An idea that began to take shape in darkness of the underground somewhere in Berlin, Germany back in 2010, Priest have become an electronic musical odyssey unto themselves. First releasing their debut album New Flesh back in 2017, to raise further awareness of their material existence, it became well known that Priest indeed included former Nameless Ghouls of the massively popular Metal band Ghost. A far cry from anything any of the musicians were a part of with Ghost, what is equally as interesting when it comes to Priest is that their identities by and large are cloaked in mystique. Constructed as a trio, and all dressed in BDSM masks, they go by aliases; with Mercury on vocals, Salt on keyboards and Sulfur on keyboards/programming. Joining them is Simon Söderberg (previously known as Alpha and performing guitar in Ghost) handling much of the band’s production over the course of their reign.
With all these being the fundamental parts of this machine, Priest has successfully captured an audience with follow up releases such as the 2019 EP Obey, 2020’s LP Cyberhead, followed by 2022’s Body Machine. Each creating a dark, addictive form of Synthpop mixed with elements of Industrial/Electronic Dance that would make any Goth lover’s eyes brighten up, it is also safe to say that fans of everything from Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, or Soft Cell would absolutely love what Priest has to offer as well. This all considered, now in 2024 the dark electronic soundscape of Priest expands once again with their new album Dark Pulse.
Due out on May 31st through Label Blue Nine, Dark Pulse is the fourth overall full-length album from the band, and arguably the most captivating to date. Yes, their prior efforts all create a highly distinctive vibe and have bundles to offer, but it seems like with Dark Pulse Priest are raising the stakes even higher. In short, the atmosphere of Dark Pulse, while being as black and seductive as their previous works, seems to strike a new nerve. Difficult to quantify, something about these current songs feels much more energized. Chalked up with throbbing beats that burn into your brain, and featuring a production that is so lively, even if you fancy yourself a wallflower, you might want to get up and start dancing.
Truly something you can just press play and let flow through to the end without a hiccup, the 10 songs make for an ultimate dance party of Synthpop bliss. With simply no let up in terms of keeping your full attention, it seems almost unfair to single out only a few tracks, but for the sake of giving a description, must listens include “Burning Love,” “Black Venom,” “Demon’s Call,” and the extremely quirky “Dungeon Dance.” With these mentioned, you also simply cannot resist “Enter Your Body,” or the very alluring “A Demonic Game.”
Overall, Priest has managed to keep the songwriting fresh and exciting even this far into the game. Expanding on what they have done prior, and finding new ways to stimulate your ear drums, Dark Pulse is an absolute must listen for those who have discovered this band, but also those looking for something out there to awaken them from a slumber of boredom. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Dark Pulse 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment