### Deadboy And The Elephantmen: If this is hell then I am lucky

#### 20/06/14 || Dinu

Deadboy And The Elephantmen were an American Swamp rock band that was based out of Houma, Louisiana. They were active from 2000 to 2007. The frontman for the band was Dax Riggs. He of Acid Bath, Agents of Oblivion and other solo efforts. They first appeared on the music scene in late 2000 after Agents of Oblivion broke up. “If this is hell, then I am lucky” came out in 2002 followed by an EP called “Song Mechanism”. Their final album “We are night sky” came out in 2005.

“If This Is Hell Then I’m Lucky” was reissued in 2008 and Riggs is certainly the man behind this album, the feel and sound here is orthogonal to Riggs’ 2007 effort We Sing of Only Blood or Love. “If This Is Hell Then I’m Lucky” shows Riggs’ moving away from the pure metal style of his earlier bands. Deadboy And The Elephantmen borrow from psychedelic rock, alt-rock, and blues as well as metal and the end result is an eclectic album.

“Strange Television” kicks off the album with a dark atmosphere that harks back to early Pink Floyd: Synths keep popping in and out and the vocals are hauntingly melodic. Incantatory choruses with hand drums lend a wild, almost exotic touch to this song and the “Song with No Name” combines strings and guitars to great effect, other songs, like “Heart of Green” – an acoustic ballad turns slow and boring at times. “Waking Up Insane” and “Graves Beyond Windows” are both slow and original and I loved the visions they evoke. “Like the Dead Would Laugh”‘s slow burn guitars have the hypnotic pull that endeared Riggs to so many fans while “High Monster” and “Otherworldly Dreamer” have a stripped-down sound that sounds earthy and southern.

“If This Is Hell Then I’m Lucky” is a transitional album all the way to the end. There are a lot of moments that stand out and its a great introduction to the smoke and mirrors world that Riggs can conjure. Here is a true shaman of music if there ever was one.

- Information
- Released: 2002
- Label: Issued under Dax Riggs
- Website: www.daxriggs.myshopify.com
- Band
- Dax Riggs: vocals, guitar
- Jason Dupre : guitar
- Christopher T. Gautreaux: bass
- Kurt Westwood: piano
- Jeff LeCompte : drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Strange Television
- 02. Waking Up Insane
- 03. Song with No Name
- 04. Graves Beyond Windows
- 05. Otherworldly Dreamer
- 06. Like the Dead Would Laugh
- 07. High Monster
- 08. Heart of Green
- 09. Barefoot in the Dark
- 10. Deadboy and the Elephantmen Theme Song