GOLD - Why Aren’t You Laughing Now (2019)

Hailing from the Netherlands, GOLD is a band that has been on our radar for quite a while since we saw them at Roadburn festival in 2013. Playing a interesting mixture of Dark Rock with Post-Metal/Punk/etc. elements, this band has a very unique and crafty sound that instantly makes them recognizable. With the current wave of bands playing Psychedelic Rock and all variants, GOLD is one that stands above the rest thanks to their crafty music and interesting amalgamation of styles.

As soon as “He is Not” opens, we get a certain mysterious vibe and then the sultry vocals of Milena Eva take over the driver’s seat. As one of the signature elements of the band, Milena’s vocals are the perfect mixture of enigmatic and intoxicating. After the opening track ends with a Post-Rock-ish passage, the band changes pace to a more mellow lounge-ish tempo in “Things I Wish I Never Knew”. The guitar work is quite excellent and there are definitely more than a few layers to digest.

The album title track delivers a superbly catchy Post-Punkish song that is quite exhilarating and will instantly make you love this release. The blend of styles and elements from multiple genres is quite interesting as it reveals to you once you hear this track more than a few times. Turning a bit darker, “Please Tell Me You’re Not the Future”, “Taken By Storm” and “Wide-Eyed” deliver more intricate tempo changes, heavy guitar riffs and interesting vocal melodies that continue to keep this release interesting and engaging.

The versatility of the band to deliver the light-hearted “Lack of Skill” and then move into full-on experimental mode with the Post-Rock-ish undertones of “Truly, Truly Disappointed” and the somber “Killing at Least 13”, is what makes GOLD a very interested in hard to characterize band. Our personal favorite track in this release is the dreamy “Mounting into Bitterness”, a song that we have listened to over 40 times in the last week or so.

If you want a truly unique release that seamlessly blends all kinds of styles together into a cohesive melting pot of magic aural sweetness, then look no further and pick up a copy of “Why Aren’t You Laughing Now”. As GOLD continues to evolve their sound, we are quite impressed that they always managed to find new elements to enrich their unique take on music. This album is a must have for fans of Purson, God is an Astronaut, Les Discrets, Varsovie, and everything in between.

Label: Arftoffact

Release: April 5th, 2019

Genre: Dark Rock/Experimental Rock

Country: Netherlands