By Keith Walsh
Goth music is growing on me. It crept into my ears through interviews with Autumn Stay, WeirdWolves and Adoration Destroyed, and as I come to realize there’s some exemplary guitar and synth work on many Goth rock productions, I’m drawn deeper into it.
Vampyre is the new album by The Neuro Farm, and it’s a blood-rich affair, laden with heavy beats and atmosphere. Dark in theme and sound, but heavy with sweet melodies led by Rebekah Feng’s seductive soprano and violin work, Vampyre is darkly beautiful indeed. Brian Wolff lends vocals, guitar and bass, while Tim Phillips provides lovely synths and programming, and DreamD delivers drums and beat programming.
Vampyre is a concept album, with a story about Feng’s female protagonist, who overthrows her leader to become Vampire Queen. As albums about curses go, Vampyre has some very tasty sounds.
Take me, take my blood/Share with me your curse/Feed me, feed on me/Command me as my maker’ From “Maker,” by The Neuro Farm
There’s certainly an element of camp and glam rock to all of this – how could it be otherwise? There’s also elements of classic psychedelia here….”Enthralled” for example is heavily reminiscent of the 1960s. One could even find a lineage back to Bowie’s darkest days, as the guitars and synths are at times close to the textures found on Diamond Dogs. And of course, when one thinks of the greatest vampire stories, the works of Anne Rice come to mind. It’s all very theatrical. I’m sure the show The Neuro Farm puts on is magnificent.
There are aspirational themes here as well. As Wolff sings in “Purity,” Free yourself from sin/ from this dirty mortal realm/From this vessel of flesh and bone/Ascend to purity by my authority/To be loyal to God you must be loyal to me/So surrender to God and surrender to me” From “Purity,” by The Neuro Farm. Wolff’s egomaniacal character is eventually rejected, however.
Ironically, The Neuro Farm are located in Washington DC, a town besotted with corruption of a different kind. Bloodsucking, indeed.
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