Album of the Week #5: Devis Tortura

Project name: NueroMorgue
Album name: Devis Tortura
Release date: December 14, 1993
Release format: cassette
Studio name: none

Tracks:
1. Second Sunday Song
2. Ataxia
3. Breathe in the Fire
4. Smolder w/o Name
5. Vision of Immortality
6. Two-Tone Rhythm Kill
7. Lack of Motivation
8. Familiar Noise
9. Holy War [Extended]
10. Imitation of Voyage
11. Return to Dust
12. Palace
13. Plane Crash
14. The Silver Cord
15. RYO [Live]
16. Johnny T.
17. Star Part

Mune Mud had been around for a few years by now. So when this album was released it attracted a whole new audience. This was the music that was too heavy or weird for the traditional Mune Mud style. The title is a botched up version of Latin meaning "torture device", which could refer to the album itself being torture (for some people) to listen to.

The only guest musician was Jimmy who provided additional vocals on "Two-Tone Rhythm Kill." A music video was even shot for this song which showed Jason and Jimmy outrageously costumed and lip-syncing the song in the Studio. There were many samples taken from various songs and sound effects tapes in the Studio used on this album. And Jason got real experimental with the 4-track recorder by changing recording speeds, backwards recording, etc.

This album was heavily influenced by Faith Mo More, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and many other techno/industrial/heavy metal bands.

The album cover was hand-drawn by Jason and showed stones with runes and various mysterious symbols on it. It was the first (and possibly the only) hand-drawn album cover the Studio has released.

This album had an accompanying book titled "Devastation and Minim Opi." It was a main story and several short stories that linked all the songs together and contained every lyric on the album hidden within the stories. The last page of the book was a full-page drawing by Gargoyle titled "Primordial Water and Lotus" (watch for it as an upcoming Collector's Corner post).

There are plans to re-release this album on CD, possibly as a 2-disc set with extras that include demos, unused tracks, and alternate versions. There is almost enough material to release a second full-length NueroMorge album but that project has been on hold for years.


Next week's Album of the Week: E. Phantasmata by NueroMorgue from 1994.