Metalhead Mundy and Foggy chat with I Ya Toyah about her new single and video, discography and her philanthropy with mental health. Go to iyatoyah.com and subscribe. Send an email to iyatoyah@gmail.com and request a Crisis Line 988 bracelet.
Category: Podcast
Episode 161- Rolling Stones And 60s Songs
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from the Rolling Stones and pick favorite songs from the 1960s.
Episode 160- Metric, The Rolling Stones And Songs That Could Be Ballads.
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy discuss the latest from Metric, check out the new Rolling Stones and pick songs that should be slowed down.
Episode 159- Prong- State Of Emergency And Songs About Death
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Prong- State of Emergency and talk about songs about death.
Episode 158- 3Teeth
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from 3Teeth.
Episode 157- Corey Taylor CMF2
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Corey Taylor- CMF2, his second solo record. Foggy reminisces about the Smashing Pumpkins.
Episode 156- Royal Blood Back To The Water Below
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Royal Blood- Back to the Water Below. They also review Jack the Radio’s latest “Fast Fun.”
Smashing Pumpkins – The World is a Vampire Tour Review
On Saturday, September 9th, I attended my 7th Smashing Pumpkins concert at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. It was the last stop on the band’s The World is a Vampire Tour. The Pumpkins played 21 songs- a mix of fan favorites, some new songs from Atum and a few covers. From my first show in 1991 to my most recent, the three hour behemoth Shiny and Oh So Bright tour, I have never seen the band play with such joy. Billy Corgan has always been an artist who fought for respectability, who pushed the envelope of what a band can do, and followed his vision in the face of scrutiny. With that mission comes a serious edge, I suppose, but that veil was lifted Saturday. There was a joy that permeated the stage and came through in the music and performance.
Highlights:
The coolest part of the night happened during Tonight Tonight. Following some presong banter between James Iha and Billy, in which they teased about a song about condiments, insinuating Mayonaise, the two embarked on a wonderful acoustic rendition of Tonight Tonight. During the song, there was a lot of audience participation and love for the performance. At one point, Billy stepped back and tapped his heart, pausing before returning to the song. He looked genuinely thankful and in awe of the love they were receiving. Sometimes during shows, the audience gets some canned bits that all audiences receive. This one seemed genuine and of the moment. Very cool!
Next, any tour has a focus on the new music. From Atum we got three new entries: Spellbinding, Empires and Beguiled. All three are amazing songs and were performed brilliantly. I loved Empires and Beguiled from the moment they came out; they are bangers. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Spellbinding. It has a synth edge to it and, on the album, has a build up that allows for the triumph of the story and song to come through. (see the Atum story for its placement and message) I loved the live version; they managed to mix it well and the super catchy melody fits neatly with the Mellon Collie era of Pumpkins that many love. Spellbinding was definitely a highlight for me.
The classics- as I said in my Pumpkins album breakdown, Siamese Dream is my favorite record of all time. They played four songs from this album, including my favorite and very underrated Hummer. This song is everything that is right with music. A super cool groove building to some sweet, heavy layered guitars. Soft moments. Loud moments. Beautiful lyrics. Perfection. They also played Today, Disarm and Cherub Rock. Today and Disarm got a lot of audience participation. Great high points during the concert.
Ava Adore scored some points for me. Typically I don’t love that song or the album. However, on this night, Billy put down the guitar and went all vocal and performance. He looked like he relished the moment. The song was played well and played hard. Billy added theatrics to the lyrics and made it a memorable performance.
Cool moment- the band played Jelly Belly for the first time on The World is a Vampire Tour. It emerged seamlessly from a cover of Hubble Hubble by Manfred Mann. They played Hubble Hubble differently than the original- it was a scorcher. After screaming guitars and solos, the band shifted into the drum heavy Jelly Belly. It was amazing. Jimmy Chamberlain put on a performance of speed and power. I was so happy to see this live.
Merch– I never buy merchandise at shows. They are overpriced normally and I already have enough. Well, now I can say that I “rarely” buy merch. I couldn’t resist the light blue zip up “The World is a Vampire” hoodie. It was a lot, but it was totally worth it. I may just be a little cooler now.
Drawbacks:
My only drawback from the show was the opening. While I do enjoy The Everlasting Gaze and Doomsday Clock, the mix was just off. It was fuzz heavy and nearly drowned out Billy’s voice. If I was there and didn’t know these songs, I would have had no clue. It would simply have been a wall of noise. Thankfully, that quickly changed with a Talking Head’s cover followed by an amazing performance of Today. And, then a non-synth version of Perfect…..oh, and then Disarm…. oh man, did it good after the opening:)
Will I see them again? Of course, next time they come around. Billy said that they recorded new music at the end of last year. Hopefully we will hear that soon and they will embark on another tour next summer!
The Setlist:
The Everlasting Gaze
Doomsday Clock
Once in a Lifetime
Today
Perfect
Disarm
The Celestials
Purple Blood
Ava Adore
Tonight Tonight
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
This Time
Spellbinding
Hubble Bubble (Toil and Trouble)
Jellybelly
Empires
Hummer
Beguiled
1979
Cherub Rock
Zero
Check back to Wanderings and Woolgathering for more album, music reviews.
Smashing Pumpkins- Ranking the Albums
On Saturday night I will be seeing the Smashing Pumpkins in concert for the 7th time, my first going back to 1991 in while in college. To prepare I have been ripping through the albums. In my mind, I was secretly ranking them. Some I knew exactly where they would rank, but there were some surprises for me. Typically, Pumpkins fans of my age will praise the first three, throw a few accolades at Adore and then dismiss the rest and make a pejorative statement about Billy. That’s not me. If you have listened to the Wanderings podcast, we have praised artists through the years for not mimicking what they did in early years- those artists who have a vision and push the boundaries of creativity. In my mind, Billy Corgan is the epitome of digging in and creating his vision, critics be damned.
Without further ado- my ranking of every Smashing Pumpkins album. (Pisces Iscariot is included because why not)
1- Siamese Dream

