Today on the Fresh Tracks circuit: Darling - "Baptists"

Photo credit: https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1534943014_16.jpg

        This has been big in the media circles and I wanted to help share the love for this group. Helmed by Dorthia Cottrell of Windhand, Gina Gleason of Baroness fame, and long time Gleason collaborator Leanne Martz, Darling has released a track titled "Baptists". Any proceeds made from this track will be going to a charitable group through a name-your-price format on Bandcamp.     

        The song starts with Cottrell's haunting vocals singing "I blame the Baptists, our fathers and the law for what's become of you." With the utterance of "our fathers," a pulsing note starts playing on either a highly treated guitar or a synth. Eerie guitar licks start playing over this pulsing series of notes creating a psychedelic experience that is solemn and concerned. At ~1:15 the tone shifts to a lighter and brighter, yet still very psych, tone with the lyrics "But oh, the sun was shining." It's a refreshing change from the darkness of the previous minute and adds some excellent dynamic shading to the song. 

        At ~1:47 we shift again with a raw guitar sound, like someone's ax fell over while it was still plugged into a powered-up amp. The pulsing notes return and the listener is once again washed out to sea in this dark trip, "And now they're scared of me, but who could blame them anyway. It's only natural to distinguish between predator and prey." The narrative this song dances around is cold and gripping, yet full of desire and awareness. Musically the song shifts back to that bright section again at ~3:03, this section seems to be functioning as a chorus. Again, it's a welcome break from the bleakness of the verses. We return to that darkness at 3:38, only it's even more sinister now because the synth-like pulsing has been paired with palm-muted guitar chords that add this heaviness to it. This moment rides out for about a minute to the song's end. 

    

        I hope this track is tied to a larger release because it's a wonderful piece. The evil sounds shaded in with the moments of light and airy brightness creates this intangible feeling of cryptic awareness and despair while never giving you the reason why. Some moments seem to be talking about a tragic passing of someone, but the narrator seems to be/feel responsible, but also is pinning that responsibility to the community at large. I'm hooked and you should check it out today! 

Check out Windhand here.

Check out Baroness here.
Check out Misstallica here, Gleason and Martz most well-known project. 

The Jazz Project - Album 92: Sarah Vaughan - "Sarah Vaughan"

        To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.

Album 92

Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan

Drinking: Stone Ripper IPA

Photo credit: https://live.staticflickr.com/3079/2549235285_d5f51329a9_b.jpg

1. "Lullaby Of Birdland": This is arguably my favorite song performed by Sarah Vaughan. I first heard it on a mix CD offered through my college History Of Jazz course and was pleasantly surprised to see it on this tracklist. Honestly, this song fires on all cylinders with lovely melodies, catchy lyrics and hooks, and some great instrumentation and performances. It's a 10/10 track for me. It's a touch of sweet nostalgia mixed with technical prowess and it really sings (pun not intended). I love the drum solo and even more so I love Sarah's scat solo which is perfectly delivered. You get to experience Sarah's full range of voice on this track. 
   
   
2. "April In Paris": Elegant opening on the piano paired with Sarah singing in her lower register. It's a magical moment. I wish I could have had an opportunity to see her live. The piano playing is delicate and beautiful. Oddly, I'm drawn in by the stirred snare, which is not something I normally hone in on. It holds the atmosphere together in a nearly invisible way. Vaughan's visual description puts me onto the streets of Paris. This song captures a feeling of sad but sweet nostalgia. 
   
   
3. "He's My Guy": The intro is light and airy, like the sound of fresh new love. The lyrics confirm it as it starts with "He's my guy, I don't care what he does, 'cause he's my guy. I guess he always was." It's a swinging love song, and sure, it's not the best song on the LP, but I wouldn't skip it either. I love the first sax solo on this track. Honestly, I'd love to hear Paul Quinichette and Clifford Brown perform a solo together a la Bird and Miles Davis performances. I don't love the piano solo here, but it works in the mix and the atmosphere. What I'm missing here is a solo from Vaughan. 
   
   
4. "Jim": I listened to this album on a reissued LP, and it also has a different order for the tracks, and "Jim" came up before "He's My Guy". This feels like a better order considering narrative, but it's still an odd choice to pair these on the list because their tone and story are so jarringly different. "Jim" is a melancholy love song about being in love with someone who doesn't do much in return. Perhaps unrequited love? Not likely, but it's just specific enough to leave you wondering. They do a great job of capturing the bittersweet feeling that Sarah sings about. The trumpet solo really shines on this track. It's strong yet delicate, crisp in tone, and wonderfully melodic. It captures the troubles of a troubling romance, sung perfectly in the line "Staying even though she wants to leave." 
   
   
5. "You're Not The Kind": This song has a classy swing to it. I feel like this is an honest peek at Sarah's inner being (even if she didn't write it). Paul's solo is excellent as well. This has that classic Jazz feel to it without seeming stale. The flute solo is a bit weak for my liking, but it still sounds pleasant. Clifford's solo is a breath of fresh air after the previous solo, mainly because I love his sense of rhythm as he plays. This song features one of my favorite lines on the album, "I'm just a song and a dance, you're a symphony." What a line. 
   
   
6. "Embraceable You": Sarah Vaughan's vibrato on this song is quite amazing. This song reminds me of my first dance as a child. I love the piano playing on this track, especially that delicate solo. This song captures this fragile feeling, much like young love. I loved it. 
   
   
7. "I'm Glad There Is You": This song features a sweet intro with lyrics we've all felt at some time or another. Sarah's technique on this track is quite enjoyable. Her vibrato continues to be awe-inspiring. It's not my favorite track, but I wouldn't go out of my way to skip it. The mix on this track is masterfully done. Clifford's playing weaves in and out of the free moments on this track without stealing the light. Well done all around. 
   
   
8. "September Song": On my copy, this song was the first track. Honestly, I think it works better as an opening, but it holds its own on the back end of this release as well. This is a lovely standard Jazz track, soft and slow. There's some more excellent soloing from Clifford Brown. Sarah's voice captures the blues of oncoming autumn and winter while Brown's solo holds tightly onto the feeling of summer. I could listen to this song any day at any time.
   
   
9. "It's Crazy": This song picks up the pace which is a nice change from "I'm Glad There's You" and "September Song". "I act like a fool, what do I care, I'll be a fool as long as you're there, it's crazy, but I'm in love," is such a great line. It's the essence of new love. Clifford captures that fresh new romance magic with his solo like a pro. This track has a snappy quality to it that I greatly enjoy. I wonder if Paul Q. took lessons from Paul Desmond, or visa versa because there's a similarity to it that I enjoy. Sarah's voice pulls all the pieces of this song together in a captivating way. You can feel the electricity in the room over the speakers. The last moment on this track is, in my humble opinion, quite hilarious. 

Overall Thoughts: "Lullaby Of Birdland" is still my favorite song on this album, but I've spent the most time with it as well. I do wish more of the album has that magical sound, but this album still holds its own and deserves a place in anyone's collection. It's a classic, and you should listen to it as soon as possible. The drink pairing for this album wasn't right, it needed a more appropriate beverage like a good cocktail, or a loose leaf tea. Something you can contemplate while taking in this delightful recording. 

Info: This album was released in 1954 through the EmArcy record label. It was produced by Bob Shad and features Sarah Vaughn on vocals, Clifford Brown on trumpet, Paul Quinichette on tenor saxophone, Herbie Mann on flute, Jimmy Jones on piano, Joe Benjamin on bass, Roy Haynes on drums, and Ernie Wilkins as a conductor. 

You can buy the album here, and you can listen to the album here. 

Thanks for tuning in folks! Let me know what you thought about this release down below! 

The album's out! Let's look at Massive Wagons - "House of Noise"

        As of July 17, 2020, Massive Wagons' album House Of Noise has been released out into the world for the people to take in an enjoy. Mainly Tuning Out checked out the title track earlier in June, and because we enjoyed it so much I wanted to do the deep dive on the album. Featuring a run time of 51 minutes and a healthy 12 tracks, it brings a solid amount of enjoyment. 

        We open with "In It Together" which is an excellent album start. Big sound with some fun chords peppered in and around the riffs. The drums are mixed well, hell all of it is. This has a fun Bar Rock feeling to it while holding onto the punchy punk attitude that holds this song up. The unity vibe to the chorus works well too. Solid track and it doesn't feel like 4 minutes have elapsed when it comes roaring to a close.

        Next up is "Bangin In Your Stereo", which I've been enjoying quite a bit over the last few weeks. It's the perfect blend of AC/DC and Reel Big Fish. Great riffs, bouncy feel, and an arena rock chorus that is easy to yell along to. If you like cruising along in your ride listening to something with your sunglasses on, this is the track for you. A solid follow up for a solid album starter. We're off to a good start. 

        Track three is the title track "House Of Noise," and you can read a deeper dive on that track from our June write up. Having some context gives this song a bit more of a backbone to lean on, and honestly, it's stronger for it. It's not as anthemic as "In It Together" or as "Bangin In Your Stereo", which helps break up the flow of the album. It also feels more honest to an artist's experience as a musician with the added context. It works well. 

