Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur loves his distortion. Whether it’s on the drums, the guitars or the vocals, distortion rears its ugly head all over Vacancy, bringing to life the demons and zombie-like creatures that adorn its artwork. I’m almost convinced that the characters could be the musicians on the record, as the creepy slow rock is churned out with Arthur’s skeletal vocals presiding over the mess. Things wind down with the title track and the closer “Toxic Angel,” an aptly titled track for a great album whose murky approach to songcraft and haunted house feel is truly heavenly.