Words by: Jono Coote
Photos: Ricky Adam
It sounds like the pinnacle of music journalism cliché but Salem Rages are truly a tough band to pigeonhole into a genre. Their blend of punk rock and gothic opera is reminiscent at times of The Damned or Joe Wood era TSOL but with added hints of hardcore, indie, the bark of a frontside grind at New Bird and the slap of a silver cross against Danzig’s chest wig.
Live they are a reliably raucous whirlwind of chugging guitars, howled vocals and eye makeup, a theatrical stand out on the hardcore bills they are often found on. Bemusing to some, by dint of these ferocious live shows and a genuine drive which gives lie to their punk roots they have built up a loyal following of Salem Sect members around the country.
With new album ‘Splinters’ just released on Visible Noise, I sent some questions to the band which were then printed out, replies were handwritten and the finished scrawled documents were then scanned back for return – summing up fairly succinctly the way in which the group operates, nothing by halves here!
