I’m not going to beat about the bush here, readers. Fearless Vampire Killers are the most exciting British band in the country today and perhaps one of the most exciting in the world right now. Their debut album Militia Of The Lost has been the only album on my iPhone for the last few weeks.

And the truth is…I wasn’t going to tell you about them. Honestly. This is a band whose music makes my heart sing, their impeccable harmonies and dark, horror-inspired music are just so much fun. I was going to keep them all to myself. Seriously. As an ardent fan of Alice Cooper and the theatrical rock genre, it’s fantastic to see an act flying the flag for bucketloads of mascara and gruesome stageplay.

Anyway, Fearless Vampire Killers (or FVK to their friends) are just here to have fun. Some people completely miss the point though – I read an article by The Guardian’s Paul Lester who seemed like he’d completely missed the point of the band. Not to worry though, the commenters set him straight.

Why should you love Fearless Vampire Killers?

I’ve been listening to rock music for decades, and rarely has an album consumed me so completely. Fearless Vampire Killers fizz with an energy and inventiveness that’s been missing from the rock scene for many years. Their songs are drenched in rich, perfect harmonies, but it’s the musicianship and playfulness at work in the songs that I find so enchanting.

For a bunch of guys on their debut album, FVK are masters of theatrical rock. In boiling cauldron that is Militia Of The Lost, the boys mix in high octane punk sensibilities with incredible melodic guitar work. There’s heavy riffing, fantastic guitar solos and in places songs dip their toes in a growling death metal style. Yet in among all that, there are still undeniably brilliant pop-rock hooks, as well as a million tiny little details, musical motifs (like the cry of “But don’t take my memories!” in Fetish For The Finite) that will leave any listener simply bursting with pleasure.

We’ve chosen Could We Burn, Darling as our introduction to the band because it’s one of the best examples of what the band can do. Kier Kemp takes lead vocals on this one, and it’s his manic, mascara-heavy presence you can see in the video. It’s one of the most accessible tracks by the band, full of those luscious harmonies and riffs we talked about. (My personal favourite is Concede Repent Destroy, which is musical crack to me)

Who are Fearless Vampire Killers?

• Laurence Beveridge – Guitar/Vocals
• Kier Kemp – Guitar/Vocals
• Drew Woolnough – Bass Guitar
• Cyrus Barrone – Guitar
• Luke Illingworth – Drums

The band took their name from a Roman Polanski comedy/horror film called The Fearless Vampire Killers from 1967.

Follow FVK: You know you want to! Check out their official website, and for videos hit their YouTube page. If you want to interact with them, they’re really active on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Spread the word: We say it a lot in our Song Of The Day segment, but if you love bands like Fearless Vampire Killers, you’ve got to spread the word! And if Fearless Vampire Killers get you as excited as they’ve got me, pimp them out on Twitter, share their vids with your friends on Facebook. Tweet DJs and TV people and let them know about the band. The world needs more bands like this!