Titus Andronicus' music is filled with despair, hopelessness and misery. Yet it's their despondency that makes them stand out.
Without falling into the void of emo music, the band named for Shakespeare's bloodiest play, rejects the state of the world around them while standing firmly upon the ground of punk rock with their latest release, The Monitor.
As a concept album, the background is an important factor. Though it has a Civil War theme and history melted into its lyrics, the bloody war is used just for conveying a more modern problem.
"Our hero goes out in search of fulfillment and like minded compatriots, and tries to smote his enemies, those that oppose his ideologies, but then in the end our hero finds out that under it all, people are all just the same- for better or worse," said lead singer, Patrick Stickles.
Reminding listeners that "It's still us against them" and that "enemy is everywhere," Titus Andronicus' lyrics are incredibly varied, focusing more on expressing meaning then having catchy hooks or sing-along choruses. In fact there is not one chorus throughout the entire course of the ten-track album.
With most tracks progressing into a head banging frenzy, there is still the occasional slower song. Nestled in the middle of the album this slower edge manifests itself in the form of "Four Score and Seven", the three part "Theme From Cheers", and "To Old Friends and New."
But for those looking for a healthy cup of despair to go with a fast pace tempo, need look no farther then "Richard III".
"There will be parties, there will be fun/ there'll be tall gallows for everyone/ and we will be sleeping easy/ upon the setting of the sun/ But there is only one dream that I keep close / and it's the one of my hand at your throat," Stickles sings discord with, making listeners feel the urge to dance.
Armed with the usual weapons of the trade, guitar bass and drums, Titus Andronicus has also added piano, cello, trombone, trumpet, organ, harmonica and bagpipes to their arsenal, creating strong harmonies.
Although this is the second album from the New Jersey natives, this is not the same group one may have seen at Mohawk Place last year. Yet, through the changes, the music remains the same.
"This is version 6.0," Stickles said. "All of our candidates have come from a pool of friends we knew understood our sensibilities and whose work we respected and fit in just great. Hopefully, it hasn't changed too much. I'd like to think it's more of a process of refinement than anything else. Nothing lasts forever man, especially not in punk rock bands."
Also unchanged is the furor of Titus Andronicus' live show. With the idea that it's "really about pleasing the kids," Stickles and his crew never fail to entertain. Completely into their music and totally unconcerned what anyone cares to say about them, the band can turn even the brightest of record store stages into the back of a dark bar.
With the talented and long time members in the form of drummer Eric Harm and bassist Ian Graetzer mixed in with the newer Amy Klien on guitar and violin and David Robbins holding down the piano, it isn't unusual to find someone singing from the floor or jumping across the stage.
With roots in the small suburban town of Glen Rock, it's really no surprise that Stickles infuses their music with mentions of local hangouts as he spins a love poem to his home state.
The first track, "A More Perfect Union" kick starts this underlying ballad, as the hero heads to Massachusetts "to realize to late I never should have left New Jersey," finally coming to an end with the conclusion of the CD. The 14 minute "Battle of Hampton Roads", when the hero decides that he's "going back to New Jersey, I do believe they've had enough of me."
Yet to the joy of fans, Titus Andronicus will not be returning to their home ground any time soon as they kick of a coast to coast tour this month, coming tantalizingly close to Buffalo with a stop in Toronto.
Shakespeare goes punk
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