Me And That Man: Top Ten Features
Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski has spent three decades summoning satanic chaos as the frontman of extreme metal icons BEHEMOTH. For half a decade though, he’s moonlighted as the mastermind of ME AND THAT MAN. Shaking together classic blues, gothic-folk and outlaw country, he’s created the ultimate cocktail for devil worshippers and western gunslingers. Whilst 2017’s Songs Of Love And Death was a subtle affair, it’s follow-ups New Man, New Songs, Same Shit: Vol. 1 (2020) and 2 (2021) are a who’s who of heavy metal heroes. These two albums go beyond being a showcase of Nergal’s little black book of contacts, and is instead a masterclass in creative collaboration. Here are ten of the best features across the two albums.
Run With The Devil featuring Jørgen Munkeby
If you’re going to do something weird, you’re going to want some weird minds. Opening the entire project, Run With The Devil adds method to the madness as Nergal teams up with Norwegian outlier Jørgen Munkeby. Taking cues from his day job as the frontman of jazz fusionists SHINING, Run With The Devil is the perfect introduction to the project as you’re dealt a heavy dosage of blues-rock riffage and several servings of jazzed-up saxophone solos.
Burning Churches featuring Mat McNerney
Listening to Burning Churches can only be described as a blackened-blues rock murder ballad. Complete with a chorus that only TOM JONES’ Delilah could rival, it’s driven by the British grit and gravelly tones of HEXVESSEL and GRAVE PLEASURES leader Mat McNerney. Confronting sexual abuse within the church, this unlikely Christmas song combines Mat’s wyrd folk crooning with Nergal’s extreme metal mind for something magical.
By The River featuring Ihsahn
Bearing in mind it’s makers are black metal royalty, By The River is far removed from the genre they dreamt up. It took Nergal a few attempts to get EMPEROR frontman and prog-rock alchemist Ihsahn on board, but once he got going, By The River became a bare-bones blues banger as it’s haunting croon descends into a chaotic twister of spiralling riffs. Who needs a black metal beat ‘em up when you can have this?
Deep Down South featuring Johanna Sadonnis & Nicke Andersson
Anyone fancy devil-worshipping in the deep south? This devilish duet featuring LUCIFER’s Johanna Sadonnis and Nicke Andersson combines flurrying banjo licks and hypnotic harmonica for a blend of folksy bluegrass. If that wasn’t enough, it’s a twisted tale of a broken-hearted murderer and his victim’s vengeful ghost as they battle it out in the Mexican desert. What more could you ask for.
How Come? Featuring Corey Taylor, Rob Caggiano & Brent Hinds
Close your eyes and imagine the sound of a supergroup featuring members of BEHEMOTH, MASTODON, SLIPKNOT and VOLBEAT? Think about what that might sound like in your mind. Now go and listen to How Come? Wasn’t expecting that, were you? Taking a cue out of the rockabilly weirdness of Brent Hinds side-project West End Motel rather than any of these acts day-jobs, How Come? Offers up a vintage vocal performance from Corey Taylor and a dizzying display from Caggiano that comes off as an EAGLES-esque country-rock staple.
Under The Spell featuring Mary Goore
Dialling up the theatrics for a spaghetti-western showdown complete with rumbling riffs and outlaw-country twang, Under The Spell summons the church of Satan. Stripping off his robes as Cardinal Copia for hard-rock heroes GHOST, Tobias Forge features as his reincarnated Mary Goore persona. Rather than slip into the death metal or glam rock of REPUGNANT or glam-rock of CRASHDÏET, Goore lends his anthemic vocals to this psychedelic waltz.
Year Of The Snake featuring David Vincent
Whereas Vol 1 gave us the meeting of minds between Nergal and Ihsahn, Vol 2’s Year Of The Snake gives us the outlaw country duet you never knew you needed between Nergal and former MORBID ANGEL vocalist David Vincent. Laden with strings, it’s Baltic-folk and outlaw atmospherics reimagine these two extreme metal icons as a modern-day Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.
Goodbye featuring Alissa White Gluz & Devin Townsend
Devin Towsend is no stranger to shape shifting between sounds, so it’s ARCH ENEMY’s Alissa White Gluz’s hauntingly spellbinding performance that truly takes you by surprise. Filled with the hard-rock grit of HALESTORM and pumped up by blues-rock bravado and Townsend’s signature prog-rock wizardry against the backdrop of ME AND THAT MAN’s western world, Goodbye is the alternative bond theme No Time To Die needs.
Angel Of Light featuring Myrkur
Ethereal spectre Myrkur makes blackened-folk magic as a day-job, so it’s no surprise Angel Of Light is one of Vol 2’s magic moments. Doused in dark Americana and dripping in Amalie Bruun’s honey-soaked vocals, Angel Of Light is Luciferian worship-rock. The chemistry is contagious as the harmonies hit home as Myrkur searches for a way out with the Angel Of Light.
Got Your Tongue featuring Chris Georgiadis
For the most part, Vol 1 and Vol 2 is a who’s who of extreme metal icons and outliers. Yet it’s closing number features Chris Georgiadis of psychedelic alt-rockers TURBOWOLF. And whilst it’s an unexpected guest, it’s one of the project’s most accessible moments. Georgiadis steps into the ring for an occult-blues punch-up that sounds like Nergal sentencing ROYAL BLOOD and THE BLACK KEYS to Satan’s realm. It’s fast, furious and fun – everything ME AND THAT MAN stands for.
New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol.2 is out now via Napalm Records.
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