A member of Wrath and Ruin gave me a CD copy of Mouth of Oblivion during a metal show last winter. Put off by the Kansas City-based metal band's use of keyboards, I set the album aside. The recent passing of Deep Purple's Jon Lord and the prevalent use of keyboards by metal bands at this summer's Mayhem and Warped tours inspired me to give Mouth of Oblivion another chance.
Surprise! The keyboards are now one of my favorite elements of the band's debut release. Synths add a melodic cohesiveness and counter the intentionally abrasive guitars. The entire project seems to be wheeled around the epic "The Bug", the album's strongest track. But I also appreciate raging songs like "Strength of Materials" and "Sedna", a Hearts of Space-style mood piece.
While Wrath and Ruin probably wouldn't have cracked my best-of-2011 list had I given it a fair shake last year, I'm glad it's part of my soundtrack for the scorching summer of 2012.
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I can't abide Deerhunter, but after seeing Bradford Cox's What's In My Bag? segment, I may have to reevaluate my bias. The dude's down with both Carl Perkins and Pere Ubu.
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My discovery of the week is Carter Sampson. RIYL: Gillian Welch, red dirt.
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I found an examination of "copy-left" issues in Brazil fascinating.
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"Indie rock veterans Death Cab for Cutie got $150,000, while country singer Dierks Bentley pulled down $120,000," according to an interesting report in the Chicago Tribune about a city-funded festival.
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Kansas City Click: Deadbeat Darling tops Saturday's bill at the Riot Room.
The Temper Trap perform at Crossroads KC on Monday.
Girl In a Coma are at the Riot Room on Monday.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
2 comments:
A Fado Renaissance in Kansas City? How cool is that? Let me know when they tour the homeland and how they are received, okay?
Will do, BGO. Beau Bledsoe has the golden touch.
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