Band: Godsticks

CD Title: “Spiral Vendetta”

Label: Independent Release

Label Website:

Release Date: 2010

Following up on their well received EP the trio known as Godsticks have released their first full length CD entitled Spiral Vendetta. This Welsh outfit has also seen some personnel change in that time as well. The band is made up of Darren Charles (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Steve Roberts (drums, keyboards) and newcomer Bryan Beller (bass). On the strength of that first EP the band worked hard to get in front of people even playing a prog festival or two. The live performance has certainly helped hone their chops.

Spiral Vendetta features 10 tracks and starts off with the breezy “The Offer Still Stands” [2:53] a track that on the surface comes across as a mid-tempo pop song with a busy undercurrent. Like most of Godsticks’ music the arrangements play a big role in giving off a prog sensibility. There sounds like a lot going on for a three piece. The next track, one of the longest “Unnerving Allure” [6:00] starts off with some bubbling bass work that leads into the vocals. The general musical tone here is one of rolling movement. And while they don’t present too many dramatic musical changeups in their compositions, choosing rather to let the tune kind of evolve, here at the 3:00 mark the tune shifts gears quite nicely getting almost ominous in tone. The overall tone of the music on Spiral Vendetta is one of minor keys presented with a jazzy flair. Over the course of the CD you hear that jazz influence on brief interludes or solos from guitar bass and drums at different times giving the music a feeling of complexity. Most of the tunes here tend to take that mid-tempo approach although some like “Norman” [6:08] get a little more up-tempo, intense and almost aggressive at times, overall though one is left with a feeling a smooth latte from your favorite coffee shop.

If you like your music with a jazzy flair with an almost quirky, off-kilter delivery the music presented by Godsticks on Spiral Vendetta is just the ticket. The 10 tracks showcase a very unique musical style that is well structured and played with an accomplished flair. This is a disc that will likely find a soft-landing spot in any prog collectors CD shelf.