Album Review: Sweeping Exits – Glitter And Blood

Sweeping Exits are self styled trans queer vampires from Oregon, their music combines the stomp of 1970’s Glam Rock with the attitude of the first wave of punks, especially early signings to Stiff Records such as The Damned, The Adverts and The Radio Stars, combined with a horror sensibility that lies somewhere between The Misfits and The Rocky Horror Show. Glitter And Blood is a concept album, but don’t let that put you off as this is no prog rock opera, the album tells the story of a vampire rockstar who becomes queen of the vampires and brings about the destruction of the human race.

The tale that lies at the dark heart of Glitter And Blood is broken down into sixteen bite size chunks, the album starts with an ominous glam rock influenced opening that gives way to a Roxy Music influenced second act, in the third act of Glitter And Blood the punk influences start to come to the fore on I Only Dream In Black And White. From here on in the tale unfolds in true b-movie stye with equals parts glam rock, early punk rock and dark cabaret, along with a hint of rock ‘n roll, forming the soundtrack to their modern horror fable. Glitter And Blood is one of those albums that really should be heard in one sitting, the mix of styles combined with the storyline that runs through the album makes this one of the more idiosyncratic releases of 2017, and it’s an album that certainly digs it’s fangs into you.

It must be said that Glitter And Blood is a faintly ridiculous concept, but when did that ever stop anything being fun? Sweeping Exits have produced an album that is a captivating cartoon punk rock horror show from start to finish, which is just as well as this is only the first instalment in a planned four album odyssey through the high camp tale of the queen of the vampires, and if the following three instalments are anything like as good, and even half as much fun, as this macabre glam punk concept album then I can’t wait for the next instalment to be released.

Glitter And Blood will be released on June 9th via Matriarch Queen Records