When we first met The Horrors in 2006, they were a spooky-ooky post-goth, post-punk band of young Brits biting off the heads of The Birthday Party and Screamin’ Lord Sutch to make their own brand of hepped-up garage stomp. In their earliest promo stills for 2007 debut Strange House, they looked like ’86 Mötley Crüe gone mod, but over the years, and two more albums, their sound and looks mellowed into your basic indie-goth Everyman outfit. Their third LP, last month’s Skying, sees the band now fully immersed in Joy Division structure, Echo & The Bunnymen eeriness and Brian Eno ambience. This progression started on 2009 sophomore outing Primary Colours, which was named Album of the Year by NME. The band hasn’t totally left behind the rave-ups, though, with new songs “Endless Blue” and the Stone Roses-echoing “Dive In” sure to thrill the club crowds. If you miss old, fun and dour Interpol, you should probably plant yourself in front of The Horrors on Monday night.
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2011.