The Areola Treat and the stark black and white bloodletting cinema of "Covered In Blood"

"Feeling tired, alone and abused / A hold so tight it reminds me of you / God sails in a silver suit / God sails in a silver suit..."

Fierce angular guitars, bass and drums potent and anchored deep into the earth and Lisa Micallef Grimaud's transfixing vocals stirred up by what feels like internal demons, spitting out caustic poetry 

"Spineless chords are fickle with fear / Cut the hand that rusts the eye / Lo - cut off its face / A reckless heart / With little words come little mind / Lock the hands that feed the dined / O - Cut off your nose to spite your face / Lone hands..."

that feels darkly drawn like a cross pollinated amalgam of Dario Argento, Harlan Ellison, Diamanda Galas, Concrete Blonde, PJ Harvey, immediately sticks to you like rat traps in the dark. 

The song is "Covered In Blood" by The Areola Treat based out of Valletta, Malta. The track from their 2023 album "Red Town Baby" has a wonderful construction built from what feels like proto punkian bones and post punk flesh. As press notes indicate: [The Areola Treat was formed around 2006, and are inspired by US-based, late 1970s art punk, science fiction novels, William Burroughs and Edgar Allen Poe] so their sound makes perfect sense doesn't it. Besides the amazing Lisa Micallef Grimaud (vocals), the band is rounded out by the equally amazing Steve Shaw (bass), Chris Busuttil (drums) and Adrian Mizzi (guitar). The vocals inspired by Diamanda Galas and Robert Smith offer lyrics that "discuss the ambivalence of touch, and the melody that comes with the distant memory of a past lover’s embrace, as the memory now resurfaces amid bittersweet feelings." 

I am taken aback by the absolutely passionate emotional bloodletting here and the utterly curious lyrics steeped in mercurial metaphors throughout. The imagery (maybe cast in stark black and white) is the stuff of avant garde midnight movies seen in some non-descript old movie theater downtown (well they used to exist). I won't lie, this track kind of blows my mind. 

"Red Town baby / You and I have traveled far

Red town - seen it all... you and I are covered in blood /Covered in blood

Red town cinema... you and I are covered in blood / Covered in blood

Red town cinema... you and I are covered in blood

God sails in a silver suit

God sails in a silver suit

Feeling tired, alone and abused

A hold so tight it reminds me of you"

-Robb Donker Curtius    

The Areola Treat · Covered In Blood

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hg66g8lWTMnipZbOhBijs

https://www.instagram.com/kewnrecords/

https://soundcloud.com/theareolatreat/covered-in-blood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDWJoqHgCEE


The Areola Treat are an alternative rock band from Valletta. The band formed around 2006, and are inspired by US-based, late 1970s art punk, science fiction novels, William Burroughs and Edgar Allen Poe. Gut-wrenching female screeches, screams and punchy drum beats to discordant, drone harmonies that seem to develop into rich walls of sound. They have since then launched an EP and 3 albums, in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2014 respectively.

They are back with a whole lot of new music set for release in 2023 in the form of 7 singles as well as an EP and Double Album. Red Town Baby will be available via Kewn Records on launch day with no physical release.

drone harmonies, distorted guitar, alternative rock, grunge, post hardcore, wailing vox, pummeling drums, "Covered In Blood", post punk, The Areola Treat, art punk,