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'Salem II' EP Review

 

'Salem II' EP Review

Grace Calver



Salem are front-vamp Will Gould (also of the band Creeper) and guitarist Matthew Reynolds, they burst onto the scene with The Apathy Ball and the release of their debut single 'Destroy Me' last year. Today (Friday 7th May) they release their second EP titled 'Salem II'. One of the main things I love about them and this EP is the imagery created with the lyrics and music. The lexical fields of vampires, love and darkness that can be found through all of the songs, paired with the gothic, theatrical and punky sound. 

There is an eerie start to this EP with the introduction of the first track; 'William, It Was Really Nothing' before the punchy guitars explode in. A nod to The Smiths' 'William, It Was Really Nothing', this song is a theatrical masterpiece - with dominating vocals supported by a stunning, gothic choir and powerful guitars. This contrasts beautifully with the gentle bell, piano and wind chime sounds towards the end of the song. All day I've had the chorus stuck in my head, which ends with "don't say I didn't warn you, you know I've been a hazard all along."  For me, this song is a sequel to the first song from Salem's debut EP - 'Fall Out Of Love' and 'Eyesore' with the lyrics "and she keeps telling me she's dangerous" where the love interest warns William he should fall out of love. 

The second track 'DRACULADS'; the lead single for this EP, was released on the 12th April. It's a dramatic, theatrical love song (or as Will Gould says, it's "about wanting to fuck a vampire"). It starts with fast paced, punchy drums that instantly hook you in. I fell in love with this track the first time I listened to it because of the haunting tones which sound as though they came straight from a gothic horror movie - it very quickly became one of my favourites. It could just be me, but it's the kind of song you sing into your hairbrush in front of a mirror!

The third track, 'Keep The Thorns' reminds me of good old-fashioned emo, but with added punkiness! This track has a mesmerising bridge, leading into the build up with the lyrics "I'll disregard the rose but keep the thorns". This builds into a chilling final chorus ending with the dramatic vocals "Guess I'll see you in hell" which leaves a huge impression on the listener. 

'Sweet Tooth' starts with a bang with confident, commanding vocals, fierce guitar and powerful drums. The loud and distorted sections of this track contrast beautifully with the more muted, laid-back choruses to create a passionate, dramatic song in true vampire-y fashion - which is what Salem do best!

The final track 'Heaven Help Me' begins with a catchy and attention-grabbing guitar riff. This hypes you up and gets you ready to jump around madly, and I look forward to hearing this one live! A definite mosh-pit contender, this heavy song is  driven along by fast paced drums, and Will's mesmerising vocals. A powerful end to the EP with the final lyric "Heaven help me now".  

I have been super excited to hear this EP,  today in the post I received my signed vinyl and some bat booty shorts! When some of the merch is booty shorts - you know it's gonna be a good EP!  Salem announced a UK tour this week and I'm happy to say I got tickets! Can't wait to see them live in October!





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