The Felix Culpa

A lot of people I know have never heard of one of Illinois' great bands, The Felix Culpa. They have a new album out called "Sever Your Roots" which just got released on itunes today, but it has been on Amazon for quite a while. Amazon has it for $7.99 as a download. I got a limited edition disk from the band which comes in this cool, oddly shaped cardboard sleeve in a plastic envelope. More like a dvd case than cd.

But anyway, in February, I posted quite a bit about this band on my facebook page, even went so far as to call them my "band of the month" for February. They have a very unique sound I think. I tend to compare them to modern Thrice or Moving Mountains when asked what they sound like. The songs have an atmospheric, flow to them with an intense and driving power lurking around in the songs. These 2 components when discussed with words, sound like 2 extremes of the same line, but these songs have a power and an urgency that really can only be experienced by listening. "Sever..." continues the groundwork that was laid with their previous full length, "Commitment," and their 2 eps "Soso Remission" and "Thought Control." I think I heard about them while I was at an Emery show in 2004. Honestly, they are one of my "I don't know what to listen to right now...oh yeah, The Felix Culpa" type bands where listening to it never disappoints. The songs tend to stretch out past the 7 minute mark on more than one occasion but they never feel too long or too drawn out. There is something about the dense soundscape they paint on each song where the lyrics and vocals are just as powerful as the instruments and play off the sounds are much as any guitar chord or cymbal splash.

There is a lot to be said for a band that can help you relax when you are going to sleep, get you pumped for the day or just find its way into your mood when it needs to be adjusted/reveled in/embraced but all withing the same album and even in the same song.