Black & White Cat / Black & White Cake – S/T

Throw on a leather jacket and mirror shades and let Buffalo deathrockers Black & White Cat / Black & White Cake be the soundtrack for your cemetery dance party with their debut self-titled album.
Inspired by the 1977 horror flick, The Sentinel, and formed six years ago by vocalist Dan Oh and guitarist John Toohill, this gothic five-piece delivers lo-fi melodic post-punk that’s cloaked in darkness and apathy. Rounding out the group and helping to bring their sound back from the dead are guitarist Dave Ward, bassist Paul Morin and synthesist Kelly Morduant.
Opening up this brooding collection of songs is the track “Useless” that encapsulates B&W Cat / B&W Cake’s macabre spirit. Oh’s cold, near-death vocals play perfectly against Toohill and Ward’s warm-blooded guitars; perfectly reflecting of the duality of life and death. It’s a great and catchy introduction to the band and their brand of punchy goth rock done Buffalo-style.
While the guitars are the lifeforce behind this record, Morin and Morduant stand out and conjure rumbling basslines and stalking synths that create a fun and foreboding atmosphere. Tying all these wonderfully eerie elements together are snappy, industrial drumbeats with a snare that cracks like blunt force trauma to your skull.
Another standout track includes “Forever.” This haunting song will have you looking over your shoulder on a foggy, moonlit night. Oh casts a stoic spell with a baritone and hymnal chant while Toohill and Ward’s guitars drone and eventually descend into wailing madness. It’s a steady, creepy tune to nod your head to and will have you listening to it… forever.
Overall this album shows a ton of promise for a group of ghouls who have dedicated years honing a sound that cozies up to your eardrums like a corpse in a coffin.
Brought to you by Swimming Faith Records, Black & White Cat / Black & White Cake S/T is available now on all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify. Don’t wait until the next full moon to give this record a spin.
Categorised in: Album Reviews, Buffalo
This post was written by Matt Burgerhoff