If there website is any indication, the Murder City Devils are playing shows again. Awesome.

The MCD are a tremendous band, and yet I only love a handful of their songs. They are always interesting and I give them immense credit for carving out a nice, unique sound. Their music is some of the darkest I've ever heard (and I seek this shit out) and it comes across in a nice, creepy, anguished sort of way. That is to say, there is plenty of black metal or goth that beats you over the head with black candles and bizarre-sounding phrases in Latin. There is a time and place for that, but it never feels genuine to me. I am made far more uncomfortable by someone who I find unpredictable and wild - an unhinged and intoxicated man in the throes of depression is far, far creepier. Put that on top of some spectacular drumming and the most well-placed organ you've ever heard and you have the Murder City Devils. The problem is, the pieces don't always add up. The band often fails to produce captivating climaxes and their loose and chaotic approach to rock and roll sometimes feels, well, loose and chaotic. It is a very fine line and they spend plenty of time on either side of it.

"Bear Away" is the band at their tightest. Everything in the song sounds purposeful, which is nice. It also provides the listener with a near textbook perfect example of how to exit a tense bridge into an explosive chorus. As far as terrifying sounds go, it's hard to beat the sustained, strained sound of a man screaming "you better outlive your mother!"


Bear Away (Album) - The Murder City Devils

"Press Gang" is just fucked up. I mean, this is how you make a scary song. The subject matter is dark, but not descriptive enough to sound too cheesy, and the band creates all the right images in the listener's head. Most importantly, the song is largely a marching drum beat, sustained minor chords on the organ, and a ringing guitar that rides out each strum. Effort, coherence, having a "tight" sound are all very professional elements. Professional musicians aren't unhinged lunatics. The farther we move from these ideas, the easier it is to create unease, with bands like Wolf Eyes occupying the extreme end of the spectrum. "Press Gang" is just fucking brilliant.


Press Gang (Album) - The Murder City Devils