Thelema (EP)

Thelema is an EP by the Murder City Devils released on September 4, 2001 on Sub Pop Records. It is their last release of entirely original material before they broke up later that year. Spencer Moody has said that it was "really my favorite stuff overall."^[1] To support the EP, the band went on a tour in October 2001, which continued as previously planned despite the sudden departure of the band's keyboardist, Leslie Hardy.^[2] It was reissued on vinyl on February 17, 2009.^[3]

Thelema
EP by Murder City Devils
Released	September 4, 2001
Genre	Punk rock
Length	20:59
Label	Sub Pop Records
Murder City Devils chronology
In Name and Blood (2000) Thelema (2001) R.I.P. (2003)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]
PopMatters	(mixed)[5]
Robert Christgau	[6]
Washington City Paper	(mixed)[7]

AllMusic's Tom Semioli wrote that "Despite the album's short running time, the Murder City Devils cover a lot of ground on this outing."^[4] Some of the Murder City Devils' fans were unhappy with the EP, because it included more catchy hooks and complex song structures than their previous work.^[8] In 2003, Pitchfork Media's Amanda Petrusich wrote that the EP contains "some decent melodies and a lot more attention to instrumentation– and structure– than their previous albums."^[9]

Track listing

1. That's What You Get – 2:49
2. Bear Away – 3:27
3. Midnight Service at the Mütter Museum – 3:39
4. One Vision of May – 2:28
5. Bride of the Elephant Man – 3:58
6. 364 Days – 4:38

References

1. "INTERVIEW: Murder City Devils Frontman Spencer Moody". Philadelphia Weekly. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
2. "Billboard Bits: J. Lo, Silver Jews, Murder City Devils". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
3. Breihan, Tom (4 February 2009). "News in Brief: Wichita Recordings, Hot Leg, Murder City Devils, Thank You/Mi Ami". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
4. Semioli, Tom (2001). "Thelema Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
5. Schwartz, Margaret (3 September 2001). "Thelema Review". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
6. Christgau, Robert (12 March 2002). "Consumer Guide". Retrieved 22 November 2013.
7. Little, Michael (2001-08-10). "Murder City Devils". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
8. "Murder City Devils". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
9. Petrusich, Amanda (29 April 2003). "RIP Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 May 2014.