Dead Moon
Echoes Of The Past

THE REVIEW

The rainy Northwest of the United States has always been a breeding ground for the disinherited, losers, and generally individuals living on the fringes of society. 

In those parts, since the '60s, young people committed to "tearing up" the musical staff developed an attitude and approach to music that was extremely raw. With these premises, in Portland (Oregon), around the mid-'80s, Dead Moon was born. The "Dead Moon" is the creation of Fred and Toody Cole (vocals/guitar and bass, respectively), husband and wife, with a lifetime of being "on the road" musicians behind them, in Portland. 

This album, released in 2006, represents the band's epitaph (the group disbanded after its release). It is a compilation (double) of tracks that make up a comprehensive summary of the group's entire oeuvre. The attitude is that of a garage band (and the group probably never played in places larger than a garage, indeed). The lyrics and music are heavily influenced by the nearby Seattle scene. It is no coincidence that the album was released on the Sub Pop label (despite the fact that the music produced today by said label is somewhat contradictory), the home of Mudhoney, Nirvana, and Soundgarden. 

There are a total of 49 tracks, and all of them convey an incredible emotional charge. Cynical in the development of the pieces and violent in reclaiming and spitting back to the listener their musical heritage. Bastard children of the Sonics, they show their people the wildest side of the '60s garage. The technique is rough, and the production is also in the spirit of "do it yourself." As we said, the album comes at the end of their musical career, and despite the air of a semi-unknown band, their work significantly influenced the future, leaving deep marks in the '90s alternative scene. To demonstrate this, during the "Binaural" tour, Pearl Jam mixed the classic "Daughter" with one of Dead Moon's anthems, namely "It's ok." 

Today, the Cole couple runs an independent record store and dabbles in extremely "low-fi" musical projects.