Almost exactly two years ago, MV saw Sick N Beautiful play a show opening for Wednesday 13 and announced: “This is musical theatre, and whatever galaxy you’re in, you couldn’t ignore Sick N Beautiful.”
As well as that show, they also opened for Cradle Of Filth—and the odd thing about all of it is, they probably would have fitted in there too.
They are heavy, but they’re quite unlike anything else out there. Veering from the stomping “Human Is Overrated” to the industrial tinges of “My Wounds”—a theme that “Death Police” explores further. As harsh as anything Stabbing Westward were doing in the 90s, but as heavy as any metal. This is an innovative outfit.
As you’d expect from a band with an eye for theatrics, there’s a grandiosity about “Haunted”, and L0R1 excels on lead guitar.
SNB are one of those bands that you just know are writing songs imagining how they’ll sound live. “Hate Manifesto” is absolutely that.
“Septem Maleficas” sees Herma—the force of nature that fronts them—reckon that her halo is broken. It’s not a shock, but you can imagine Wednesday 13 having a go at the track.
He wouldn’t pull off the orchestral flavours of the mid-paced “Raise The Dragon,” though, and that’s how Sick N Beautiful roll. The chorus is where this one breathes its fire.
When this ups the energy, it’s superb. “Railride” ushers itself in on a technicolour wave of metal, throwing everything in all at once—and benefiting from just that.
“God Save The Bride” (God help her might be more accurate) assaults the senses, and “The Rat King” shines in its glam rock clothing.
There’s a whole backstory with the band—aliens from The Ship Of Satan In Space, or something. Regular readers will know that I care not a jot for such things, and instead only whether the songs are any good. So of much more importance is this: Horror Vacui comes from the Latin, meaning “fear of emptiness”—and make no mistake about it, there’s nothing empty here. The album is fairly brimming with ideas and superb songs.
RATING: 8.5/10
REVIEW: SICK N BEAUTIFUL – HORROR VACUI (2025)
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