Dead Letter Circus – “This Is The Warning”

The first time I was exposed to the unique sound of Dead Letter Circus was at an Animals As Leaders’ headliner concert. All the bands there were very much on the experimental side of the “metal” spectrum, and this band stood out, having a much lighter, “alternative” (for want of a better word) sound, yet with enough punch to keep it groovy. Hailing from Down Under (Brisbane, to be exact), DLC released their debut full-length album, This Is The Warning, a couple months ago.

The track that first caught my attention was “Cage”, with its subtle moving between dark, fluid and echo-ey breaks during the verses and the unbelievably dance-y chorus. I really loved the theme of being trapped; imprisoned and being too ignorant or complacent to break out of the chains we are put in, whether caused by addictions, material things, governments etc. Singer Kim Benzie talked about his lyrical themes addressing liberation and rebellion against what the world is becoming – basically a somewhat New World Order with superpowers such as the World Bank controlling everything.

With plenty of other really “jumpy” upbeat songs, like “Next In Line”, “Big”, “Here We Divide” and “This Long Hour”, this band shows that they really know what producing a quality album is all about – having an arsenal of great tracks showcasing very different sounds (as in the slow, haunting track, “The Design”), yet all encompassing a signature sound. Great bass and drum styles, and fabulous use of guitar effects. Be warned, the higher range vocals might throw you off at first, but it becomes incredibly addictive – very The Mars Volta. My new favorite band, Dead Letter Circus is something to check out. Bravo, for a very impressive first album!

Track Listing:

01. Here We Divide
02. One Step
03. Big
04. The Space On The Wall
05. This Long Hour
06. Cage
07. Reaction
08. The Drum
09. The Design
10. Next In Line
11. Walk
12. This Is The Warning

Run Time: 53:32
Release date: July 26, 2011

Check out the song: “Big”