The March Violets – Sold to the Devil

Purple Pledgers got the download of The March Violets new double album Made Glorious today.

If you want to listen to a stereotypical Gothic dirge, you’ll be disappointed. Oh dear, poor petals…

If you want to listen to a musically and lyrically diverse album with a gothic punk vein on a massive load of dance disco stimulants then you’ll be very happy. Pirates everywhere will be happy.

The Psycho Killer lives next door,
Washes the car,
Mows the lawn,
And takes the dog out for a walk.
(It’s nothing personal)

Indeed, if you want to listen to a gothic pirate sea shanty then Ramming Speed is for you !

When I was the size of a bottle of rum,
I was sold to the devil,
By my evil old Mum!

Sold for the price of a barrel of gin,
A hand full of ‘baccy
And a silver pin…

This is a really great album from a really great band, not some plodding retro luke warm dish re-tread. This is off-beat manic stuff. Its not an “easy” album to listen to by any means, but it is a keeper. The March Violets always came out with real odd stuff like “Long Pig” and “Bon Bon Babies” and this album continues this theme. I can see where they get some of their inspirations.

The tracks relased on the previous EPs also receive a lot of re-working – some subtle like on London’s Drowning, but more radical changes like on We Are All Gods which mixes the live version with an almost EBM crunching drum machine and synth.

I’m looking forward to the remixes as well – oh dear another Purple Pledger exclusive…