Fan reaction was mixed when Titus Andronicus followed up the epic, Civil War-as-breakup concept album The Monitor with an album full of straight-up rock songs in Local Business. So it makes sense that Titus would return to the operatic well with their upcoming album The Most Lamentable Tragedy (especially given lead singer Patrick Stickles’ established inclination toward massive dramas and multi-song suites).
Until today, however, we had no idea just how massive Tragedy would be. Stickles cleared up that question and ratcheted up fan anticipation by dropping a video meant to accompany the entire second act of Tragedy (songs 7-12 of the 29-track album) dubbed “The Magic Morning.”
The surreal 15-minute video features shots of Stickles being tormented by men wearing his face, Stickles posing in his underwear, Stickles literally beating himself up and loads and loads of choreographed dance routines. This video is what would happen if you gave Donnie Trumpet a guitar and a wicked case of depression.
Stickles called it “a display of artistic hubris that no buzz band today could begin to attempt” on the band’s website, seeming to notice how easily mockable it is. Or at least it would be, if the tracks that Titus Andronicus has shared didn’t kick as hard as they do.
The Most Lamentable Tragedy is out July 28.
(Via SPIN)
