Girl at the Rock Shows

There’s a mixture of excitement and stress when it comes to getting a new computer for me. My computer is my lifeline. It’s what I do this blog on and all of my booking work on, so yeah, it’s basically an extension of myself. I work my computers into the ground and, unfortunately, my last one finally gave up on me. I had gotten a new one, but it was too cheap and apparently couldn’t handle everything I put my computers through, so today, I had a brand new shiny one delivered. There was a thrill when I opened up the package. It smelled like a new computer and still felt shiny and clean. That thrill turned to stress as I tried to log in to all of my various accounts on the new one, and my brain was tested regarding remembering passwords. Now we have settled in, and it feels like life is back to normal, but I need a new album to really christen this new laptop into my life, so before I head out for the night, let’s take a listen to Cult Affections’ EP ‘The Envenom Series’.

“Sorry Charlie (An Intro)” starts as pure sinister chaos. It honestly sounds a bit like a b-side of an old-school Slipknot album, and I loved it. At first, the vocals just sound like scattered growls and screams with distorted and spaced-out instrumentation happening behind them, but as this intro progresses, the instrumentation comes into the forefront, almost pushing the vocals out ever so slightly. The vocals seem to get tired of the fight and start to fade out with the instrumentation at the end of this quick-opening track. “Sorry Charlie (An Intro)” is a heck of a way to introduce Cult Affections, and it made me super excited to see what this band is truly all about.

“Everybody’s Sick” starts with the sound that “Sorry Charlie (An Intro)” laid out. It’s chaotic and sinister, but after a little bit, you get to hear the authentic sound of Cult Affections press through the chaos, and it’s perfect. The vocals and instrumentation become a bit clearer with a new found punk influence. Don’t get me wrong, the controlled chaos and intensity remain the same, but something clears up about this band’s sound, and it instantly becomes addicting. Beyond the fast pace of this track and intensity, there’s an edge of drama and theatrics of this song that I found super intriguing. It’s mostly in the vocals for me and reminded me of My Chemical Romance but with much more of a metal and hardcore influence. “Everybody’s Sick” isn’t catchy in the traditional sense, yet something about this track will surely get stuck in your head after just one listen, which is truly remarkable.

Third on this EP is “Guillotine (Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell).” This track is more or less the same as far as overall vibe, but the vocals have a bit more of a gritty approach, giving it an almost retro vintage and a certain swagger that just can not be ignored. Add the fact that I got slight grunge influences throughout this track, and “Guillotine (Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell)” quickly turned into the kind of song that is so hard to peg down as far as trying to figure out the perfect style to classify it as. One thing is for certain, though- this song is through and through Cult Affections. It has their signature dramatic flare and that unmistakable sense of energy that Cult Affections clearly puts into everything they do.

I love how “Sidewalk Diving Team (You Were in My Dream Last Night)” starts. It starts with a simple drum pattern, and then, after a bar or so, the bass comes in; after a few bars of that, twinkly guitars come in and give this song a very sweet-sounding intro. Knowing what I know of Cult Affections, I knew that sweetness wouldn’t last, but the ramp-up when the more shredding guitars came in and took over was jarring and perfect. This song doesn’t quite bridge into the chaotic intensity style that the previous three songs did. It remains a bit more laid back when it comes to the beat and overall instrumentation, but the air of mystery that surrounds the vocals throughout this five-minute song gives you that standard Cult Affections feeling. Another thing I really liked about this more punk-leaning track is the gang vocals. It’s not just the way they sound but also what they say. What are they saying, you may ask? You’ll just have to listen to this track to find out. Five minutes is a bit lengthy for a random listen, but trust me, the movement and dynamics throughout this track make it more than worth it.

The next single on this album, “Where Angels Fear to Tread,” comes with a music video, and I highly suggest that, instead of just listening to the song, you also check out this video. The visuals in this video are insane. From nods to horror movies to haunted houses to what nightmares are made of, watching the band play through this track (while getting some insight into the creative forces behind this band with their visuals) really adds to the mystique behind this band. Although I feel like this video could have been made for any of the tracks on this EP, I love that this was the chosen song because I feel like it really showcases the diversity of Cult Affections. You get that My Chemical Romance drama, the slight grunge influences, and even that more punk influence that came through in “Everybody’s Sick.”

As you may know, I write these reviews the first time I listen to a song or watch a video. I feel like giving you my gut reaction to things is just kind of my thing, but writing this review of “Where Angels Fear to Tread” while watching the video for the first time proved difficult. I couldn’t focus on writing, couldn’t focus on the video, couldn’t focus on the music– there was just too much happening, and even though I watched the video multiple times trying to review it, I continue to find myself just completely lost for words. The production value behind this song, the song itself, the creepiness of it all, but also the perfection of it all– just absolutely a chef’s kiss. I know it’s early this year, but this song may very well end up in my favorite tracks of the year.

‘The Envenom Series’ ends with “Fly on Friday.” Just when I thought I had heard and seen it all from this band, they hit me with this final epic piece of art. This is a lengthy one at seven and a half minutes, but the journey is absolutely worth it. Although Cult Affections is amazing at storytelling throughout this album, I feel like you really feel the weight and heart that is put into their stories in this track. It’s not the most exciting song on this all-to-quick six-song release, but it will hit super hard if you let it.

I don’t remember how Cult Affections found me, but I know that I am beyond grateful. ‘The Envenom Series’ is absolutely brilliant through and through. Cult Affections are clearly taking themselves seriously. That’s proved by the time and production put into the music video, the brilliant and unique songwriting, and the overall recording quality of this EP. I expect 2025 to be the year of Cult Affections and encourage you to jump on this bandwagon immediately.

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