verses, and the use of autotune on the backing vocals adds a weird flavour to the mix. It almost feels like the band second guessed their space theme and, though doubling down on a futuristic sounding autotune would make the song feel more from another world, when, in reality, it just doesn’t fit and takes away from the melodies that were already working.
The Dead And Living are showing some really promising potential on Damage, there are signs that when the band get things right, like on Demons Till I’m Dead, they’re capable of writing some really good material, Magma Hearts “We’re Coming Home Now” refrain will be stuck in my head for days to come, but the EP doesn’t have enough stand out moments like that, especially after fans have been waiting six years for new music. The potential is there to been seen, but Damage doesn’t feel like a band (albeit with a hiatus in the middle) fifteen years into their career.
(3 / 5)
