If love can’t outlast the grave, then what’s the point of it all? Los Angeles goth outfit The Sweet Kill, helmed by Pete Mills, stands as a gothic-rock tour-de-force, a dark presence in a world of cold wave synths and brooding guitars. With his smooth baritone, Mills guides the listener through a bleak sonic terrain stretching over wind-swept moors and past crumbling Gothic ruins. His voice, like a haunting refrain, pulls at the heartstrings, evoking the desolate beauty of a long-lost romantic era.
Mills channels a sorrow that cuts to the bone, drawing comparisons to Sisters of Mercy, The Cult, and London After Midnight. The guitars rumble like distant thunder, while the synths pulse steadily, cold and unyielding, as Mills sings with the weight of a man who knows heartbreak too well. The Sweet Kill delves deep into the darker chambers of the soul, where despair and longing collide.
His latest single, Blood Red Roses, offers a tale of love as both a blessing and a curse, a lover’s spell that binds and breaks. The lyrics speak of the painful grip of desire, where passion cuts deep, and the roses bloom with both beauty and brutality. It’s a song of torment, of being bound to a love that wounds as much as it seduces. The heart, though shattered, is drawn ever closer to the sweet destruction.
Lyrically, ‘Blood Red Roses’ weaves a rich tapestry of religious themes and metaphors, invoking the crucifixion—the ultimate act of sacrifice—and the unwavering faith in resurrection. In the realm of gothic literature, parallels are drawn between the holy communion in blood and the dark covenant of iconic vampires like Nosferatu, Dracula, and Vourdalak. Legends recount how those who witnessed such haunting spectacles etched their tales into history, whispering of eternal life.
In this context, roses—deep crimson and tinged with blood—become powerful symbols of a love forged in sacrifice. The inspiration for writing Blood Red Roses emerged from a serene moment of introspection, its haunting hook taking shape during a meditative moment when frontman Pete Mills drifted beyond time into a spiritual plane. The themes explored in the track also delve into a toxic love that spirals into depravity yet clings desperately to the flicker of hope for rebirth and redemption—all things part and parcel regarding religious fervor and pacts sealed in blood.
The video for the song, inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation—particularly the infrared scenes of Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) in the arena—was shot by Ellen Hawk. It showcases Mills’ multi-instrumental talents and mirrors the song’s intensity, capturing the complex emotions at the heart of Blood Red Roses.
Watch the video for “Blood Red Roses” below:
Shadow Zone Sound, Mills’ own recording sanctuary, is where all of The Sweet Kill’s dark creations come to life. Both Darkness (2023) and Nowhere (2024), released under Germany’s Young & Cold Records, bear his unmistakable mark. Mills muses on Nowhere, “It questions the soul’s journey between life and death—are we adrift in the ether, or are we forever found, never truly lost?”
With Blood Red Roses, released on Shadow Zone Records (USA), Mills ushers in the autumn season, its themes as chilling and bittersweet as the fall itself. This release hints at a new album waiting in the wings for 2025, promising more of Mills’ reflections on love, loss, and the fleeting nature of existence. His studio, much like his music, is a vessel for exploring the darker edges of the human condition—where every note, every lyric, searches for meaning in the spaces between life and the infinite unknown.
Blood Red Roses is out now. Order Here
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