Search - Murder By Death :: In Bocca al Lupo

Gets Better With Each Listen

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 10/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Until I read about them recently in an English music magazine to which I subscribe, I was blissfully unaware of Murder By Death. That magazine's recommendation of In Bocca Al Lupo was so strong and its description of the music so vivid, I decided to give it a shot and immediately ordered it here after reading about it. When I played it through the first time, I was instantly converted to being a Murder By Death evangelist.

The industry reviewer comes fairly close to getting it right. There are so many influences to be heard that this album should be attractive to a fairly wide audience. My first thoughts after listening before I even read that review were of Nick Cave, Jim Morrison, the Willard Grant Conspiracy and even Johnny Cash!

Being a fan of all of those makes it easy to like this. In Bocca Al Lupo is almost frightening in its Old Testament thunder. Timeless themes of crime, redemption, and condign punishment make this a tasty package indeed. The songwriting is noirish, the music even darker, and it just keeps getting better with each subsequent listen! From the opening bars of Boy Decide, you will be mesmerized by this CD's raw power and strange beauty. My favorites are the roaring Boy Decide; the raucous Dead Men and Sinners; the unabashed nihilistic spirit of Sometimes the Line Walks You; Raw Deal, which evokes both Cave and Morrison; the reflective Shiola, which if you close your eyes you can imagine Johnny Cash singing; and the evilly droning Steam Rising. Too bad that the second half of the otherwise enjoyable The Devil Drives is so repetitious, that's the only part of the album that doesn't click for me.

There is so much good music out there that reaches only a small number of listeners, I count myself lucky to have discovered this. If your taste in songwriting leans to the darker side and your taste in music to the adventurously eclectic, then I strongly recommend that you hear In Bocca Al Lupo."

A great record from a great band.

D-Rock | CT, USA | 05/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Murder by Death's third release is quite possibly their best.



Although it is a change from their past two albums, the most noticeable difference is the cleaner sound. I was a huge fan of both previous albums, especially "Who will survive", so when I first heard this album I was a bit weary. I was ready for something darker and and dirtier, but what I got was their best music to date. i feel like the loss of Vincent Edwards on keyboards, however it may hurt them live, actually helped them sound a little better on this album.



Each song has a different theme of sin or redemption, and Adam's voice sounds better than ever with an eerie similarity to that of Johnny Cash. The Cello again sounds amazing on this cd, and I've listened to this album so many times(which is very rare for me) and I'm still not tired of it.



As good as this Cd is, it's nothing like seeing them play live. Grab yourself a copy, learn the words, and go rock out."

Haunting Sounds and Unsettled Images

aldo | San Francisco, CA USA | 12/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Murder By Death take a new direction with their latest release, "In Bocca al Lupo". Unlike thier prior CD, 2003's "Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them", MBD kept away from the boundaries and resistrictions of a full concept album. Instead, this collection of songs channels far more mature and cohesive sound, more akin to their debut album ("Like the Exorcist But More Breakdancing"). In gerneral, songs are pretty clear cut and direct influences like Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits are immediately spotted. That being said, the true strength of this album comes towards the end of the CD. With less aggressive songs, like the haunting "Shinola", MBD take on more folk sound that greatly helps in the portayal of their graphic lyrics."