Sleep In The Dragon’s Mouth

Clues “Cave Mouth”

People have been referring to electric guitars as ‘axes’ for who knows how long now, but I don’t feel like I actually hear enough music in which guitars actually swing and slash in the manner of a big ol’ medieval battle ax. “Cave Mouth” does just that, and it’s rather specific. It’s not the sound of a knife or a sword; the particular tone and the velocity of attack imply the weight and the pendulous motion of a big fuck-off ax wielded with strength and grace. It’s pretty rad, and I’m not even the type of person to get excited about medieval weaponry. My impression of this is greatly influenced by the way Clues are (inadvertently?) combining the aesthetics of three bands I love in an unexpected way: The sharp, cutting chords of Chavez, the fantasy novel vibe of late-period Helium, and the oddball drama of the Danielson Famile. They’ve got the menace and violence, but the tone is not dark or serious — the genre of this song is adventure, not horror.

Pre-order it from Constellation Records.