        "Freak City" is track four, and the intro is fun! It has a bit of a Van Halen feel to it, and it's a welcomed sound. Great lyrics for the opening too, "Freakin' out, I'm freakin' out. There's a fire in my head and it won't go out. Got a pain in my chest that comes and goes, I've been punched in the face so much it shows." Another catchy sing-a-long chorus that would sit well in the rock chorus pantheon (seriously, it's hard not to sing along to it on my second pass through this album). However, even though there's a Classic Rock vibe to this song, it still very honest and fresh. I'm impressed with Massive Wagons' grasp on balancing homage to their inspirations and influences with their own identity as a band. I bet this song rips in a live setting with that chorus and I'm a big fan of the track as a whole.

        The fifth track is "Hero". I'm not in love with the title, it feels quite bland compared to its previous siblings. However, the track changes up the pace with a smooth and slippery blues riff backed by some crunchy single strummed chords. The verse is sung over a single note bass line that gives it this fat vibe to it. Dynamically, this song work so far. The chorus is a little dull compared to the verse, but it works. I would say I neither love it or hate it. The other unfortunate choice with this song is it's 6 minute run time. That slow and "emotional" solo could have been a tad shorter (unless it was the album closer, that would have been a sweet way to say goodbye). "Hero"'s saving grace is that excellent verse, and its placement in the tracklist works quite well as a change of pace for the album as a whole, though I believe it would have made a better closer along with "Hellescrewya". This track's chorus embraces that classic AC/DC vibe. 

        As we continue into the album we are brought to "Professional Creep" which hits the pedal to the floor as far as pace is concerned. It opens with this speedy tremolo-picked riff and it takes off down the road of rock. While overall the song doesn't wow me I enjoy listening to the music as it plugs along with a serious frenetic speed, quite enjoyable. Don't skip this track, but don't expect it to be your favorite either.

        Track seven is titled "Pressure" and it opens with some huge and spacious chords with a delightful arpeggio riff before it takes off into a slight Pop-Punk feel. It feels weird at first, but it really works for me. Imagine a Classic Rock veteran who decided to start lightly dabble into Punk Rock, but kept the riffs. The words that keep coming to mind as I listen to this album are nostalgic and fresh, which usually are terms that are at odds with each other, but this album has largely threaded that needle with professional precision. I enjoyed this track, especially the moments that employ that cocked-wah pedal sound, delightful stuff, and dutifully done. 

        In the 8th slot is "The Curry Song", which I had a little bit of apprehension about when I scanned through the track titles as I sat down to listen to this album. Historically, for this particular listener, songs that are titled "The ____ Song," have never done it for me. For example, "The Wanton Song" by Led Zeppelin is meh at best, "The Nile Song" by Pink Floyd is blase (even if it was punk rock Pink Floyd, which was still pretty cool), "The Death Song" by Marilyn Manson is a low point for Mason's career, and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" by the Flaming Lips is a hard listening experience at best. 

        All that being said, I enjoyed this song more than I care to admit. A song about takeaway curry, while very UK, is strangely and oddly good. I yearn for a good takeaway curry place in my piece of the States. Sure, I will not tell you it's the best song on the album, but compared to the plethora of "The ___ Song"'s that exist in this world, I'd pick this one first and it's definitely not worth skipping. The riffs are solid, and the overall performance is well done. 

        Ringing in at the ninth slot is "Glorious". The intro doesn't gel as well as previous songs. It seems like a song honoring various friends and fans they've interacted with over the years. This is a cool concept, but it doesn't provide the listener with an investment in the "why should we care?" department. Perhaps this would better serve as something like a Patreon tier reward? I don't know, but this song doesn't do much for me. Regardless, good on them for shouting out some love to their fans and friends. 

        The 10th track comes back with some pumping rock. It's titled "Sad Sad Song," and I get an early Dropkick Murphy's/Street Dogs vibe, and it's working for me. Lyrically it seems to be a call back to the challenges that memory glosses over when looking back to the "good ol' days" and the struggle of coping with the now. After "Glorious" and "The Curry Song" this song is a welcomed return to the earlier vibe of the album. The ending of this song has a pretty epic vibe to it, with a classic vocals-over-a-musical-fadeout moment that is enjoyable. 

        Track 11 is titled "Hellescrewya" and it starts with a fade-in, bells, and prayer-like vocals before kicking in a guitar solo about 15 seconds in. Another verse is sung over a solo bass and percussion with palm-muted guitars joining in at the second half of the verse. This formula works for this band. The chorus is reaching for another anthemic chorus. While not un-enjoyable, this song feels like it's reaching for several different paths to take and not quite hitting them. Lyrically it feels like an FU to haters with "Hellescrewya" being a playoff of Hallelujah, even calling out at one point that they're "trying their best not to swear". At the end of the track, they do land the epic chorus outro which is welcomed.

        The last track, "Matter Of Time" starts with drumsticks counting off the beat and ushering in a slow jam over a solo. It works okay, although I'm initially worried by the 8 minute run time on this song. At about three minutes in I realize I have a lot to say about this song, and I'll simply leave it at I'm not enjoying it. The sluggish nature of the tempo doesn't sync up well with the overall pace of this album and it's quite jarring. The change to a quicker tempo at 6:13 really helped this song and I wish it had been here this whole time. Vocally this new section also feels much stronger. More of this, please! Honestly, I would have put this track earlier in the album and closed with "Hellescrewya" or "Hero", with a preference for "Hellescrewya". Long story short, this song could have been 3-4 minutes made up of the 2nd half and it would have been so much more enjoyable. 

        So, that's the album! Overall my thoughts and feelings about this album are hugely positive! I think if Massive Wagons took a lesson from the Death Metal scene and sought out an "All Killer - No Filler" approach they'd only get better. As a listener, I'd rather have 30 minutes of [expletive] amazing music than 50+ minutes of some killer music and some blah music. Most of this album isn't blah either, mostly just "Matter Of Time" and only the first half of that song too. Favorite tracks are definitely "Freak City", "Bangin' In Your Stereo", and "In It Together". I wish they had spaced out the killer tracks on the first half of the album through the whole product because they opened with such force that the back half couldn't sustain the energy. Tracks 1-4 are grade A top choice Rock! Track six on is a little hit or miss, but largely worth the time, at least in this listener's opinion.

        House Of Noise is worth a listen, and I predict it will propel this band into the mainstream even more. It has some flaws, but it has some bangers too. You can pick up your copy here. Let me know if you agree! And if you don't, let me know why! If you can make me an argument in defense of "Hero" and "Matter Of Time," I'd love to hear it. 

"But It Sounds Like _______."

        One of the things I am most put off by the scenes of music I follow are the following phrases, "I like okay, but it's not as good as [insert groundbreaking band here]," and "I like their old stuff better." It's like tying the hands of artists and holding them hostage. Furthermore, I think it's limiting to your own experience as a music listener. It puts up a wall preventing the people who utter the above phrases from finding other music that, while not groundbreaking, is still mind-blowing and enjoyable. 

        "I like it okay, but it's not as good as [insert groundbreaking band here]." It's like saying "I like Bolt Thrower okay, but it's not as good as Slayer." Sure, Slayer and the other bands in the Big Four changed the face of Thrash Metal, but it doesn't take away that Bolt Thrower right some utterly amazing songs with some truly incredible riffs. "I like Sleep okay, but their riffs are basically Sabbath." Again, I will concede that Black Sabbath was a foundational band in the world of metal, and more specifically, Doom Metal. That doesn't mean that Sleep doesn't have something truly exceptional to offer the listener, something that further what Doom Metal means as a genre. It does mean that the folks in Sleep were fans of Black Sabbath and were inspired and occasionally offer up homage, but that's it. Sub-genres have been embraced by the metal community because there is a difference between homage and mimicking an artist, and that difference is hugely important. 

        "I like their old stuff better," is the equivalent of calling art interesting. I can concede that not all risks taken by an artist, and not all new albums by artists are great. But there are plenty of albums offered up by favorite bands everywhere that don't get the love they deserve because the artists have grown and their music has grown with them. Magma by Gojira is one of them. It was a pretty large change in their sound but the foundation of the band, the Duplantier brothers, had recently lost their mother to an illness. They used the music on this album to heal and cope with this loss and created an album that beautifully embodied this pain. 

        The inability to embrace that people change and, in turn, their music, will only hinder a scene in the long term. It turns great bands into watered-down Slayers, a band who's largely spent their career recreating the same (albeit excellent) albums to placate their fan base. This will create complacency and boredom. If left untreated, it could kill a scene. I challenge the people to set aside the preconceived notions and the fear of the unknown and celebrate people for growing as individuals and letting their music grow with them. Your favorite albums aren't going anywhere, listen to them when you're feeling nostalgic. 

The Jazz Project - Album 93: Jan Johanssen - "Jazz på svenska"

        To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.

Album 93

Jan Johanssen - Jazz på svenska

Drinking: Green Tea

Photo credit: https://i0.wp.com/www.vinylpussycat.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_00223.jpg?fit=1280%2C1277&ssl=1

1. "Visa från Utanmyra": The song starts with a nice bouncy bassline and a somber, almost sneaky piano line. My mind envisions a cool jazz club owner setting up the club for a night of entertainment while the band is warming up. Periodically Jan throws in these sweet chords and quick licks which are excellent. In the middle, it takes on a nostalgic feeling before it returns to this smooth jam.
   
