You never get much notice of a new Rosetta Stone album, it just sort of appears one day - And so it is with the latest offering, Under the Weather.

Let’s be honest here, I could repeat my review of the Cryptology album from September 2020, and it would all still be valid.

It’s uncanny, both albums 10 tracks long with only one being over 4 mins and in both cases, that’s the last track.

The drum machine and insistent, thudding bass are still in attendance topped with that very goth like vocals and a large dose of melody.

We Turned Away is probably my favourite track probably for the subtle changes in pace between verse and chorus which is unusual for a Rosetta Stone track.

If you like your goth circa the Sisters in ’85 then you will thoroughly enjoy this but it’s also likely to leave a lot of listeners indifferent to its unique charms

 Sometimes you catch a gig and immediately know the bad are definitely going to be better on stage than in the studio. I’ve always thought this about The Levellers and now I can add Vazum to the list.

We caught the American duo playing a fantastic gig at the Exeter Cavern and now the new album, Western Violence, is out

It’s good fun but not essential, the band claim to be ‘deathrock’ but inspiration from the British goth scene hang heavily in the air and there is definitely something about The Cramps about them

The track, Alien for example has a very pronounced Siouxsie feel in the chorus.

The contrasting male /female vocals keep things interesting even when the pacing on the tracks seem a little too similar at times.

My favourite track is Blush with its insistent melodic refrain and lyrics which are basically ‘we don’t like the cold’.

A band worth investigating but look out for live dates if possible.