Welcome to the house of black and white it’s time for change
A hundred million voices drowning out the flames
Washington, DC’s Amulet is bringing high-energy alt-rock with a new album, entitled House of Black + White. Fronted by goth fashion icon Stephanie Stryker. The album is the brainchild of Stryker and MJ Phoenix. The sixteen tracks – nearly 1 hour 15 mins of music – are all original material written by Stryker and Phoenix.
Each track conjures raw emotion, heartbreak, and hope: in a pandemic-strangled nation beset by social justice struggles, the album is intense, sophisticated rock music. A pyrrhic victory…kicking life back in the teeth with a steel-toed boot. Written, recorded, and mastered during lockdown, the album is a bass-driven dark rock experience led by powerful female vocals and blistering guitar and drums.
The album opens with the titular song, with Stryker’s emotive vocals leading in with a pensive piano. The song structure is vaguely reminiscent of an old folk tune but amped up with a killer guitar. Following up is the haunting Last Ditch, with an extraordinary build-up into a banshee howl. Another standout track is the eerie Witch Finder, which launches into a satisfying organ and spooky guitar work. Each song on the album is masterfully crafted and performed, defying genre but embracing numerous influences from PJ Harvey to Siouxsie to The Damned. Stryker has a strong gravitas in her performance, lifting the intensity of the lyrics into emotional ebbs and flows.
In addition to Stryker’s lead vocals and Phoenix’s bass/guitar/keys, the band also comprises drummer Caleb Gilbeath, with additional rhythm and lead guitar by John Taylor. Piano was provided by Lori Taylor, and some additional guitar by Gavin Shire. The album was engineered at Exhale Studios in Herndon, VA; and Mastered at Blue Room Studios in Bethesda, MD.
Watch the video for Vampire below:
Stream the album here exclusively from Bandcamp. It is not to be missed.
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