   
2. "Gånglek från Älvdalen": This track has a weird blend of classic, gospel, and jazz to it, and it's captivating. In my mind I'm seeing a cat going through its adventures for the day, chasing a bird, napping, tossing a ball of yarn, etc. It's a fun track.
   
   
3. "Polska från Medelpad": This has a great sound for only being a duo, it's like baroque meets jazz. I'm having a hard time writing because my attention is sucked into the music thoroughly. It feels like I'm watching a ballet from a multistory window, unable to hear the sound but just watching these spinning, twisting people move and sway.
   
   
4. "Visa från Rättvik": There's something reserved in Jan's performing, which isn't often the case in jazz music. It's like the sound of a photo album. It's a little dusty, a little faded, but very well kept.
   
   
5. "Brudmarsch efter Larshöga Jonke": This is the sound of a winter night when the fire has unexpectedly gone out and you're trying to relight it. I don't miss the extra instruments normally found in a jazz record, Johanssen and Riedel hold it together just fine.
   
   
6. "Vallåt från Jämtland": This song is very somber. It's like looking out over a graveyard on a cold autumn day. I want to use the world bleak, but I don't think that's the correct feeling. Neither is dreary. It's hard to describe this feeling. It's a great track though.
   
   
7. "Emigrantvisa": I love the way this song bounces back and forth between concern and hope. It's like a traveler who is trying to make it home, and yet, as traveling will do, is experiencing surprises that delay them. I'd say that thus far, this has to be the jazziest lick of the whole album.
   
   
8. "Berg-Kirstis polska": I was wrong, this is also a very jazzy track too. It's got this swing to it that's captivating. It bounces around with some excellent chord choices. I'm further captivating by Jan's playing which has this delightful lilt to it, it's as catchy as it comes. I love how this one fades away like a memory.
   
   
9. "Leksands skänklåt": One of the things I've been thinking about throughout this album is how deliberate each note is. It feels like a lot of thought went into each note of each line and chord, and to which degree each note should be played in regards to volume and dynamics.
   
   
10. "Gammal bröllopsmarsch": There is a flavor to this song that I can't place, but it's delightful. I love the harsh intervals Jan periodically throws into this song. In the middle is this interplay between the bass and piano that I'm really enjoying. They play in the space created between each other quite skillfully before going back into the swing of the song.
    
    
11. "Visa från Järna": As the shortest track on the album it doesn't impact me quite as much as the rest. I love the choices Riedel makes on this song though, they pop! I'm not sure where the piano is trying to go, it just feels like noodling.
    
    
12. "Polska efter Höök Olle": Finally! A solo! Loving this bass solo. This song makes for a great closer to this album. It ends where it started with that methodical cheekiness.

Photo credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Jan_Johansson_Hawi.jpg

Overall Thoughts: I was not surprised to learn after listening to this album that each song was a jazz reinterpretation of old Swedish folk songs. Perhaps this is why the music had that old photo album vibe to it. Honestly, I loved this album though, and I loved that it was only two performers and nothing felt like it was missing. Really solid album.


Info: This album was released in 1964 on Megafon Records. It features Jan Johansson on piano and Georg Riedel on bass. It was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden. According to Jazzwise Magazine, this album was a peak point for a sound that would become known as the Nordic Tone. Fun fact, Michael Akerfeldt, of Opeth fame, is said to have been inspired by Jan when writing the opening track to Opeth's album Heritage.

Pick up the album here.

Listen to the album here. 

Black Crown Initiate - "Holy Silence"

Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BlackCrownInitiate/photos/?ref=page_internal

        Black Crown Initiate has landed at a crossroads of Opeth, Gojira, Mastodon, and Between The Buried And Me, which is a pretty intense cocktail of sound. It's kept me at a distance from them periodically in the past. However, this new track is great. Clocking in at nearly 8 minutes it takes the listener on a journey of riffs, transitions, dynamics, and excellent musicianship. 

For those who aren't in the know about this band, they are a Progressive Death Metal band hailing from Reading, Pennsylvania. They are currently signed to Century Media Records and have been creating music since 2012. The band self describe themselves as "the sound of a sentient being at war with itself and everything else; an entity holding on for dear life as its inner and outer world dies."

        There are moments where I'm shocked to not see Tommy Giles Rodgers listed on this track as a guest vocalist as James Dorton and Andy Thomas, BCI's vocalists, capture these amazing clear highs and also achieves some truly excellent growls. Honestly, I'm floored at the performance offered on this track from Dorton and Thomas, it's something they should truly be proud of. There are even more moments where Andy Thomas and Ethan McKenna weave around each other on their guitars that captures my imagination, the riffs are insane. Nick Shaw holds down the bass like a pro and allows the rest of the band the freedom to work their magic. It's a professional sound from a professional band. Sadly I couldn't confirm who was drumming on this performance, but if it was a live performance they should be applauded as well, it's so good. 

        The track opens with this clean guitar lick that is very reminiscent of late-career Gojira and early/mid-career Opeth. Drums join in to liven up the sound at ~0:28, creating a very hypnotic moment, almost meditative. It starts building the tension and the band unleashes into the next moment at ~0:56. Blast beats backbone these soaring clean vocals and these crushing guitar riffs. The song transitions to a quick moment with some excellent rhythm guitar at ~1:24 before switching to a spacey riff with some delightful bass work at ~1:29. Growling vocals come echoing in from the void and develop this part of the track into an interesting and ethereal moment. 

        At ~2:17 the guitars ramp up again and bring the listener to a proper Death Metal atmosphere complete with the Gojira pick squeals adding a nice rhythmic moment. We return to what seems like the chorus that was introduced back at ~0:56 and then the song transitions into this Prog chug fest with an excellent vocal performance at ~3:27. The song lives in this pock for a while before switching to another musical moment at ~4:14 where we return to that Death Metal section. It still crushes and honestly, could go a little longer in my humble opinion. 

        There's a startling transition at ~4:56 when a solo strummed acoustic guitar enters the picture. It's a beautiful moment that is very reminiscent of Opeth's more Prog based performances but in a really good way. The chord choices are excellent and it adds some nice contrast to the song. More of the band joins in at ~5:37 and the band jams on this moment for a while. Again, this section could go on a little longer and I would dearly enjoy it. The lead guitar continues as we switch back to a heavier sound at ~6:06. 

        This transition is seamless, and just as seamlessly a solo begins at ~6:20, and what a solo it is. This player's chops are astounding. The solo switches over to a guitar harmony lead line and the song continues on revamping on this moment until the song begins to fade out at ~7:17. Fading out was an interesting choice and a welcomed one.

        I don't have a single critique of this song, and I highly encourage you to check it out. In the meantime, I'll be digging back into their catalog and revisiting some of the material I've passed over. If you like this track, you can pre-order their upcoming album on Century Media Records which is due to be released on August 7th, 2020. 

The Devil's Trade - "Három Árva" & Alain Johannes - "Hallowed Bones"

The Devil's Trade Photo credit: https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0013943806_10.jpg
Alain Johannes Photo credit: https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3452397808_10.jpg

        Doom Folk purveyor The Devil's Trade debuted a new track on YouTube yesterday adding another welcomed track to their offerings from The Call Of The Iron Peak. Like "Dead Sister", "Három Árva" doesn't disappoint with it's haunting wailing winds of music. The lyrics to this song are sung in Hungarian, Dávid Makó's native language (from what I can find from my research), and it gives this song a delightfully bleak sound. 

        Három Árva translates to "Three Orphans", and the lyrics appear to tell a dark story about three newly orphaned children struggling to find their new path. The lyrics indicate they're newly orphaned through the line (after translation) "The three orphans are leaving, all three in earthly mourning." Early mourning is a fun play on words for leaving in the morning and leaving early in the mourning period. 

        From the afterlife their mother tries to speak to them to be wary of those who may take them in, "I can not wake up my children, the haze has covered my eyes. You three have got a stepmother who dresses you in white, when she dresses you in white, your backs bloom with blood," and "Oh lord, protect the orphan, save them from exile and fleeing from door to door." The Hungarian language brings a level of dread and despair to the words and feelings that are unparalleled.

        The music truly transports the listener to a stormy dark peak, with the wind whipping past speaking the ancient words of a lonely mountain. The clean guitar uses reverb twang to create this dynamic tension that quite literally gave me chills. Makó's vocals pull every ounce of humanity and emotion out of thin air and paints them on sonic canvas using his words and his dramatic wails. Pairing the two creates a landscape of gloom, darkness, desolation, and melancholy.

        To put it simply, this track is excellent. You should listen to it, right now. The Call Of The Iron Peak drops August 28th, 2020 through Season of Mist and can be pre-ordered here.

        In other news, Ipecac Records dropped a new song from artist Alain Johannes titled "Hallowed Bones". Johannes has enjoyed quite a career and is releasing his third solo album July 31st, 2020 titled Hum. This track exists in stark contrast to The Devil's Trade. Johannes describes the track as "Hallowed Bones came to me first as a visual of dancing around a fire in the woods at night. Almost like a pagan dance, a ritual in a trance celebrating love in the present and it’s continued pull after our loved ones are gone."

