WHITE STAINS: Dreams Shall Flesh (Redux)

Release year: 1991/2024
Label: Psychick Release PSP/Zoharum

In the dark, convoluted and seemingly bottomless abysses of underground, esoteric music, there is always something new to find. Something that makes you realize that no matter how deep you think you’ve delved, there are always things you’ve missed. Things that make you feel like a novice.

Take White Stains for example. The Swedish group who started out during the late 80’s were affiliated with Genesis P-Orrdige and Psychic TV, loaded their music with esoteric imagery, and played goth rock/post punk. Three very good reasons for me to know them – and yet, until I received this promo from Polish Zoharum, I had no idea they existed. Or used to exist, as the band are no more.

Isn’t it awesome to discover something good, and realize there are still depths to explore?

The second entry in Zoharum’s reissues of White Stains’ discography, Dreams Shall Flesh is the Swedes’ second album. And if you’ve never heard it, don’t chastise yourself very hard: there never was a second pressing or re-release of the 1991 album prior to this.

And though Dreams Shall Flesh isn’t a flawless masterpiece, it’s certainly packed with enough quality to warrant a re-release.

Stylewise, this is pretty classic goth rock/darkwave in an 80’s vein. Just line up the classic names from The Sisters Of Mercy to Fields Of The Nephilim and beyond to less obvious names and, yes, there is some similarity here. Perhaps due to the occult stylings of White Stains, Fields Of The Nephilim feels like a better comparison than some others – although Carl Abrahamssons vocals are not as low nor as gravelly as Carl McCoy’s.

So pulsating bass, weird guitars, synthesizers here and there. The whole shebang of classic old school goth rock is represented here. But Dreams Shall Flesh also delves occasionally into some glumly psychedelic territory, with almost abstract compositions serving as backdrops for the esoteric lyricism.

At the best of times, White Stains hit bullseye. The title track, which opens the proceedings, is a fine piece of atmospheric gothic rock augmented by some haunting female vocals. Another virtually perfect hit is Ov Like Mind – putting the Genesis P-Orridge influences to the fore – where Abrahamsson’s laconic vocals gel perfectly with a very traditional, mid-tempo goth romp. The one thing many tracks lack is the finishing touch provided by a killer chorus – but that’s a mere minor remark.

But then there are other tracks, which just don’t go anywhere and quickly become rather irritating because of it. They just jar their way to completion and feel just irritating. Maybe they were supposed to be evocative or hypnotizing – but they’re just irritating.

Luckily though, there are more hits than misses on the album, which makes it a worthwhile listen for the wide range of people everything described above should appeal to.

This reissue has been augmented with two hitherto unreleased tracks, out of which the latter, Nietzsche Acid Jam, is an entirely redundant, annoyingly repetitive thing with crappy sound to boot. The other unreleased track, Cerebral Parent, isn’t one of the highlights of the album, but is far less off-putting. Sadly, these two new tracks come at the expense of two tracks omitted from the original release, The Satanic Hambo and Burning Flame Of Comfort.

Even with the somewhat lesser quality of the new additions and the flaws outlined above considered, Dreams Shall Flesh is a very worthwhile album to dig into if occult music and/or goth rock are your thing. It’s not exactly a lost gem, but it’s certainly one of those obscurities from the past which deserve another moment in the spotlight.

Visit White Stains on Bandcamp