In case you were craving some of the wavering, cinematic apocalyptica of the Black Heart Procession, along comes Tobias Nathaniel and some folks he met in Belgrade. A couple of them are "current" members of BHP, though I'm not exactly sure what that means. In any case, the lineage is strong with this one.

The Red Step The Red Step (Pravda)

Obviously, Nathaniel's voice and songwriting are two strong connectors. The forboding feel of mild menace also informs. On the whole, though, these songs are kickier (and shorter) than most BHP. On the other hand, I just listened to 2 the other night, and this album is not out of place.

If the previous two paragraphs read as if they were written in code, feel free to move on. The Red Step is a fine outfit in its own right, and I'd like to think I'd dig it even without its bones. But I can't shut down my musical memory, and I've loved BHP since I first heard 1. So I'm hardly impartial.

Whatever. This sucker kicks ass. It's great to hear Nathaniel's voice, and it sounds like he's found a suitable group of malcontents to serve his current musical needs. These songs meander, twist and burn their way through every obstacle. Some things just sound inevitable.

Jon Worley