Customer Reviews

Who Will Survive & What Will Be Left of Them

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently discovered murder by death opening for poison the well. I was expecting another drab metalcore band based on the name.....but was I ever surprised to hear actual music coming from the stage! Other reviewers have given their spin on them, some of which is acurate, some not. I will give you the fact that their live show completely destroys the recordings in intensity, pace, and skill. This particular album, contrary to what others have said, is not a disappointment at all. It is much faster than "exorcist", and a different production entirely. It is a themed album, which can sometimes work or fail. In this case, it works quite well. Other's have compared them to cursive, who I have never heard....so can't comment on that. My take on the band is that they are a dark american ballad band. They write songs in the style of Nick Cave with the dark, ironic folk stylings of Voltaire thrown in underneath. This cd is not Goth, as previously stated. It is the farthest cry from Marilyn Manson, the Virgin Black, or Christian Death that you could think of. It is very dark with a sarcastic horror movie them underlying it(and a bit of haunted western movie theme as well). Strange indeed. Strange and good. The cello parts are exceptional(and played by the most un-conceited musician I think I have met to date). The piano is also quite good. The other instruments add to the mix well, but are not anything remarkable though. I believe the term "art rock" is appropriate, as this cd does take a bit of dark, sarcastic humor and a few brain cells to truly appreciate. Overall, I have to say this is one of the most original bands I've heard in a while. A great cd made by nice people who put on an awesome live show.

"Who Will Survive and..." is a tiny step down from Murder by Deaths previous release "Like the Exorcist...", yet "Who Will Survive..." is one of the best albums of 2003. When a band can release an album of the year, and it isn't even their best work, you know they're a good band...

"Who Will Survive..." is beautifuly crafted and played album. Every song drips with an erriee sense of evil, something the band seems to bask in. The majority of the songs are about "whiskey and the devil" as the lead singer mentioned at one of the shows I attended. Indeed the majority of the songs include references to whiskey and the evil one himself, but what should be more important is the structue and pure beauty of these 10 songs.

Murder By Death is a talented band, writing and crafting dark and moving pieces of music. While I was blown away by the use of the cello and the style of songs they wrote on the first album, I'm not as shocked by these songs. So sub conciously, I don't think I like this CD as much as I do the old one. On the new record, a lot of the songs have a more western, cowboy kind of feel. I can't explain why; where the first album gave me a sense of being in an old haunted mansion at midnight on a rainy night, this new album gives me a sense that I'm in an evil saloon filled with people who have come to drink away their sorrow and loathe in their pain. There's nothing country about the songs in the sense of how they sound, I just get that kind of vibe from them. No matter what kind of vibe you get from this band or this CD, every song is vibrant and alive in a dead sort of way. Every song is full of intracet guitars, quiet but driving when need be drums, and of course the brilliant use of the keyboards and the cello.

"Who Will Survive..." is a masterwork, beautifuly crafted and played. Most fans of indie music should enjoy this, and there is a real potentional for this band to reach out to people who wouldn't normally think of listening to indie rock. Many have called this band the return of art rock. While I hate the use of terms to pigeon hole a band, I feel that art rock does a good job of describing Murder by Death and their sound. Plus Murder By Death is to inteligent and original to be held down by labels anyways.

This band is also on tour non stop, playing as many shows as they can it seems. I've seen them twice, and they are AMAZING live. Seriously left me in a silent stupor after I first saw them. Go see them and buy their stuff, support a good band.

I had been a fan of Murder By Death for about a year before this CD was released. I picked it up the day it came out and was instantly blown away. The songs on this CD flow perfectly together and songs themselves are amazing as well. Murder By Death is one of the most musically talented bands that I have ever heard, and they are by far my favorite. This CD is amazing, buy it now.

I saw Murder By Death open recently for another band. I was prepared to hate them for the extremely silly reason of thinking their name was "lame", judging a book by its cover and all that. But I found that I enjoyed them so much that I went and bought their latest CD, blowing my money for the main act's merchandise. I listened to it non-stop from the moment I got home. I hadn't gotten my hands on an album that I enjoyed so much as to continuously play it in far too long. I'd finally come to terms with the fact that I found most indie bands annoying, boring, and pretentious, but these guys actually make music that's more than random noises and cryptic lyrics. Their music is dark, a bit eerie, and almost always about whiskey or the devil (or both). The cello is wonderful. Get this album whether you're bored with the monotonous indie scene or not. But more importantly, go see them in concert.

