EP: GHXST 'Nowhere' - GigslutzGigslutz

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Coming straight from your nightmares, we present GHXST. Alright, the trio are actually Brooklyn-based, but the doom-impending, no-wave sound of their upcoming EP is sure to bring you some pleasant dreams of satanic rituals and demonic creatures walking about.

From beginning to end, Nowhere draws an apocalyptic soundscape filled with mammoth guitar riffs, oceans of reverb and frontwoman Shelley X’s listless vocals, that do not soar but rather float on the noise like a ship in a storm. It is one of those EPs that hardly lets you focus on any individual tracks, but rather fuses them to immerse you into a world of its own; and the world of Nowhere is a dark, dark place that you wouldn’t want to find yourself in, but is rather enjoyable if you watch, or in this case listen to it burn from a distance.

For me, the best quality of GHXST’s output on their latest EP is that amidst all the layers of buzzing guitars and apocalyptic noise, their songs never forget that they are songs. They keep a structured appearance, with a subtle melody at the bottom of each track, rather than a shapeless pile of noise. That said, there is little variation in the sound of the different tracks, which makes the record repetitive, and with the downbeat ‘Galaxia’, it closes off on a rather plodding tempo.

While not showcasing a perfect record, with Nowhere and their formula of noise rock with infectious riffs, and grungy nihilistic vocals that speak of impending doom, GHXST are definitely on to something. Especially good if you find yourself in a particularly infuriated mood, and you want to channel the negative energy into headbanging to some cool heavy guitars.

Nowhere is out on 26 January via CLUB.THE.MAMMOTH.