Review of God Module's 'Seance'

[Tony Vilgotsky]

What do we get if we mix down electro-goth and aggrotech music, then spice it up with a good close of bloody horrors and finally send the result straight to the brain via USB? The answer is obvious – we get God Module! Sonic wizards from Bothell, Washington who never stop surprising the world even though this band released its first album 13 years ago. What dark secrets will they reveal to us this time?

The main difference between SEANCE and its predecessors is the sharp turn to mysticism and monumentalism. If on previous couple of releases GM’s mastermind Jasyn Bangert delivered a lot of grim images which were terrifying from the first seconds of their presence in the listener’s mind, then now his ‘modus operandi’ has become closer to psychological thriller than to gore and splatter. The melodic storyboard of Jasyn’s newest electronic spooky pieces is drawing us in not immediately but step by step – and, as before, it never will let us go back home…

The basis for the lyrical conception in this case is not the bloody slashers or the monster movies – but the mystical thrillers about ghosts and sectarians. The cover artwork is brilliantly reflects the spirit that the album is saturated with. But there is something new on SEANCE too, something uncharacteristic to God Module before. Who could imagine that these die-hard fans of horror movies would ever be drawn to the legacy of Sylvester Stallone, quoting from Demolition Man?! But that’s exactly what has happened in the song named “M.D.K.” (Murder Death Kill, of course).

The presence of Clint Carney (this is the first God Module’s LP with him as a constant member) is felt throughout the album’s sound very well.

The most notable tracks on SEANCE are: “Quija”, “Devil’s Night”, “Doppelganger”, “M.D.K.”, “Rituals” and – especially – “Video”, the one, which is dedicated, I guess, to the golden era of VHS tapes when the majority of cult horror movies were released.

Tony Vilgotsky