MASS GOTHIC - Mass Gothic LP

Limited edition colour vinyl. Includes download code.

Wading through the sludge of melancholy in search for eternal happiness.
In life, you come across many moments in which you have to ask yourself “what the fuck am I doing?” and “Is this really what makes me happy, or is it what I think is supposed to make me happy?”.

Listening to Mass Gothic‘s debut, one can’t help but feel like they're experiencing Noel Heroux’s own existential crisis. In the opening seconds of “Mind Is Probably,” Heroux confesses to having made a mistake.

Dark melancholy guitar tones collide with dance-driven synths while steady drums drive forward to overcome the sense of crushing sadness, ultimately exploding into a chaos of distorted guitar wails. “Own The Road” eases through the murky haze before giving way to the uplifting synth grooves of “Want To, Bad.” The pop song hints at the classic 90s Madchester scene. Once again Heroux’s guitar cuts through the song with blaring distortion, providing an additional sense of urgency as the song picks up pace. “Pier Pressure” manages to simultaneously float and dissolve. Synths drift into long blurs while the rhythm section propels the song. “Nice Night” is characterized by Heroux’s deep distorted guitar sludge while his vocals come across as a mix of Cobain and Mew’s Jonas Bjerre. The song manages to carry many characteristics of stoner rock without being stoner rock.

It’s quickly followed by the Ronettes-indebted pop of “Every Night You’ve Got To Save Me.” Mass Gothic manages to turn codependency into one catchy-as-hell love song. Continuing the ups and downs, “Money Counter” slows things down once again. “Territory” stays afloat over a circular pattern of synths before Heroux breaks down further on “Soul” with a return of sludge guitars Heroux’s most manic vocal performance. The album closes out “Subway Phone,” which feels likely a sad goodbye.