Album Review: Rosetta West – God of the Dead
Rosetta
West's God of the Dead isn’t an album—it’s a descent. A descent into
myth, memory, and mysticism, guided by a blues-rock current that flows through
haunted landscapes and ancient shadows. With this sprawling 15-track odyssey,
the Illinois-based underground act, led by Joseph Demagore, delivers its most
ambitious and emotionally charged release to date.
Where
2023’s Gravity Sessions offered a concise glimpse into Rosetta West’s
sonic world, God of the Dead throws the gates open wide. It’s not just
long—it’s expansive in vision, daring in scope. The band blends scorched-earth
blues, psychedelic haze, acoustic intimacy, and even punk edges into a
ritualistic journey that’s as cinematic as it is raw.
“Boneyard
Blues” kicks things off with pounding urgency. Caden Cratch’s drums drive the
track like a tribal procession, while Demagore’s vocals snarl with ceremonial
intent. Then comes “Underground,” with its desert-blues slide guitars and
subtle Eastern flair—equal parts Spaghetti Western and midnight séance.
The mood shifts dramatically with “I Don’t Care,” a stripped-down, punk-tinged confession that feels like a diary entry set to jagged guitar. “Chain Smoke” follows with dusty harmonica and smoky noir aesthetics, while “My Life” and “Dead of Night” plunge into vulnerable introspection. The latter, built on sparse piano and whispered vocals, feels like a 3AM reckoning with the soul.
“Baby Come
Home” stands out as one of the album’s emotional high points, tender and
melodic, while “Thorns of Beauty” juxtaposes poetic lyricism with a dark,
simmering tension. On “Midnight,” Louis Constant’s bass lines shimmer beneath
swirling guitars, evoking the dreamy weightlessness of a twilight drive through
forgotten towns.
Yet it’s
the title track, “God of the Dead,” that serves as the album’s funeral
pyre—massive, immersive, and guttural. Every instrument roars as if summoning
spirits. Here, Rosetta West doesn’t just perform—they conjure.
What makes God
of the Dead remarkable is not just its sonic range, but its cohesion.
Tracks like “Susanna Jones” and “Nightmare Blues” weave thematic and melodic
motifs throughout, creating a cyclical narrative arc—less a playlist and more a
mythic journey.
This is
music for seekers, for the sleepless, for those who find meaning in shadows and
echoes. Rosetta West have crafted a work of rare depth—equal parts séance,
storybook, and storm. Give it your time. It will reward your surrender.
Rating : 4/5
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