Contrary to what the band name suggests, They Sang as They Slew was not a metal or hardcore band, actually quite far from either. If you hear similarities to the indie rock of Luxury, it’s because half of the band came from Luxury while they were on a break from touring–namely guitarist Jamie Bozeman and bassist Chris Foley (both of whom are Orthodox priests in their day job).
I hope some fans recognize the band name from the epic battle scene in Lord of the Rings (the book, not the movie). TSATS started out as ‘Canary’ but changed the name, presumably due to the plethora of other bands with similar names.
“City Highs, City Lows” is a moody track, taken from their 2008 album Resistance, released through Northern Records. And while clearly similar to their sister band Luxury, TSATS are just different enough to warrant the two different projects. Ironically, the band with the harder sounding name is just a slight step further away from their punk roots, though still firmly planted in indie rock territory. While there’s no copying here, I’m hearing similarities with some of The Smiths’ or The Killers’ darker territory, as well as Interpol and Editors.
Check the band’s Bandcamp page for more music.