Kevin Maimann - death Perception

Kevin Maimann

Death Perception
self-released; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

“I want to feast on human flesh, don’t you understand?” With lyrics like those you’re either barking up some dark paths or enjoying the slightly twisted tunes from the out-of-the-ordinary talent Kevin Maimann. He’s like a youthful Neil Young wandering in a dance-romp of disillusionment. There are definitely some moments where I felt the lyrics and imagery could easily be applied to death metal. But on Death Perception all you’ll get is lovely acoustic; bright enough to keep a light air amongst the dark. Although nothing is over the line, this isn’t the stuff of pop or gentle breezes. Maimann’s voice is naturally at ease in an upper register and that is another reason this album could pass for accessible music. 

The songs are structured around loose rhythms and storyteller lyrics with little emphasis on percussion or instruments beyond your typical folk band. I found nothing really new or exciting within the musings, but I more than appreciated the level of musicianship at hand. Some artists write for themselves and this seems to be the case with Mainmann. His songs run a touch short at times, but his work is set in such an odd tone and minimalistic so I don’t find the listener will have any issue. Still it’s hard to shake off the vibes that some of these tracks leave; progressions that disagree with contemporary theory and are just artful to be artful.

The album opens up with a highlight entitled "Pretty Things". Mainmann constructs a vocally charged tune showcasing  his innate talent for writing an off-kilter song. The lyrics are delightfully creepy. He sings, "No one's around, you want to leave here Your tongue, the tears, the taste of death".  Another accomplished song is "31 days" which contains an infectious vocal line as well as technically and creatively impressive guitar parts.

“St. Anthony’s Fire” breaks out into a marching and driving tantrum not far into the song and it’s actually a welcome change. The predictability wasn’t spared enough in my eyes for me to engage fully in every second. However, that was a spark and it ignited my memory so as to be able to call on that song for reference toward the album as a whole. Death Perception is a hard sell for me, but I know it would go over very well after a few drinks at Bohemian Grove. For those unfamiliar, bust out the Google and have a laugh.

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