Album review: STRANGE BROUE â âSĂANCEâ
(Indica)
Do you like Electric Wizard? Because itâs clear that Strange Broue does. Itâs not an uncommon influence among the countless number of bands springing up these days, but Strange Broue manages to rise above the generic legions with some of the most unique Wizard worship this side of the Black Mass. Lead by the mysterious self-proclaimed âBrouemaster,â SĂANCE is as much enormous, distorted riffs as it is a chronicle of the Satanic Panic craze of the 70âs and 80âs. Littered throughout the EP (a generous 35+ minutes) are samples from then-era news reports, televangelical propaganda, and of course horror films. These are usually over shorter instrumental tracks, which set up a great atmospheric tone for each historical foray into the often misunderstood fascination with the occult. Strange Broueâs previous album, THE MYSTIFYING ORACLE, was a beautiful showcase of what this band has to offer, but being more a collection of previous singles and EPâs, felt a little disjointed. With SĂANCE, it is clear the band had a much more focused approach to the execution. Beyond the many samples and atmospheric instrumentals, the true songs (each labeled âSĂŠance I-Vâ) are all well composed pieces. Creating heavy, plodding rhythms and then layering wailing distorted vocals and creative guitar solos over the top, each song feels like a real heavy-hitter. The final song on the album, a cover of the Louvin Brothers country-gospel classic âSatan is Real,â is an absolute masterstroke that is sure to be a hit at your next ritual gathering.
Artwork/Packaging:
The varying artwork on this release is dependant on which version you are able to snag. You canât lose with any option, however I was fortunate enough to get my claws on a limited edition die-hard version of the cassette. The actual artwork on the cassette is a fairly standard Baphomet pentagram on a red background with the expected album information on the opposite side. It is how the tape is packaged that makes it truly unique. Housed within a repurposed VHS case with new, original artwork made to look like a forbidden rental at the back of a dive 80âs video store, it is also coupled with a handful of printed material, a litany of satanic propaganda to thumb through while you immerse yourself in the theme of the package. This is a truly special collection that you can tell the band put a lot of work into. Released on CD and cassette, both versions are currently available on the Strange Broue bandcamp, in both die-hard and normal editions. Based on the demand and response, there is a planned limited vinyl release for the coming months.
Strange Broue on Bandcamp
















