EP Review: Chaos 8 – She Is Coming

There is something brutally cold and apocalyptic about Chaos 8‘s brand of doompunk that is also, paradoxically, very thrilling. The heavy, grinding guitars, growling bass and swirling synths create a deep and mesmerising soundscape that is swept along by the frantic drums. Swooping in and out of this torrent is Beki Straughan‘s chilling vocal, chiding and berating us. The sum of these parts is a massive, all-encompassing wall of sound, a kind of dark wave Phil Spector approach that sledgehammers you into submission. Gentle love ballads these are not. It’s also a very European sound, tipping its hat to Rammstein in its rhythmic and relentlessly abrasive power.

A stylistic continuation of the tone set by last year’s Out Of Control EP, She Is Coming oozes a brooding menace best illustrated by the coiling Do You Remember?. It’s a slow and intense burner of a song that creeps like a succubus out of the corner of the room to seduce you as you lie paralysed and helpless. She’s Coming, Make Me Feel The Heat and Let Me Out are frantic but tightly controlled slabs of monumental and, frankly, terrifying industrial punk that leave you battered, breathless and exhilarated. All in all, a superb addition to the Chaos 8 catalogue. If this EP is your introduction to the band’s particular sonic landscape, work back through it to the earlier works. You won’t regret it. Likewise, if you have the chance to catch Chaos 8 live, don’t pass it up – it’s not a musical event, it’s a communion. DIY punk at its very best. No quarter given, no prisoners taken.

She Is Coming is released digitally via Bandcamp and all major digital service providers, physical copies can be purchased directly from the band at gigs and via Facebook.