In a similar manner to biologist Stephen Jay Gould’s famous declaration that “there’s no such thing as a fish”, it could also be (provocatively) argued that “there’s no such thing as The Horrors”. Gould’s maxim is designed to point out that the word “fish” is an umbrella term used to describe many different, often-unrelated aquatic vertebrates. “The Horrors” is a similar catch-all term, one that describes a band in constant metamorphosis, who emerge on each new album as a practically different taxonomic species.
Considering their name, origins and lingering goth aesthetic (frontman Faris Badwan still resembles Nosferatu if he lived in Hackney), few of The Horrors’ releases have ever truly felt like being enveloped by a seductive veil of gothic darkness. The vantablack colour scheme of ‘Night Life’ goes some way to correcting this. These nine tracks withdraw the pedal-heavy guitars and glittering synths that had become prominent throughout their discography, in favour of moody basslines, processed drums and Badwan’s restrained baritone vocals.
The Horrors come up with a rogue’s gallery of dark and unique delights. ‘The Silence That Remains’ encapsulates ‘Night Life’s crepuscular palette. Lacking almost any discernible guitars, this techno-rock pulse-pounder lets its bassline and kinetic drums lead this thrillingly alive and wholly original track. Opener ‘Ariel’ is an off-kilter stunner; five minutes of jet-black beauty that eschews familiar structuring in service of a nonetheless accessible pop track, one that culminates in a hair-raising explosion of abstract electronics.
Not every track reaches these heights. ‘Trial By Fire’ is an intense industrial rock rager that’s impressively forceful, but lacks the atmosphere that makes the aforementioned highlights so compelling. However, as a (black) whole, ‘Night Life’ is an impressive return from a band that has taken a long time to metamorphose into this fabulous current form.
The band have spent their 20-year-long career playfully traversing various musical kingdoms, moving through youthful goth punk, resplendent shoegaze, bright neo-psych, techno-brutality and now, into dark electro-rock. However, their best – specifically 2009’s brilliant ‘Primary Colours’, along with this latest full-length – see them transcend genre pastiche and revel in a host of dense, singular and potent soundscapes.
Viewing their discography today, it’s as though The Horrors arrived in the early hours, pushed on through the brightening stages of the day, through the vibrant glory of the early evening and have now returned to the depths of the darkest night. It feels like this is where they belong.
Details
- Record label: Fiction Records
- Release date: March 21, 2025