The closest thing I can compare this album to is HBO's compelling series "Carnivale." This album was released on my birthday, and caught my eye due to its title - the tagline from the movie poster for the original release of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." This is a concept album, which will automatically turn some people off, but it is of the highest calibre, a creation worthy of artists such as Nick Cave and Tom Waits. Many have already reviewed the theme of the record, so I won't waste your time doing so. I will say that "Who Will Survive..." is a massive improvement over "Like the Exorcist...", which was also a wonderful album. I'm not sure what the people who claim Adam Turla is feigning a British accent have been smoking. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Turla's vocal style is perfectly suited to the record, a tale of betrayal, loss, and the hope of redemption around a dusty old town, and the devils that persecute them. Highlights include "The Desert is on Fire," "Pillars of Salt," and the tone-setting "The Devil in Mexico." Best for listening to in the dark, with a storm raging outside, and candlelight flickering. This is, without a doubt, the best record of 2003.

this entire record is a elegant masterpiece. it begins with "devil in mexico", a prelude of things to come. this record is actually a storybook about western towns in Mexico and America being attacked by the devil. it seems strange how you can link a classy masterpiece with such an abstract, gloomy, even eccentric topic like that. but murder by death does it, and they produce a beautiful album. it is like nothing i have ever heard.

"killbot2000" is an interesting, sort-of-upbeat song, yet... not. since this record supposedly takes place in the west, it reminds me of a lecture or prayer after a gunfight, especially toward the end where Adam is chanting.

"until morale improves, the beatings will continue" made me laugh at first. just the title alone is worth questioning. this was the first track on the album that i listened to repeatedly, mainly to hear the bridge, because it is perfectly executed... even as short as it is. the chorus is catchy. i suppose i would select this to be a single, because of its immediate appeal.

i feel that "three men hanging" is the weakest song on the album. because it's one of the softest? maybe. i think it's the weakest, because it lacks the speed and emotional intricacy of the other tracks. this has steel guitar, cello, and light snare and cymbals. i still found it enjoyable and it captures the "western" feel very well. it's just not up to par with the rest.

the record really takes form after the intermission, track number five. "a master's in reverse psychology" is brilliant from the beginning. it's exciting and doesn't let up, even after it's finished. i particularly enjoyed the piano in the pre-chorus sections. to keep the album flowing perfectly, "the desert is on fire" is an upbeat song with a allegro-like tempo.

my personal favorite song on the album is "that crown don't make you a prince". this is an amazing composition. it is the most emotional and suspenseful song. although somewhat melancholy in nature, it has a beautiful mix of guitar, piano, and cello. the best on the album, i feel. the song has many peaks and slopes but is concluded without any loose ends. i consider this song the climax of the story.

another melancholy tune follows. this time it's of slower tempo. "pillars of salt" takes me back to the days of playing final fantasy ix with its soft piano and cello. i am just reminded of game music by the very nature of this piece. beautifully done, and probably my second favorite track.

"end of the line" is brilliant its own way. while slow to pick up, it builds to a very powerful singing performance from Adam and perfect correspondence from the instruments in the band. after the song concludes, there's a two minute instrumental. i'm not entirely sure if it was meant to be part of the song, but i felt that it was connected, like a final farewell as the album and story close.

buy this album now. find it and hold onto it. if you don't, and the devil doesn't make you, i'll have to.

however, i disagree with the comparison to cursive. although they are somewhat similar, murder by death is much more jazz oriented than cursive. their main similarity is the cello and organ sounds. this album is fantastic, and its surprising that it's so good, considering it is on a terrible label. usually i find anything compared/related/similar to thursday terrible. the story of this album is that its a small western town being attacked by demonic spirits. concept albums always please me, especially when they are as well done as this one. one of the downfalls of their first album was that some of the lyrics were pretty juvenile (albeit their songwriter was about 20 at the time), but on this one, they are spectacular. i cant say enough about this cd, its awesome and especially good for those who are tired of the generic trend in independant music.

These guys are simply AWESOME! I saw them in concert with HeavyHeavyLowLow, Fear Before The March Of Flames, and Thursday, and I was stunned. Live, they are a elegantly sloppy band. This cd is Murder By Death at their height. "Until Morale Improves, The Beatings Will Continue" is by far my favorite song on this cd. So, in the end, if you've never heard Murder By Death before, purchase this cd now. You will not be disapointed!

I heard Murder by Death as an opener to Denali (another great band) at Alley Katz and I must agree that the CD doesn't quite do the live show justice. The music has a lot more feeling when you see the whole band moving and swaying to the music, including that cellist (I never knew you could actually rock with a cello). This is not your everyday radio shizzle. Buy it. Buy it now.

(check out Denali too)

I discovered murder by death when i saw them opening for thursday a little while before this cd came out. I was intrigued by their sound, it was very different than anything i had heard before. After listening to their entire set i was amazed. The intensity of their performance and music was awesome. And i'm no music theorist but my boyfriend was standing next to me counting out the time signature of a 10 minute medley they were playing and it was something crazy.

but to focus on the music, what i love the most is the way all of the instruments mesh together and the way they bring the cello into the song. The lyrics tell a story of a town being cursed by the devil and i always love it when a band makes a good concept album. You can hear it in the cd as the songs get more intense towards the end. I love his unique voice and pretty much everything about the album. I'm going to see them again in a week.