Description
Album also available at one of these fine outlets:
On iTunes & Apple Music
On Google Play
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A Tasty, Tuneful Serving Of History
Feast on the fascinating tales of The Donner Party, America’s favorite cannibals, as they have never been told before. Discover the truth behind the bedraggled Party that emigrated west and devoured each other in the cabins by the frozen lake. Presented in cutting edge stereophonic sound. AWOOOOO!
Track Listing:
- The Black Wagon
- The Devil In Camp
- The Wind Weeps Eleanor
- The Five Sisters
- The Cry Of The Banished Horseman
- The Last Americans
- The Black Wagon Returns
Music Previews
The Devil In Camp
The Cry Of The Banished Horseman
The Last Americans
Optional Add-Ons
THE MARK VINYL STICKER
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GIFT WRAPPING
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Laurie Neufeld –
Once again, the creative team of Hendelman & Zdunich have scorned the beaten track, and, like the Donner Party before them, forged ahead into previously unexplored territory. Happily for all concerned, however, this particular musical journey has NOT ended in disaster.
From the classic 50’s serialization treatment of The Black Wagon and The Black Wagon Returns (does anybody else remember Wagon Train or Death Valley Days?) to the illicit sock-hop romp of Devil in Camp, the journey reaches giddy highs and terrifying lows as it relays the trials and tribulations of the Donner Party to the listening audience. Bundle up warm against the cold breeze of The Wind Weeps Eleanor. Cook up some popcorn to share with The Five Sisters, but don’t add salt, because your tears will flavor the snack as you hear of the heroics of Marked Man James Reed in the Cry of the Banished Horseman. And finally, waltz off to sleep with Tamsen Donner as you join the Last Americans…
Kelley Pegelow –
If you love history, true crime, music, or all of the above, you need this album. Saar Hendelman and Terrance Zdunich have a gift for immersive storytelling and distinctive, powerful voices. “The Donner Party” left me shivering like a snowbound pioneer long after I’d finished listening to it. Pathos abounds in “The Wind Weeps Eleanor” and (my favorite) “The Cry of the Banished Horsemen”, which I daresay would make James Reed himself shed a tear. It never ceases to amaze, this deftness with which Messrs. Storm and Tender pepper historical events with humanity. Most of the songs, though, are finely marbled with self-aware black humor. All in all, it’s a delicious seven-course meal that you’ll never forget. Dig in!
David King –
Our Blood Travelers have taken us ahead a couple of decades, from 1816 to 1848… or is it the 1950s looking back on the 1840s? Right off the bat I want to say that this seems to be a different tonal offering than the previous American Murder Song EPs which seemed more firmly grounded in the time period they were coming from. As someone who really enjoyed that aspect of the experience and liked the implied greater story, the seemingly-anachronistic shift in The Donner Party threw me for a loop that left me confused; the bookend tracks of “The Black Wagon” and “The Black Wagon Returns” frame the album as some sort of demented television serial, while “The Devil in Camp” is 50s rock and campy to boot. While none of these tracks are bad – quite the contrary, as Terrance Zdunich and Saar Hendelman continue to showcase their ability to write catchy, dark pieces – they set a weird contrast compared to what’s been established so far, and is a change that I feel is awkward.
However, the rest of the album feels truer to form and is right on in terms of the tragic period songs I’ve come to expect from American Murder Song. Personal favorite track is “The Wind Weeps Eleanor,” a somber ballad of struggle, loss and murder with hints of the myth of Orpheus sprinkled in; “The Five Sisters” is a bouncy sing-song with a great witchy feel, while “The Cry of the Banished Horseman” is a rising, stirring piece that feels as epic by its climax as any classic Western theme; finally, “The Last Americans” is a suitably bleak number to bring the Donner Party story to a close.
All in all, this is another great offering from Misters Storm and Tender that I definitely appreciate, despite what I feel is a jarring tonal shift for some of it. It is well worth eating up.
Kill Bitch Kasy –
Huge fan of Repo! The Genetic Opera, The Devil’s Carnival, and now American Murder Song! Their first chapter was enthralling and now the new chapter is both historical and thrilling! If you haven’t seen the live show you have missed out on a true spectacle! Saar (Storm) and Terrace (Tender) bring back styles of old with a creepy and eerie feel. Their voices compliment each other perfectly and their crowd participation makes the night enchanting. It seemed so short yet it was over an hour of showmanship.
Both artists (and their crew!) are very talented and I can’t wait for the next installment.
One suggestion fellas, put out live DVD’s?!