Event Review: American Murder Song - Nightmarish Conjurings

Barefooted solidarity; or how many jaunty songs about murder can they write?

This past Thursday, I had the immense pleasure of getting all dolled up to head to The Valley (She’s a Valley Girl, OK, fine, fer sure, fer sure…) for the West Coast premiere of Terrance Zdunich and Saar Hendelman’s newest venture AMERICAN MURDER SONG.

Though I’ve been hearing brief snippets of songs for the past few months (I bought the first digital download EP, though I haven’t downloaded it yet or listened to it – don’t ask, I have no excuse for this…), I only had an idea of what to expect from the music. When Terrance and Saar took the stage, Terrance informed us that he had packed his costume for the performance, but not his shoes and that Saar had joined him in solidarity (as did I, that may have been because I was in heels, but solidarity, dagnabbit!). When the guys returned back to the stage once again, this time with a backup band, we were treated to this:

Songs that tell of murder
Some true, some shot
Some wild, some caught
Some borne, some taught
Some cruel

Terrance’s baritone and Saar’s tenor complimented each other so well that it was nigh impossible to find fault. The songs were grizzly and yet they also managed to be raunchy and decadent (think saloons, highwaymen, and loose women), well establishing the timeframe and location: the American Frontier in 1816. I have to give Saar a “Hell Yeah” for his performance in “Edward”, his voice is always lovely, but wow, when he belted out the chorus like an 80s rock gawd, I was utterly blown away.

The music was perfection and I can hardly stand waiting for them to fund a full tour of this production as I need more songs of murder in my life! If AMERICAN MURDER SONG makes it anywhere near you, gas up your covered wagon and run to see it! The recordings are great, but when the tour is going, the live performance matched with the gritty video vignettes are a feast for the eyes, as are the guest appearances from Alissa White-Gluz of “Arch Enemy”, Sara ‘Chibi’ Taylor of “The Birthday Massacre” and the infamous goth vagabond himself, Voltaire!

For more information on AMERICAN MURDER SONG visit their website at www.americanmurdersong.com and follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thekillingplace, Twitter at www.twitter.com/thekillingplace, and Instagram at www.instagram.com/thekillingplace.