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 Post subject: Year In Review: Marah - Angels of Destruction! (6B)
PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 1:58 am 
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Average Metacritic score is 76 (15 Reviews):

Marah
Angels of Destruction! (Yep Roc)
US Release Date: January 8
Rating: 80 (4 Stars):

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=am ... zrhld0e~T1

Review by Mark Deming

Ten years and six albums on from their debut (not counting live discs and seasonal offerings), Marah are a significantly more mature and ambitious band than the scrappy Philly roots rockers of their youth, but while 2008's Angels of Destruction! is a rich, audacious set of songs dressed up in adventurous production and broadly dynamic arrangements, it shows that they're a group that has learned how to have it both ways, still reveling in the swagger and street smarts of their earliest work. David Bielanko and Serge Bielanko's songs play out on a broader musical canvas these days -- check out the Russian accordion figures and no wave synth patterns on "Angels on a Passing Train," the horn-bolstered guitar boogie of "Wild West Love Song," and the loud, proud bagpipe coda on "Wilderness" -- and the band makes the most of the talents of its newest member, Christine Smith, whose keyboards and backing vocals give Marah's performances a new depth. But the folks who populate David and Serge's songs have thankfully changed little over the years, and David sings their stories with a passion and honesty that make them both vivid and thoroughly believable, from the cops celebrating on a rowdy New Year's Eve to a romantic interlude played out over beers in somebody's kitchen. Marah's music has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison often enough that those allusions are all but clichés, but on Angels of Destruction! (as with all their best music) Marah don't sound as if they're copying any of those artists so much as they simply draw from the same well and have the same gift to make magic of their tales of life in the city, and their music, both nimble and muscular, is as impressive as their songcraft. Simply put, Marah are one of America's great rock bands, and Angels of Destruction! is an album that brims with joy, rage, and adventure, and deserves your attention.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:02 am 
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I think it was a year ago it first leaked and was the first I actually bought in 2008; a definite Top 10 album for me.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:23 am 
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Like lots but don't love. Top 20 potential.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:17 am 
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Sketch Wrote:
Like lots but don't love. Top 50 potential.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:18 am 
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Liked their early stuff but I missed this one, can someone provide a link if they have it?

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 11:37 am 
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I was pretty disappointed with this one.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:20 pm 
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i really like it. not their best, but probably will land in the bottom half of my top 20

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:24 pm 
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:39 pm 
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Bought into the Obner hype earlier this year, couldn't stand this guys voice....deleted it.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:46 pm 
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Twilight Kid and Dalen didn't like it?


ALBUM OF THE YEAR


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:03 pm 
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Radcliffe Wrote:
Twilight Kid and Dalen didn't like it?


2 of the few on here with good taste in music


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 3:09 pm 
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I pretty much forgot about it. Not bad, not really noteworthy either.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:36 pm 
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"Coughing Up Blood" and "Jesus In The Temple" are two of my favorite Marah tunes.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:17 pm 
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Twilightkid Wrote:
Bought into the Obner hype earlier this year, couldn't stand this guys voice....deleted it.


it took me a while to get past his voice, and while I consider myself a big fan I still concede he has one of the worst voices of a band I like.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:58 am 
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it's a backloaded album, but still great reg rock

top 20


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:14 am 
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It's been a few months since I listened to this, and it's def. not my favorite Marah album. But it'll make my top 20.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:38 am 
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I've probably listened to this more than any other 2008 release, and other than "Jesus In The Temple", I think its solid throughout. Top 5.

Classic example of a band that if you don't like them, I don't like you.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 12:47 pm 
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Big fan of the band.

Found this to be booooring.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 2:14 pm 
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F**k You, Dave Wrote:
Sketch Wrote:
Like lots but don't love. Top 50 potential.


ditto

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:49 pm 
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south pacific Wrote:
Liked their early stuff but I missed this one, can someone provide a link if they have it?


Here.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:06 pm 
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Have to agree with Dalen here. This is my first exposure to the band and come away very disappointed.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:28 pm 
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i've only heard the songs on the obner year-end mixes. it's ok.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:38 pm 
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It has all the elements, and I like some of there stuff, but I can't really say I am a fan of Marah. They lack a certain something that would compel me to listen.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:40 pm 
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Yail Bloor Wrote:
Classic example of a band that i have no desire whatsoever to hear.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 2:46 am 
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This is probably a top 10 for me based on the first 4 songs and "Angels of Destruction".


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