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DEATH IN
GRACELAND
Gifts
(Tiberius)
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Too
bad this Cincinnati quintet just called it quits. Not
sure what is it about good bands these days, maybe it is
the over abundance of music that helps us listeners
overlook those actually worth hearing or we, the general
public, are just mongoloids, but it truly sucks when
you come across an album as solid as Gifts and
you get all enthused about it because it sounds
refreshing and it is demented and it is energetic and
then you find out, the band is no more. The reasons for
a break up are of little importance. The consequences
are what matters. Perhaps, had Death in Graceland
received a little more attention they’d still be rocking
out these songs in a little garage in the Westside of
Cincinnati, but that’s just not the case. Fuck us for
not being timely.
Apparently
Death in Graceland didn’t go to better life without receiving
some accolades. One year after they formed in 2003, the band
recorded their first release Come On, Touch Me, which
Cincinnati’s publication would name Record of the Year. A few
more congratulatory remarks like that one hailing Death in
Graceland as the city’s best punk band followed. Deservedly so,
Gifts, their last recording is an impressive indie punk noise
rock and roll record.
Death in
Graceland are on fire here. Surely a relentless band at the top
of their game displaying subtle guitar melodies crashing against
a potent rhythmic backdrop. The band they remind me of the most
is Hot Snakes, except the vocals of Matt are much more liberated
only occasionally guarding a melody and frequently approaching
the belligerency of one David Yow. The energy level is on high
as the band plays its half angular punk rock/half full on rock
and roll approach with much grace. Man, they shouldn’t have
broken up.
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