My Review Of The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

The Gutter Twin officially unleash their epic, Saturnalia, on the public today. Personally, I was intrigued as each new song was posted to their MySpace page, and instantly hooked by the album at first listen, though I still like to give something a couple of weeks before talking much about it. I did not initially care for what have become some of my favorite records, and the opposite can also be said. This falls into neither of those categories. As I said, I was hooked on my initial listen, and had the thing on constant repeat for the first few days. I even forced myself to step away for a few days to clear my mind. Coming back, I only found more to love. This really is one of the strongest releases of Dulli and Lanegan's respective careers.

The dichotomy of Dulli's ethereal highs and Lanegan's deep growl intertwine beautifully on tracks like, "Who Will Lead Us Now" and "Bête Noire." Most of the record is very much band driven, though Dulli still uses sequenced tracks to establish songs like "The Body" and "Each To Each." Clashing egos, and conversely attempts to not step on each others toes, could easily destroy an album like this, but the talent of both men as well as their tendency to lend a hand and collaborate as shown throughout their careers seem to effortlessly bind each song into a seamless, yet diverse piece of art. From the machine gun opening of the bridge in "God's Children" to the delicate "The Body," the driving back beat of "All Misery/Flowers" played over by a soft piano as guitars and effects build the song to a thundering crescendo; the album evolves throughout it's twelve songs without ever dropping off. The lyrics are classic Dulli and Lanegan, placing all of man's vices and egos on display, climaxing with the alluring calamity of the gorgeous "Front Street."

Idle Hands (mp3)
Full Album Stream

The boys are touring the U.S. now through the beginning of April before heading back to Europe of a string of dates to close out the month. Full tour dates are available on the band's website and MySpace.

Website | MySpace