Golem Dance Cult - Ghost of Las Vegas (self-released)

Anything that reverberates with the shadowed glory reminiscent of bands like Bauhaus, weaving their slow, seductive tendrils of sound, always strikes a chord with me. Now, I ain’t suggesting that the awesomely named Golem Dance Cult is out there looting or mimicking those past glories. But, let me tell you, if these cats had surfaced back in the late ’70s, smack in the middle of the UK post-punk scene, they’d have shared the stage with shocking regularity.

But hey, that was then, and this is now. “Ghost of Las Vegas,” a killer title for a track, isn’t just about playing instruments; it’s about crafting an atmosphere. A steady beat and throbbing, deliberate basslines keep things anchored to a slick groove. Yet, above that foundation, everything feels less rigid, and wilfully loose, it’s a beautiful thing.

Guitars either echo mysteriously in the background or slash through the forefront with unbridled aggression. Vocals dance between poetic deliveries and half-whispered chants, creating a sonic landscape that adds to the slow-burning haze the band conjures as the song hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion. Probably oblivion, but who’s complaining?

And let’s talk about the video; it’s a masterclass in ratcheting up the tension. An array of visuals meander between blurry found footage and stark, clinical, often trippy imagery.

When you take it all in, the whole package feels like a plunge into madness—a sonic descent into a claustrophobic otherworld. It’s a collapse of senses in the face of something irresistibly compelling, intense, and downright diabolical. If H.P. Lovecraft were kickin’ it today, he’d be ditching the pen for a guitar, jamming with these folks. I’m DEAD serious.

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