Inspiration for the song Come Black Magic lives in love, and nightmares, the horror movies of the 70s & 80s, malicious deep forests, ghost swamps, mysterious Love craftian ceremonies, Salvador Dalí, The Muppets, Salem witch trials, the burning times, the American nightmare of institutionalized racism, the patriarchy, and the fear of those that are supposed to protect us – all mixed up in a cauldron and slathered on like a protection spell.
Walter Sickert has been called the Dr. Teeth of the current generation, infusing soulful vocals reminiscent of George Clinton and Tom waits into a beautifully gritty and sweet living nightmare of horror rock. Walter Sickert, the writer, ringleader and conjurer.
Walter’s influence for Come Black Magic spans genres through from Nina Simone, Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, and The Doors, to Kendrick Lamar, Nick Cave, and Wu-Tang. Mixed with the sound The Army of Toys have crafted over the life of the band, Come Black Magic is meant to be a fun and bizarre Willie Wonka-style boat ride through the underworld with a crew of diverse and talented performers who are just your average gender-queer-Muppets next door.
Boston’s High Priest of Rock, and his band – Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys – conjure new chaos on the track Come Black Magic.
The first to join The ARmy of BRoken TOys was Edrie, an accordionist from a North Dakota farm. The two, brought together initially by sadness were soon making music so powerful that more broken toys flocked to them. They brought talent of all shapes and sizes: Rachel Jayson, a conservatory-trained violist who conducts several orchestras; Meff, a playwright and mandolin player, is always mentally writing the next play; jojo, the Burlesque Poetess, writes poetry and teaches ukulele at the Passim School of music; TJ, the gravel-voiced punk and hardcore drummer; and Mike Leggio whose upright bass has taken him all over the world. Add to this a troop of thirty-six performance artists who bring contortion, burlesque, and aerial performance to The ARmy of BRoken TOys’ arsenal.
Whether live or in album form, Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken TOys will transport you to a realm where imagination rules, and sound is alive. You may not sleep tight, but your dreams will be like none you’ve ever experienced.
The Fat Angel Sings 