        The feeling of this track is light, joyful, very similar to the glow of an early summer morning. It's serene yet full of possibility. The lyrics reflect this feeling in a welcoming way with whimsical yet cryptic phrases like "In the hardness of a new day, searching in my magic hat so the child won't fade away," or "when the tide of the moon bespoke, did I hear deeper still I understood once I woke." 

        The music features hand drums and some excellent finger-picked guitar. His voice is rosy and calming. It features this delightful descending riff between the verses that is only a small step from having a sitar feeling to it, which is captivating. This makes for a calming and imaginative 215 seconds of enjoyment. Alain Johannes's upcoming album Hum is available for pre-order right now. 

        If "Három Árva" has brought you down, "Hallowed Bones" is sure to pick you right back up and I urge you to enjoy both today! 

The Jazz Project - Album 94: Cassandra Wilson - "Blue Light 'Til Dawn"

        To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.

Album 94

Cassandra Wilson - Blue Light 'Til Dawn

Drinking: Nothing

Photo credit: https://live.staticflickr.com/3044/2552021572_ffd2b60607_b.jpg

1. "You Don't Know What Love Is": Originally written by Don Raye and Gene De Paul. Cassandra's voice is like the bluesiest blend of Tracy Chapman and Nina Simone, it's haunting! The vocals and that crisp guitar in the back of the mix make this song pop. It features an excellent viola/violin solo as well. It feels like dealing with a broken heart on a rainy day. Looking at the lyrics, they are painting a picture that every memory is tearing open wounds that are trying to heal: "You don't know how lips hurt, until you're kissed and had to pay the cost," or "You don't know how hearts burn for a love that cannot live yet never dies." It's some heavy stuff. 
   
   
2. "Come On In My Kitchen": This song was originally written by Robert Johnson. A classic blues sound with some modern funky beats acting as the backbone, this is a fun track with a great swinging feel to it. The accordion is a nice touch that brings it back to a country/folk feel at times. It doesn't hit quite as hard, or burn as hot as that opening track, but it's certainly enjoyable. 
   
   
3. "Tell You You'll Wait For Me": Originally written by Charles Brown and Oscar Moore. This song has a much more traditional standard Jazz arrangement feel to it, however, it doesn't feel stale which is nice. It evokes a feeling of nostalgia for an older sound. The bass tone is crisp, the voice is smokey dark, which makes this quite enjoyable to listen to. There's a great rhythm to this song and a spacious mix. It feels like your soaked in whiskey and Wilson is crooning in the corner. 
   
   
4. "Children Of The Night": This song was originally written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It features a very interesting opening. It sounds like the backyard of a farm closing up for the evening. One person is calling out bird cries, and Wilson and the other folks are fading out in the mix like the sun that's setting. Very soon a big drum is hit and someone is yelling like it's dinner time, only musically. Or perhaps they're calling the animals in from the pasture. This track has a bright and exciting feel to it, and I really enjoyed it. It's an amazing blend of jazz and other types of traditional music. 
   
   
5. "Hell Hound On My Trail": This is another song originally penned by Robert Johnson. It features a great punctuated blues intro. That smokey voice works here. I can't tell at first if another person is singing, but it's revealed to be a throaty brass instrument/trumpet, very cool, I should listen to the original. This is a track I'd enjoy while sipping tea on a rainy day and reading a book. It's definitely firing on all cylinders. 
   
   
6. "Black Crow": This song was originally written by Joni Mitchell. Wilson does a great job embodying Mitchell's vocal sound. The song sounds like "Children Of The Night", they built on that sound for this track. It's like standing in a bustling forest. It walks this balance of wild sounds and delicate phrasing so professionally. This isn't my favorite track, but it's not bad, I wouldn't skip it. 
   
   
7. "Sankofa": An original by Cassandra Wilson. Sankofa is "an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The literal translation of the word and the symbol is 'it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind'" (1).This song features a delightful blend of Afro/Folk/Gospel music and is an excellent A Capella song. I love it. It tastes like positive nostalgia, which I think rings true of the original meeting of the title. 
   
   
8. "Estrellas": Originally by Cyro Baptista. This was a fun instrumental. It's got some interesting percussion choices that I enjoyed. I'm not in love with the vocals but I do enjoy the counter-rhythm against what the drums are doing. 
   
   
9. "Redbone": An original song by Cassandra Wilson. This has a wonderful contrast from her other self-composed track. The track has a great funk to it without being over-the-top. I can't find lyrics anywhere, but there are aspects like praying every night, living hard, and drinking whiskey every night, which makes for an interesting character. The instruments add some fun interplay with the structure of the song.
   
   
10. "Tupelo Honey": Originally written by Van Morrison. I could have guessed without notes or the title that this was a Van Morrison track. He's got this style of writing that bleeds through anything. Cassandra Wilson does a great job of overcoming the Van Morrison effect and making this track hers anyways. I love the jazz feel with the folk steel string-guitars, it's a great pairing. The only thing I don't love is the violin solo. It sounds like an electric violin and I'm not sure what it's trying to add to the song, and for me, it didn't fit well into the vibe of the track. Overall though, it was a great track. 
    
    
11. "Blue Light 'Til Dawn": Another original song by Cassandra Wilson. That twangy slide is a really tasty addition to this song. Another perfect Blues/Jazz jam and I wouldn't be shocked to hear this come on regardless if I was in a Jazz bar or a Blues bar. Sadly, I'm not wowed by this song. It's not skip-worthy, but it lacks that pop of previous tracks, and not pop like pop music, but pop like when ingredients come together to create something larger than themselves. All the performances are great though, and the mix is great, there's just something missing that keeps this song from elevating into something truly great. It doesn't quite feel like it belongs on this album though, much like "Night Time In The Switching Yard" off of Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy, it's a good song, but it doesn't feel like it fits the vibe of the album. It's shame too because this is the title track. 
    
    
12. "I Can't Stand The Rain": Originally written by Ann Peebles, Dan Bryant, and Bernie Miller. This has that string buzz taste of some old school blues. This song pops, especially as Wilson starts singing. This has a sullen sound that just works so well. An excellent choice for an album closer. The resonator guitar works great in the mix and makes it sound like that blues workhorse guitar that we all dream of owning one day. Delightful. 

Overall Thoughts: There are moments on this album where I'm infatuated, and others where I'm interested but it doesn't quite jive with me, and a few others that sound good but I struggled to pay attention. Cassandra Wilson's voice is amazing though, and I look forward to trying more of her records. Jazzwise Magazine describes Wilson's voice as burnished alto, and I wholeheartedly agree. On the whole, this album is worth checking out. I should have paired this album with some whiskey or some red wine. 

Info: This album was released in 1993 on Blue Note Records. It was produced by Craig Street. Blue Light 'Til Dawn features quite the roster of performers: Cassandra Wilson on vocals, Brandon Ross on acoustic guitars and general arrangements, Charlie Burnham on violin, mandocello, and the arrangement for track 11, Tony Cedras on accordion, Olu Dara on coronet, Gib Wharton on pedal steel guitar, Chris Whitley on national resophonic guitar, Kenny Davis on bass and the arrangement on track 3, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Lance Carter on drums and percussion, Kevin Johnson on percussion, Bill McClellan on drums and percussion, Jeff Haynes on percussion, Cyro Baptista on percussion and the arrangement for tracks 6 and 8, and Vinx on percussion. 

(1) https://www.berea.edu/cgwc/the-power-of-sankofa/

Red Fang - "Murder The Mountains"

Photo credit: https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0101982953_16.jpg

        Murder the Mountains is the second full-length album from Oregon based band Red Fang. This Stoner Rock/Metal album was released in 2011 on Relapse Records. This album was produced by Chris Funk of the Indie Rock band The Decemberists. It doesn’t strike me as too far a leap that a member of a largely narrative-driven band, like The Decemberists, would have a hand in producing a narrative-heavy album like Murder the Mountains. Red Fang is a band that got its start in 2005. The lineup consists of Aaron Beam on bass and vocals, Bryan Giles on guitar and vocals, John Sherman on drums, and David Sullivan on guitars.

        In brief, this album is about a family’s struggle, who is brought down by tragedy and mysticism. Various elements of Malverde’s story, power struggles, and zombism are blended together with some tasty riffs to create a pleasingly dense album.

        The characters of this album belong to a cartel, likely in Mexico. This assumption is based on the name of the first track: "Malverde", who is the folk-saint of drug-traffickers in Mexico (1). Beyond location, nothing is really revealed about the setting for this album. This song does play with time in a non-linear way, with various portions of songs talking about events in the past, and also skip over portions of the narrative.

        Track 1 - "Malverde". This track starts with some huge sounding chords and a shrill, ominous riff. If you listen to the background of the track, the band have added a Gregorian-like vocal part to add to the effect of the intro. It feels very much like the curtains opening at a stage show. These verses bounce between two different characters. The vocals at 0:26 start the story with the line “I’ve been running with the gone right people, we’ll be coming for you.” This is a character later to be revealed as Mama, who is asserting her position to the other party, referred to as “you”. Essentially this is the beginning of an internal coup d'etat led by Mama. The next line is “I’ve been dying with the unclean people, I know that.” The unnamed character is acknowledging to themselves that their involvement with the standing leadership has put them in line with evil people. The next line reflects regret. That their relationship with Mama no longer carries any weight or meaning, “what will she do now that she don’t love you.”

