The Builders and the Butchers - Dead Reckoning [2011] [FLAC]

Artist: Release: Dead Reckoning
MusicBrainz: a96ae686-e19b-44b2-b90c-9e14bc21560f
Released: 2011-02-22
Country: US

Tracklisting:

01. I Broke the Vein (05:35)
02. It Came From the Sea (02:48)
03. Lullaby (03:53)
04. Rotten to the Core (04:00)
05. Moon is on the March (04:36)
06. All Away (04:09)
07. Cradle On Fire (03:52)
08. We All Know the Way (03:45)
09. Out of the Mountain (05:30)
10. Blood For You (01:22)
11. Black Elevator (05:36)
12. Family Tree (04:06)

When listening to any new work by The Builders and The Butchers, the same thought crosses my mind – it sounds exactly like everything they’ve recorded so far. For The Builders and The Butchers, this is not a negative thing. This is due to consistency, not repetition. Considering that there has never been anything wrong with their sound, it’s refreshing to see a band stick to their guns. Therefore their third release, Dead Reckoning, is an excellent continuation in the catalog of a group of truly unique and talented writers/performers. The album is intense, dark, and intriguing. It draws you in and keeps you interested through its’ entirety, as any good record should do.

It’s difficult to describe the sound of The Builders and The Butchers. Their style is a combination of both familiar and unknown styles and influences. While their core could be best described as folk or Appalachian, there’s an intensity not usually associated with those genres. This is one of the very few modern bands that I have a difficult time with describing their sound. That considered they just might be one of the most innovative bands around.

Another point of interest with The Builders and The Butchers is their lineup. You see the traditional/expected instruments of folk and Appalachian music, such as guitar, bass, mandolin and banjo. However, their percussion is not only different from those genres, but what helps separate them from other groups. Every single member of this band is listed as providing percussion. Additionally, there is no one traditional drummer, but two members who are responsible for this task. While the idea of two drummers playing simultaneously would usually make me groan at excessiveness, it is so perfectly executed with this band. Most of the groups that have tried this technique have provided both drummers with the most equipped set you have ever seen, resulting in an unnecessary thundering of percussion. The Builders and The Butchers essentially took one drum set and split it between the two men. The results of this are that they have to be so precisely timed with each other and play off what the other is doing. It’s discordant, precise, uneven and exact all at the same time, and that is the key to this band.

In the scope of things, Dead Reckoning is not a stand out record, but only because it’s not meant to be. This record is just as good as anything The Builders and The Butchers have ever done, not better, not worse. This is not a band concerned with the “hit” record. This is a band that clearly loves what they do, loves their sound, and stays true to it no matter what. For that reason alone, The Builders and The Butchers deserve respect.