Four Living Creatures – Dedmansbontupik

Four Living Creatures
Dedmansbontupik
1993 (no label)
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

Joseph Albanese – Lead guitars, rhythm guitars, vocals
John Winfield – Rhythm guitars, lead guitars
Jeremy Rodgers – Bass, background vocals
Chris Gildersleeve – Percussions
Cathermine Albanese – Background vocals on “Shaft of Light”

Side 1:

1. Virgin’s Song
2. Love
3. Grandfather
4. Ex Post Facto
5. Parable
6. Love Like a Circle
7. [untitled]

Side 2:

1. Sink
2. Suddenly Religion
3. Shaft of Light
4. Wedding Whim
5. What is a Picture
6. Ali’s Song

This is another Four Living Creatures demo that I wasn’t aware of until it appeared on eBay recently. “Virign’s Song,” “Ali’s Song,” “Ex Post Factor,” and “What is a Picture” are all re-recorded from their 1992 tape Live Demo (Hip, Hip!) (which is labeled as their second demo, but I haven’t heard the first one). “Grandfather,” “Ex Post Facto,” “Parable,” “Love Like a Circle,” “Wedding Whim,” and “What is a Picture” would all be re-recorded on 1994’s Dreams, Daughters, and Sons. And “Wedding Whim” made it onto their 1995 full length CD Proletariat Poetry. That leaves “Love,” “Sink,” “Suddenly Religion,” and “Shaft of Light” as the unique songs here (depending on what is on that first demo). Well, and “Suddenly Religion” was re-recorded by the next band that some 4LC members formed called Elder. The sound here is the same heavy grung-ish alternative as their other releases, except that I would say they sound a bit more psychedelic here than on other recordings. Oh, and there is an unlisted track at the end of side one that contains some percussion, mystic guitar noodling, and something being spoken over the music that is hard to here at times, but spiritual themes are heard through the music.