At one time a synod of the Catholic Church was held in which the question of whether or not animals had a soul was discussed very seriously: would good dogs go to paradise and bad ones, who stole slices of lamb, burn in hell eternally. The denial of the soul was voted: it is enough for the honor of the species that the question was posed.
People always joke that “dog” spells “god” backwards. They should consider that it might be the higher power coming down to see just how well they do, what kind of people they are. The animals are right here, right in front of us. And how we treat these companions is a test.
—Linda Blair
Words by Jason Lee. Cover photo by Matthew James.
It’s been out for a couple months now but we’re only just now prepared to try ‘n’ put what we think of Shadow Monster’s DOG into words which is a little more complicated than you may think cuz for one thing DOG is GOD spelled backwards as frequently noted by sophists and murderous little girls the world over (English speakers, that is) and as Plato once observed the dog has a natural propensity for being both a vicious scavenger and a loyal protector (they are but domesticated wolves after all)…
…which makes dogs not at all unlike the Abrahamic God who likewise punishes and protects in equal and in equally schizoid measure—all “love and mercy” one minute, smiting anyone who pisses Him off with wrath the next, which raises the question is God bi-polar?—with dogs appearing no less than a few dozen times in the Bible (ditto the Torah, but only five times in the the Quran) whereas domesticated cats don’t even appear once–sorry all you cat people but y’all won the Internet so call it a draw..
…and if there’s one message I’m getting from Shadow Monster’s music is that we’re all dogs and we’re all gods and that there’s a startlingly thin line between the two with DOGGODDOGGOD repeating itself in an endless helix loop in our DNA (funny that one of the Deli’s other fave album’s of late is LA Witch’s DOGGOD, also styled in all caps so go figure) much as there’s a thin line between the “opposites” in Shadow Monster’s music itself—tightly-coiled in its looseness, the LP could be subtitled Music For Ambitious Slackers or Losers on a Winning Streak…
…as in straight-up, down ’n’ dirty, amped-up, pared-down rock ’n’ roll full of lo-fi high-intensity riffage with its seven open-hearted, heart-on-sleeve songs coming across as something of a closed book with an inward-looking gaze; fusing the warm-glow folksiness of vintage roots-rock/Americana with the bow-before-me sludgy/murky power-chord abrasiveness and aloofness of vintage grunge; with the core of Shadow Monster remaining to this day singer/electric guitarist Gillian Visco* alongside drummer/longtime musical collaborator and man of mystery John Swanson, more latterly embellished to a four-piece featuring Nikki Sisti (THICK) and Denim Casimir (TVOD) adding booming basslines and fuzzy guitar licks to create a vibrant wall of sound but no less raw and stripped-down for it)…
…and given this double helix structure it’s fitting that the LP begins at the ending, or at least that’s how it hits us cuz the opening track “Loser” is not only their longest and most epic song but also a typical set-closer for the band, with Visco and Swanson building gradually from a steady laid-back groove to careening, viscous thrashing with fusillades of drum fills and vocals literally sung through a phone receivers…
…as the song eventually turns itself inside-out, caught in an endless, intensifying run-out groove; dizzying, exhilarating, and a bit maddening by its conclusion, exactly as intended no doubt; as Gillian ventures out into the audience with her extended, heavy-duty coiled guitar cord stretching across the length of whatever venue they happen to be playing that night at as she jumps into the crowd pounding her guitar mercilessly, rearing her head back and insisting “I know he’s just as fucked as me”…
…and whether they’ll in “steady groove” mode or “heavy thrashing” mode there’s something about Shadow Monster’s songs that always makes us wanna sway back and forth in place while staring dreamily off into the middle distance like Audrey Horne swaying in place in the middle of the Double ‘R’ Diner in saddle shoes and schoolgirl plaid pining for the warm touch of Agent Cooper…
except instead of Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise it’s more like if the jukebox was full of Juliana Hatfield and L7 covers of the Ronettes and other “girl group” classics (this Tonewolf demo by Gillian gives you the vibe inna nutshell) full of modestly scaled but no less heart-clutching for it drama and longing with each song potentially serving as the perfect soundtrack to a grunge prom but not for the so-called King & Queen but for the kids who skip half the event to go outside and smoke under the bleachers…
…oh and be forewarned this is an album that walks through the valley of the shadow of death which is a subject we’ve been coming back repeatedly to on this blog lately with a couple other recent releases dealing in a forthright manner with the difficult subject matter which is a good thing we figure cuz we need to break out of this culture’s fear and outright head-in-the-sand denial of aging and mortality which maybe stems from capitalism trains us to think that unceasing, unending growth and expansion is somehow possible but hey it pleases the investors…
…and what other than music can come anywhere near expressing the complex interplay of grief, resilience, yearning. love, regret, anger, anxiety, guilt, reverence and basically feeling like your spinning off into space and feeling like you’re crashing down to earth at the same time that one feels when grieving the death of a loved one that many of us know first hand (we certainly do) or will eventually with the spirit of Gillian’s father woven into the sound waves of the music and its aching sense of longing and melancholy and beatific appreciation for every fleeting moment of beauty in this our fleeting time spent together on this big spinning rock hurtling thru space…
…and also be forewarned that DOG contains the sweetest, most heart-rending outro you’re likely to hear this year with a home recording of Gillian’s father giving a toast to his extended family with a warmth and humanity (qualities in short supply these days) that bleeds through the record’s grooves (you already own the LP on limited-edition vinyl, no?) and we just wanna send out our warmest sentiments and best regards to Gillian and her tightly-knit circles of Brooklyn homies and musical compatriots including, of course, the band’s label, Substitute Scene Records, which functions as both (founded in 2017 and run up to the present day by Emily O’Brien)…
…who’ve collectively suffered a number of additional difficult losses of late which made for a hugely emotional, cathartic record release show in late April at the Broadway (a venue Shadow Monster returns to tomorrow TONIGHT on Thurs. 6/5 alongside homie-compatriots Ilithios, Phantom Signals, and Castle Black) that was like a wake and an ecstatic celebration at the same time (like a rock ‘n’ roll version of a New Orleans jazz funeral except with crowd surfing) even more so than typical Shadow Monster shows which already tend to be cathartic rituals under normal circumstances…
*Visco is also a member of the bands including Ouster Nash and THICK, both of whom also have recent new or newish releases, plus she acts, dances/choreographs, bartends, and may even read your Tarot if you beg nicely…
