For those of us waiting desperately for 4 years for the next Titus Andronicus masterpiece, this Vesuvian single, “Fortunate Death”, might just be a ticket to quench that thirst partially. The main chord progression alludes closely to Stickles’ 2019 “Tumult Around the World”. Unlike that one, though, “Fortunate Death” delivers pretty clean vocals that are reminiscent of Jello Biafra’s full-energy talk-shouting. The phrasing and points of emphasis hark right back to “California Uber Alles”. Not only that, I love that I even hear some very welcome and unexpected Dead Milkmen influence as the words jump into my ears. More on the words later.
The structure lends itself to some live hijinks, for sure! After saying what needs to be said in the first two minutes, we find ourselves in a two-minute instrumental for the rest of the song, which I imagine could really be something energetic and exuberant live!
The contrast between the pure joviality of the bouncy chords and crispy, wailing lead with the lyrics puts us in a favorable conundrum. Can dying really be this fun? Can a blood sacrifice to ensure a good harvest really be what we’re looking for? It looks like in the hands of Vesuvian, the answer is a glowing red “Yes!” Joyfully projected lyrics sing “Cold stone beneath my back / Your knife held up aloft / Let my blood spill / To seed the summer crops / Moonlight on the blade / Reflected in the edge”.
You’ll all be lining up on May 29th (the release date of Vesuvian’s eponymous 10-song new LP on Worry Bead Records) to offer yourself up as the next sacrificial lamb up on Philly’s Art Museum Steps to ensure their next record gets the blood it needs to bring similar tracks to us all! May the harvest be rich!
(Note: Do not confuse this Vesuvian with another band called Vesuvian, a Scandinavian metal outfit out of not-so-grungy-anymore Seattle.)
Take a listen to “Fortunate Death” below.
Written by Greg Gobel
