CD Review: Anthony Michael Ambroso - Mercy Killer

Anthony Michael Ambroso

Mercy Killer

(Self-released) ambroso.bandcamp.com/album/mercy-killer

Anthony Ambroso's origins start in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, continue up to the New England Conservatory of Music (where he studied jazz), and double back to the Steel City, where he currently plays in the heavy rock band Rated Eye, with the occasional jazz gig popping up here and there. He plays all the instruments on Mercy Killer, which leans more to his rock side with breaks for some acoustic picking, which he showed off recently at an Experimental Guitar Night.

It's a brief set, with 10 tracks clocking in at 26 minutes, but a great deal happens within that time. Although the album features a few instrumental interludes, the bulk of Mercy Killer consists of songs with vocals, verses and choruses, some of which seem to tap into ideas about structure and composition that he likely picked up at the conservatory. For a solo album, it rocks like a band, avoiding any self-indulgent pitfalls that can pop up when one creates all the sounds.

The fuzzed out guitar that introduces "Anger Games" sounds like it's emanating from a transistor radio, but it quickly kicks into a rich sound that harkens back to edgy Chicago indie rock, adding a strange non-sequitur of a bridge in the middle that works perfectly. This style continues for a few tracks, with a break for a John Fahey-esque acoustic solo in "En Route to Life" and the electric folk balladry of "Lot Weeps," the latter adding a guest accordionist to expand an already intriguing texture. 

The title track also begins with a wall of feedback and drop-tuned chords, but Ambroso isn't happy simply creating a tone poem of thunder. A top layer of acoustic guitars adds some extra subtlety, making it a complete statement in less than two minutes. From there, the mood seems to turn a turn with every track without losing a flow. Parts of "Integrated Sickness" evoke Bakesale era Sebadoh, but neither Lou Barlow nor Jason Loewenstein would have come up with a finger-picked guitar line like this one or jumped between time signatures with such ease. 

As this review went to press, word came out that Rated Eye also has a full length album out. That album will likely get attention and a record release show and hopefully it'll also shine a light on Mercy Killer. Ambroso is the kind of player who could split town and find a seat in a band like Dan Weiss' Starebaby (that's me opining, not something that's in the works), so check him out while you can.