Ides of Gemini - Carthage / Strange Fruit

It’s not often you hear 'ethereal' and 'doom metal' in the same sentence, but this California dark wave trio have been making eerie, gothic music for several years now and this is their special contribution to Record Store Day. Former label-mates of otherworldly, sinister merry-makers over at Neurot Recordings like Neurosis, Tribe of Neurot, Amber Asylum, and Swans mainstay Jarboe, the Ides deliver ominous, haunting music, perfect for séances, witches covens, and backyard barbecues with the neighbourhood goths – think Siouxsie & The Banshees (ca Join Hands) meets Dead Can Dance.

'Carthage' adds a metallic crunch (earnestly propelled by drummer, graphic designer, and Adjunct label-head, Kelly Johnston) to bassist/vocalist Sera Timm’s siren wailing, while the flip is a pants-shitting horrorshow version of the Billie Holiday track that’s even more sinister in these surroundings. The lyrics were always unnerving, but the band arrange it as a funeral dirge which suits its content and message perfectly.