Derek W. Dunn's "Poisonous Serpents" has arrived. He sent a note on his FB-page: "US Customs is a bitch" and warned everyone who ordered from outside of the US that it could be a while. Well, all is well that ends well. You can buy the album physically or digitally in the format of your choice at CD Baby, just click on this link. 

I must admit that I had my doubts whether "Poisonous Serpents" would come true. Ever since .357 String Band disbanded in november 2011 Derek W. Dunn has been working on the EP. New information and timetables have followed upon each other. But now it's here. Let me start by saying it was worth waiting for. Another very pleasant surprise is that .357 String Band are almost reunited on the album. Billy Cook, Joseph Huber and Rick Ness plays on five, five respectively four of total seven songs. The songs "Let The Bones Be Burned" and "Poisonous Serpents" were destined for the uncompleted  fourth album from .357 String Band. However, this is not .357 String Band. Not even .357-nostalgia. It's Derek W. Dunn's album. No question about that. All songs are written and arranged by him and they are all solid. The sound is also partially different from .357 String Band. Despite the fact that he tours and works very hard and ought to be pretty worn-out by now, he brings newness and energy in to the album. The music is varied. There are fast and well-written songs like "Let The Bones Be Burned", "Roll On" and "Hell In Your Cold Cold Heart". In songs like "Snow In The Pines", "Pressure", "Feels Like I'm Blue" and "Poisonous Serpents" he shows great singer-songwriter abilities in the old-school country vein. The lyrics to "Poisonous Serpents" are brilliant (therefore I include them below). The sound quality is also excellent. What more can you wish for? A full-length album from Derek W. Dunn.

Poisonous Serpents

"I've been handling poisonous serpents. I can feel their poison in my mind
Been mislead by a million false prophets. Been seduced by wonders, and by signs
And I been drinking deadly things. I can feel the poison in my veins
I been breathing fire and brimstone, trying to kill the den of vipers in my brain
I put my faith in all the wrong places. Tried to cure my head to heal my heart
Got to lost to find my way home, and walked in circles right back to the start
So now it's time to fight fire with fire. Now it's time to face what I fear most
Cause, I ain't ready to come home yet, Lord - I ain't ready to give up the ghost
So get behind me, Satan, I cast thee out!
Now it's the time to cast out devils. Now it's time to speak in brand new tounges 
Now it's time to be re-born and breath new air through these burned out lounges
And they say these signs shall follow - me, I'm still waiting to believe
So for now I'll cast out my own demons; put my faith into what I can see
I'll pluck out the eye that offends me; turn a deaf ear to all their wicked tounges
I'll cut off the hand that offends me; now I know that the hour has come
And now I know it's now or never; I do believe that I can make this change
Placid waters or lakes of fire; it's my choice, I'm going to drown either way
So get behind me Satan, I cast thee out!"

Citation of the Day

"Let’s be honest: this type of music is an acquired taste. I don’t see a lot of major record labels knocking on our doors to get this music out to the masses. It’s always going to be an underground scene, and I think that’s what makes it so interesting."

(Christian Williams about whether digital distribution is positive, neutral or negative for "gothic country")

The Dissolution Orphans was released on March 21, 2014. The "album" consists of demos and unreleased songs and have been recorded under a period of 10 years. At Sons of Perditions website you can read more about the background of each song. Zebulon Whatley has been very clear that this isn't an album in its own right and that the quality of the recordings varies greatly since they were never intended to be released. Maybe, it's not appropriate to review under these circumstances. Anyway, here is my assessment.

