Mortals by Down I Go
Scattered across the earth, and living incognito as "regular people" are masters of an art form centuries old. Contrary to popular belief, being a successful band is not being rich, famous, or even popular; success is the accomplishment of some aim or purpose. Given that, it is no stretch to say that Down I Go are one of the most successful bands in our era. Their back catalog shows their ability and admiration for grabbing an idea, then bring it to life through both sound and story. Where many bands have run with concept albums, none ever feel as whole or well thought out as those put forth by Down I Go. Not only does Mortals continue this trend of excellence, it surpasses all the things I've come to love about this band.
Scattered across the earth, and living incognito as "regular people" are masters of an art form centuries old. Contrary to popular belief, being a successful band is not being rich, famous, or even popular; success is the accomplishment of some aim or purpose. Given that, it is no stretch to say that Down I Go are one of the most successful bands in our era. Their back catalog shows their ability and admiration for grabbing an idea, then bring it to life through both sound and story. Where many bands have run with concept albums, none ever feel as whole or well thought out as those put forth by Down I Go. Not only does Mortals continue this trend of excellence, it surpasses all the things I've come to love about this band.
It's everything Down I Go has always done well except it's something entirely new and unique in it's own way. Something people tend to forget is that vocals are an instrument in their own way. It's what makes harmonies so complex and beautiful, and something that the group seems to have perfected on Mortals. They used them more frequently and effectively in these four tracks than most bands have in their entire careers. It gives everything more balance in the process. That doesn't mean that there is a lack of throat-ripping, seemingly impossible to produce, screams present either. Those are plentiful as well.
As is always the case, their time signatures are above and beyond. It is baffling to think of how they arrange these things. On top of that, there are so many layers stacked into 14 minutes that you can listen to it twenty times over and still hear something new each time. Multi-layered harmonies, brass, woodwinds and pianos are placed so brilliantly (some times on top of one another, sometimes individually) that it makes Mortals sound like the most grandiose of all of their works.
With every new release they manage to give me a new favorite track. When Gods was released I was convinced that Icarus was the best song they had ever written. Until a bunch of lunatics (me included) crowd funded You're Lucky God That I Cannot Reach You and I heard Drangey Concecrated. Now, out of the blue and without warning, I've become entirely too fond of Heracles. It's the heaviest song on this EP, and also the most lovable. Writhing with complexity, unapologetic with it's brutality, and beautifully layered it very well may be my favorite track of theirs. After the pause with the piano, the harmonies come in almost poetically. The second go around, DEEP in the background, that same harmony is accompanied by the lowest, deepest growl I've ever heard from Down I Go. My favorite of all however are the low saxophone notes that accompany the horns during the bridge. It is filled to the brim with sounds that shouldn't make sense together, but do. For being so aggressive, it has the softest and most faint ending, almost lullaby-ing it's way out.
Really, the only way to experience it is by listening to it. It is a cheap purchase that will bring you joy for the years to come and is available on their bandcamp page, as well as most of their discography. One final note I have is an observation. Despite implying that the band is unpopular in my introduction, the fact of the matter is that their continued dedication to creating has only helped them. They have grown in popularity and that is only because of their continued efforts. They do everything on their own. Writing, recording, promoting, etc. is all done by them. With that, I would like to thank them for all that they have done. I am proud of what they have been able to accomplish thus far. I hope there are things to come in the future.
As is always the case, their time signatures are above and beyond. It is baffling to think of how they arrange these things. On top of that, there are so many layers stacked into 14 minutes that you can listen to it twenty times over and still hear something new each time. Multi-layered harmonies, brass, woodwinds and pianos are placed so brilliantly (some times on top of one another, sometimes individually) that it makes Mortals sound like the most grandiose of all of their works.
With every new release they manage to give me a new favorite track. When Gods was released I was convinced that Icarus was the best song they had ever written. Until a bunch of lunatics (me included) crowd funded You're Lucky God That I Cannot Reach You and I heard Drangey Concecrated. Now, out of the blue and without warning, I've become entirely too fond of Heracles. It's the heaviest song on this EP, and also the most lovable. Writhing with complexity, unapologetic with it's brutality, and beautifully layered it very well may be my favorite track of theirs. After the pause with the piano, the harmonies come in almost poetically. The second go around, DEEP in the background, that same harmony is accompanied by the lowest, deepest growl I've ever heard from Down I Go. My favorite of all however are the low saxophone notes that accompany the horns during the bridge. It is filled to the brim with sounds that shouldn't make sense together, but do. For being so aggressive, it has the softest and most faint ending, almost lullaby-ing it's way out.
Really, the only way to experience it is by listening to it. It is a cheap purchase that will bring you joy for the years to come and is available on their bandcamp page, as well as most of their discography. One final note I have is an observation. Despite implying that the band is unpopular in my introduction, the fact of the matter is that their continued dedication to creating has only helped them. They have grown in popularity and that is only because of their continued efforts. They do everything on their own. Writing, recording, promoting, etc. is all done by them. With that, I would like to thank them for all that they have done. I am proud of what they have been able to accomplish thus far. I hope there are things to come in the future.
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