M'Lou Elkins
On Friday night, Sundown at Granada in Dallas, TX became a haven for goths when the Neon Chronicles Tour with Priest, Julien-K, and September Mourning rolled through town and treated us to an evening of synth-heavy goodness. Each band brought a different vibe to the table, which made for an interesting night.
September Mourning is a dark, paranormal dreamscape fantasy told from the perspective of a supernatural girl named September through music and various visual media. They successfully whipped the crowd into a frenzy to prepare them for the next musical onslaught.
Julien-K arrived onstage to the hard-hitting, fast beats of “Harmonic Disruptor.” With a frantic energy that was instantly contagious, frontman Ryan Shuck wasted no time in commanding both the stage and the audience, and the packed house was there for it. The band’s sound has varied through the years, which allowed them to dish out the perfect mix of industrial, metal, and electronica.
The electro-industrial rockers from Long Beach, CA made history last month when they launched an Indiegogo campaign to help pay for the creation of its planned DRK|MODE music collection and it broke the record for most money raised in a day. The campaign has currently reached about 400% of its initial goal. Their video for “All That Glitters” was just released a few hours before Friday’s show and you can watch that below.
Swedish darkwave band Priest finished out the night with a dose of their synth-laden melodies that were soaked up by the enthusiastic crowd. Clothed in spiked studded leather and in black from head to toe, the band ripped through their set with their singer, who goes by Mercury, often hopping down from the stage to commune with his audience….and to enjoy a keytar solo by fellow band member Salt from among the crowd. It was an endearing and unexpected moment that brought a huge grin to my face. You can check out a video of that below.
Priest’s upcoming fourth album, Dark Pulse, drops next month on their own Blue Nine label, so keep that on your radar. To tide fans over and give them a taste of what’s to come, last month they released the second single off of Dark Pulse, “Just a Game,” which has a catchy 80’s EBM bassline that will stay thumping in your head for days. Dark Pulse follows up Body Machine and the Deceptio EP, both released in 2022, which combines rave elements alongside heavier industrial notes to create a darker synth-pop album.
The Neon Chronicles tour is about to wrap, but there are still a few dates left you can catch, and you can check out both Priest and Julien-K at Dark Force Fest on April 21 in New Jersey.
Check out the complete Julien-K photo gallery from the show.
Check out the complete Priest photo gallery from the show.
Stay tuned for our on-camera interviews with Julien-K’s Ryan Shuck and PRIEST’s Mercury!
PRIEST
Website, Facebook, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
Julien-K
Website, Facebook, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
