too many gods – lullaby ep

30 Reviews in 30 Days: #7

Pulled out a short one:

too many gods – lullaby ep

Medea, 1998.

I recall nothing about how I picked up this ep. It is possible I may have seen them one night in a club in Chicago.

1. Away now – Opens with a nice bass line, clearly finger picked given the fatness of the sound. Sirhc’s lung capacity showcases itself as an instrument in the intro. The song wants to be metal, but phrasing keeps it more in the hard alternative rock category, in my ears’ opinion.
2. Home too – Dirty, in your face, hard alternative rock with nice hooks and simple lyrics. Htes’ drums are just a touch behind the beat, but in a good way. The guitar work of Nitsuj and Xela are the dominant feature here, shoving through, like an escape from work, grinding through traffic.
3. The Frown – New metal slams you for the opening measures, but we mix in a bluesy beat for the verses. One of the guitars wobbles during the chorus sections that provides a unique discordant sound. In the end the song erupts into a heavy metal finish.
4. I If Only – Bleeds in from “The Frown” with no pause between the tracks. It serves as the longest track of the ep, giving the overall length of the EP at approximately 21 minutes.

A lot of the overall feel from this quintet reminds me of Local h, and some other long defunct bands from earlier that never made it beyond their hyperlocal club scenes. They have tried to be clever in their liner notes and spell their names backwards, but no last names are given. Takes a few looks, but it’s obvious to me. The liner notes is a one sheet square, but it does contain the lyrics – no not in super tiny print – but the lyrics are stark and simple with lots of actual internal repetition when performed. I enjoy the sound of Sirhc’s vocal delivery. He sings with clarity, almost soulful. And while his voice lacks range – at least in this outing – it’s easy to listen to.

Window Media is showing this as “metal” for the genre, which it does not neatly fit there – even with all the subgenres of metal out there. I would put it as alternative hard rock, but oft times the genre is in the ear of the beholder. Genres serve to help us understand what we are expecting based on what we have previously heard and have been told. Too many gods’ style is more conducive to a live venue, smokey with a beer or whiskey in hand. And make that venue a dive bar and you got it.

Listening Notes: Same Samsung laptop and earbuds as the last posts. The link on the album cover is for itunes.