IN VENUS’ TRAIN - TAKEDA

Pavlis 10 September 2025

A magnificent debut album from a band that has been on Pavlis’ radar for a good while now.

Way back on 29th September 2011, I ventured to the Playhouse for the “Night at the pOpera”, an evening of young bands and artists, including Milly Hirst, Olympians and the subjects of this review, Takeda. The band’s biog, however, says that vocalist/guitarist Josh Harrison “escaped a cult in rural England and formed Takeda” in Spring 2022. Perhaps the time held captive by the cult explains the time that has passed since I first saw Takeda and the all-round good eggs at Drongo Records putting out this quite magnificent album.

Takeda’s sound is built around Harrison’s distorted acoustic guitar over Charlie Wilson’s hard-hitting drums and David Woodgett on rumbling bass. Mixing everything form folk to alt.metal and industrial, Takeda could almost be Norfolk’s take on latter-day Swans. Yes, this is THAT good.

Opener London is a melancholy mix of BabyBird and King Creosote. In fact, Harrison’s vocals are reminiscent of Kenny Anderson throughout. Imagine if you can the Pictish Trail going psych and you might get California. Sugar Mountain has a Crazy Horse-jamming-with-Soundgarden vibe. Both Last Man Alive, Long Night and Oh! Childish Thought mix heartbreaking desolation with moments of sheer joy, Long Night adding a touch of Sigur Ros. Reynardine has a fists-in-the-air feel that would absolutely slay at a festival, as would the immense riff of Black Stairs.

Harrison sings he ain’t ever coming back on closer Phosphenes but its anthemic swamp rock makes it my favourite sing on the album and I will certainly be coming back for more.

Support local independent artists and labels. Buy this album. Go see the album launch show at the Waterfront on 19th September(also featuring the mighty Birdwitch). Go on, you know you want to.