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Death Of Marat’s 2nd LP re-interprets no-wave for 2002
17 May 2002
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Twenty-first century schizoid band.

Phoenix, Arizona cold-core three piece Death Of Marat play super-intense, super-insistent no-wave/hardcore. It is not for the faint of ears—you’ll find nary a trace of sugar coating aimed at inviting or appeasing the critic or the potential fan. This is acid-washed-to-the-bone, sand-blasted passion.
    Despite all that, their new album All Eyes Open, released 9 April with limited distribution on Atlanta’s shop-cum-label Stickfigure Records, is a highly positive communication. You see, it isn’t that they’ve stripped away melodic niceties in an effort to offend (those offended, of course, will make their own conclusions); it’s simply that they’ve committed themselves to purity of purpose in expressing a rather iconoclastic musical vision. The resulting effect is as riveting as it is alien.
    With songs that blend into each other and repeat each other’s themes—coming across almost as some post-post-industrial opera—All Eyes Open is far more of a piece & more focused than their 2000 debut, The Shattered (still available from Boulder’s Satellite Transmissions label). It is nearly as though the band took a look at that first album’s mixed reviews and concluded that the rift between praisers and detractors wasn’t wide enough.
    With Mike Juliano’s guitar and John Brandon’s bass competing for the title of most percusssive instrument against Jef Wright’s aggressive drums, All Eyes Open is almost entirely anti-melodic. Wright’s disaffected, chilling vocals, often heard through metallic reverb, are scarcely human. It’s party music for the robots that subdue humanity in the year 3000.
    Death Of Marat’s esoteric name comes from a painting depicting the tragic end of 18th century French-Swiss revolutionary journalist Jean Paul Marat. Their new album will probably appeal to you if you enjoyed Tuxedo Moon in the ’70s, Head Of David in the ’80s, or Fugazi in the ’90s. Four bites out of five.

Rockbites ratings  5: life changing, 4: stunning, 3: captivating, 2: amusing, 1: annoying.

All Eyes Open is still a bit hard to find. For now your best bet is Insound: check our link.
| Death Of Marat | | The life of Marat | | Insound | | DOM MP3s on MP3.com | | top of page |


 


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