Greatest Pumpkin album- Siamese Dream: Not only is this my favorite Pumpkins record, but it’s probably my favorite album of all time. I know I have listened to it more than any album ever! I was blown away at Gish, but this follow up takes what was promising and perfects it. Tracks like Mayonaise, Hummer, Cherub Rock, Sapceboy, and Rocket stand out for me, but the entire album is a roller coaster ride of layered guitars, virtuoso drumming and beautiful lyrics that are both poetic and meaningful with beautiful phrasology. No matter how many times I listen to this record, it always sounds fresh. This is a truly a unique and inspiring album. Did I mention Soma or Geek USA? Oh yeah, they are great too!
2. Gish

Gish is the first album released by the Pumpkins and my entry point to the band. I was blown away initially by the unique sound and vocals. At this time, grunge and the “Seattle sound” had taken hold and was ubiquitous on the airwaves. This had the same alternative inspiration but was singular in its delivery. No other band sounded remotely like the Pumpkins. I’m still blown away to this day by Siva, I Am One, Rhinoceros and Bury Me. In a world of music filled with copy cat alternative bands, the Pumpkins created their own path and still follow it today. This is raw Pumpkin sound in its nascent form.
3. Picses Iscariot

Yeah, it’s technically not a studio album, I get it. I know this is a weird choice, especially to place it in front of Mellon Collie. Plus, it is basically a compilation of throw aways and B-sides. However, this is a hodge podge of greatness. Songs like Frail and Bedazzled or Hello Kitty Kat belong on any album and harken back to Gish. (sweet spot with me). Landslide and Girl Named Sandoz prove the Pumpkins can take a classic and improve upon it. Plume, Whir, La Dolly Vita and Obscured show the cool grooviness that underlies a lot of more of their well known songs. This cobbled together album is better than most of what is out there. Top three for me and likely top five for most Pumpkin fans.
4. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness could easily be the greatest Pumpkins album of all time. It has some of the greatest Pumpkin songs, and it is by far the most ambitious. If I were to rate the albums on ambition, Mellon Collie and Atum would be 1 and 2. However, I can’t do that. While I love most everything about this record, there are some missteps for me that hold it back as a cohesive piece. The band was at the height of its popularity. They played Tonight Tonight at the Grammy’s. Everyone was singing “rat in a cage” regardless if you liked heavy music or not. The first six songs on the record are arguably the best start of any record ever. Plus, one of my favorite Pumpkin songs, 33, appears here. However, there is too much here. Too many ideas that don’t quite fit. If the band had chosen their best 12-15 songs, it could have been the best album of all time. 28 songs was too much and slightly bloated. Not my top three, but absolutely a classic!
5. Oceania

