We all knew that Titus Andronicus was preparing a rock opera, which should be out on July 28th via Merge Records, but now know a bit more about ‘The Most Lamentable Tragedy’, as they have just shared the first song, ‘Dimed Out’, on YouTube (and probably everywhere else).
‘Dimed Out’ is a punch in your face, a punk explosion that will make you either jump of joy till you reach the moon, or climb the Mount Everest while yelling at the top of your lungs – and it’s gonna be difficult when the oxygen becomes rare…but when I hear such a song everything becomes possible. I can already imagine the crazy drunk sing-along that this song will transform into when they play it live, it’s gonna be a giant mess. And of course the lyrics are very clever, as it is always the case for Titus Andronicus… and this is the ultimate manifesto of the rebel… ‘I bow down not to masters, gods, nor managers’… ‘And I don’t read rules or adhere to rituals/I’m an impatient underdog indivisible’ and especially this one which should make a perfect tattoo for the revolutionary sleeping in each of us: ‘As long as there’s a law, I’ll be a criminal’… after all you can’t spell Andronicus without the A of Anarchy, just look at the video!
In a press release, we learn much more about ‘The Most Lamentable Tragedy’:
‘The central narrative of TMLT (“a work of fiction,” claims singer/songwriter Patrick Stickles) concerns an unnamed protagonist whom we meet in deep despair. Following an encounter with his own doppelgänger (an enigmatic stranger, identical in appearance though opposite in disposition), long held secrets are revealed, sending our protagonist on a transformative odyssey, through past lives and new loves, to the shocking revelation that the very thing that sustains him may be the thing to destroy him.
TMLT was produced by frequent collaborator Kevin McMahon and +@ lead guitarist Adam Reich. The core band is rounded out by the long-standing rhythm section of Eric Harm (drums) and Julian Veronesi (bass) plus rookie guitarist Jonah Maurer. Joining in throughout are pianist Elio DeLuca and violinist Owen Pallett, beside a cast of guests representing some of New York’s most exciting bands (The So So Glos, Baked, Bad Credit No Credit, Lost Boy?, etc.).
TMLT is both the crown jewel of the band’s discography and the legend that contextualizes their entire body of work. It reveals that +@ are what hardcore fans have said they are for years, and what the world must now recognize them to be: not merely the greatest rock and roll band of this era, but one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time.’
Totally ambitious and insane, but what else could we expect from a rock band writing a rock opera in 2015? ‘Dimed Out’ will be heard during Act II of their 5-act masterpiece, and they will celebrate the album’s release with a five-night stand at Brooklyn DIY venue Shea Stadium, July 24th through the 28th. And you would be totally crazy to pass on this because it’s only 10 bucks.