It is clear from the very first note that the Venus Grrrls knew exactly what they wanted from this five-track EP: to take the unease of grunge and drape it in a darkly alluring, mysterious and sensual gothic rock. An objective that, however strange it may sound on paper, is fully and convincingly achieved. The EP was recorded in Spain (“it was cheaper for us to fly to producer Brad Mair than it was to bring him to the UK”) in a quick and feverish session that delivered five tracks packed with thematic references. “Mother Knows”, a particularly emotionally charged track with a killer chorus, draws inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with a nod to the rather morbid legend surrounding the writer’s loss of virginity, allegedly on her own mother’s grave. The sensual and visceral undertones of “Carmilla” capture that mood perfectly, teetering between classic romanticism and a more contemporary restlessness, feeling both utterly convincing and deeply compelling. Five tracks are not exactly a lot to go on for a thorough verdict, but the appetiser served up by Venus Grrrls is more than enough to leave us genuinely eager to see what they have in store next.
To Die as Lovers May (2026 – Killabop)
