Rob's Best: #6: Murder By Death - Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left Of Them?

Released: October 14, 2003.

Murder By Death essentially embody the rebirth of Johnny Cash.  They play noir western rock music and they sing about whiskey and the devil.  Who Will Survive tells the story of a small Mexican village that's under attack by the devil after it's residents betrayed him.  The album opens with a brief, but perfect prologue with a simple old time piano tune before the curtain rises on the album proper.  Musically, this album pays homage to Johnny Cash and Ennio Morricone, with a standard rock set up of guitar, bass and drums, but supported by cello and piano as well, which allows for some very epic builds like on "The Devil In Mexico" or "Killbot2000."   The rest of the album plays out like a dark western epic with scenes of men hanging, revenge, whiskey and shotguns leading up to the finale of a town of barricaded doors bracing for the arrival of the devil himself who's charging in with all the fury of a speeding train.