Darren McLeod
05/23/06, 07:44 AM
Murder By Death - In Bocca Al Lupo
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Record Label: Tent Show/East West
At one point in Murder By Death’s critically acclaimed album Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them?, singer Adam Turla softly asked the question “We're all waitin' for the end… what kind of finish will he send?” As if to answer his own question, In Bocca Al Lupo makes the afterlife its focal point, carefully examining sins and their punishments; an album of lust, gluttony, wrath, avarice and their ultimate effects on the human soul.
While Who Will Survive… was a concept album comprised of a startling narrative that stretched through its ten tracks, In Bocca Al Lupo is less a narrative and more a compilation of themed poetry, fitting as the album finds influence in Dante’s epic poem The Inferno. Singer Adam Turla’s lyrics are indeed poetry, as he shuffles seamlessly through an assortment of settings and perspectives, a wild cast of characters that either tell their own tales or have it told for them, the lyrics riddled with symbolism and rich imagery. Some songs detail these criminals’ actions on Earth, others, the penalties that found them in Hell, conveniently summarized on the song “Raw Deal,” where Turla sings “now I'm tuggin' on this line, but I can never gain any ground. From the selfishness I displayed there is a punishment that I've found.”
The variety to be found on the album is remarkable; songs covering a multitude of styles while all retaining a unified sound that is distinctly Murder By Death’s own, one that walks the line between art-rock and folk, with western leanings often poking through. How many other bands could throw in what sounds like a pirate sing-along (“Dead Men And Sinners”) without it sounding gimmicky? From the infectious folk of the first single, “Brother,” to the Johnny Cash-esque “Shiola,” to the beautiful yet melancholic track of a man sentenced to death in “The Big Sleep,” the album doesn’t contain a weak song, and contains surprises around every turn. Turla’s vocals have never sounded as strong as they do here, smoothly working between the croons of “Dynamite Mine” to the aggression brought on by plans of jailbreak in “Sometimes The Line Walks You.” The rest of the band is equal to the task: Sarah Balliet’s cello is more prominent and striking than ever, Alex Schrodt’s percussion keeps perfect rhythm while Matt Armstrong’s bass does not simply hide in the background, but often provides additional melodies of its own.
Murder By Death is one of those rare bands that seems to improve with each release it puts out, one that is not content to rest on its laurels, but is constantly maturing and developing. The band has crafted a release that is both accessible and yet full of depth; dark and haunting, yet optimistic enough to not be depressing. Optimism, you ask? The twelve songs work as cautionary tales, warnings for us to lead better lives and prevent the fate that Dante and Turla have displayed so vividly. The album’s final track, “The Devil Drives,” explains:
We all are selfish
But maybe, maybe
It isn’t over yet.
Everybody knows that love is like a prairie fire
That sweeps across the field consuming it all
Everybody knows that love will never fade or flicker
That it's pure as the air we breathe.
We've made mistakes that we can't change
But there's still time to start again.
As a choir erupts to repeat the final line and the record has culminated, the band has succeeded in its warning and its ambitions. A worthy homage to Dante’s masterpiece, In Bocca Al Lupo is a poignant release that should finally garner Murder By Death the attention they’ve deserved all along.
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Record Label: Tent Show/East West
At one point in Murder By Death’s critically acclaimed album Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them?, singer Adam Turla softly asked the question “We're all waitin' for the end… what kind of finish will he send?” As if to answer his own question, In Bocca Al Lupo makes the afterlife its focal point, carefully examining sins and their punishments; an album of lust, gluttony, wrath, avarice and their ultimate effects on the human soul.
While Who Will Survive… was a concept album comprised of a startling narrative that stretched through its ten tracks, In Bocca Al Lupo is less a narrative and more a compilation of themed poetry, fitting as the album finds influence in Dante’s epic poem The Inferno. Singer Adam Turla’s lyrics are indeed poetry, as he shuffles seamlessly through an assortment of settings and perspectives, a wild cast of characters that either tell their own tales or have it told for them, the lyrics riddled with symbolism and rich imagery. Some songs detail these criminals’ actions on Earth, others, the penalties that found them in Hell, conveniently summarized on the song “Raw Deal,” where Turla sings “now I'm tuggin' on this line, but I can never gain any ground. From the selfishness I displayed there is a punishment that I've found.”
The variety to be found on the album is remarkable; songs covering a multitude of styles while all retaining a unified sound that is distinctly Murder By Death’s own, one that walks the line between art-rock and folk, with western leanings often poking through. How many other bands could throw in what sounds like a pirate sing-along (“Dead Men And Sinners”) without it sounding gimmicky? From the infectious folk of the first single, “Brother,” to the Johnny Cash-esque “Shiola,” to the beautiful yet melancholic track of a man sentenced to death in “The Big Sleep,” the album doesn’t contain a weak song, and contains surprises around every turn. Turla’s vocals have never sounded as strong as they do here, smoothly working between the croons of “Dynamite Mine” to the aggression brought on by plans of jailbreak in “Sometimes The Line Walks You.” The rest of the band is equal to the task: Sarah Balliet’s cello is more prominent and striking than ever, Alex Schrodt’s percussion keeps perfect rhythm while Matt Armstrong’s bass does not simply hide in the background, but often provides additional melodies of its own.
Murder By Death is one of those rare bands that seems to improve with each release it puts out, one that is not content to rest on its laurels, but is constantly maturing and developing. The band has crafted a release that is both accessible and yet full of depth; dark and haunting, yet optimistic enough to not be depressing. Optimism, you ask? The twelve songs work as cautionary tales, warnings for us to lead better lives and prevent the fate that Dante and Turla have displayed so vividly. The album’s final track, “The Devil Drives,” explains:
We all are selfish
But maybe, maybe
It isn’t over yet.
Everybody knows that love is like a prairie fire
That sweeps across the field consuming it all
Everybody knows that love will never fade or flicker
That it's pure as the air we breathe.
We've made mistakes that we can't change
But there's still time to start again.
As a choir erupts to repeat the final line and the record has culminated, the band has succeeded in its warning and its ambitions. A worthy homage to Dante’s masterpiece, In Bocca Al Lupo is a poignant release that should finally garner Murder By Death the attention they’ve deserved all along.