English Death is a solo act out of Richmond, Virginia and it’s the creation of Craig Snow who first started recording music with unconventional means back in the mid 2000’s. His first recording was for the band Unsacred in 2012 and it was met with local acclaim followed by working with masked songwriter Spectral Kingdom. Snow then went on to perform and produce in the band Basically Viscous in 2013 until returning to his Virginia home during the summer of 2015 to begin work on English Death. I Saw The Worst In You is his first release, apart from a single he put out towards the end of last year.
For all you tech geeks out there like me, who are wondering how English Death got that classic vintage sound, Snow played around with a lot of analog/digital synthesizers and sequenced them with Ableton Live 9/10. He then recorded his work onto a few tape machines and then sent those back into the DAW for mixing and editing. Got that? On the album, Snow states that he was looking for a sound somewhere between Bowie in the ‘80s and The Cure a la Pornography and Disintegration. Snow wanted to create something that was both nostalgic but also something with a fresh sound. I think he achieved both. The result was hypnotizing, and I was hooked from the start. He plans on releasing his next album this summer. The lyrics to the first track “Penance” reveal a desire to be free from pain and sorrow, but they also suggest doubt and struggle. The style and sound of Snow’s music is a page right from an ‘80s drama or teen angst horror flick. He’s certainly has got that part done; it was like I traveled back in time. And his tone of voice matches this kind of music very well. On the title track to the album, you’ll hear a lot of great electronic drums and synth action. His words bite with bitterness as Snow dives low with a throaty bass vocal – “Silence in your violence / you’re just a waste of my time.” The beginning to “Look Away” had a new wave bent to it, reminding me of Gary Numan or perhaps The Bauhaus. His synth work really takes center stage here, while the vocal takes a back seat with words that are cryptic and mysterious. “In The Background” offers the listener English Death’s gentler side. The melody and synths are lighter, the groove softer and lyrics tender. I liked the phrase – “I can feel you in the background.” I liken this one to Joy Division’s Atmosphere in some ways, and even Snow’s voice reminds me a bit of Ian Curtis’s or even Peter Murphy’s. “Last Time I’ll Be Played” features soothing synths and hushed vocals. Snow’s synth work gets more psychedelic towards the end in this song about past mistakes, regrets and an ongoing fight to let go of something. “No One Cares” reminded me dead on from something off of Pornography but it also has that free form, avant garde style found of Bowie’s Low. In my opinion, I think it was Snow’s most dark, most gothic, most in your face song. The deepest synth sound, the thumping sinister techno beats and the way he sings the words are just so damn good, I couldn’t get enough of this one! Ironically, it’s the longest song with the fewest of words. If you like ‘80s new wave and goth moody nostalgia with a fresh edge, English Death’s debut won’t disappoint.
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