I feel like Oceania goes unnoticed, or underappreciated, by many Pumpkin fans. It was five years after the divisive Zeitgeist and 12 years after the positively reviewed Machina. There was a clear tonal change, but the integrity and vibe is there. While more electronica is included, this one has plenty of Billy melody and layered guitars, albeit slightly more sparse. This album has a sweet groove from beginning to end. Songs like Quasar, Panopticon, The Celestials, My Love is Winter and The Chimera are standouts here. And folks, listen to Inkless– total old school Pumpkins vibe. This is one that I can listen to beginning to end with no skips every time. Very underrated. Give it a listen!
6. Atum

Atum is Smashing Pumpkins most recent album. Initially Atum was released one song at a time on Billy’s podcast- absolutely the coolest idea. I love a concept record. Rush is my favorite band, aside from the Pumpkins, so concept rules! This one has a cosmic story that started with Mellon Collie: Zero to Glass to Shiny, and ends here with Atum. Musically, this one is all over the place in a good way. Like Mellon Collie, it’s a mixed bag. When it shines, though, it really shines. 33 songs- 2/3 or more are bangers. I would say that the first 8 songs are amazing and completely set the tone for the musical experience. For those who love hard songs, Empires, Moss, Beguiled, and Harmageddon fit the bill. Others like Hooligan, Neophyte, Sojourner, Cenotaph or Spellbinding provide a smooth Pumpkin groove that we have become accustomed to. For 33 songs, this is entirely listenable and at times completely shines! The breadth and ambition are commendable.
7. Zeitgeist

This album for me is tough. I really like it. It’s hard. It’s rhythmic and it has some great grooves and melody. Essentially, it’s Billy and Jimmy, how we like it. However, it feels like they are trying too hard to recreate the past. Too many layers. Great album. I still listen frequently. Doomsday Clock, Bleeding the Orchid and Tarantula withstand the test of time.
8. Machina/The Machines of God

Machina is unfulfilled expectations. It was a return to form, a sounding bell for the end of D’Arcy, and a continuation of a story that wouldn’t be fullfilled for 23 years with Atum. This album has some amazing music (thank you for coming back Jimmy) and some great songs, but is not complete in form – as a supposed concept record it falls short. Songs like Everlasting Gaze, Stand Inside Your Love, I of the Mourning, This Time and Glass and the Ghost Children are the best offerings here. I enjoy this record, but it is not one of the greats. Atum, however, has made it more interesting recently.
9. Shiny and Oh So Bright

Shiny was a bit of a surprise for me. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It’s a tight record of only 8 songs with four very strong songs: Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts), Solara, Marchin’ On and Seek and You Shall Destroy. Those are wrapped by softer, melodic songs that tie this one together nicely. Definitely an underrated outing.
10. Adore

Adore is the fourth studio album from the Pumpkins. It is a departure from their previous outings, choosing to use far more electronics. The absence of Jimmy is clearly evident as well. Adore falls pretty low on my list, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some shining moments, because it does. Ava Adore and Perfect are both excellent songs. The rest fall flat for me. They are ambitious and I applaud the effort to expand and explore, but it seems they weren’t quite ready for that much change. I think the lack of Jimmy working with Billy is apparent. Nice effort, but lacks the spark and consistency of their better albums.
11. Monuments to an Elegy

Monuments to an Elegy is an interesting record. It’s not bad, but it’s also not great. Four songs really stand out here: Tiberius, Being Beige, One and All (We Are), and Drum + Fife. In fact, Drum + Fife is one of my favorite 2000s songs from the band. The problem with the album is that the other songs are good, but not great. I enjoy it in the background, but don’t prefer it loud and in my face.
12. Cyr