        The first chorus (or chorus A) starts with “That’s the trick, that’s the trick. I can’t believe that you’re falling for it. That’s the fear, feel it grow, shatters the ground as it comes from below.” This is solely through the voice of Mama. She believes that her relationship will still allow her to get closer to the unnamed man and complete her coup d’etat. The intensity of the music underneath the lyrics suggests that she wishes to kill him. Considering the lyrics about shattering the ground as it comes from below it appears she has been rising up the ranks and building relationships in preparation for the coup. Mama is trying to reconcile her desire for secrecy with her desire to fill him with fear.

        Next is the second chorus (chorus B) which is through the perspective of the man. It’s lead off with a trudging sounding riff starting at 1:08. “Thousand miles to go, now you’ve got to go. Thousand miles to go for you.” A trusted friend has warmed this character of the upcoming coup. The lyrics are an internal monologue to tell himself to get out now, while he still can. It continues on with another repetition of this mantra with a different ending: “Thousand miles to go, now you’ve got to go, thousand miles to go, what will she do now that she don’t love you?”

        This section is immediately followed up a repeat of Mama’s chorus and continues repeating it until the end of the track. It creates the feeling she’s climbing up a staircase closer and closer to his room, repeating this under her breath. “That’s the trick, that’s the trick, I can’t believe that you’re falling for it, that’s the fear, feel it grow, shatters the ground as it comes from below. That’s the trick, that’s the trick, that’s the trick, that’s the trick.” There is an instrumental section starting at 2:00 that continues on with this trudging, thick riff. This section is the man making his escape into the hot desert sun. The lead guitar section starting at 2:25 is mimicking the hot rays of the sun beating down upon him, and as this passage continues it only grows more and more in intensity.

        Mama’s voice comes crushing back in at 3:17, repeating the lines once again: “That’s the trick, that’s the trick, I can’t believe that you’re falling for it. That’s the fear, feel it grow, shatters the ground as it comes from below. That’s the trick, that’s the trick, that’s the trick, that’s the trick.” At the 3:57 mark, there’s a quick closing musical passage that feels like Mama kicking in the door.

        Track 2 - "Wires". This track takes place sometime after Malverde. It’s the man talking to a young adult/child, who is only referred to as Kid on the album. The man also reveals his name to be Captain. Before jumping into the line by line on this track, something happens in Malverde that is not explicitly stated in the song but is alluded to it by the choice of name. According to the story, Jesus Malverde was a bandit who was offered a pardon by a member of the Mexican government if he could steal the sword from the local governor of the town. More importantly, in some stories, it’s the Governor's daughter. What is inferred here is that Captain abducted Mama’s child to ensure Kid survived the coup and to act as an insurance policy for Captain’s life. Wires starts with a conversation between Kid and Captain.

        The song jumps in with a pretty interesting riff that jumps between this bouncy repeated note and these fast strumming chords. A great interplay between relaxed and tension. As the vocals start the riff takes on the plodding marching tone. Captain is talking with Kid as they walk through the desert during their escape. “Kid, don’t lose your cool, it’s still too soon to have to choose a brighter doom.” Captain explains to Kid why he abducted him, and that Kid is too young to have to make a decision in a life or death situation. “It’s hard to believe, but I can see how there could be so little left to lose.” He’s trying to explain, using his age and experience, the decision to leave was safer for both of them as there wasn’t much left to lose beyond their lives. Kid remembers in a whispered memory watching Mama deal with insubordinate members “cracking open skulls like cans of beans on Christmas Eve.” The song infers this lyric is an actual memory because it’s a whispered take placed after the line “so little left to lose…”, like a memory that flashes back when someone’s talking.

        The vocals continue right on into “Mama’s not okay, she lights a candle for every day that you’re away. Today could be the one she burns the motherfucker down, her final act of grace in an endless, pointless race.” This is an interesting section of the narrative. Captain is both comforting and warning Kid, Mama misses him, and she is lighting a candle every day Kid’s gone. Candle lighting is a standard method of remembrance in Western culture. In the same breath, he explains that her obsession with running the cartel is strong enough that she runs the risk of burning the organization along with her relationship with her child. The last line of this stanza, “in an endless, pointless race,” is Captain experiencing a revelation that pursuing a living through crime in a cartel is pointless as it has no end but death.

        At 1:20 there is a replaying of the intro with a solo guitar dialed in with an extremely fuzzy tone. It is trying to describe the sense of shock Kid is experiencing while they are walking through the desert in an escape. Very soon the situation changes as the band starts playing the next section of the song starting at 1:49.

        “Kid, you’re under fire, your life is coming down to the wire. Maybe you’ll take the Captain’s hand, carry his ship through burning sands. Cradle your rifle like a man.” Mama’s soldiers have caught up with them and the soldiers have opened fire upon them. Captain tells Kid he will not leave him and that he will get them out here and through the burning sands once this conflict is over, however they will have to fight their way out of this. Lastly, he urges him to grow up in the moment, and act like a man. I believe Captain intends to steal whatever vehicle the cartel goons arrived in, which is why the word ship is used in the lyric, “carry his ship through burning sands.” Because of the plodding nature of the riff, the music indicates the vehicle is destroyed during the conflict forcing Captain and Kid to escape out into the desert sands. The next stanza skips over the description of this conflict, but the key takeaway is that Kid is mortally wounded in the conflict.

        Captain successfully fought off the soldier and got away, however this is not a victory. “Mama, she says ‘No way,’ she’s lost it all, so you’ve got to stay and make her pay.” This line has a double meaning. First, the soldiers radio in and explained the situation, and Mama says they are not to return until they’ve completed their mission. She’s lost her child and that means she’s lost it all. The second meaning is Captain pleading with Kid to hold on to life. Mama is losing her baby, who is the cause of Captain and Kid’s pain, so Kid must stay alive to make her pay for what she’s done.

        “She knows the fiend upon the throne’s a goddamn sucker for the stone until the day he dies alone”. Here Mama reflects on what she started, and what she had hoped it would be like. However as the events have played out she realizes perhaps she is the fiend on the throne, and that power has made her a sucker until she can prove her enemy (Captain) is truly dead and gone. The fact that he survived her initial attack shows he can outsmart her.

        At 2:41 the music takes on a more somber tone with some excellent harmonized tones. Musically we are experiencing Kid starting to fade, as his wounds fester with infection. At 3:37 the music takes the listener to a different group of people who were observing the conflict. They whisper from afar “Succumb” over and over urging Kid to let go of their life. This is of my favorite riffs of the album. It’s groovy, heavy, and menacing. After the line “Succumb” finishes out the music speeds up and grows more and crazier. The music suggests Mama’s soldiers have regrouped and successfully located Captain and Kid once again. Captain is sprinting away, under fire from the soldiers in a chase through the desert. The song ends just as the Cartel closes in upon them.

        Track 3 - "Hank is Dead". Between tracks, the Cartel’s vehicles crash into the dunes. Miraculously Captain survives the accident and cradles the passing Kid in his arms. A strange man comes up to them as Kid continues to fade and introduce himself as Hank, Kid's father. The title of the track refers to Captain’s knowledge that Hank is supposed to be dead, Captain executed him long ago. Hank explains in cryptic fashion “Burn the flesh that had long been rotten, he is gone but he’s not forgotten. Save his name, but don’t replace the time you spent to make his place.” Hank was gone, but time hasn’t forgotten him. He was a victim of a failed execution from Captain to “burn out” a rotten part of the cartel. Before Captain can speak Hank speaks up again, pointing to Kid, “he’s the only one to keep alive.” As he said this the cries of cartel soldiers sound as they start to check for survivors. Hank looks at Kid and says “Here they come again, with their bloodshot eyes. Leave the promised land, shed your earthly skin.”

        During the second verse, Hank flashes back to his time after the failed execution. “Left alone in a tiny capsule. He’s the king of an empty castle.” Hank was left in a coffin as Captain’s crew walks away. In agony, he fumes on this betrayal, kept alive knowing the oncoming coup will bring Captain’s reign to an end. “Went away to fill a grave, and made you stay a human slave.” Hank was brought to the desert to fill a grave, but somehow, something saved him. Something made him a human slave. Before Hank’s flashback can illuminate what this was, we are shown his greatest regret, “never got to meet that son of mine.” The music changes reflect these moments of the flashback at 1:16.

        At 1:52 the song returns to the chorus where Hank returns to reality and repeats “Here they come again, with their bloodshot eyes. Leave the promised land, shed your earthly skin.” Hank, Captain, and the Kid are saved from the soldiers by a mystical event, as shown by the last section, starting at 2:19 where sonically, something is fading in and out with a magical whining noise.

