Self-released, 2021
Music: Hard Rock / Horror Rock / Gothic Rock / Dark Rock
Website: https://www.facebook.com/deadcoyote/
Duration: 14:00 (4 tracks)
Country: U.S.A
How often do you come across genres such as “Horror Rock or Goth Dance”?! Of course, these are umbrella terms and not a ” real genre” that bands use to describe their music. But still, it goes without saying that such names do entice listeners. Well, it grabbed my attention when I was skimming through the latest releases for the year. I found it hard to relate Goth and Dance. At the outset, I assumed the sound to have some eerie stereotypical electronic beats merged with some spooky strings. Boy, was I wrong! Zach Retzl led quartet, Dead Coyote surprised me with their “Goth Dance” definition, putting me in a precarious position to whether or not quote the name of the genre because it stays true to the music they play!
A little background before we dive into the album, Dead Coyote was founded back in 2008 by friends and musicians Zach Retzl and Jonathan Ventrella. Their musical ambitions were put to a halt as they had to join the USMC. After serving the nation for about 4 years, the band regrouped in 2015 and released, what is now their benchmark, “xYx”. Expressing their love of classical music and their intent to merge it with a more contemporary style, “xYx” branded the band as a solid “Dancey Rock” band. To fuel the growth, Izabella Weiss joined the band to showcase her bass playing ability, shortly after which Zach’s brother Adrian joined – making the band a complete package!
Their camaraderie can be observed in their 2021 EP, “APPARITIONATA”. The band calls the album a “…cyclical tale of a foolish ghost with a broken heart…”. With 4 tracks, the EP kicks off with a prelude before carrying the spooky momentum to the second track “Leave Me in the Ground”. However, I felt as if the track lacks the spookiness the band promised. The third track, “Lazy Ghost” is the opposite. It has that spooky tone, with an intro very similar to “For Whom The Bell Tolls”, it is pretty much the best track on the entire EP. The last track, ” My Hiding Place” drives the spooky vibe the last track created, with a more Hard Rock-esque guitar work and drums.
Overall, “APPARITIONATA”, and the band Dead Coyote is a great find for me this year! Will definitely look forward to more of their releases. If at all, there’s something that I would want them to incorporate in their music – it would be more drum parts. Although the vocals, which seems to be their strength, is perfectly executed, having a good drum part will transcend their music to a whole new level!
Tracklist:
1. Prelude
2. Leave Me in the Ground
3. Lazy Ghost
4. My Hiding Place
Line-up:
Zach Retzl – piano, guitar, vocals
Jonathan Ventrella – drums, additional vocals
Izabella Weiss – bass, additional vocals
Adrian Retzl – synthesizer
Rate: 8.5/10