Kev Rowland
Released at the beginning of 2022, this is the final album to feature singer Reverend Jeyzus, who has since been replaced by Chronic Procrastinator , with the rest of the line-up being guitarist Piton, drummer Melissa Rable and bassist Kaptain. I have known Piton for some years now, and have always enjoyed his different bands, and there is something about Ygodeh which is uncompromising, metallic, brutal, electronic, industrial and steampunk, all at the same time. This is music which is twisted, dark and uncompromising, belonging only in the dark places and the shadows and never out in the light. That it is also strangely commercial at times only adds to the feeling of not belonging, and why “Scapegoat” reminds me of Geoff Mann and Twelfth Night is possibly due more to my warped synapses than any intention on the band’s part.
They may have come from a death metal background, and there are still some elements of that in what they are performing, this album has much more of a synth background, with melodies being twisted out of the keyboards, the rhythm section keeping it tight and the guitars coming in and out for effect. Reverend Jeyzus switches between speaking, singing melodically and growling manically as the band perform music for the post-apocalyptic age. Harsh but perfectly in tune with the times, Ygodeh have produced yet another album which is truly worthy of close investigation. With a female singer now onboard it is going to be interesting to see what the future is going to be like for this band, but there is no doubt it will be interesting and uncompromising.