Dead And Gone - s/t 2X7-inch EP - Gold Standard Laboratories
Dead And Gone – “Kiyomoto” MP3/download (this bad-ass cut was my first exposure; be sure to check out the Alternative Tentacles website for more)
Dead And Gone (ex-Filth/Blatz) were heavier than bands twice their size, girth and distortion capacity, and I’ve never managed to figure out how they did it. From their days as a misplaced, sore-thumb on the Alternative Tentacles roster to their most-recent full length on Gold Standard Laboratories, you could always count on them for an entree with intriguing spice and distinct flavors (and don’t forget next-gen group Creeps On Candy).
Maybe it’s the sudden excursions into hidden caves of solitude, where pounding riffs and tortuous drum abuse become flutters of clean guitarpeggios, tinkling ride-cymbal accompaniment and, overall, a quietly gorgeous mileu (I don’t wanna sound like a queer or nuthin’, but it kinda reminds me of Rust in Peace-era Megadeth — that was a band that could bring the BRICKz and still build a pretty-looking building.)
It’s more likely, however, that the unique capabilities of each member fused into a musick assault impervious to pain. Dissecting tracks like “Frozen” yields interesting results, and in the end I would argue the drummer is the key ingredient to this mess, and his painstaking attention to details sets him apart from most other woodsmen of his day.
He rode his toms hard, like a rhino’s horn, and his unkempt choices in general add a tough-to-pinpoint glaze to the proceedings. It’s as if, by not being an insanely technical player, he goes even deeper into the mood of the song and emerges with rhythms beyond what the average drummer comes up with. It just goes to show that nerd prowess can only take you so far, whereas instinct will get you everywhere in the indie-rock biz (of course you’ll forgive that Dead And Gone never blew up in any serious way — they were ahead of their era).
I must also give an imaginary fist-bump to the guitarisimo, because he’s NAILS. Flexible almost to a fault, he also shows great instinct with his choices. Not only that, he drives home a mean, nasty, soiled-rag-stuffed-in-a-hostage’s-mouth style of riff, dangerous and dirty like a tainted heroin needle.
Why can’t bands like Dead And Gone just keep going? What causes such a unique group of individuals to decide their time is better spent pursuing other ventures?
I don’t know, but if you’ve ever been in a band, you know it’s tough as SHIT to keep it all together (hence my sorted record of past projects) for years and years, particularly if financial gain of any kind is practically out of the question. People have to live lives, dump dreams, take out the garbage of a thousand dead relatives …
It’s sad, but this is why we have records, baby. In my living room now it’s as if Dead And Gone are Alive And Here, chomping on my ear drums like Big League Chew and kicking me square in the face-balls. (I have no idea what that means.)
As their material is still available (on discogs, ahem) at cheap rates, snagging their stuff is a definite must for those of you smitten with Racebannon, Fudge Tunnel (why do they keep coming up lately?), Year Future, Half Past Human, Some Girls (Wes Eisold of Cold Cave; his ex-band) slowed down about a thousand RPMs and Bloodlet (because of their churning riffs, not their death-metal allegience).
