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Las Vegas Recording Artists Jon McKinnon and Aaron Mckinnon are the creative forces behind this dark and etherial recording project named Brethren and the Evil Empire. The name of the group represents the perpetual conflict that exists in contemporary culture. Brethren and the Evil Empire has been performing their unique and original style of songwriting since 1996. This style of Metamorphic Rock now represents their dark and fluid mood-inducing blend of music, sound, and vocals. Their debut self-titled album, "Brethren and the Evil Empire", was released in 2002. Their second album, "The Plastic Factory" retains the dark and emotional style of "Brethren and the Evil Empire", but it is a sleeker presentation with a more personal feeling.
The McKinnon Brothers have focused their talents on songwriting and recording, choosing to develop their song catalog over personal appearances. They are also pursuing other creative ventures in film and video. |
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The Album
Brethren and the Evil Empire:
A Las Vegas City Life Album Review
Music as metaphor: Brethren and the Evil Empire revive the concept album
By Pj Perez
You've probably never heard of Brethren and the Evil Empire. You've never seen them at the Boston, never heard their music on "It Hurts When I Pee." Music like that which comes from the minds of the brothers McKinnon - Jonathan and Aaron - isn't meant for the mosh pits or the radio. But for Brethren and the Evil Empire, conventional approaches gladly fly out the window.
On their self-titled debut CD, Brethren tell the story of a tortured soul who grows to become a convicted killer. Songs that sound miles apart on their own fall into place within the context of this concept album. Comparisons can easily be drawn - both sonic and thematic - to Pink Floyd's The Wall, something the brothers view as a compliment.
"As far as Pink Floyd's The Wall goes," says Jonathan, "it is the textbook example of how to pull off a theme album. First off, the songs stand on their own, which is crucial, but work even better in sequence. The album has that atmosphere and emotion that will eventually rejuvenate rock music when people discover there is no soul-searching in mosh pits."
The album is based on a novella of the same name written by Aaron a few years ago. The story depicts Las Vegas as a city overrun by demons, who hope to use Las Vegas's inherent negativity to open a doorway between our world and theirs. Sin City's metaphoric demons are fully represented as manifestations of humanity's worst emotions.
Brethren and the Evil Empire -the album - explores the life of its protagonist through songs that run the gamut from late '60s garage rock to Floyd-influenced psychedelia, from all-out thrash to acoustic balladry. It's an impressive recording, produced and performed almost entirely by Aaron and Jonathan. |
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Location:
las vegas NV, usa
Brethren and the Evil Empire Website
atom2000@webtv.net
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