Cyr is simply not an album I like. There really isn’t anything bad, but it’s not really good either. It just simply “is.” That’s a problem when you create art. The response cannot be “meh.” I simply wasn’t moved by this one. I do enjoy The Colour of Love, Wyttch and Purple Blood, but that’s where it ends. It’s a long album with little for me to hang on to.
So there you have it- all Smashing Pumpkin records rated from best to worst. Hopefully, we will be listening to Machina 2 in it’s glorious remaster soon. Feel free to comment and tell me what I got wrong. I’ll post thoughts after the concert on Saturday. Check that out too. You can find it here.
Episode 155- Grace Potter And Filter, Plus Favorite Female Leads
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Grace Potter and Filter. They also chat about HolyWars new video.
Episode 153- New Songs From Corey Taylor, Ministry And Jack The Radio
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review the latest from Corey Taylor, Ministry and Jack the Radio. Mundy uses Tiermaker to rank Anthrax records.
Whitney Tai- Lexington
Written and performed by Whitney Tai.
Produced by Whitney Tai and Tim Janssens
Whitney Tai is an artist who transcends genre. Tai has grown through her own records: Metamorphosis and Apogee, while adding lyrics and vocals to Beauty in Chaos and Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky. Whitney Tai has a beautiful voice and more impressive presence. Both Michael Ciravolo and Chuck Wright saw this and added her to their own projects.
Tai is certainly one who can add to the works of others, but she is even more impressive on her own. Of course it would be easy to fall back on the success and following of others, but Tai is an artist- an artist with a voice. Her most recent offering is a prime example of this.
At the end of June, Whitney released a single called Lexington. We reviewed it here. Since that time, Ms. Tai has released a video for the song. Based on the lyrics from the song, I was a bit baffled. The song details her time in NYC, the big city. She focuses on places: the Cooper Hewitt, the MET, 70th and Lexington. The video, however, shows Tai walking through a park. Not Central Park. A simple park.
After a few views, it’s clear. While those moments in the big city impact a person, so do the quiet moments. While Tai no longer lives in NYC, the impact of those days live with her. Throughout Lexington, Tai reminisces about her time in NY. Each moment etched in her mind. Each moment a part of who she is now. I would imagine that she had no clue that those moments were important while she lived them, yet they have impacted the person she is now.
With introspection like that, the clear conclusion is that the small moments matter. And THAT is where this video shines in its juxtaposition. In the video, Whitney walks around with an old school microphone singing about Lexington. The background is sparse, as is the hustle and bustle of life here. While she may sing about NYC and the craziness that comes with that, this video is more about the quiet moments- those moments with family, friends and pets. In totality, all those moments that make up a person.
Lexington is a place, but it’s also a state of mind. Tai brilliantly uses her art, her skill, her vision and her talent to make a point about life. We are a sum of our parts- embrace and celebrate them. If you don’t believe me, head over to Lexington!
Pick up some cool merch here.
Episode 152- Sevendust And Opening Acts Who Made Us Take Notice
Metalhead Mundy, Foggy and Kevin Rader-Rhodenbaugh break down new music from Prong and Sevendust. Find out what they think. They also discuss opening acts at concerts.
Episode 151- Aphex Twin And Songs With Samples
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags review the latest from Aphex Twin and choose their favorite songs with samples.
Episode 150- Greta Van Fleet And Perfect Movie Moments
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Greta Van Fleet- Starcatcher. They also pick out perfect movie moments.
Episode 149- Interview With Ody And Marianna From Project Renegade
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy welcome Ody and Marianna from Project Renegade to the show. We discuss their latest album Ultra Terra, the creative process and the state of living in Greece.
Episode 148- Project Renegade And Songs That Should Be In Old Movies
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Project Renegade- Ultra Terra. The boys place songs in movies that already exist. Foggy tries to replace John Williams with modern songs.
Episode 147- Friends Of The Show And Sleep Token
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy discuss Sleep Token’s latest and some new songs by Whitney Tai, Project Renegade, Ashton Nyte and Jack the Radio.
Episode 146- Ghost, Corey Taylor And Kelsy Karter
MetalheadMundy, T-Bags and Foggy review the latest from Ghost- Phantomime, Corey Taylor- Beyond and Kelsy Karter and the Heroines- Love Goes On. We also discuss regrets in music.
Episode 145- Smashing Pumpkins Atum
Metalhead Mundy, T-Bags and Foggy each create a 12 song album from the 33 tracks on Atum. The boys also review the entire project.
Episode 144- Metallica 72 Seasons
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Metallica- 72 Seasons. Find out if Metallica still has the magic.
Episode 143- NF Hope And Chuck D We Wreck Stadiums
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from NF and Chuck D. Find out why you should listen to these records.
