With God of the Dead, Chicago's underground veterans Rosetta West release an adventurous album that is as chaotic and genuine as it is metaphysical. With 15 assorted tracks, the band's distinct sound covers multiple routes through blues rock, psychedelia, punk, folk, and ambient sound, creating a spiritual, gritty adventure.
At the center of this undefined collection of sounds is Joseph Demagore, whose worn voice, emotional guitar work, and piano anchoring give the journey its raw heart. The group includes tight rhythmic turnarounds from Mike Weaver, Nathan Q. Scratch, and Demagore's long-standing bandmate, bassist Orpheus Jones. This album includes special friends and appearances: Louis Constant and Caden Cratch, who add flavor to "Midnight" and "Boneyard Blues."
Where Gravity Sessions (2021) was primary and right-to-the-point, God of the Dead unfolds like a spiritual vision quest, inexact, unrefined, and brutally honest. This album is full of surprises. Ranging from searing feedback-filtered noise instrumental pieces, an honest and vulnerable acoustic song lament, wild swiping sounds at times of unexpected genre shift, and overall, made sense.
This is not an album you'll doze off to. It demands your attention and, in return, it will reward you with layers of emotional bandwidth and unexpected sonic turns. God of the Dead is a stunning, deeply independent declaration from a band that continues to forge its mythological path.
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Bandcamp: https://rosettawest.bandcamp.com