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 eventual current form when September moved to LA in 2010 to focus on the musical side.
Their stage is as theatrical as the music and attire adorned. September stood and knelt from her grand steel-toothed entombed platform. Dressed in lavish leather and lace, arms wrapped in white spike-holed straps, half mummified, half angelic and might have been the dominant hunter-gatherer queen of the earth-realm damned if not for giving 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 falls in love with her, sacrifices his powers, turning her into a reaper/human hybrid. Since humanity is still in 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-ware with flowing snow white hair she was ready and willing to deliver sentence to every soul gathered. Her blackened brethren (guitarists) Riven and Wraith, (bassist) Rasper and (drummer) Stitch dressed in leather, horns and other fashion fit for a slain dragon or armored foe backed her up musically. However storyline wise in the race against her human side they represent the dark attired reaping brood.
She spent 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 sang about the gothic inspired “Children of Fate” with its heavy guitars and symphonic driven synth. Her commanding tone and wicked screams could have led any of the judged/sentenced to their eternal path. “Before the Fall” had more rock spirit curated with elegant acoustic interludes.
They surprise doing a cover from Ben E. King reviving and definitely ‘revamping’ the classic tune and 80’s coming of age theme. September’s dark, gloomy mansion basement approach 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.
Images by Mike Ritchie
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