Episode 142- Depeche Mode
Metalhead Mundy, T-Bags and Foggy review Memento Mori from Depeche Mode. Find out why you should listen.
Episode 141- Miley Cyrus
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy step out of their comfort zones and review the latest from Miley Cyrus.
Episode 140- Periphery, Winery Dogs And NF
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Periphery- V: Djent is not a Genre. Mundy shares his concert with the Winery Dogs and the boys discuss the latest from NF.
Episode 139- Sanguisugabogg, Alice Cooper, Smashing Pumpkins And Jack The Radio
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Sanguisugabogg, reminisce over Alice Cooper, and review Smashing Pumpkins and Jack the Radio.
Episode 138- Antman And NF (spoilers)
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy discuss the latest Marvel movie- Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania and review the new video from NF- Hope.
Episode 137- Bob Dylan And Other Gems, Comics And Other Goodness
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review Bob Dylan, talk about some other new music and revisit a classic. They also talk about comics and Naruto.
Episode 136- Smashing Pumpkins Atum Act 2
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review Act 2 from Atum by the Smashing Pumpkins. We also play Who’s that Band and talk about the new song by Jack the Radio.
Episode 135- Iggy Pop and Who's That Band
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review Iggy Pop’s latest Every Loser. Foggy challenges Metalhead with Who’s That Band.
Episode 134- The Awakening S Latest Double Record The Passage Remains
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags discuss the latest record from The Awakening, play Who’s That Band and chat about new music.
Episode 134- The Awakening's Latest Double Record The Passage Remains
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags discuss the latest record from The Awakening, play Who’s That Band and chat about new music.
Episode 133- Willow, Out Of Genre Songs, Who S That Band, And Sandman 23
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags review the latest from Willow- Coping Mechanism, find some songs out of genre, play Who’s That Band? and read Sandman 23.
Episode 132- Dermot Kennedy, Our First Sought After Music Catalogs, And Sandman 22.
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags review the latest from Dermot Kennedy, talk about music catalogs and Sandman 22.
Episode 131- Life Moves Pretty Fast- John Hughes Mixtape
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-bags chat about the 80s and John Hughes- we choose top five songs and movies. We also chat about Smashing Pumpkins Atum and issue 21 of Sandman.
Episode 130- Tyler Chin – Tanner From A Wave Blue World
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy welcome Tyler Chin-Tanner, author of Mezo and owner of A Wave Blue world, to the show. We talk about Mezo volume 2 and our favorite creators of all time. Join us for some fun.
Episode 129- Arctic Monkeys, Smashing Pumpkins And Sandman 20.
Foggy and Metalhead review the latest album from Arctic Monkeys, chat about Smashing Pumpkins and read Sandman issue #20.
Episode 128- Lamb Of God, Smashing Pumpkins And Sandman 19
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review the latest from Lamb of God, discuss the new songs from the Smashing Pumpkins rock opera Atum, talk about Black Adam and read Sandman #19. Give us a listen and a review.
Episode 127- Slipknot The End So Far, Old Songs And Who's That Band
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review the latest Slipknot record- The End So Far. We talk about old songs and challenge Metalhead Mundy to a Lester Bang’s inspired challenge.
Episode 126- Billy Idol The Cage, Smashing Pumpkins Atum, Challenges And Sandman 17.
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy talk about Billy Idol’s latest EP- The Cage. We preview Smashing Pumpkins Rock Opera, Atum. We challenge Mundy with a mystery review and read Sandman issues 17 and 18.
Episode 125- Pink Floyd Animals Remix And Lyrics Challenge
Foggy, Metalhead Mundy and T-Bags talk about cool song lyrics and Pink Floyd’s Animals 2018 Remix.
Episode 124- Ozzy Osbourne, Who's That Band, Beauty In Chaos And Issue 16 Sandman
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy review the latest from Ozzy Osbourne, discuss Unveiled from Beauty in Chaos, play Who’s That Band and read issue 16 of Sandman.Link for Beauty in Chaos: https://jammer.direct/unveiled/
Episode 123- Kings X, Challenge Metalhead Mundy And Sandman 15.
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy review the latest Kings X record. Foggy challenges Metalhead to a review challenge. The boys read issue #15 of Sandman.
Panic! At The Disco And Sandman Netflix and Issue 14
We review the latest from Panic! At The Disco and take a look at the last four episodes of Sandman. We also continue our journey through the comic as we chat about issue 14.
Episode 121- Netflix Sandman, Issue 13 And Soulfly Totem
We review episodes 1-6 of Sandman, chat about issue #13 and review the latest from Soulfly- Totem.
Episode 120- Starchild Comics' Braxton Cosby – The Broken Series
Braxton Cosby from Starchild Comics stops by to discuss his new Kickstarter project- The Broken.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/starchildcomics/starchild-comics-the-broken-series-project
Devah Quartet – Prometheus Pre-release Review
