Cesspool – Ten Dead Birds in a Toilet or the Failure of a Family Business
I really wanted to hate Cesspool. Their cover art is disturbing and their album title is downright depressing. After giving them some time, though, it has become clear that their music is not gratuitously awful for the sake of being gratuitously awful. In fact, reading through the lyrics while listening to Ten Dead Birds actually makes for a pretty interesting experience.
The music, on its own, is nothing revolutionary. After a while, it even feels maddening. Cesspool’s Facebook page sheds light on their music, where they say, “We use percussion to trigger smeared, nauseated sounds.” Ten Dead Birds does not have a ton of percussion, but the overall tone of the songs does definitely seem “smeared” and “nauseated.”
The lyrics, on the other hand, make the album a more worthwhile venture. On its own, the album insert reads like a chapbook, and would probably stand better without the soundtrack. From a poetic standpoint, their lyrics are surprisingly good, sprinkled with gems like, “your insincere limp is disgusting” and, “his redneck dad’s tears seemed canned.” At other times, the lyrics expose a certain paranoia, like in “Half Mast,” when they repeat “can you see me now” dozens of times before concluding, “All of you, look, does this make you fucking happy?”
And then there is the disenfranchised heartbreaker of “Lying to Dad About Why We Had to Bring Him Home,” when the singer declares, “move the kids into bunk beds/ they’ll resent him” and other lines to a similarly sad effect.
This album is not for anyone seeking light, uplifting, or even melodic music. But, if you’re feeling low and need an angry release, definitely check it out.
Final Verdict: Thumbs down for music, thumbs up for lyrics
Sounds Like: Sisyphus, Primus
