EP Review: Knife Bride – sorry about the plague (Self Released)

Brighton’s Knife Bride will release their new EP, sorry about the plague, on 24th April independently.

The new release, sorry about the plague, arrives alongside a run of live dates supporting Calva Louise through April and May (dates and links to tickets are at the bottom of this review). The Brighton quartet are really building momentum, currently focused around the EP’s lead single ‘crucify’ but also around their ability to fuse razor-sharp riffage with glossy pop sensibilities. All of this showcases their unique sound that the band have termed  “nu-gothika” as they push further into even more theatrical and concept-driven territory.

The sorry about the plague EP expands on Knife Bride’s growing narrative universe, following on from previous single ‘alone at the altar’, which introduced the band’s central “bride” character in all her chaotic, flawed and self-destructive complexity. Across the project, vocalist Mollie Clack leans into themes of identity, obsession, regret and emotional disintegration, framing the EP as both character study and self-interrogation, delivered through a blend of cinematic metal, alt-pop hooks and gothic flair.

Fronted by Mollie Clack alongside Sean Windle (guitar, backing vocals), Sean Millsopp (drums, synth) and Craig Glynn (bass), Knife Bride are carving out a distinct identity that pulls from influences as wide-ranging as Spiritbox, Kate Bush, Bring Me The Horizon and Karnivool. The result is an increasingly immersive style that pairs heavy, modern metal dynamics with narrative-driven song writing and an unmistakable theatrical edge.

Speaking about the story and concept, Mollie states:

‘alone at the altar’ marks both the first edition and the first invitation to meet the bride herself. The vision behind this single was to truly bring her to life in all her chaotic glory – flawed, unhinged, yet undeniably vulnerable. She’s narcissistic, nihilistic, sensational, and shamelessly braggadocious, but there’s a curious streak in her, a fragile glimmer of innocence she still clings to. The title “alone at the altar” embodies a woman possessed: possessed by desire, by destruction, by the need to hurt others and herself. It’s a visceral exploration of self, told through the eyes of a merciless yet hopelessly romantic bride.”

Knife Bride’s sorry about the plague comes with five tracks on it, starting with opener ‘alone at the altar’. It’s a great introduction to the band for me as I don’t know them, but I am very quickly pulled in by the sharp metallic riffing. It’s bouncy and edgy, and when the silky vocals join in, bringing bursts of poppy melody, you find yourself very quickly engaged. I like the clarity of the vocals. It really helps you follow the lyrics and understand the concept Knife Bride are projecting. The production is very crisp, very metalcore, and the balance between the melody, cleans and heavier riffs is on point, making for a very enjoyable start.

That continues into lead single ‘crucify’ where, similarly, the start of heavy riffs, drums and shouts quickly pulls me in. The lead vocals are strong again, delivered with a bit of added venom this time. It’s a bouncy track, full of energy and enthusiasm, and feels heavier overall — musically, but also in terms of emotion. There is some anger on display here, and it delivers in a big way, leaning slightly more towards the heavier side while still balancing nicely with accessible melody, a catchy chorus, and well-placed synths and effects.

‘lilies’ shows more of Knife Bride’s variety and ability, with a song that has a touch more sadness and desperation to it. It’s not a ballad, it’s just lyrically deeper, though musically it still has impact. There are sections of smooth and ethereal melody and effects, but also plenty of threat and danger through the catchy drum beats and strong riffs. The vocals are superb and have clever adjustments in tone and delivery that really add to the story. While there are some areas that get a little too effect-heavy for my personal taste, I know I’ll be playing this again despite that because, well, it’s great.

“sorry about the plague” continues with ‘porcelain’. By now, I start to assume that the next song is going to appeal due to the quality of the first three, and I’d be right. Here we get a bit more of a standard song structure in that verse, chorus, verse, chorus style, and it works. The chorus is catchy, the lyrics clear and concise. Musically, the guitars are strong, the bass and drums are powerful, and the effects are used more for depth and layering. There is a neat little breakdown that is sure to get all sorts of acrobatics going in the pit too.

Knife Bride bring sorry about the plague to a close with ‘poisoned by god’ and make sure they keep to that high bar they set early on. There isn’t a lot I can call out that hasn’t been displayed already across the release, but suffice to say that it is another engaging track. Vocally superb, lyrically clever, and musically impactful, with that delicate balance between light and dark, heavy and soft maintained throughout. The highlight for me here is the lead guitar melodies, which have that ethereal quality to them, alongside the added backing vocals towards the end that just shake things up a bit.

Overall, “sorry about the plague” is a seriously impressive release from Knife Bride. The balance between heavy and melodic is handled really well, and there’s more than enough personality in the song writing to keep things engaging throughout. The sound itself is very now — it’s not reinventing the wheel sonically, but the concept behind it is where Knife Bride really stand out, and more importantly, they actually deliver on it across the EP. Knife Bride have a big future ahead of them if they can maintain this level of quality consistently.

Track List:

1 – alone at the altar
2 – crucify
3 – lilies
4 – porcelain
5 – poisoned by god

Head to Knife Bride’s website, here, to grab tickets to see Knife Bride Live (Supporting Calva Louise) on the dates and at the venues below:

Sun 19 Apr, Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
Mon 20 Apr, Norwich, The Waterfront Studio
Wed 22 Apr, Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms
Thu 23 Apr, London, The Underworld
Sun 26 Apr, Bristol, Rough Trade
Tue 28 Apr, Southampton, The Joiners
Thu 30 Apr, Newcastle, Anarchy Brew co
Fri 1 May, Glasgow, The Garage (Attic Bar)
Sun 3 May, Manchester, Yes (Pink Room)

Knife Bride Links

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