Photo by Mike Ritchie
This post originally published on Covering the Scene
The story of LA’s musical art project September Mourning can be traced back to 2009, when September (Emily Lazar) was in New York, and the origin of the storyline took form in a graphic fantasy concept. After putting together a core band and touring, the initial lineup changed to the current form when September moved to LA in 2010 to focus on the musical side.
Their stage show is as theatrical as the music, with adorned attire and elaborate set. September stood from her grand steel-toothed entombed platform. Dressed in lavish leather and lace, arms wrapped in white spike-holed straps, half mummified, half angelic; she might have been the dominant hunter-gatherer queen of the earth-realm damned if not for second chances. Then again, she could also be the current generation of Powerslave Eddie, with a stylistic homage to Alice Cooper and Victorian fashion.
September was an earthbound soul chosen by fate to be taken by a reaper who instead falls in love with her, and sacrifices his powers, turning her into a reaper/human hybrid. Since humanity is still within her, she gives deserving souls a second chance, which enrages fate, sending reapers chasing after her between Mortem and earth. Each song is the next part of the story of September’s soul taking journey.
Clad in ivory breast-plated reaper-wear with flowing snow white hair, she is ready and willing to deliver sentence to every soul gathered. Her blackened brethren and backup band (guitarists) Riven and Wraith, (bassist) Rasper and (drummer) Stitch dressed in leather, horns and other fashion fit for a slain dragon or armored foe. However, in the storyline, in the race against her human side, they represent the dark attired reaping brood.
She spends the set enchanting and forewarning the crowd. Seasons don’t fear the reaper, but mortals should. Iron Maiden sang about the “Children of the Damned,” but September sings about the gothic inspired “Children of Fate,” with heavy guitars and symphonic driven synth. Her commanding tone and wicked screams could lead any of the judged and sentenced on their eternal path. “Before the Fall” had more rock spirit, curated with elegant acoustic interludes.
They surprise by covering Ben E. King’s famous anthem, reviving and definitely ‘revamping’ the classic tune which became an 80’s coming of age theme. September’s dark, gloomy mansion basement haunting between the words could be compared to what Peter Steele did to “Black Sabbath” on Nativity in Black. In true poetic macabre fashion, with a handful of black weeping wet roses she took the youth and innocence away, turning it into Lilith’s personal opus, so “Stand by Me.”
To date they’ve toured with Hanzel Und Gretyl, The Birthday Massacre, Marilyn Manson and Ratt. With 2012’s Melancholia under their belt, a new album will be out end of summer.
