The Fierce and the Dead is a smoking instrumental quartet from London, featuring Matt Stevens and Steve Cleaton on guitar, Kevin Feazey on bass and Stewart Marshall on drums. The group grew out an improvised recording session that was originally destined for Stevens’ second album, and as the band puts it, grew into an animal of its own – fortunately for the listeners.
To date, the band has released two EPs, Part 1 (2010) and On VHS (2012) , as well as two full length recordings, If it Carries On Like This We’re Moving to Morecambe (2011) and the subject of this post, Spooky Action (2013).
While the previous releases were a bit easier to label, Spooky Action completely defies any simple characterization. If you were to take equal parts of Fire Merchants, a ska band or two, the guitar fusion trio of your choice, some brooding post-rock band and a jack hammer, you might get close to the melodic cacophony that TFatD generates.
Take a listen.
The album is big, technical, loud, turns on a dime, dense at times and spacious when you most need a break. What separates this band from so many others is that their music consistently swings and is fun, two words not generally associated with this type of music. You get plenty of Matt Stevens trademark looped guitar effects, but not so much as to take the focus away from the contributions of the other three musicians. About the only other comparisons I can make are an amped up Twangorama or less funky Uncle Moe’s Space Ranch.
This band has been a most pleasant surprise and stands out from my recent music acquisitions. Don’t delay in adding it to your collection.
As for the rest of their catalog, On VHS is quite similar to the music that found its way onto Spooky Action and is just as recommended. It is available on iTunes as well as the band’s website. The full length debut from 2010 lacks some of the destructive power of the latest effort, but is just as melodic and fun. Just not as loud.
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