21st Century Music: The Horrors
21st Century Music are profiles that focus on artists that have released their music since 2000. These highlight new(er) acts that continue the sound and spirit of the older acts that are highlighted on Ceremony. Click on the streaming service of your choice below to listen to the playlist as you read along (note only YouTube has the entire playlist due to limited availability on Spotify for my region).
The Horrors are one of my favourite acts of the past ten years. Why? They sound like they were lifted out of 1981 and plopped into today. They fit perfectly into the mold of my favourite electro-punk sound. Keyboards, screeching guitars, stylish and sometimes aggressive vocals, and groovy and deep basslines riding underneath, The Horrors are one of the few acts keeping the glorious sounds of early modern rock alive and are giving it new energy and the benefit of modern production. But set all that aside before you listen to them, because what’s irrefutable is they write great songs and move seamlessly between several modern rock genres, providing for a batch of the most listenable albums of the past decade. Regardless of when or who they sound like, they have established themselves as their own brand of legitimate consideration.
They were formed in 2005 in Southend-on-Sea, England (located on the north side of the Thames River estuary at the North Sea) by the trio of Faris Badwan on vocals, Rhys ‘Spider’ Webb on keyboards, and Tom Furse on bass. Adding Joshua Hayward on guitar and ‘Coffin’ Joe Spurgeon on drums, they explored the garage rock of the ‘60s and the dark wave and goth sounds of the ‘80s, with goth-glam image to go with it. The first album, Strange House, was a fantastic run through guitar-heavy, punk-goth tunes infused with occasional glam rifts, a la Japan or Bauhaus. It was a refreshing album to find in 2007 as there was not a lot of music like that coming out then.
I didn’t hear of the band next until 2011 when I caught a song in a friend’s car on an XM Radio show. I couldn’t believe it was The Horrors since the song was keyboard heavy, with lush melodies and a clean, new wave sound. I quickly discovered their album from 2009, Primary Colours, as well as the new one, Skying, both of which were in this new musical vein. I subsequently heard the band had disowned their first album and were now focused on a more refined, less raw sound. I’m not sure why that would be, given how great the debut was. It reminds me of Ministry and how Al Jourgensen moved in the opposite direction, foregoing the dance-goth of his early release to lean into a pure industrial sound. The Horrors change in musical direction wasn’t as abrupt as I’d initially thought, as listening to the Primary Colours album you could hear the transition between the debut and the third album as there was still some of that Strange House rawness.
Regardless their motivations, the result with the third album, Skying, was stupendous and was one of the best albums of the new millennium. It was a fantastic assembly of electro-rock tunes, at times sounding like a Washed Out record and at others like they were channeling 90’s era Brit-pop (I could hear the band, Suede, in the song “Monica Gems”). The result was their first album to crack the top ten in the UK charts and their only LP to reach the top one hundred in the US. The singles did less well, which was not uncommon for rock records in the new millennium, but with a single like, “Still Life,” they were building a solid following in the UK and parts of Europe.
The t-shirt souvenir my wife picked up at the show in Spain
They have released two more albums that continued the sound of Skying, though more dance and pop have made their way into the mix. They are both very solid and highly enjoyable albums, the recent single, “Something to Remember Me By,” is a contemporary dance-pop tune that largely leaves behind the retro-influences of their earlier albums. I saw them in Spain last December and they’re coming to Toronto this summer to play the cozy confines of The Horseshoe Tavern – a much smaller venue than what they play at home. Indeed, while they continue to be successful in the UK, they are yet to catch a toehold in North America. So don’t miss the chance to see one of the finest acts around, especially if you’re a fan of the ‘80s and are looking for something fresh in that mold.
Pics from the shows I attended in 2017 (first two) and 2018 (last two)
UPDATE: November 2025
The show I saw in June 2018 was fantastic, even though Faris had a cold. The stage effects in the small venue weren’t anything like what we’d witnessed in Spain – where the band was constantly bathed in smoke and light – but being able to stand a few feet away and take in their sound was amazing. The typically hot, humid Toronto summer also made it very uncomfortable inside the packed venue, such that my daughter needed time outside to avoid fainting.
Coming off three consecutive top ten UK albums and critical praise, it was surprising when so little was heard from The Horrors for the next many years. There was a single, “Fire Escape,” in 2018 and a remix EP of songs from V in 2019, and then industrial styled EPs in 2021, Lout and Against the Blade. These were okay, but not as engaging as their other work.
Then, in 2024 singles starting dropping finally leading to their sixth album, Night Life, in 2025, a long eight years since their prior LP. The album blended the many genres they’d explored over their career, making for a somewhat uneven listening experience. They album was good, but lacked any tracks to really grab the ear and re-ingratiate the band with their audience. They did festivals and shows in the UK and mainland Europe in 2024 but did not make it to North America to promote the new LP.
It appears they have also gone through the first line-up changes. Tom Furse left the band in 2021, followed by Spurgeon in 2024 and Hayward in 2025. Amelia Kidd joined on keyboards and Jordan Cook on drums in 2024.
The Playlist (“song” \ album (year))
“Little Victories” \ Strange House (2007)
“She is the New Thing” \ Strange House (2007)
“Sheena Is A Parasite” \ Strange House (2007)
“Who Can Say” \ Primary Colours (2009)
“Do You Remember” \ Primary Colours (2009)
“Endless Blue” \ Skying (2011)
“Still Life” \ Skying (2011)
“Wild Eyed” \ Skying (2011)
“Monica Gems” \ Skying (2011)
“First Day of Spring” \ Luminous (2014)
“In and Out of Sight” \ Luminous (2014)
“Falling Star” \ Luminous (2014)
“Press Enter to Exit” \ V (2017)
“Weighed Down” \ V (2017)
“Something to Remember Me By” \ V (2017)
“Ariel” \ Night Life (2025)
“Trial By Fire” \ Night Life (2025)
“More than Life” \ Night Life (2025)
