Holy Scum - Strange Desires (PINK FOG VINYL) |

"Holy Scum". Say it out loud. It's a name that can't help but be spat out viciously; a snarling exclamative that fits the bludgeoning sludge and feedback drenched improv rock that its progenitors unleash on their debut for Rocket Recordings, Strange Desires. Initially a Manchester-based collaboration between guitarist Peter J Taylor (formerly of Action Beat) GNOD co-founder Chris Haslam on bass and his bandmate Jon Perry on drums, the thick gauze of Holy Scum's jams have been pulled apart in production by one of half of legendary hip-hop duo Dalek, Mike Mare (aka Mike Manteca). He also provides the growling, guttural vocals. "When Mike got involved it became another thing entirely to what we had originally perceived" notes Haslam "He added a whole new dimension to what we had been working on." "He kept asking if it was okay to fuck what we sent him up and we kept asking him to fuck it up even more" adds Taylor. "I kept referencing My Bloody Valentine in terms of creating a wall of noise, but we wanted it to be heavy as fuck." The resulting dystopian tumult of sound thus also finds itself somewhere above and beyond the sonic scorched earth inhabited by early Swans, Godflesh and Shit And Shine. "All of the lyrics revolve around the collapse of society, feeling numb watching it happen, what it’s like on the other side communicating with the dead and looking to other worlds for relief" reckons Mare. Indeed, Strange Desires is a record for the moment, and beyond. A howl amidst a world fallen off its axis. Holy Scum are unflinching in their confrontation, meeting fire with fire on this most stunning debut.