Murder by Death exists in a world where the devil could take revenge on a small Mexican town after being murdered, or where a group of nine pirates might wage mutiny on their captain only to finally encounter their karmic destiny. There are jailbreaks and death sentences, rogue barbed-wire flowers and zombie children.
And when front man Adam Turla sings how “we set out for the sea with icicles in our beards,” or how “the devil’s bleedin’ crude oil from a hole in his chest,” he’s not at all lamenting broken relationships through bizarre metaphors – he’s telling us stories, through and through.
Tomorrow, the band will bring its unique brand of dark rock and Americana to the Ottobar in Baltimore, a venue perfectly suited for Murder by Death’s aesthetics.
“I love the divey rock bars – they’ve always been one of my favorite kind of places to play,” Turla said. “The Ottobar’s got a great feeling to it; we have fond memories.”
The band’s latest full-length release, Red of Tooth and Claw, combines the lyrical composition of records past with a more rock-oriented sound. This stands in slight contrast to 2006’s In Bocca Al Lupo, which generally exhibited a more brooding, depressing vibe, and the band’s two prior full-lengths, which focused more on piano and atmosphere than in-your-face guitar riffs.
“We try to have each album have a different mood, feel to it – not just in terms of trying to be creative but also to keep things interesting for us,” Turla said.
The biggest change between the releases is unarguably Turla’s ever-deepening vocal range. While his voice on Who Will Survive, and What Will be Left of Them and its predecessor, Like The Exorcist but More Breakdancing was midrange and strained, In Bocca Al Lupo shows Turla fitting into a baritone that draws inevitable comparisons to Johnny Cash and Nick Cave.
His deep voice grew deeper still on Red of Tooth and Claw, and Turla harnesses it to both provide narrative and effectively play off the pitch-black rock ‘n’ roll the band gravitates toward.
“I really had no idea how to sing when we started, but I feel like now my range is more locked in and natural,” Turla said. “I can’t even imagine singing like that anymore. I wouldn’t even know how. Now it just sounds different, and I think much better.”
Two more major changes that influenced the band in their recording came in the forms of producer Trina Shoemaker and new drummer Dagan Thogerson, who replaced founding member Alex Schrodt. Turla cites Shoemaker as more efficient than the band’s past producers. Although the band had already written all its songs and knew what it was going for when they entered the studio, the Grammy-winning producer moved the process along very effectively. Also, Shoemaker aided the band in terms of the scale of its music.
“This record rocks bigger than anything we’ve ever recorded,” Turla remarked.
According to the singer, Thogerson’s addition also pushed the band toward the grander scope Red of Tooth and Claw strives to achieve.
“He’d been playing in rock bands for 15 years, so he brought a lot of knowledge,” Turla said. “He was really effective at guessing what I wanted out of the drums … it was a really natural relationship.”
While Red of Tooth and Claw is the album Murder by Death is currently touring behind, it isn’t the group’s most recent release. The band is in the process of recording a host of 7-inch single collaborations with other bands and musicians, where each record is a cover of one of the other’s songs. The first limited pressing is a split with William Elliott Whitmore: He covers the band’s “Dynamite Mine,” while Murder by Death takes a shot at Whitmore’s “One Man’s Shame.”
“We’ve been talking about it for a few years,” Turla said. “It ended up being a really cool project, so we decided to create a whole series of 7-inch [singles]. It comes from appreciating each other’s music.”
Other collaborations Turla was willing to divulge included an upcoming split with Brooklyn’s O’Death, which has covered In Bocca Al Lupo’s lead single “Brother.”
According to Turla, there won’t be another full-length in the near future, though, as the band will continue to tour behind Red of Tooth and Claw while recording the occasional 7-inch split.
“I like to let each album sit for a while, let people find out about it,” Turla said. “No rush.”
Murder by Death will play at Ottobar in Baltimore tomorrow. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. Doors open at 9 p.m.
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