Devah Quartet is back and more ambitious than ever. Continuing on the footsteps of their last release 2112, Prometheus is packed with a behemoth 33 minute progressive epic, a song about Joan of Arc, a few radio friendly songs and a tribute to Tool. Devah Quartet is a group that defies categorization. They are classical by the nature of their instruments- it’s a string quartet after all. They are prog rock due to their influences and lengthy structure and lyric matter. They are heavy. They are quiet. They are masters of their instruments. But above all, they are simply an amazing group that demands your attention. If you want to hear these songs on our world premier show, check out this link to Wanderings and Woolgathering on YouTube. Or wait until August 1 to hear the official versions.
Grain of Sand is the first track on the double album. This one kicks off with a cool groove laid down by cellist Liza McLellan and drummer Mack Longpre. The violins fill in the background making this one feel full. In typical Devah fashion, the breakdowns are filled with heavy strokes from Liza on cello and violins complementing and expanding the song. Liza takes a turn on vocals for this one- Not something she felt entirely comfortable doing in the past, but she does an outstanding job. At four minutes long, I could imagine this one on the radio. It’s super catchy.
Lateralus is a cover of Tool’s Lateralus, the title track to their 2001 album of the same name. This version is entirely done within the context of a four piece string ensemble. There are no vocals, but a beautiful reworking of the original. Like their work with Rush’s 2112, McLellan manages to rework the song in a new and interesting way while paying 100% fidelity to the original. You know it’s the same song, it’s unmistakeable, but this version feels fresh and new. Please pay attention to the 7:04 mark. The song drops and Liza kills it with her deep cello groove. NOT TO BE MISSED!
Prometheus is Devah’s most ambitious song to date. It comes in at a whopping 33 minutes and eight seconds. It is broken into seven parts: I. Overture, II. Drifting / Touched with Fire / The Voice, III. the Gift: Cursed with Knowledge, IV. Early Warning / The Asteroid, V. No Time for Caution / See the Pattern / Listen, VI. Launch / Sudden Impact / Dying Day, VII. Deus Ex / Believe. Songs like this can be daunting for listeners who have limited attention or only feel comfortable with radio friendly fare. The listener should look at this as an experience- a musical story or poem. Singing on this one is David Michael Moote. He has a huge voice, similar to what you might hear on Broadway.
Prometheus begins with a long intro, the movement and short strokes on violin and cello give the impression of going on a journey. From there we get a tempo and tonal change leading into our first vocals at the five minute mark. It’s here that we meet David, a listless man wandering through life. Cleverly, he is linked to Don Quixote through “Tilting at Windmills” as David has demons that are not real. It furthers the idea that David is lost and struggling mentally. In the background of this part, there is an “otherwordly” sound. It gives the impression that change is on the way. It’s the classic adventure where someone, seemingly insignificant, must answer the call. David must die to his current self and become something entirely new whether physically or metaphorically- a savior.
Then comes the asteroid, which brings up all kinds of questions about the state of man and our place in the world. What is David’s role? Is there anything that can be done? When Prometheus arrives, is he here to burn the world down or ignite the fire within our protagonist? Can we highlight our problems to solve them, “paint it white?” Will belief save us? How do we react in the face of impending doom? Or, is this simply a drama playing out in the mind of David? There are no easy answers, but it’s delivered in a nifty package of strings. You will have to listen to see how it all plays out- no spoilers here.
Each of the seven movements has a distinct musical change. The music matches the lyrics thematically and induces the proper reaction in the listener. There are minimal effects throughout the song, but there are some atmospheric keyboard/synth touches in Dying Day. The piano-esque sound hits the mood. Following that is a beautiful instrumental that paints a somber picture- all sad, slow strings. It’s a nice respite from the intensity that preceded and the “shattering fragments” in the sky that follow.
There is no doubt; this song takes effort. It’s long, it’s intricate and it’s thought-provoking. Your effort is definitely rewarded. Prometheus is bursting with excellent musicianship, structure and lyrics. Listen close- you’ll be glad you did.
Episode 119- Comics And Music
Metalhead Mundy and Foggy discuss current comics, The Demon, Adventure Comics and Sandman.
Devah Quartet Prometheus World Premier
We premier the new album from Devah Quartet called Prometheus. We listen to each track and discuss them as we go. There were a few audio problems as we went along. Please be patient and enjoy the new offerings from Devah. You can listen to it on your streaming services on August 1.
Episode 117- Rise Against, Paolo Nutini, Greg Puciato, Songs We Like And Sandman Issue 10
Foggy and Metalhead Mundy discuss the latest Rise Against, Ozzy Osbourne, Greg Puciato and Paolo Nutini. We also pick songs we like from bands we don’t and review Sandman #10.