Courtesy: FM Music Management
The countdown to the release of goth rock band Porn’s new album No Monsters in God’s Eyes is now at two weeks. In anticipation of the album’s scheduled March 27 release, which is the finale to the band’s three-part epic story of Mr. Strangler, the band debuted the video for the album’s latest single, ‘Dead in Every Eyes’ Tuesday. The song is the album’s opener. Interestingly enough, the song’s companion video is the finale to a series of videos that tell the story of Mr. Strangler’s final days, leading up to his execution in the electric chair. That story of Mr. Strangler’s end and the overall concept behind this album serves as its most important element, and will be discussed shortly. The song’s musical arrangements add to its interest as well. They will be addressed a little later. The record’s production and mixing round out its most important elements and will also be addressed later. Each item noted here is important in its own way to the whole of No Monsers in God’s Eyes. All things considered, they make the record definitely one of this year’s most intriguing new hard rock and metal albums.
The third and final installment in Porn’s story of Mr. Strangler is one of the most unique and intriguing albums to be released so far this year. Set for release March 27, the album stands out among its hard rock and metal counterparts in large part because of its overall story, which finds its main character, Mr. Strangler, finally arrested and in jail, awaiting his execution. If any other hard rock and/or metal act out there has ever released any album of this nature, such instance has been rare. It really gives a rare look into the mind of an extremely mentally sick individual. Adding to the interest here is that Mr. Strangler clearly has absolutely no remorse for what he has done. It’s disturbing to say the least. Oddly enough, that disturbing nature in itself generates its own share of engagement for listeners. The closest comparison that can be made here is to the controversial “Making a Killer” podcast that so many people have talked about in the past year or so. Of course, one could also make a comparison to the stories of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, too. Even with such comparisons in mind, listeners cannot deny that listening to Mr. Strangler recall what he has done, understanding what he is and making a very distinct anti-religious statement as his final words is strangely engaging, like a bloody crash on a major interstate highway. This alone makes this album stand out. It is just one part of what makes the album stand out. The musical content that accompanies the record’s extremely disturbing yet engaging lyrical content adds its own share of interest to the record’s presentation.
The musical arrangements that accompany the album’s unsettling lyrical are key for the LP’s presentation because of their ability to connect with a wide range of goth, metal and hard rock fans. Right from the album’s opener, audiences get a work that has hints of Marilyn Manson and Orgy and even some Type O Negative. The brooding, dark sound will instantly connect with the noted audiences with its controlled heaviness. It will ensure listeners’ engagement as the album progresses into the far more up-tempo ‘High Summer Sun,’ the LP’s lead single. This keyboard-driven work is instantly comparable to the best works of Orgy. The guitar work and time keeping couple with the keyboards to add even more to its impact. ‘A Lovely Day,’ the album’s second single, presents an arrangement that illustrates the twisted thoughts in Mr. Strangler’s mind as he looks back on his heinous acts. The contemplative nature of ‘In An Endless Dream’ adds to the impact and importance of the album’s musical content. Mr. Strangler, in this “scene,” seemingly is trying to get someone to understand why he is the way that he is. He even says to that person, “Try to understand how it feels/How much it hurts/You don’t know/You can’t feel it from your high castle of dreams/I wanna end the world with me.” It’s as if Mr. Strangler is trying to play the victim, like so many real life killers has done. They have tried to act like they couldn’t help themselves even though the reality is that they recognized it, so they knew something was wrong. To that end, it makes Mr. Strangler that much more despicable. That and the song’s nature makes the song stand out that much more. Much the same can be said of the arrangement that accompanies the deeply engaging lyrical content of ‘Some Happy Moments.’ Here, audiences hear Mr. Strangler trying to remember some positive moments in his life, only to realize that he never felt like everyone around him, leading to what is clearly another powerfully disturbing moment in this story. It really does add so much to the song’s impact on listeners and the album in whole with its subtleties, which will be discussed when the album’s production is discussed. The heaviness in the album’s closer is so powerful because of how subdued it is. It will leave listeners feeling so shaken by the time it ends, looking back on the rest of the album with a certain uneasiness. That uneasy feeling with which listeners are left means that the album’s musical and lyrical content have fulfilled their aim, meaning that the album has done its job. Keeping this in mind, the overall content of Porn’s new forthcoming album does a lot to make this record engaging. It is just part of what makes the album so interesting. The album’s production and mixing round out its most important elements.
The production and mixing of No Monsters In God’s Eyes are important to address because of the added impact that they have on the album. The album’s opener is a prime example of their importance. The balance in the instrumentation and the very effects used on the vocals couples with the sound in each instrument to maximize the impact of the song. There is a lot going on in this song, between the keyboards, vocals, guitar, bass and rums. Yet the balance is expert, leaving no part overpowered at any point. The direction of the musicians from behind the glass served to give the song in whole such a powerful presentation. ‘God’s Creatures’ is another example of the importance of the album’s production and mixing. This song is more active than the album’s opener, but still has a lot going on from each performer. The subtlety of the layered keyboards and added electronics works alongside the song’s guitars, drums, bass and vocals to add even more impact to the song’s arrangement. ‘In An Endless Dream’ is yet another example of the role that the album’s production and mixing play in the album’s overall presentation. This is another work that is heavy because of its subtleties, not because it is heavy. The added use of what sounds like a Theremin to the arrangement and its balance alongside the keyboards and other instruments fleshes out the song even more. When each line is joined with the others in the album’s mixing process, the result of that work is 13 songs that will impact listeners in a way unlike almost every album out there past and present. That impact, when considered alongside the album’s overall content, makes clear why the album in whole is a work that every rock and metal fan should take in at least once.
Porn’s forthcoming fourth album No Monsters in God’s Eyes is a work that every hard rock and metal fan should give at least one listen when it come out later this month. That is due to the fact that its lyrical content – which is the final chapter in the band’s three-part story of Mr. Strangler – is something that is extremely rare in the music industry today. It is unsettling to say the least. The thing is that unsettling nature is why audiences will want to hear it. There is no supporting Mr. Strangler at any point. But just the mere psychological profile of Mr. Strangler that is presented here will fully engage listeners because of how unsettled it will leave listeners. The musical compositions that accompany the album’s disturbing content adds to the album’s interest, especially for fans of the goth, metal and hard rock communities. The production and mixing that went into the album’s creation puts the finishing touch to the record’s presentation. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album. All things considered, they make No Monsters in God’s Eyes a powerful new release that every metal and hard rock fan should take in at least once. More information on No Monsters in God’s Eyes is available online now along with all of Porn’s latest news and more at:
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