        Track 4 - "Dirt Wizard". This track bounces between several viewpoints during the verses and choruses. It initially starts as a back and forth between Captain and Hank. Hank explains “It’s alright I know.” To which Captain responds “there’s no place to go.” Hank then, again in a cryptic fashion, explains “Put the gas on the fire, cause I like it that way.” What he is trying to say to Captain is that the mystical rescue that just saved them is about to complicate things in ways Captain can’t imagine. Hank enjoys toying with Captain as it’s Karma coming back around to Captain, who made an attempt on his life. Hank’s internal monologue about this outcome is described with the line, “things all seem the same, nothing seems to change.” Bad things always happen to bad people.

        Captain is lost in the piling details of the last few moments. Between the conflict, the dying child, and a mystical rescue, all he can fixate on is how his actions have brought him here, “Turn on my friends until none remain.” If he had been a better leader, he probably would have stayed in power. If he’d been a kinder person, Hank wouldn’t have ended up like some bizarre, burned-out hermit in the desert.

        Hank starts leading them into the desert, and all he says to Captain, still carrying kid, is “ramble on, on and on, back to where the shadows gone. Oh yeah, oh yeah.” While they are traveling Captain can’t help but think, mostly in annoyance, “ramble on, on and on, back to when my life ain’t wrong. Oh yeah, oh yeah.” What Captain is unaware of is that Hank is leading them to the source of their escape, the Dirt Wizard. The music passage starting at 0:53 is to describe more travel time elapsing.

        Out of thin air, a being appears and says to the traveling party “We’re all lost at sea, and soon cease to be.” Seeing Captain’s shock, the being continues “I love the way you shut me out.” The listener gets a quick insight into the strangeness of Hank’s mannerisms as the Dirt Wizard waves them in to join him as he ventures deeper into the desert, saying with a sick smile “you just seem so tired, why not rest awhile? Just shut your eyes and I’ll gouge them out.” As the party wanders into the desert Captain can hear Hank mutter gleefully once again “Ramble on and on, back to where shadow’s gone. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Ramble on, on and on.” Captain’s own internal monologue mirrors this in fearful hope, “ramble on and on, back to when my life and wrong. Oh yeah, oh yeah.”

        Track 5 - "Throw Up". This track focuses on the Dirt Wizard and Kid. Late into the night, the group makes it to a set of tall mountains deep into the desert peppered with caves all along the inner faces. Kid seems to only have moments left to live. The music reflects this arrival as it starts with a rising chord progression with a slight sound of menace behind it. The lead part is off-kilter and struggling to hold onto the rhythm like Kid holding on to his life. Dirt Wizard quickly pulls Kid up onto a stone altar in the middle of the tall mountains and proceeds to weave his earthly magic over the boy. As he preps he makes promises to the boy. “If it’s blood that you need to make the pills go down, I will spill the blood.” With an empathic voice, backed by some quick belting chords, the Wizard continues. “If the flies that you eat are tasting twice as sweet, they came from rotting meat.” The guitars twang again as the Dirt Wizard moves his body to and fro in preparation. “If the skin on your teeth is drawing thin like a leaf, and you are feeling weak, you can thank me.”

        In an enigmatic way, Dirt Wizard is promising the boy he will save his life. “You say what you gotta say, I know. Feel the pain you feel today, I know. It’s a puzzle that we figure out.” He’s acknowledging how the boy feels, almost out of true understanding. This is matched when “I know,” is yelled out by the vocals. “Take the hate and you spit it out. Take what’s left and you let it in, let it in.” The magic is ready, and Dirt Wizard is asking the boy to let go of what he’s holding on to and let the magic enter him. The whirling spinning nature of the musical interlude is to match the body movements of the wizard casting his magic.

        Dirt Wizard continues to verbalize the spell over Kid. “Now the scum from the creek is filling up your cheeks, and you can hardly speak, while the bones in your brain grind themselves away. They will make you sane.” Here in the following line Dirt Wizard hints at the powers Kid will be imbued with. But he warns not to use these powers in anger, “If the steps of your path reflect your building wrath they will be your last. And you can thank me.” If he does, Kid will lose himself in the magic. The music matches the same structures and meanings as found in the first verse.

        The Wizard feels resistance from Kid and reinforces the message that Kid will survive this, and to let go of the fear and pain of death to allow the magic to work. “You say what you gotta say, I know. Feel the pain that you feel today, I know. It’s a puzzle that we figure out. Take the hate and you spit it out. Take what’s left and you let it in, let it in.”

        As Kid accepts the magic, the music changes at 3:20. The pace of the music quickens and gets louder as life pours back into Kid. The Dirt Wizard moves wildly as he pulls the magic out of the ground. As Kid visibly gets better the Dirt Wizard cryptically finishes up his spell “Got all the symptoms of decay, you see disease and you look away. Begin the swarming from the caves, burning the fields of amber waves. Rising the dead up from the graves, amass an army of rotting slaves.”

        It becomes clear as Dirt Wizard finishes up, that he has done much more than save Kid’s life. Kid stands up and starts looking around at the people standing around the altar, and up at the mountains surrounding them, all like it’s all brand new. Captain looks closer and still sees the festering flesh of Kid’s wounds, but it’s like they no longer bother him. This moment is caught at 4:31. The moments of calm are Captain’s relief which is broken up with frantic moments of worry that Kid is unfazed by his injuries.

        The final frantic tremolo-picked riff at 4:40 is a deep rumbling coming from the earth below everyone. Kid looks up to the caves in the mountain as if he knows what’s coming. The rumbling continues as people start emerging from the caves peppering the mountains. As the people get closer Captain realizes these are half-rotted skeletons of people who’ve been buried in the mountains. Dirt Wizard has given Kid the power to control the dead and amass an army of undead to take onward over the dunes of the desert, the amber waves from the lyrics. Like a swarm of locusts, they will burn all life from the desert. The rest of the song starting at 4:51 is the journey of Kid, Captain, Hank, and the army of undead, back across the desert. Kid, ignoring Dirt Wizard’s warning, is looking to enact retaliation for being hurt by Mama. Kid leaves the army just out of sight of the compound as Captain, Hank, and himself enter the compound alone. This moment in the song starts at 5:11 when the alarm sound starts playing as alarms ring through the Cartel compound. The compound is in an uproar as three important and supposedly dead people are returning. The people are brought to Mama’s chambers.

        Track 6 - "Painted Parade". In this track, Kid starts flexing the powers grafted into him by the Dirt Wizard. The song picks up right where the previous song left off inside Mama’s chambers. The music hints at the conflict that is to play out in this song by starting off with an echoing calm. This calm holds for a mere moment before the track explodes with a burst of drum rolls winding up the tension.

        As the guitars kick in, the narrative begins with vocals that mimic a harsh family fight. Mama finally gazes upon her lost child. In the shock of seeing what has become of Kid, she says “painted parade, a slave to the trade. Can’t sleep in the bed that you’ve made. Daddy was wrong, you could have been strong but you’ve been alone far too long.” To unpack this stanza we need to start at the top. The painted parade is her acknowledgment to herself that the Cartel life is a circus that can only move one direction: towards destruction. She further realizes that there is no retiring from the role she maintains, she’ll be a slave to the job until she dies. This culminates in the realization that this is not the bed she really wanted to lie in, especially since it cost the wellbeing of her son.

        She looks at Kid and apologies, explaining that the child’s father, Hank, always said that Kid never would have been strong enough to lead the Cartel, further explaining she had been grooming him to take over. Recent events, however, seem to have made Hank’s predictions have come true. This line serves as a jab towards the inabilities of Captain to protect Kid and also provides an insight into the family dynamic of the Cartel. Hank’s assassination likely served as the catalyst for the coup d’etat to gain momentum. Given this insight, the listener can assume Captain may have had to execute Hank due to internal strife in an attempt to retain control over the masses.

        Before Captain or Mama can start ripping into each other, Kid speaks up and controls the narrative for most of the song. “You’ll never be pure, yes madam, yes sir. You’ve always obeyed to be sure. Feet to the fire, they call you a liar. This cannot be what you desire.” Kid is using some of the power imbued into him by the Dirt Wizard to look into the uncertain future of Mama and Captain. He explains they will never be pure of heart and will live lives reflecting this. Kid further explains this should not surprise them, as they’ve always obeyed the calling of this life. With the shifting power struggles and the return of Captain, Kid informs Mama that the people are already feeling lied to and that her wellbeing is as safe as having your feet to the fire.

        Here the music changes at 0:44 into a tense instrumental section as if Kid starts winding up his punches for another round. He continues into the next stanza. “Council the weak, they think you’re a freak, a future that’s hopelessly bleak. Confused by success, your life is a mess, yet they can convince you you’re blessed.” Kid calls Mama out by saying her power is solely based on tending to the weak-minded people operating under her, and that they will not continue to see her as powerful once they see what Kid has become. To raise such a monster makes her a freak as well. This new future is bleak beyond all hope. He continues by pointing out that success has blinded her from seeing just how much of a mess her life is, until this moment, and that the people she leads fueled this delusion that she’d be free from harm because she’s blessed.

