… And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – The Century Of Self
And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead are not a band that I am familiar with.They are a six man Texan outfit and their music reminded me of Blue Oyster Cult, without the catchiness of their songs, or the power and mystery. However they conform with the unrelentingly strong streak of dark which runs through all of this indie music.
Recently released, this is the sixth album by AYWKUBTTOD. It is intense, provocative, indie prog rock, very Seventies influenced.
Of course the NME gave this album 6 out of 10 in their review in this week’s edition of the magazine.Which means they were not too impressed.Having watched a video online of Bells Of Creation, a track off the album (incidentally the cover picture was drawn entirely in blue ballpoint pen, surely a first?), I was suitably impressed with this band.
An original act,but I don’t like their name.
….And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Bells Of Creation (live)
Trail Of Dead performing their song “Bells Of Creation” from the new Album “Century Of Self”
Funeral Party Announce Tour w/…Trail Of Dead * Debut Album Out April 21st!
Funeral Party will be hitting the road with …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead next month as direct support on their full US tour. See confirmed dates below. The band is also confirmed for SXSW 2009.
Confirmed Dates w/ Trail Of Dead:
Feb. 19, 2009 – Granada Theatre Dallas, Texas
Feb. 20, 2009 – Walter’s Houston, Texas
Feb. 21, 2009 – One Eyed Jack’s New Orleans, Louisiana
Feb. 23, 2009 – Social Orlando, Florida
Feb. 24, 2009 – The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
Feb. 25, 2009 – Cat’s Cradle Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Feb. 26, 2009 – Rock and Roll Cafe Washington D.C.,
Mar. 1, 2009 – Middle East Boston, Massachusetts
Mar. 3, 2009 – La Sala Montreal, Quebec
Mar. 4, 2009 – Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario
Mar. 5, 2009 – Pike Room Detroit, Michigan
Mar. 6, 2009 – Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois
Mar. 7, 2009 – Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar. 9, 2009 – Bluebird Denver, Colorado
Mar. 10, 2009 – Urban Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar. 12, 2009 – Neumo’s Seattle, Washington
Mar. 13, 2009 – Richard’s on Richards Vancouver, British Columbia
Mar. 14, 2009 – Berbati’s Portland, Oregon
Mar. 16, 2009 – Slim’s San Francisco, California
Mar. 17, 2009 – Echo Plex Los Angeles, California
Trail Of Dead – So Divided
Ever since I witnessed an ear bleeding live set at T In The Park many years ago I’ve been wary of getting too familiar with ‘The Trail Of Dead’. I’ve heard good things, and I’d heard the odd interesting track on compilations, but there just seemed too much in way for us to ever become close buddies, it was never going to work out, so why bother trying? First impressions were never wrong, right? Wrong. In ‘So Divided’ The Trail (as their friends call them) have made something of an old school, mini masterpiece. Taking parts of The Stones, Zeppelin, Beatles, Pink Floyd and Yes, they have created a rock and roll album full of colour, character, grandiose ideas and melody.
An introduction consisting of chattering voices in a restaurant slowly turning into a screaming rabble is kicked out the way by first song ‘Stand In Silence’. Heavy on the the riffs and rolling drums, it’s an impressive opening, made more so by the mellow middle third which introduces brass before kicking back into gear. ‘Wasted State Of Mind’ contains bongo’s and a repeating piano pattern, not the most over used pairing in a rock song, but somehow they work well together and the melody and sing-along chorus elevates it into the memorable category. From there the true character of the album begins to take shape. While he first half of ‘Naked Sun’ is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in disguise the second half is pure Pink Floyd, progressing into a prog rock instrumental with chanting and ’2001′ kettle drums. The yin and yang of the album encapsulated in one track.
Next, ‘Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory’ is what few tracks can claim to be, a cover that improves on the original. The Trail have took a good Guided By Voices track and re-imagined it as a wondrous, delicate and beautiful piano ballad. Mixing David Bowie with Yes style backing vocals it sounds Seventies, but also timeless a la ‘Life On Mars’
‘So Divided’ on the other hand is an epic Tour De Force that never spills over to mayhem. Tight drums, intricate guitar lines and understated bass keep the track bubbling along for all of it’s 6 and a half minutes. The band that I met all those years ago would have turned this into a impenetrable wall of sound. ‘Life’ takes us back to Pink Floyd and prog-rock territory, and segues into ‘Eight Day Hell’ which, if truth be told, is more Rutles than Beatles, however it’s performed with such energy and fun that they almost pull it off.
Proceedings are rounded off with the one true nod to the Trail Of Dead of old. ‘Sunken Dreams’ has a darkness that isn’t found elsewhere on the album, but even this isn’t immune to their new direction and the second half of the song transforms into a clash of voices, drums, guitars and strings. Proof that both the old and new can live happily side by side.
There’s no doubting that this is an album heavily influenced by the bands that existed between 1968 and 1973, after the bubble had burst on the 60′s dream, but before the bombast of stadium rock truly gathered momentum. That would only be a bad thing if the band weren’t able to take those influences and match them with their own vision and skill. As it happens they’ve managed to do that, and in the process created an piece of work that will bring back memories for the older generation, while at the same time creating new ones for the younger. Whether it pleases their existing fanbase however is not for me to say, you see, we’ve only just been properly introduced.
By Paul Matusavage