As readers of the old Leonard’s Lair site will know, I’m rather fond of post-punk acts. One band that I hadn’t heard of until very recently were Soul Merchants, a Denver band who existed for a brief period in the mid-80s. The band termed their style “psychedelic death rock”; a fitting description for an outfit who borrowed from 60’s psych as much as they did from the punk and goth scene.
I received a sampler of their new compilation and I can highly recommend the group to fans of Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy and – going back a bit further – The Pretty Things. At their best – the spindly guitars and ghostly harmonies of ‘Joanna’ and the chilling wordless chorus to ’Crown Of Glory’ - they were moody, dark and intense. They also have a strange taste for spooky ghost train noises, from bone-shaking cackles to a deathly fairground organ sound. Surprisingly those tracks work in a charming way that you couldn’t get away with now. Check them out if you dare on the album stream provided!
Web Sites:
Soul Merchants MySpace
Smooch Records Site
After many months of litigation, the band ultimately succeeded in extracting themselves from the contract. ,