Machinery Hall

The Separation of Music and State (ACI)
by Jamie Kiffel

For those who love the schmaltzy, reverb-filled, ultra-serious arena rock sound of Tenacious D even when it’s not joking, this is the stuff. Imagine Blue Öyster Cult meet The Moody Blues, soulfully singing “I don’t talk to no one but myself” and occasionally slowing it down with a folksy ballad. I don’t have hard proof, but I smell a Renaissance Faire somewhere in here (the wooden candlestick on the back of the CD, surrounded by the band members looking like modern knights with an unexplained pile of parchment pages, add to the case). Echo meaningfully, play chords distortedly, be rock. And I guess this wouldn’t be as appealing if it wasn’t taking itself this seriously.
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