I’m sure the guys who comprise Chaos Bleak would shy away from the term “supergroup”, but considering each members long and storied history in the annuls of alternative music, no other word will suffice. However, the (unholy) trinity known as Chaos Bleak aren’t resting on past glories and have been busy forging a bright (or should that be dark?) future with an unrivalled discography. But no matter how good their studio output is, it’s the live environment where the men are separated from the boys and proof to the band’s prowess can be found in Rituals Of Live Chaos. A strictly limited edition, vinyl-only release means there’s been no better time to to join the band’s inky black sacrament.
Unlike some “live” albums that are overdubbed to death and thus fall foul of the Trades Description Act, Rituals Of Live Chaos does exactly what it says on the tin and gives a fair representation of a Chaos Bleak gig. Not only does it capture the band’s incendiary sound in all its explosive glory, but it bottles the feel of a live show, so much so that you can experience the sticky, beer-sodden floor and the ceiling dripping sweat as the band drop a series of musical bombs. There’s undoubtedly a ritualistic nature to a Chaos Bleak set and there’s something about their songs that make people lose their shit (but in the best possible way). They’ve a bunch of tunes that are the soundtrack to civil disobedience and in the live arena they become far more potent, and once those riffs connect they unleash the daemon within and demand that you instigate a riot (that’s my excuse anyway).
Reading like a “greatest hits”, only with the added oomph of being performed live, Rituals Of Live Chaos takes eight Chaos Bleak stompers and carves them into vinyl with a razor sharp flick knife. ‘Beneath The Moon’ is the opening track and it sets a dangerous precedent for the coming 37-minutes. Explosive and emotive, the band attack as one, some strange gothic gang from the pages of Clockwork Orange, their imminence only adds to their volatility. With bassist Justin Walker back onstage after a serious health diagnosis the circle is once again complete as guitarist Trevor Bamford lobs riffs into the crowd like hand grenades and vocalist Piers Sixx singing his words like a politician preaching a revolutionary manifesto.
Songs in the live environment shouldn’t be mere facsimiles of their studio counterparts (after all, we have the CD’s for that), rather they should take on new form and shape, and that’s exactly what the likes of ‘Regrets Are For Yesterday’ do. With its Velvet Underground guitar solo (where the hell did that come from?) it puts a new slant on proceedings without sacrificing its original core. An octet that fits together like Aleister Crowley’s amulet, ‘Dance With Disaster’ and ‘Return Revenge’ conspire to become more that the sum of parts and conspire to become a structure of brutalist proportions. Humour is an often overlooked part of the Chaos Bleak experience and the in-jokes and stage raps create a touch of brevity and a nice foil for the lyrical depth found on ‘Dress The Kids For War’ (after all, without light there’s no shade).
A release to celebrate Trevor’s milestone birthday, Rituals Of Live Chaos is released in a super limited run of 65-copies, so don’t hang about; picking up your copy today.
- Reviewed by Peter Dennis.
- Rituals Of Live Chaos is released on 5th September 2025 and is available here.
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Track List:
- Intro/Beneath The Moon
- Santeria
- Dance With Disaster
- Regrets Are For Yesterday
- Long Black Coat
- Dress The Kids For War
- Feast For The Senses
- Return Revenge
