Candy & The Dead - Children Of The Dust

Candy & The Dead

Children Of The Dust
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Zach Rembrandt (vocals), Spikes Michael Jamieson (guitars/vocals), Meka NYDoll (bass/) and  Lee 'Ludros' Schoevers (drums) are the band Candy & The Dead. They are paying homage to ’80s post punk and goth on their release Children Of The Dust. The band is influenced by Christian Death and Sisters of Mercy but you can also hear traces of Joy Division.

This is dark, raw rock that’s basic but fun. It’s the type of music that would be fun to see live. Some of the songs like “Dirty Drug Song” are catchy and sing-along worthy in the same way some of the songs from the Rocky Horror Picture Show are.

The band opens with “Black Acid” and right away I enjoyed the ghoulish vocals of Rembrandt. There is a good amount of hyperbolic inflection in his singing which works just fine. There really isn’t much to the song besides a couple of distorted guitar chords, a drum beat and a steady bass line. Deliciously simple yet effective. You can also hear a decent amount of ’80s metal in the music. 

“Dirty Drug Song” is one of the catchiest songs on the album, more specifically the chorus when they sing the title of the song. That being said “Children Of The Dust” is pretty catchy and feels drenched in goth. The vocalist sings, “Apocalyptic, interceptor, V8 evil, dystopic centred, nuclear, petrol vengeance, wasteland, you're my protection.”

“Dahlia (layers)” is mostly atmosphere and vocals. The percussion gets a break here. “Victim Of The Vacuum” is certainly goth but something about the lyrics “Victim Of The Vacuum” made me chuckle while he was singing. I was thinking very literal here as if a vacuum beat you up and stole your money.

​This album isn’t paving new roads for post-rock or goth but rather salutes some of the pioneers of the past. I can appreciate that.

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