Deceits - If There's No Heaven

In my perpetual quest unearth hidden gems that either hide in plain sight or dwell deep within the cavernous lairs of endless mouse clicks, I stumbled across LA's Deceits' Primeros Recuerdo (First Memories) cassette. I found myself immediately captivated with the dingy guitar twangs and the enchanting bass-work. It was a familiar sound, however it's almost as if Deceits knew exactly how to seduce me. They played to my post punk addictions. This immediate connection motivated me to seek out more and shortly after the mesmerizing release of the" Drowning In An Empty Sea" single, the glorious news of If There's No Heaven ... LP/CD/Digital hit my e-mail.

If There's No Heaven... is pure pining, gloomy apprehensive bliss from beginning to end. It's a clad-black foray into the shadowy cold wave rhythms that explore the environments that feed the beasts of human frailty and exacerbate feelings generated by this crazy thing called life. It's a release from all of the noise of the real world. It's break from mundane routines we subject ourselves to. It is a temporary home for the lost. It is a feast of revelry intertwined with contemporary designs. It can easily share or steal the limelight from the surrounding musical merchants that peddle similar wares.

Deceits cite influences from such luminaries as The Cure and Sad Lovers And Giants which is seemingly par for the course for any artist that inhabits this heavily populated genre. They also cite acts like Soviet Soviet, Danse Society, Asylum Party, Twin Tribes and The Chameleons. I can't say I don't agree. I can't even  say it's completely derivative either. Their sound, as I previously stated is very familiar, however they do it well and with conviction. It tapped into my happy place with sombre depressive blasts of tender darkness that help keep me at a 90-degree angle with earth 18 hours a day. 


The vinyl, the CD and the shirts all sold out in a day or two. It was limited to measly 50 copies as stated here on the Bandcamp page. You know the old saying about snoozing and loosing right? Maybe Deceits will sell the test pressings or another pressing? Regardless of the physical media, you can still rip through If There's No Heaven... album on Bandcamp and Spotify. If you crave the vinyl or CD, perhaps in a few months you can find one on Ebay or Discogs? 

Deceits really hit the nail on the head with If There's No Heaven... This is a must have! Let the night explode!
Nov 15 2023