Search - The Dead Science :: Submariner

Macabre jazz at its finest

Matthew N. Kilgore | 01/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Its difficult to determine where to begin when describing "Submariner". This is one of the most richly layered albums I have ever heard, not only that, but there are only three members to The Dead Science. To start off, the brothers Bischoff and vocalists Mickens started off as a arty jazz ensemble hitting the clubs in the Seattle area. Its clear that that jazz background permeates the album but putting your finger on who to compare THIS style of jazz to is very challenging. When one thinks modern day jazz influenced musical acts with dark overtones, a wide variety of artists that may range from Portishead to Nostalgia 77, maybe even Soul Coughing may come to mind. Whats amazing is that each one of these bands/artists have left traces of their jazz lineage DNA, and yet they sound nothing alike. The same is the case of The Dead Science's Submariner. This Album stands apart though by being surprisingly organic. No scratches, no samples (not to say there's anything wrong with those, but) this is an album that relies on its craftsmanship. Let's take track # 7 for example. The song is called Threnody, which literally means song of lament, sometimes used in funerals. This threnody called Threnody would be the best ambassador to Submariner as there is a collective of seemingly sporatic jazz improve. Upon closer listening though, one would be able to glean that this is as simultaneously horrifying and beautiful as a Giger metamorphasis. There is no conflict of musical elements as a double bass vamping is followed by flat rapid precussion artistry, which is needle-and-threaded with lyrics like "Corpses buried on the banks of the Mississippi river" and "Cell wall divisions corroding under falsities". "Below", "White Cane", and "The Ghost Integrity" are also very strong points to this album, although every song works well together as a well oiled submarsable."