2008 Woodie Awards
Red of Tooth and Claw is haunting musical odyssey
Aaron Tessman
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Entertainment
04/03/08 - Red of Tooth and Claw, a CD by the band Murder by Death, is a rock and indie disc with classical undertones compliments of Sarah Balliet's hauntingly sad cello. Lead vocalist Adam Turla has a voice similar to that of Johnny Cash- deep and melancholy, yet with more force behind it. With Matt Armstrong on bass guitar and percussion from Dagan Thorgerson going strong, most of the songs on the CD are rock with an ethereal 1870s saloon-type sound.
Red of Tooth and Claw was released on March 4 under Vagrant labels and is the band's fourth album. This is a rock/indie CD that will stir your blood and wake you up in the morning. Even though it is not a heavy metal CD (as the name may imply) I do not suggest trying to go to sleep with it blasting; your roommates might not appreciate it.
From the first track, "I'm Comin' Home," to the last track, "Spring Break 1899," Turla's vocals take you on a journey to the recesses of Hell. As Turla says, Red of Tooth and Claw is "Homer's Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center."
Although some songs such as "Theme, (an instrumental inspired by the work of Ennio Morricone) are slower-paced than others, the music moves with an energy Turla explains as coming "from stuff like the sexual tension, the murder, the drinking and basically any other dirt you find between the lines."
Murder by Death was formed in Bloomington, Ind. Its sound, accented by the cello, is hauntingly eerie at times. Lyrics, such as "The bombs are ringin' like bells at a wedding and the whole sky fills with dust we'll get outta this town alive or in the ground we'll poke a hole in the clouds to breathe if we must oooooohhhhhh," from "Steal Away" add to the "ghostly" effect the cello and Turla's voice bring.
If you have not already heard Murder by Death and would like to do so- and it is recommended that you do - the songs "Fuego!" and "I'm Comin' Home" from this album are featured on myspace.com. Should you like its music, you can order tickets for a Rochester concert on May 5. The show begins at 9 p.m. and tickets start at $45.
Red of Tooth and Claw was released on March 4 under Vagrant labels and is the band's fourth album. This is a rock/indie CD that will stir your blood and wake you up in the morning. Even though it is not a heavy metal CD (as the name may imply) I do not suggest trying to go to sleep with it blasting; your roommates might not appreciate it.
From the first track, "I'm Comin' Home," to the last track, "Spring Break 1899," Turla's vocals take you on a journey to the recesses of Hell. As Turla says, Red of Tooth and Claw is "Homer's Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center."
Although some songs such as "Theme, (an instrumental inspired by the work of Ennio Morricone) are slower-paced than others, the music moves with an energy Turla explains as coming "from stuff like the sexual tension, the murder, the drinking and basically any other dirt you find between the lines."
Murder by Death was formed in Bloomington, Ind. Its sound, accented by the cello, is hauntingly eerie at times. Lyrics, such as "The bombs are ringin' like bells at a wedding and the whole sky fills with dust we'll get outta this town alive or in the ground we'll poke a hole in the clouds to breathe if we must oooooohhhhhh," from "Steal Away" add to the "ghostly" effect the cello and Turla's voice bring.
If you have not already heard Murder by Death and would like to do so- and it is recommended that you do - the songs "Fuego!" and "I'm Comin' Home" from this album are featured on myspace.com. Should you like its music, you can order tickets for a Rochester concert on May 5. The show begins at 9 p.m. and tickets start at $45.