Murder By Death

Murder By Death

Red Of Tooth And Claw

[4/5]

Murder By Death sound like they lived a dozen lifetimes since 2006’s In Bocca Al Lupo-and not just because frontman Adam Turla’s ominous vocals have amazingly dropped down even further on the octave scale. While the band have spent the last eight years evolving their gritty brand of cello-heavy rock, with Red Of Tooth And Claw they’ve finally realized the full potential they’ve been hinting toward all those years-and like all great stories, it’s not always pretty. “Baby, it’s been so long that even the roses’ hips are turning me on,” Turla sings on the wistful “Fuego!.” And you know what? You fucking believe him. In fact, even if you don’t understand the storyline-which reads like a Coen brothers screenplay steeped in Greek mythology-it’s difficult not to be captivated by both the vulnerability of “A Second Opinion” and confidence of Johnny Cash-channeling opener “Comin’ Home.” However, just when you think the narrative is going to climax into its bloody finale, the band launch into “Spring Break 1899,” a revelatory (and even upbeat) piano-driven track that’s not only unexpected, it’s damn near religious. (VAGRANT) Jonah Bayer



ROCKS LIKE:

Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Around
William Elliott Whitmore’s Song Of The Blackbird

The Good Life’s Album Of The Year



IN-STORE SESSION WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST ADAM TURLA



How would you say Red Of Tooth And Claw is different from In Bocca Al Lupo?

Well, our last record was an anthology of short stories where the songs sounded very different from each other; with this one, we wanted more of a cohesive rock record. We wanted an album that just flowed really well from song to song, instead of trying to do a disjointed, artsy, experimental thing again, you know?



Were you conscious of that difference before you started writing these songs?

We had the idea for it to be more of a rock record, and the first couple of songs that came out were lending themselves to that idea. A lot of times we try to write a certain kind of song and we’ll be like, “Yeah, this is not working,” and we’ll just ditch it. But with this record, the songs came together very naturally, which was a blessing for us.



It seems like your voice gets lower with each disc. What to you attribute that to?

I’ve been sort of just learning how to sing over the years. When the band started, I’d never really sang before. I went to a voice coach four years ago in between Who Will Survive [And What Will Be Left Of Them?] and In Bocca [Al Lupo], and she said to me, “You’ve got a low voice; you should be singing low parts.” I’d never really thought about it; I’d just kind of sing whatever melody I came up with. Now, I feel much more confident.



It also lends itself to the dark subject manner of the lyrics.

Yeah, I think it helps create the mood a little better.



Speaking of the mood, when most people meet you for the first time do they assume you’re going to be this depressed guy brooding in the corner?

Yeah, like crying into a chalice of agony. [Laughs.] No, I don’t think so because the stuff is dark but it’s not mopey, and I think there’s a difference. When I meet people who write really introspective, sad music, I just have an expectation of thinking, “This guy is such a bummer.” Our music is a little more aggressive and dark. Instead, people often say to me, “I thought you’d be a lot older and a lot bigger.” I think because I have a low voice and because sometimes the lyrics are aggressive, people assume I’m 6 feet 6 inches [tall] and 50 years old. In reality, I’m 5 feet 9 inches and 26.



So how do you respond to that?

How can you? I just laugh. –Jonah Bayer

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