Mount Nemo – Type Negative O
Genre: Alternative-rock
The world never chooses its heroes wisely. It goes by whims and intuition, then proceeds to turn those figures into almost holy figures. But the kind of folks that get anointed these days are not like the ones who used to hog all of the attention in the past. It’s a time when rock stars, athletes and silly comedians can command the respect of millions. Their posters are plastered across bedrooms across the world. And, when they reach the zenith of their popularity, they can command incredible riches.
This may not sound like much, but it’s certainly an improvement over a not-too-distant path. Back then, the only people we could worship like gods were kings, generals and foot soldiers who volunteered their lives for the greater good. It wasn’t exactly a bag of thrills.
Mount Nemo’s “Type Negative O” is an impossibly catchy song about life’s struggles and one that pays tribute, in its title at least, to unlikely NYC goth-metal heroes. There are two remarkable things about it. First of all, the issues discussed in the song are solely those of the songwriter. This doesn’t involve the whole world, and the mess created by it has no place here. Secondly, while this is an aggressive alt-rock song that brings to mind very early 1990s American bands, it’s a remarkably catchy, hummable song.
Overall, this is a three-minute single that plays out like a tragedy. But you need heroes for those, too, and they’re not the kinds that used to infiltrate our stories in the past.
Ringfinger – Chamber of Roses
Genre: Post-Punk, Gothic / Dark Wave
There’s an old adage about entertainment being a sign of the times. But, as it turns out, it rarely reflects what’s going on in the world but rather hides from it. With so much dread incorporated into our daily news routine, why is pop music is pop music so focused on meaningless, cheerful pursuits? With so many things questions unanswerable, why is mystery missing from pop hits?
Ringfinger’s “Chamber of Roses” is a return to the days of darkness and enigmas, a time when what later came to be dubbed “goth-rock” could be a serious proposition for the charts. This was also a time of uncertainty, but one in which artists were not just allowed but even encouraged to pick out the worst-case scenarios and build their work upon those.
Ringfinger make music for those who like low, booming resonance, darkly romantic poetry, and stylish black attire. There’s an entire community of people who could care less about Halloween because it is something that they celebrate weekly. And this devoted community of fans needs fresh blood, just the kind that the duo of Ringfinger are willing to offer up.
