London used to shut down after midnight; now the clubs rage till sun up. That new vampire's spirit feels right for Sean Brennan's long-awaited new LP, "Violent Acts of Beauty." It's driving, industrial, agitprop pop for those who think Trent Reznor's soft.
A decade has passed since London After Midnight unveiled a record of all-new material, but Sean Brennan hasn't lost his step since the release of 1996's Psycho Magnet. If anything, the current political climate seems to have rejuvenated the gothic rock stalwart, whose social commentary is as biting as ever on 2007's Violent Acts of Beauty. From the titular barb of "America's a Fucking Disease" to the vitriolic stance of "Nothing's Sacred," Brennan emerges, guns blazing. "With war and a frightening conservative fascist mentality gripping America, the time for subversive art is at its peak," says Brennan. Amen. Hear him put his money where his mouth is here