O’death

Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin

O’Death builds a Frankenstein lurch out of mangled folk and rock parts, set to the tune of old-timey fiddle and banjo on Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin. The album’s spirit manifests with bold, haunted hootenannies that taunt the grave with calamity and manic energy. The jittery pace of opener “Low Tide” is a fast-paced, country plod, and the balance of rhythm and violin shrieks in “Fire on Peshtigo” capture a tight and concise rendering of various strains of ramshackle American music. But the boom and change of “Mountain Shifts” and the high, lonesome din of “Vacant Moan” give a dose of depth to O’Death’s punk/folk dirge that make you forget to fret that the end is extremely nigh. Four stars.

O’Death plays the Earl Tues., Dec. 2, 9 p.m. $10. www.badearl.com.