Destroyer of Light’s Steve Colca Lists His Top 10 Tracks by The Cure

Destroyer of Light recently kicked off a round of Generational Warfare with the release of their latest EP on March 30th via Heavy Friends Records. You can think of the two-track release as a tasting of what’s to come, with one of the tracks a wicked reinterpretation of the classic The Cure cut “Lullaby” along with a band original, “These Walls.” The group had a lot of spring touring lined up until the world went to hell in a handbasket, so, unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see them live.

Formed in 2012 in Austin, Texas, the doom metallers have maintained the intensity with which they started out, frequently jamming, recording, and playing live in what has become an ongoing DIY pursuit of big riffs and sacred tales. It’s no coincidence that Destroyer of Light chose to cover The Cure on Generational Warfare. For many years, lead singer Steve Colca has been interested in recording a Cure song because he felt the structures of many of their tracks would fit well within the mould of a doom-flavoured song.

Colca feels that The Cure is a lot heavier than anyone gives them credit for and, in addition, their dark lyrics naturally fit as part of a doom metal song. To get some more insight into Destroyer of Light’s affection for the revered Gothic rockers, we hooked up with Steve Colca for a Top 10 list running down, in his humble opinion, the ten best Cure songs.

10. “A Night Like This” – The Head On The Door

“The melody to this song gets stuck in my head all the time. When I listen to this song, I typically put it on repeat. And that saxophone solo!? Gets me every time.”

09. “Disintegration” – Disintegration

“One word? Epic. You can dance to this song, you can cry to this song, and it has so many layers and textures. A constant I will keep repeating is melody. Whether it is the guitar or Robert Smith vocals, it exudes such melody and emotion.”

08. “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep” – Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

“This song is so heavy! Another thing The Cure is fantastic at is dynamics. They let their songs breathe and develop and by the time you get to the end, there’s so much satisfaction. The musicianship in this band is undeniable.”

07. “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea” – Wish

“Wish to me is one of my favourite albums by The Cure. I know ‘Friday, I’m In Love’ is poppy and may have caused a disconnect with this album for some, but it has some seriously melancholy moments that hit hard. That main guitar melody always gets stuck in my head, but once again, so many layers in this song that make it so powerful. ‘I wish I could just stop; I know another moment will break my heart…,’ that section gives me goosebumps.”

06. “The Figurehead” – Pornography

“This was actually the song that I wanted to cover about four years back. Pornography is so heavy and could easily have been transposed into a heavy metal record. I love the pre-industrial vibes of the drums throughout this album as well. That eerie, spooky guitar melody, I love it so much.”

05. “Secrets” – Seventeen Seconds

“I love how Robert Smith playing with Siouxsie and The Banshees influenced the direction that he’d take The Cure. Again, that guitar melody and the drive of this song. The echoing vocals in the background help with the atmosphere. I am not a dancer, but it sure as hell makes me want to dance.”

04. “The Funeral Party” – Faith

“This song almost has a Twin Peaks vibe to it, and yes, this was before Twin Peaks, but I am sure other people hear what I’m talking about. There’s a lot of bands today that kind of take from this song as well. It’s a very minimalistic approach but has a very strong melody. This song almost feels like a very soothing dream.”

03. “The Kiss” – Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

“One of my favourite album openers. It’s psychedelic, heavy, and Robert Smith goes nuts with his guitar. Plus, Robert Smith’s vocals, he really lets it out. This is definitely in my top three favourite The Cure albums. This album doesn’t nearly get the love and recognition it deserves either. So many dynamics.”

02. “Prayers For Rain” – Disintegration

“There really is a reason that Disintegration is considered a masterpiece among a lot of people. The production and songwriting is top tier. The Cure are able to add so many layers and textures, and none of them distract you away from the song, if anything, they just make it so much stronger and powerful. Not may bands have mastered that.”

01. “Burn” – The Crow Soundtrack

“Man, The Crow Soundtrack epitomizes the ‘90s so much. It’s a great soundtrack. However, as always, The Cure stands out and this song is crushing. Layers, melodies, darkness, and pain, it truly captures the feeling of The Crow story. Oh, and I haven’t mentioned it all prior, but the bass. Simon Gallop is a bad-ass player with great tone, and it really shines throughout this song.”