Gargoyle [LP]

by Mark Lanegan Band, Mark Lanegan

Overview

Gargoyle, Mark Lanegan's fourth album under the moniker the Mark Lanegan Band, opens with a song called "Death's Head Tattoo," and given the singer's chronically gloomy outlook on the world around him, that title sounds like it could be the height of cliche in Lanegan's hands. But thanks to his intelligence as a songwriter and his gifts as a vocalist, even under the worst circumstances Lanegan would deliver something worth hearing, and "Death's Head Tattoo" turns out to be more perceptive than one might have feared. Similarly, Gargoyle turns out to be a more satisfying listen than the previous Mark Lanegan Band albums. In addition to his usual collaborator, producer and multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes, most of the tracks also feature guitars, bass, and other instruments from Rob Marshall, guitarist with the band Exit Calm. Having Marshall on board has given most of these tracks a welcome dose of muscle and rock action, and if electronics still dominate the sonic horizons of Gargoyle, the results feel more organic, and Lanegan appears to be more invested in this material. "Beehive" is a testimony to the pleasures and perils of addiction, "Emperor" is a meditation on loneliness that could have been an outtake from Iggy Pop's Post Pop Depression (and features guest vocals from Iggy and Mark's mutual friend Josh Homme), "Drunk on Destruction" is a powerful fusion of six-string howl and drum loops, and "Old Swan" brings the album to a suitably epochal conclusion. Lanegan's vocals are in fine form throughout; quieter numbers such as "Sister" and "First Day of Winter" allow him to deliver more nuanced performances that show how well he makes use of the nooks and crannies of his instrument, and the album's best rockers are full of liberating power. At first glance, Gargoyle doesn't feel like an album full of surprises, but after the second or third spin, the fuller and bolder sound of the arrangements and production becomes clear, and it all serves Lanegan's talents in a way his last few Mark Lanegan Band albums have not. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	04/28/2017
Label:	Heavenly
UPC:	5414939950384
Rank:	30703

Tracks

1. Death's Head Tattoo
2. Nocturne
3. Blue Blue Sea
4. Beehive
5. Sister
6. Emperpor
7. Goodbye to Beauty
8. Drunk on Destruction
9. First Day of Winter
10. Old Swan

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mark Lanegan Band   Primary Artist
Mark Lanegan   Primary Artist
Greg Dulli   Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Martyn Lenoble   Bass
Alain Johannes   Bass,Guitar,Harmonium,Mellotron,Prophet 5,Percussion,Harpsichord,Guitar (Tremolo),Moog Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Jack Irons   Drums
Duke Garwood   Horn,Guitar
Aldo Struyf   Piano,Percussion,ARP Synthesizer
Joshua Homme   Vocals
Shelley Brien   Vocals (Background)
Jean-Philippe De Gheest   Drums
Frederic Lyenne Jacques   Bass
Rob Marshall   Bass,Horn,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Drum Loop,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Mark Lanegan   Composer
Alain Johannes   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Emily Mackey   Artwork
Rob Marshall   Composer,Engineer,Programming,Drum Programming,Additional Production