ANOTHER SERIOUS LAPSE IN MY METAL EDUCATION
Writing on the new and improved Invisible Oranges, Cosmo Lee asserts that “You may know [Ed Warby] as the drummer for Hail of Bullets, Ayreon, and Gorefest.” Well, I don’t. Okay, Cosmo? I’m not a fan of any of those bands. I mean, Ayreon are okay if you’re really drunk and have nothing to do for fourteen straight hours, but otherwise, ppppffffttt. So stop being such a bully all the time, okay? Jeez.
ANYWAY, Cosmo was writing about Ed Warby because he’s the mastermind behind The 11th Hour, whose 2009 release, The Burden of Grief, is apparently “about a man about to die from a lung disease.” What a simple and brilliant idea for a metal concept album. Not everything has to be about life and death on such an epic scale; life and death are pretty epic on their own. Especially if it’s your death you’re facing down. Kinda makes you wish more bands would shut up about vikings and Satan already and get a little more down-to-earth when considering the plight of modern man.
Of course, it helps that the music is so great. Warby plays drums, guitars, keyboards, and bass on the album, and he does all the clean vocals. The only sound you’ll hear on the record that isn’t him are growls by Rogga Johansson, who is also from some bands I don’t really know about (Although any bandy called “Ribspreader” can’t be all bad.). How did I not know about The 11th Hour? Of all the shitty band recommendations you guys send us, no one could have tipped us off to this album’s existence? Sheesh. Three cheers for Cosmo. Again.
The Burden of Grief is out now on Napalm. Invisible Oranges is hosting a free mp3 of their song “One Last Smoke” (which is about exactly what you’d think it’s about), and you can hear another track, “Atonement,” here.
-AR
