Death Masks

North west boys Death Masks present us with a sound of evident maturity. With vocals and musical atmospherics that call to mind groups like Joy Division. This three track EP has been made available by EDiLS Recordings, who are supplying the band with a sizeable promotional push.

…and for good reason. What Death Masks offer is something rather different; a more measured sound tempered by music that is both soft and yet insistent. It’s almost as if they want to lull you into a false sense of security. ‘Stares’ is the standout track here. As its military beat and swirling organ dabs slide into something fuller and richer still, there’s an undeniable sense of a band who know how to straddle the fine between the heartfelt and the theatrical. With a few UK dates in the off and plans for participation in an EDiLS 2013 split release, it seems that Death Masks aren’t here to cover up, but instead to be revealed. - Audio Apocalypse

They don’t mess around those Death Masks guys. Press play and you are immediately thrown straight in to a world of 80's and 90's grassroot shoegaze. They don’t even give you a chance to breathe! When I came across their Bandcamp, I did the obvious and clicked that weird little triangle that points alluringly to the right and was actually quite surprised (as the cliche goes). I was back living a former life, driving my Austen Metro to Brighton, smoking my cigarettes outside the boardwalk cafe and brushing down my weird beige duffel coat as those slightly trashy but ‘you kinda would’ girls walked by. At least that’s how they make me feel. They have a distinct sound of Joy Division but my mind keeps dragging me over to a more Quadrophenia inspired world. It’s disorientating but it’s nice! - Mangoneblog

“An infestation of bad vibes, processed through the venomator and churned into smooth gaze,” is how Death Masks (real name Thom Tyrer) describes ‘Stares’, the opening track to his recent I Know A Short Cut cassette. Bristling with despondency, Tyrer’s solemn croon nestles between the swooning chimes of the wall of guitars and undercurrents of fuzz to make something simultaneously heart swelling and dispiriting. - Abeano

It's starting to get cold and rainy here in London, so the immediate inference is that it's time to start talking about "autumnal music." This tune from Death Masks (aka Mersyside-dwelling singer/songwriter Thom Tyrer) snuggles up cozily by the fireplace (as one does) with a perky drumbeat and some plainly dressed yet tightly woven guitar picking. Tyrer belts out a bitter-sweet melody in a manner reminiscent of veteran Autumn lovers Fleet Foxes, displaying a prowess for emotive tunefulness and powerful folk-rock dynamics. --Noam Klar, Don't Die Wondering - Altered Zones/Don't Die Wondering