        “Don’t come with me, I won’t set you free, ‘cause that’s not where you need to be. And no, I’m not confused although you’re abused, I see it’s this life that you choose.” Kid turns on Captain next. He warns Captain that he shouldn’t continue following Kid because it won’t allow him to be free of the Cartel life. It makes Captain realize an inner truth; the life has abused him, but he still has a deep desire to remain in this criminal world because it is all he knows.

        At 1:20 the tense instrumental section starts again, however this time it is Mama who’s gearing up for retaliation in this exchange. Horrified with this thing Kid has become, Mama repeats her opening line. However, instead of self-reflection, she’s pointing this commentary towards Kid. This is emphasized by a change in vocal style to a higher pitch. “Painted parade, a slave to the trade, can’t sleep in the bed that you’ve made. Daddy was wrong, you could have been strong, but you’ve been alone for too long.” This time around Mama’s calling Kid a hoax, a phony. Unable to understand what has happened to Kid she claims that he cannot understand the mistakes he’s making. She apologies that her inability to take care of him has turned him into this fool.

        Captain jumps in trying to calm the situation, “You’ll never be pure, yes madam, yes sir. You’ve always obeyed to be sure. Feet to the fire, they call you a liar, this cannot be what you want.” Captain tries to appeal to Kid and Mama saying that their relationship will never be pure again, but this cannot be what either of them wants. The music closes out with a furious riff, and the leads playing this wailing note as the story starts approaching the climax.

        Track 7 - "Number Thirteen". This track breaks away from the plot of the story to develop the relationship between Mama and Captain, intermixed with brief flashes of Kid’s plans for the future. Based on previous uses of power the music and lyrics suggest Kid is probing Mama and Captain’s memories. It starts with an exploration of Mama, who’s coping with anger, and beginning to fashion her plan to overthrow Captain. The music brings the feeling of a rowdy crowd starting to feel agitated at a show. Kid can feel the pressure rising in the room as he scans the room.

        Mama begins at 0:31 with a memory of an old Cartel mission Captain sent her on. “I can brave the cold alone, I’m sleeping on the ground. I hate your golden throne, but want it for my own.” The music feels very deliberate, like someone stamping to their room to fume, or up to someone to give them a piece of their mind. She’s reflecting on how she felt under Captain’s rule. Mama reveals there wasn’t much in the way of affection or acknowledgment regardless of how big the task is. On an overnight mission in the desert, Mama reveals that she hates Captain and the power he represents. She continues, “I see that I’m the one who’s breaking us in two. How could this be the end?” This is an important moment because Kid sees when Mama makes the decision, deep in the heart of the desert, to overthrow Captain and set this whole story in motion.

        The chorus at 1:02 reflects the voices of each person’s subconscious in Kid’s mind as he views this memory. As Kid filters through the voices, the group yells out “You’re my, you’re my.” The music reflects this as the band layers the vocals over these lines. Kid lands on Captain’s voice as he describes how he viewed Mama in the past, “You’re my Number 13.” This is mirrored by a voice yelling the lyric over the cacophony of voices.

        Number 13 has a few meanings. First, it is the common age for child assassins inside Mexican Mafia and other groups (2). This ties into Mama’s memory of the mission. It also is a common tattoo for segments of the Mexican Mafia for identification (3). It is likely Red Fang opted to use this to suggest Captain only treated Mama like a soldier which pushes her towards her action.

        After scanning through the rest of the group through the next round of “You’re my, you’re my,” Again, the vocal layering suggests the scanning of the room by Kid. Kid tunes into his own thoughts, acknowledging the actions of Captain and Mama are his “loss of control.” Lastly, Kid scans through one more round of “You’re my, you’re my,” and lands on Mama who is realizing her choices have destroyed the one thing she really valued: Kid, who was her “everything.” The chorus ends with Kid scanning for more memories as we listen to, “you’re my, you’re my....,” closing out this segment.

        The next stanza is from the memory of Captain as he reflects on taking Hank out to die to protect the dreams of expending the cartel. As the music transitions out of the chorus and into this verse, the riff loses all the chaos as it starts to settle in on Captain. Kid locks into Captain’s mind as a note rings out at 1:28. The verse starts with the same deliberate riff, this time mirroring the memory of the steps of their feet as they travel into the desert. “Rake our nose across the stone, we’re never leaving home,” outlines a conflict of a moment as Captain realizes he’s about to murder his partner while comforting Hank’s worries by saying there was no chance this palace would ever stop being home to them both. “We’re headed to the west, beyond the dying breath,” further shows Captain's memories during the leadership transition. He knew the Cartel needed to expand west to continue growing its power, but Hank wouldn’t agree to it. Captain felt Hank’s stance would slowly kill the Cartel, and that executing Hank would be the only way to escape the dying breath of a wish of a foolish man.

        “Our boots will scratch and scrape, but we cannot escape, we’re running to our fate.” Here we return to the present as Captain reflects that no matter what actions are taken now, none of them will be able to escape the path he’s sent them down, starting with the decision to kill Hank.

        We return to the chorus at 2:01 where we once again experience Kid scanning through all the thoughts in the room. After this chorus, the music pauses at 2:24, where it transitions to an interlude. This interlude signifies the anxiety of the growing room as they all feel Kid’s power growing as he probes their minds. The riffs are wild and all over the place and running at a frantic pace.

        The music switches to a second part of the interlude as Kid scans through all the thoughts in the room landing on Hank. In a crazy, churning riff starting at 2:53, Hank flashes back and forth between his attempted execution and the present. The music does an excellent job of capturing Hank’s crazed mindscape. It’s likely that all the time spent with Dirt Wizard, and his magic, has made this the norm for Hank. “I know the fields are burnin’, blacks out the cruelest dawn.” In a flashback, Hank is kneeling in the dunes, Hank explores his feelings knows that his death is about to come and that it will burn the fields of prosperity he tried to grow for his family. However, knowing he did his best, he accepts his fate knowing this end will black out the cruelest dawn of seeing his empire crumble.

        The music changes right after the line “I hear the God’s a-screamin’, the war goes on and on,” at 3:08 As Kid pushes deeper into Hank’s experiences, he sees the Dirt Wizard saving his father from near death, just like himself. The music is a wild harmony of dissonance and panic. As the Dirt Wizard revives Hank, the mage smiles down, and shares with Hank the future that was coming, and explains to Hank that the Gods cried out to save him. Hank sinks at the realization that the conflict he’s started will continue on and on for the unforeseen future.

        The riff returns to the intro riff at 3:22. As Kid experiences this new ability, he starts learning to control it and stops randomly tuning in to each member and starts focusing back in on Mama to see her true intentions. The song replays the first verse at 3:43 as Kid tries to analyze the deeper meanings. This deeper analysis is reflected in the verse as the band adds a vocal harmony on top of the original vocal performance. This adds a menacing intention. At 4:14 Kid scans the room one more time as the chorus plays the song out.

        Track 8 - "Into the Eye". This track is where the story starts climaxing. The music reflects this by providing a menacing setting right from the start of the song. It feels like it’s rising up. After meeting up, Mama has Captain, Hank, and Kid escorted to the prisons while she decides what she should do. Kid knows, after scanning everyone, that Mama won’t let them leave the compound as it will jeopardize her place of power. The lyrics start with Mama trying to sort out her feelings and sort out the situation. For safety, she’s sending them to the lockup.

        “(Into the Eye) I don’t like what I’m feelin’, (Into the Eye) and I’m falling apart.” Reality has just come crashing in on Mama and it’s freaking her out. There’s a sinking feeling in her stomach that something bad is about to happen. The shift in music from the rising tonality of the intro riff to the verse at 0:14 matches Mama’s feeling. Seeing her child, assumed dead, in such a messed up shape is tearing her apart. “(Into the Eye) Your floor is my ceiling (4), until I can’t see your face anymore.” She yells at the trio they’re turning her world upside down, and that she’ll be holding them indefinitely as their presence is very troubling.

        Next, the focus shifts to Hank as he watches Kid grow in power, and welcomes the oncoming destruction of the House that brought him so much pain. “(Into the Eye) You rise high above me, (Into the Eye) and signal the end.” Hank can see the magic in his child growing from Kid’s short tutelage under the Dirt Wizard. Kid’s magic is growing from the anger of familial betrayal, even though Dirt Wizard warned against using it for such means. The magic is emanating through the ground. Hank knows the end is coming. “The mirror ignores me, and now I just want this day to end.”

        The music shifts with the following stanza at 0:42 when Kids respond to Mama’s concern. “We got hell, we need seed. See the light when you drink what I bleed. We got gods, that you know, Now in darkness our numbers will grow.” Kid’s magic is firing up to full bore and he needs bodies to raise. The ringing notes repeated at 1:10 acts as a broadcasted signals Kid uses to reach deep into the catacombs of the city, and the surrounding graveyards and starts reanimating the dead. As the dead begin to rise the music returns to the intro music at 1:13.

        “Drink what I bleed,” is essentially a reference to the sacrament, especially when paired with the former part of the verse, “See the light when… “. Mama consumes wine high atop her tower to cope with the situation and Kid sends her a telepathic message that she’s drinking his blood, and that like Jesus he’s risen from the brink to change the world. Like the gods they prayed to, he prays to the Earth, and to Death to enact his vengeance by raising the dead lost in the deep darkness of the Earth to carry out his bidding.

