EP Review: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers - Towers of Silence
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I think I’ve just found out why the phrase “utterly bonkers” was created, and as soon as you listen to the debut EP from A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, you will fully understand why. I’ve played it several times now and each time my heads spins a little more trying to figure out not only what the hell is going on, but also, how have they done that?
The Dutch four piece come from diverse musical backgrounds, and they’ve taken this, put it into a melting pot, added an angry, anxious narrative and come up with three songs that will test anyone’s musical and political allegiances. With a name that references amongst other things, a Van der Graff Generator song and a Robert Eggers film, their sound is distinctive as it crosses over from metal to jazz, from sludge to spiritual enlightenment so there’s plenty to keep the listener interested.
It begins with four hits on the cymbal from drummer Derek Twiss as he opens “Massacre of Flour” and it’s a social comment about the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It’s a quite ferocious song, with many complex layers wrapped up in some tender moments, with powerful vocals from Joost Verhagen. The bass from Sterre Marree illuminates the composition before they go all spiritual with the use of a shruti and tanpura. And this is where they keep you thinking, what happens next, where does it lead? The answer, another two minutes of madness with screeching guitars and screaming vocals.
The wonderfully titled “I Fuck People” is next, which offers support for the marginalised queer communities, and it sounds like a maelstrom of avant garde jazz meets metal. It’s all over the shop and your head is being battered as Tristan “Lama Waaien” adds saxophone alongside playing guitar. The jazz infusion is fun and builds to a mighty crescendo before easing off slightly and then erupting over the phlegm inducing vocals.
The title track rounds off the EP, with “Towers of Silence” being the longest song at just over 9 minutes and you are immediately greeted with the sounds of a journey into a utopian spiritual world. It gives you food for thought, in this complex world we are currently part of, but the music is beautiful before the ethereal vocals invade your wandering mind. It’s a minimalist, stripped back approach, in stark contrast to the previous two songs, but most importantly, it gives us an insight into the minds of these four musicians.
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