Search - The Missionary Position :: Diamonds in a Dead Sky

The Missionary Position plays an intoxicating blend of dark, dirty blues-rock, with ambient undertones and introspective lyrics that invite comparisons to The Doors, P.J. Harvey, Mark Lanegan, and Morphine. However, with one listen it is obvious that The Missionary Position has succeeded in defining a sound for themselves that is undeniably unique.The Missionary Position was born out of frustration and boredom in the not so sunny city of Seattle Washington. After spending the better part of a decade as the ''charismatic, cocksure centerpiece'' in the swaggering rock 'n roll band Post Stardom Depression, Jeff Angell found himself on Benjamin Anderson's porch eager to step over the threshold and into a new musical adventure. The two had recently reacquainted outside a notorious nightclub and after catching up, decided to work together on ''something.''Post Stardom Depression took the stage for the last time at two sold-out shows in Tacoma in March, 2008. Not one to waste time, Angell quickly secured a weekly residency as a ''working'' musician. Aware of Anderson's prolific piano abilities, he invited him to participate. In the following months they entertained the barflies with a variety of covers as well as the new material they had been conjuring up in Anderson's basement. These Thursday nights were billed as The Missionary Position. The name stuck and soon they had cultivated a local fan base, moved on to weekends, and were being offered opening slots by national acts that had witnessed their inspired performances.Diamonds in a Dead Sky is the result of that time and collaboration. It is a thrilling collection of songs, equally erotic, intelligent, haunting, and heartwarming. Recorded beautifully by Anderson, it is overflowing with hypnotic organs, sinister bass lines, savage guitars, and captivating vocals. An ambitious and innovative debut, Diamonds in a Dead Sky proves that The Missionary Position is capable of drifting through musical genres effortlessly and without sacrificing a feel that is both genuine and specific.Lyrically, Diamonds is an intense and intimate reflection of the urban underbelly from which it spawned. Throughout, characters are tortured by forgotten lovers, addictions, the authorities and the eternal questions. On All My Mistakes Angell laments, ''There used to be something you liked about me / I remember when looking you in the eye was easy, and in The Big Sleep he confesses, ''I love my government as much as they love me.''Rarely does a singer possess both the voice and the poetic ability to put it to good use. Angell is an exception. He has been accused of ''reminding would-be rockers what a front man's role is,'' nominated for best male vocalist in the Seattle Weekly, and compared to some of the best of our time. The appeal of his voice is both alluring and abrasive, characterized by the urgency one would expect from a seasoned soloist in a Southern Baptist Church.Other notable musicians that contributed to Diamonds in a Dead Sky are monster drummer Kennedy James, who has also kept time for the legendary George Clinton, drummer/entrepreneur Nabil Ayers (the Long Winters) and the talented Gregor Lothian on saxophone.There is a common thread that runs through The Missionary Position's cinematic debut. It is as apparent in the relentless barnburner Let's Start a Fire as it is in the haunting gospel of All My Mistakes. That thread is ''soul,'' which is a quality that can't be manufactured.In addition to their ongoing work in The Missionary Position, Jeff Angell and Ben Anderson are now (in 2013) members of the band Walking Papers, along with Duff McKagen and Barrett Martin. Look for The Missionary Position to be playing shows around the world in between Walking Papers dates, as both bands continue their world tour into 2014.