NEWS4U MARCH 2022 | MUSIC
MISERY COLLECTIVE ORCHESTRA Beauty and power: High-concept music project marries dark folk vibe with doomcore
J
ason Breeze doesn't mind being
Currently, that agenda is centered around
later by Vykanthrope featuring former
referred to as a diva - something
a high-concept music project dubbed
Hum drummer, the late Bryan St. Pere.
he's heard from time to time in his
Misery Collective Orchestra. But first, let's
Two years later Breeze was raging in
dealings with fellow tri-state musicians
jump back to the beginning of Breeze's
Running With Tarantulas before forming
through the years. In fact, the self-
journey to this point - to 2008 when
his longest running project to date, Crows
proclaimed "Doom Lord Scene Wizard"
he joined his first punk band, Creepy
of Odin, in 2015 with drummer Sterling
embraces it. "To me, the definition of a
Geezers, and took over Punk Rock Night
Millay. Despite their minimal presentation
diva is driven, goal-oriented and focused,"
at the now-defunct Lanhuck's Tavern in
- just two guys on a stage - the volume
he explains. And that certainly describes
Evansville. Eventually, Breeze moved camp
and brutality of the music always pinned
Breeze, who, despite getting a late start
to Hammerheads downtown and started
everyone to the back wall. "Me and
playing and performing music - he didn't
anew musically with the Steve Albini-
Sterling played 10 shows a year for seven
pick up a guitar until age 30 - has gone all-
influenced METHMOUTH, a noise-punk
years, I think," Breeze notes, "but he's got a
in over the last two decades, becoming a
outfit that thrived on being abrasive. He
lot going on, a job and a child. His interest
prominent force locally via his involvement
then lightened up a bit, venturing into
would ebb and flow so I started writing
in various heavy bands and knack for
pop-punk with Gorilla Monsoon and also
"The Sun The Sea The Mountain The Cave"
booking well-attended punk and metal
formed 138!!! The Misfits Tribute in 2010
and started Misery Collective Orchestra."
shows at area venues. If he's rubbed a few
which packed out neighborhood bars like
people the wrong way with his intensity,
Bullock's, breaking attendance records.
that's just part of the job, so to speak.
Initially, this 40-minute opus which brings together Breeze's increasing interest in the
Because at the end of the day, nothing's
But it was 2011 when Breeze's crushingly
dark folk music of Townes Van Zandt and
going to keep Breeze from ticking all the
heavy musical vision really started to
his absolute devotion to avant-garde metal
boxes on his ambitious musical agenda.
coalesce. He joined his first doom band,
band Neurosis, was meant to be a stand-
Witchdagger, which was followed a year
alone project - like an opera. But slowly it
36 | MARCH 2022
• www.evansvillemediagroup.comPhoto: Tricia Cundiff
