Customer Reviews

Red of Tooth & Claw

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I absolutely LOVE this band. This is easily, in my humble opinion, the best album of the year, possibly the last 20 years. Hyperbole? Judge for yourself. The music is completely stunning, each song unique and brilliant. True hard rock at its best. Whom do they remind me of? The closest I can think of, just as a point of reference, would be Golden Earring on "Radar Love." Sadly, that band was pretty much a one hit wonder, whereas Murder By Death, just on Red of Tooth and Claw, has produced 10 such classics. A very tight band and an album amazingly well produced. Sarah Balliet's fiddle-like cello playing is simply awe-inspiring. I'm almost 60 and I have to say that I have never been more blown away. Buy this album now and play it LOUD.

My first brush with Murder By Death came with In Bocca Al Lupo, a dark and gritty album that made me an instant convert. Now here comes more fire and fury with Red of Tooth and Claw. On this album, MBD brings us another round of wonderfully dark and sinister tales, brought to life by the booming vocals of Adam Turla and the relentless, merciless attack of his band.
There is so much to like here its hard to pick favorites, but I think that Comin' Home, Ball & Chain, Rum Brave, Steal Away, Ash, '52 Ford and the sordid closer Spring Break 1899 are the best cuts.
If you have not heard Murder By Death before, the best way to describe them is that I hear shades of Nick Cave, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Jim Morrison and yes, even Johnny Cash in the music. If you like any of those, then chances are you will like MBD.
The CD is housed in a standard jewel box and comes with a fold-out cover insert that contains the all-important lyrics. Red of Tooth and Claw unfortunately is quite brief, clocking in at just under 40 minutes of music. But not a minute is wasted in any schlock. This is a winner, so check it out.

Murder by Death hails from Bloomington, Indiana, but they may as well come from another time and place altogether. Their music fuses country, rockabilly, rock, punk, folk, and Western film scores into a cohesive sound that sets them apart from the rest of the music world. On Red of Tooth and Claw, the band takes everything they've learned, and earned, and puts it down on record. The end result is a haunted wild western-themed hellride through the sepia-tone lens of American mythology and classical tragic poetry. As lead vocalist Adam Turla describes the album, it's like "Homer's Odyssey of revenge, only without the honorable character at the center."

The album starts with the rumbling, stomping, "Coming Home", the story of a man who is recently released from prison but sounds more vengeful than happy to come home to his lover. What follows over the next 11 tracks is a twisting, turning tale that finds our antihero thinking back on his love with both nostalgia and unbridled passion, always with an undercurrent of hatred running beneath it. He takes on odd jobs to make ends meet as he closes in on his target of obsession.

Concept albums are nothing new, neither to the music world nor Murder by Death, who have previously told tales of the devil declaring revenge on a small Mexican town to a collection of short stories inspired by Dante and Poe. The challenge in a concept album is to keep the theme running strong while also making a great album, and Murder by Death accomplishes that. From the rollicking energy of the fiery "Rum Brave" to the sweeping landscape strings of "Theme (for Ennio Morricone)" to the heart-wrenching paean of "Spring Break 1899", the listener is taken along for the ride, witnessing every dark deed and seeing every twist in the road. It is not difficult to imagine this as the literal soundtrack to a film with no other dialogue than the Johnny Cash-like rumble of Adam Turla's vocals, cellist Sarah Balliet's cello perfectly complimenting or casting against a rhythm section that sounds more like a rolling thunderstorm than a bassist and drummer.

Murder by Death is a rare treasure, a band that hits hard with sublime, effortless melodies while also crafting compelling tales. Red of Tooth and claw is their magnum opus, a towering work that defines a career. I don't usually boil a review down to a list or ranking, but this much I will say: it is one of the five greatest albums I have ever heard, and I cannot recommend it heartily enough.

I would like to start off by saying my (relatively) low score has nothing to do with musical aptitude but rather stylistic choice. I can say with certainty that if you loved "In Bocca al Lupo" you'll love this. However, that is my least favorite album by them (stylistically and lyrically) and it seems that that particular style is what they're sticking with.

style style style

Their latest albums lost something that made me fall in love with them. A haunting quality that was atmospheric, dark, and lovely. On this album there is no "Those who left" no "End of the line," Songs that I thought and, I guess, hoped defined the band.

I still like them and this album would get a higher rating if it didn't make me miss their old albums and I'd rather listen to them.

(I still whole-heatedly recommend seeing this band live, they put on a great show.)

While I'm a firm fan of In Bocca al Lupo, Red of Tooth and Claw is my favorite of Murder by Death's albums. It's a solid, great sounding cd and if you're a fan you need to add it to your collection.

my friend has not yet received his cd i got him for his feb birthday...amazon orders
i've ordered in the past were always on time no matter who the distributer was... how
come there's a hold up on this one?

Great songs, awesome lyrics, and melodic cello overdubs all make this a great CD to play on a long road trip. Music with a rock-a-billy style but definetey in a genre of its own. Highly recommend this CD as a break from the same old same old of traditional radio play.

If you're a fan of MBD's older albums, you'll quickly notice the progression and evolution of the band in its latest album. Continuing on as a quartet, the band has gained a great ability to create a clean but rich sound that can fill your soul(cheesey right? Just listen to it) A considerable contrast to their last CD, Red of Tooth and Claw is a faster paced album, relentlessly bringing singer Adam Turla's fantastical lyrics to you intertwined with a powerful and emotional sound.

Aptly entitled track Theme-for Ennio Morricone, has the resounding effects that only one of Morricone's scores themselves might, with the ability to capture you without the need for visual interpretation. One of my favorites, The Black Spot, brings an ominous tone of a man scorn and Turla's voice brings a genuine feeling that can send chills down your spine.In this album and within the band you will find a unique sound that seems pure and sincere. Give this album a listen, you won't be disappointed.

This album is a major step forward from their previous album (In Bocca Al Lupo), most notably in terms of the songwriting and overall cohesiveness. In regards to Murder by Death's current sound it could best be described as run-down-saloon-rock. The key hooks are the gravelly vocals that occasionally soar (think Cash or Cohen, but more rocking), catchy guitar work, and the cello. As an album its brilliant, it keeps the same dark moody theme throughout, but plays around with tempo and dynamics to keep things interesting. The cello is mixed in perfectly--sometimes working as a minor accompaniment, other times taking center stage. Check out "Comin' Home" and "Fuego."

Where has this band been all my life? Great vocals, rumbling rhythms, sinister moments and a great closer. The singer's voice sounds like a more energetic Leonard Cohen (with the gravelly depth from his great CD The Future.) The music has the drunken feel of Tom Waits circa Bone Machine.

Check out "Comin' Home," "Rum Brave," "Steal Away," and "Ash." And, of course, the last one which is such a great final piece for the album.