The Ophelia Moon project of Darren O. Moon is heading into some very unsettling territory with the track Color Me Dead, and there is an eerie beauty about the whole thing that functions like watching something both beautiful and horrible happen. This is not music that is out to soothe, but art that will force you to look into the darker sides of human life.
The instrumentation as collaborated with Ricky Mazzamauro is quite crucial to the effectiveness of the track. The guitar work is rough, solid and forms a sturdy background on which the climaxing tension could be laid. The percussion is similar to a heartbeat under pressure and it gives the whole composition an urgent and alive feeling of inevitability. There is only control in the beginning that makes the eventual intensity feel natural rather than artificial.
The strongest aspect of the song is the vocal performance of Moon- raw and magnetic to the point that you can only listen with a cringing frown. His style is a mixture of vulnerability and authority, and it is an approach that allows every word to sound not just acted. The dark atmosphere of the instrumental and the mysterious nature of his delivery are in complete harmony as they create a single universe of sound.
The poetic visual elements throughout develop themes of passion, mortality, and submission with black and white clarity. Moon writes with broad strokes that remind of classical literature and mythology, and the result is a narrative with a personal flavour but at the same time archetypal. These repetitive melodies form a trance like quality that pulls you further into the songs emotional state.
The success of Color Me Dead is that it has pursued its vision to the end without compromising it. This is not just background music, this is a fully immersive experience which needs active listening. Ophelia Moon has produced something that is truly interesting to those who want their music to be both challenging as it is entertaining. The song positions Moon as an artist that does not shy away in tackling the major mysteries of life.