        The return to the intro music signifies time elapsing for Kid and the crew in prison. The next verse begins at 1:26 where, after spending days in prison reaching out to as many of the dead as he can, Kid breaks free of the prison and starts climbing the tower towards Mama, “(Into the eye) The days pass unending. (Into the eye) A scratch at the door. (Into the eye) I just keep pretending, that I can’t see your face anymore.” Kid and his creatures are about to come through the door of the tower, and all that Mama can try to do is forget about the disfigured horrifying face of her child, even though Kid keeps reaching into her mind to keep wearing her down.

        As Kid’s zombies crash through door Mama cowers in the corner and waits as Kid comes through the door to reap his revenge. “(Into the eye) Their eyes are upon me. (Into the eye) I’ve been chased to the end.” As Mama tries to hide, she feels the eyes of the undead upon her. But it’s not the eyes of the corpses in the room, but the eyes of every person she’s condemned to death, every person she’s had assassinated, the eyes of her former husband Hank, and the eyes of the innocent child Kid was, before all this conflict. All these people who’d suffered by her hand have finally found her and need not chase her anymore. “Into the eye, they draw me in slowly, until I don’t have a face anymore.” Mama knows this is the end, and she starts to feel the zombies tear into her flesh. The music reflects this horror at 1:51 as one of the band members yells under the main vocalist as he sings “until I don’t have a face anymore.”

        As the music shifts back to the chorus at 1:55, Kid watches what happens to Mama. “We got hell, we got seed. See the light when you drink what I bleed.” He has come to bring hell to Earth, and he’s thanking Mama for providing him with so many corpses to leverage. He revisits the biblical imagery, that if she were to take the sacrament she’d see the light that is his justice. “There you are, bent so low. In our arms now reap what we sow.” He feels good seeing Mama bent down in the corner. He is one with the magic, the center of the hive of undead as he refers to the zombies as his arms, and as we. At 2:21 Mama is starting to fade from her injuries. This is indicated by a slight shift in the music where it pedals on a chord very repeatedly (for a very short moment) like a drone. Kid brings her back so she can experience the carnage at 2:25, where the music takes on a more wild and disjointed riffing style. Kid walks away to cleanse the rest of the evil, humanity, from the land. We watch Mama’s spirit and life begins to fade away at 3:12 as a repeated tone rings out alone.

        At 3:18, as his mother fades away, the magic fully takes over Kid. He’s used the powers for the wrong reasons and is now stripped of all his humanity. He’s a monster, just like the zombies. The lyrics, “(Into the eye) there was no need to worry. (Into the eye) my soul is a star,” indicates he is feeling special, like a star. The dead have been and always will surround him. The song finishes out as Kid forgets his life, his childhood, and his own identity as he becomes one with the elemental magic. “(Into the eye) they always surround me, and now I can’t see your face anymore, can’t see your face anymore, can’t see your face anymore, can’t see your face anymore.” The song closes out on “Can’t see you face anymore,” being repeated as Kid’s memories are purged from his brain.

        Track 9 - "Undertow". This song takes place after Kid has cleansed the palace and has left the grounds, now headed towards the outlying towns. The bass plays this dreary riff at the intro that is peppered with these dark sounding chords starting at 0:09. This reflects Captain as he surveys the damage in horror as he comes out of hiding. There are dead bodies everywhere. Ghouls are gnawing on the remains. The lead lines starting at 0:24 reflect the distant cries of people being torn apart, but the voices are awash in this cold filter of shock that’s crashing over Captain.

        The shift of tone at 0:51 is Captain’s focus shifting away from hearing the calls of the dying to his own inner voice and thoughts. Deeply searching for a memory, a moment when he could have spared all these people from this fate. It’s a dark moment because there likely isn’t one.

        At 1:24 Captain makes his way to the top of the tower to see Mama bleeding out on the ground, nearly unrecognizable. The lyrics read, “Cold swells below, now it’s all he knows.” He holds her as she fades away completely. The next line reveals that Mama was his daughter, making Kid his grandson. He reflects on times she called to him as a child to leave the Cartel life. “Don’t fight the water, the undertow. Can’t save his daughter, and down she goes. She calls to him, and slips below. She calls to him.”

        At the change to this ringing chord at 2:01, Captain realizes she was right, and that all this is his fault. As the music changes back to the intro riff at 2:06, he comforts Mama, holding her as she fades away. The tension of this tragic moment is reflected by the increasing amount of instrumental layers this song takes on. At 2:38 Captain is telling Mama not to fight the water, to pass on. He apologizes to her for causing all this pain, and for ruining their lives. “He has no answer for all her pain. Something is growing inside her brain. Can’t dry her eyes for the pouring rain. Watching her die made him insane. Made him insane.” At 3:20 he is pleading for forgiveness when Mama’s corpse starts to animate in his arms.

        The guilt and the loss drive him completely out of his mind. His break, his insanity is reflected by the music as a break down in the song’s slow and sludgy riffs, as they become disjointed at 3:20. The music has lost all grasp on where it was. And while trying to get back there, it keeps losing its grip as it descends into madness with Captain. At 4:35 you can hear something crying out deep in the mix. Whether it’s a vocal take tucked in here, or a descending filter, it’s quite an eerie sound effect.

        This disjointed closing to the track also mirrors the fading of Mama’s spirit as she becomes undead. The music reflects this as the various layers of guitar work built up through the whole song are shed away. As Mama’s spirit finally goes, the music becomes just a series of noises until it fades out completely.

        Track 10 - "Human Herd". Here the music is driving, almost like cruising under the hot sun, in a Hunter S. Thompson sort of way. This song bounces between Captain’s mind unraveling, and Dirt Wizard preaching the gospel of Kid’s climb to power. The magic is also treated as a character here, thus referred to as The Magic. This verse starts off with a flashback at 0:31 to a moment before the album begins where Captain plans to kidnap Kid to save him from Mama’s Cartel dealings, to honor a promise he made to Hank to protect Kid at Hank’s execution. “We’ve set our minds to taking the babe from your arms. Our greatest fear is never to bring him to harm. It’s hard to see his flowing, golden hair, for the light that’s blind us with market share.” Captain realized that Mama was losing sight of what was good for her son and putting the financial success of the Cartel over the family. His biggest fear was that the child would be hurt by her actions.

        Dirt Wizard reaches out at 1:01 through the ether from deep in his mountain cave, and speaks over Captain’s shoulder, unheard by Captain, “You can’t protect him from his life, we’ll find a way to make you lie.” The music reflects the change in character as the vocals (while the same performer) are distinctly different. Kid was destined to be the undoing of the Cartel, and humanity, from birth. The Magic and Dirt Wizard would manipulate reality in little ways to make sure Kid would find his way. “He’ll be with us and never die. This is the end and you know why.” Dirt Wizard is now speaking to the spirit of Captain, trying to assure him that Kid will be fine. This is what he was born to do, and that looking back on what has transpired, Captain should see the path clearly.

        At 1:33 Captain wanders out in his madness to a river to clean himself of his actions. At 1:48 the undead swarms him and weigh him down below the water. “Out to the water you let us hold him down. They never struggle when they want to drown.” Captain does not struggle as death is his just reward for failing to protect Kid.

        “They take so much from us without a word, just a little thing we ask from the human herd.” This line holds two meanings to the story. The first is a memory of Captain’s, the moment he realized he was doing evil by running the Cartel. A local rebel was about to be put to death and called out to him. He cried to the soldiers of the Cartel, and the local townsfolk saying the Cartel took so much from the people without any compensation and that the people were merely cattle to the Cartel. A resource of income, and nothing else. Secondly, it’s also Kid and Dirt Wizard calling their horde of undead to action. Humanity has scorned the Earth by stripping its resources wantonly and now has to pay. Life is only a little thing they ask of humanity to spare for the health of the world. Essentially Kid and Dirt Wizard are going to use humanity as a herd to feed the undead until Earth is cleansed to meet The Magic’s wishes.

        The story starts to draw to a close at 2:19 as Dirt Wizard’s words repeat through Captain’s mind as he slowly drowns in the river. “You can’t protect him from his life, we’ll find a way to make you lie. He’ll be with us and never die, this is the end and you know why. You can’t protect him from his life, we’ll find a way to make you lie. He’ll be with us and never die, and you know why….”

        At 2:50 the music changes to a new riff, an outro to the whole album. It has the feeling of the conclusion of a movie that isn’t really ending, just another chapter. It kicks this outro up into high gear as we get one last piece of vocals at 3:21 where the lyrics “You can’t protect him from his life, we’ll find a way to make you lie. He’ll be with us and never die, this is the end and you know why,” are repeated. The vocals have this crazed narrator feeling to them and the song comes to a jarring close as the final “why” is uttered.


Thank you, and happy listening.

(1) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/business/malverde.html

(2) https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102249839

(3) https://www.correctionsone.com/prison-gangs/articles/7527475-15-prison-tattoos-and-their-meanings/

(4) Your Floor is My Ceiling is a track off of the album Hawaii, by Last of the Juanitas, which is a band featuring Bryan Giles as a member. https://lastofthejuanitas.bandcamp.com/album/hawaii-2