90. Darkest of the Hillside Thickets - Shadow Out of Tim (2007)
Genre: Lovecraftian Punk
Track List
01. "Prologue: Theme to an Earthquake"
02. "Chapter I: A Marine Biologist"
03. "Chapter II: Blackout"
04. "Chapter III: No Way"
05. "Chapter IV: Strange"
06. "Chapter V: Return to Melanesia"
07. "Chapter VI: Cultists on Board"
08. "Chapter VII: A Need-To-Know Basis"
09. "Chapter VIII: Operation: Get the Hell Out Of Here"
10. "Chapter IX: Ride the Flying Polyp"
11. "Epilogue: Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know"
12. "Footnote: Downtown (In the Cenozoic)"
13. "Footnote: Sleestak & Yeti"
14. "Appendix: Nyarlathotep"
If there's one thing geeks almost unanimously love it is the writing of influential horror author H.P. Lovecraft. So large was this man's following that the
Call of Cthulhu Role-playing game was one of the first non-fantasy based RPG's to be released on the open market. Not only that but in 1977 admirers of his work pooled their money together to buy him a proper tombstone because his financial state after his death prohibited him from the assumed luxury of having a tombstone. Lovecraft's influence can be found in nearly ever modern day horror author, or just about any horror movie which focuses on the psychological aspects beyond the ostentatious use of blood and gore. Finally his influence has leaked into the music scene, and given birth to one of my favorite bands that nobody knows about.
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets are a Vancouver based punk band focusing on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, specifically the Cthulhu mythos. They are known for their elaborate costumes and quirky lyrics, often which can only truly be appreciated by fans of Lovecraft's work. However that does not mean that you must be a fan of Lovecraft in order to enjoy the band, it just means you probably won't get some of the in-jokes. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the band is that they're incredibly non-offensive and fun, which is where
Shadow Out of Tim shines. Every song on the album is fun to sing along to, to listen intently to the lyrics and try to interpret what the song is about, or trying to decipher which story the song is about if you're a fan of Lovecraft's work. Regardless of whether or not you're a raving Lovecraft lunatic (like me), or just a casual listener,
Shadow Out of Tim is an album guaranteed to make you smile at least once.
Despite all the positive features of the album, it is by no means perfect. It is perhaps the most inconsistent with it's subject matter than previous albums, some songs only vaguely touching on Lovecraftian themes. While the band is allowed to experiment and sing about other subjects, defining yourself as a Lovecraftian punk band kind of implies that Lovecraft's work would be exactly what the songs were about, not the god awful antagonists from
Land of the Lost ("Sleestak & Yeti"). The last three songs on the album kind of seem like filler, like they were added just to extend the length of the album without really adding much to it as a whole, but play terrifically on their own.
Shadow Out of Tim is the most accessible in terms of song structure, each song playing with a catchy rhythm that can entice people unfamiliar with the subject matter. While many hold their 2002 album
Spaceship Zero as their magnum opus, that album was very much designed for a niche audience of geeky role-players (the album was based on an actual RPG written by the singer and guitar player). If you're looking for a fun and relatively friendly album to play in the car with grandma I cannot recommend this album enough, from songs about being a marine biologist to trying to return to a normal life after a stint in an insane asylum, I cannot recommend this album enough, who knows, it may even turn you into a fan of HP Lovecraft.