Why yes, that is the album cover

Remember that moment in fashion a few years back when models swanned around in vintage metal T-shirts? Gold are the musical equivalent - raiding the closet for bullet belts and leather jackets and upcycling what they find into something approaching (gasp) pop music.

(why yes, that is the album cover)

It's all relative. I mean, their No Image album still comes with big, big riffs, thunderous drumming (mixed really high and sounding great) and songs which stand 'as a monument to civilisation's decline.' But the vocals are clean, the tunes average out around 4 minutes and mostly go verse/BIG CHORUS/verse.

You can listen to the whole album on Bandcamp here.  Or watch the video for The Controller below.

The overall effect is if Garbage (and singer Milena Eva does have a touch of the Shirley's about her vocally) had put out Vow and then decided to get heavier, without sacrificing any of the pop nous that made them so initially promising in the first place.

The opening trio of Servant, Old Habits and O.D.I.R (Only Death Is Real, natch) make No Image a real statement of intent, and while the album sags a little in the middle it also ends strongly .

Metallic art pop, then. Or pop art metal. Either way, Gold are doing something I don't hear a lot of bands doing at the moment, and doing it well.