The album gives you an interesting insight in the works of Sons Of Perdition. The demos are often rough and when you compare with album versions you realize how much work has been put in to refining the songs. The best example is ”This Land is Cursed” (and it doesn’t depend on the particular poor sound quality on this track). Even in the more developed versions like “Psalms of Withering” and “Lenders in the Temple” this is obvious. Two demo versions of later album versions particularly stand out. “Psalm of Woe” goes very slowly, in an almost liturgical way with chanting and unsettling noises  in the background (deliberately put there). “Paying My Debts” goes somewhat slower than the album version. It’s also more dark and brutal than the album version (yes, it’s possible). They are both very suggestive and clearly among the best tracks on the album. There are also some great tracks on the "album" that for some reason never fit in on the Dissolution trilogy (the three official albums). Some examples: the instrumental “Desert Trek” with just barely noticeable choir, lingering guitar and definite bass lines. Probably the best song on the album is “Nowhere”. The song was recorded without a clear aim or purpose. But it would clearly have met the quality criteria for any of Sons of Perditions albums, and  probably would have fitted best on the first or the third album. The same goes for “Desert Wind” with choirs, guitar and banjo. Other great songs are “The Trophy Wife”, “Night Passage” and "The Shadow of the Undertaker" which starts off rather joyous (with Sons of Perdition standards). The lyrics, however, quickly set the mood right. There aren’t really any real lows or bad songs on the “album”, but some of them clearly don’t have the same luminosity as the songs on the albums in the Dissolution Trilogy. I'm thinking primarily of the songs “Escape”, “Train Song” and “Flambe”. However, this is a marginal remark. With that being said, “The Dissolution Orphans” is a must-have "album" for everyone interested in the music of Sons of Perdition.

As stated in my blog entry on March 2, 2014 "Uncle Sinner to release a new album" a collection from Uncle Sinner with outtakes and rarities, "A Pocketful of Glass Eyes" was to be released as a fundraiser for modest recording gear. Well, now it's here. You could buy the album digitally in the format of your choice at Bandcamp (now taken out of circulation) The price is set according to the "name your price"-principle.

In an email Uncle Sinner explains that the outtakes are of varying quality and don't form a proper album. Yes, "A Pocketful of Glass Eyes" is rough and stripped down to the bone. But, on the other hand, you don't want an (over)produced from Uncle Sinner. Uncle Sinner is according to his Bandcamp-page: "...a figment of his own imagination. He holds several degrees in psychological vandalism and enjoys hollering, guitars, banjos, mandolins and rage." I think, however, he's too modest regarding the view that it doesn't form an album. It outshines most releases that are made these days in my opinion. The album is a bit more bluesy (but not too much blues) compared to "Ballads and Mental Breakdowns". Best songs are Little Margaret, Want to Go to Cuba, Can't Go Now, Illinois Blues, Kerosene, The Cuckoo (demo) and Glory in the Meeting House. In the email Uncle Sinner writes that the next album [Let the Devil In] will sound much better than the tracks on "A Pocketful of Glass Eyes" and the for the most part the tracks will be a bit more complex (but not too complex). That sounds very reassuring, I think.

However, I'm already looking forward to the next album "Let The Devil In". The painting is made by Gal Arad Kabiri to be used on the next album. If the album sounds like the album cover then I’m reassured. The date for the release was earlier set to December 2011 as a "firmly arbitrary deadline". Uncle Sinner writes in his email that he dislikes deadlines and the feeling that he owe people something. I really hope that Uncle Sinner fundraising will succeed and he will be able to release this album. In due time, of course. I have waited. I can wait a little longer. When it comes to CDs, I have been equipped with the patience that withstands a comparison with Job.

The other day I got a postcard from Radio Sweden, P4 (see picture left). I had apparently been “randomly” selected to participate in the jury of “Svensktoppen”. (For non-swedish readers: Radio Sweden is a Public service company. Svensktoppen is a programme that has been aired since 1962. Before 2003 the programme was strongly dominated by tacky dansband). However, "Svensktoppen" is the worst kind of commercial trorolo-mainstream-pop-r&b-wailing-autotune music programme you can possible imagine. And "randomly" selected yours truly, The Ambassador, for the jury? Yeah, right. It's an outrageous provocation against the Embassy and its staff. The Swedish Embassy of Gothic Country is - as you know - deeply involved in the cultural act of exploring and promoting real music made by real people. I will naturally decline due to health reasons. Mental health reasons, that is.