The Gutter Twins: Saturnalia

The Indie Review

By Sean Duregger
March 14, 2008

Artist: The Gutter Twins
Album: Saturnalia
Label: Sub Pop Records
Rating:

Sub Pop Records finally gives us the highly anticipated collaboration between Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli with The Gutter Twins, Saturnalia. Mark and Greg began writing and collaboration together in 2000 and began writing for this project in 2003. Because of their reputations, (Mark with Screaming Trees and his respectable solo career, and Greg with The Afghan Whigs and his respectable solo project, The Twilight Singers) The Gutter Twins have some hype to live up to.

Being rock veterans, The Gutter Twins don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Saturnalia is a dark, brooding, haunting and beautiful album that gets better with each listen. Saturnalia starts off with The Stations, a dark, gothic, blues song that showcases Lanegan and Dulli’s complimentary vocal stylings and harmonies. It’s a great start and really sets the stage for the album as a whole. As Saturnalia unfolds, there are so many layers to each song, enough for you to make discoveries each time you listen. With a combination of guitars, drums, strings and a handful of unconventional instruments, each track holds your attention and never gets repetitive. Seven Stories Underground rolls along with smooth vocals and harmonies, accented by a steady beat of various percussion and ambient sound. It’s songs like this, as well as Front Street’s brooding combination of guitar and keyboards, that let us know there are masters at work.

Produced by Dulli and Lanegan along with Mathias Schneeberger, Saturnalia is a work of art with it’s obvious Blues influence with Gothic undercurrents. This is an album that will grow on you the more you listen and is a welcomed entry in Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli’s already impressive career.

For more information of Dulli and Lanegan’s body of work, go to www.summerskiss.com.

Stand Out Tracks:

“The Stations”

“Seven Stories Underground”

“Front Street”