Three albums into the "new" version of the
Afghan Whigs that
Greg Dulli introduced with 2014's
Do to the Beast, it's clear the significant differences between the 21st century edition of the band and the one that recorded the alternative rock landmarks
Congregation and
Gentlemen in the 1990s are changes that are here to stay. 2022's
How Do You Burn?, the third LP from this edition of the group, is built around grandiose arrangements dominated by keyboards, with strings, massed vocals, and thick layers of sound in support.
How Do You Burn? kicks off with "I'll Make You See God," the album's most exciting track, a blazing guitar-chugging monster that sounds like
Queens of the Stone Age's "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" after it sold its soul to the Devil, and it's a thrilling overture that throws down a challenge to the rest of the LP. While
Dulli's voice sounded worse for wear on
Do to the Beast and 2017's
In Spades, his vocals are in significantly better shape here, and the ominous drift of "The Getaway," "Catch a Colt," and "Please, Baby, Please" is absorbing and compelling on first listen.
Marcy Mays, the former leader of
Scrawl, whose vocal on "My Curse" was one of the most shattering moments on
Gentlemen, gets another showcase on "Domino and Jimmy," and the late
Mark Lanegan,
Dulli's friend and frequent collaborator, makes one of his final recorded appearances on "The Getaway." If these days the
Afghan Whigs are
Greg Dulli and whomever he invites along for the album,
How Do You Burn? proves he's still committed to his dark but fascinating vision and knows the right people to bring it to life. ~ Mark Deming