New Noise Magazine Issue #48

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 41

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A DIFFERENT SHADE OF BLUE NEW ALBUM OUT AUGUST 23, 2019

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ISSUE 48

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SCENE NOT HEARD THE NEW WHAT NEXT EXPERIMENTAL HEALING GOING THE DISTANCE IMPENDING DOOM KICKING DOWN THE DOOR RECLAIMING OUR POWER REINVENTING LIBERATION END OF THE CENTURY JOEY CAPE THE AGGROLITES POP SENSIBILITY

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CAVE IN DARKTHRONE HAMMERFALL KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD KNOCKED LOOSE NORTHLANE PLAGUE VENDOR RUSSIAN CIRCLES SACRED REICH THY ART IS MURDER THE SHORTLIST ANALOG CAVE THE ART OF CHUY HARTMAN

CEREMONY COVER PHOTO BY NEDDA AFSARI CEREMONY COVER ART BY JACOB SPEIS TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN BAND - AVAIL

CORRECTION: ISSUE 47, PAGE 30, "EXPLODING HEARTS: THE DOCUMENTARY" IN OUR INTERVIEW WITH PRODUCER ALEX P. WILLSON AND DIRECTOR ARDAVON FATEHI, WE MISTAKENLY ATTRIBUTED WILLSON'S QUOTES TO FATEHI, AND VICE VERSA. NEW NOISE SINCERELY APOLOGIZE FOR THIS ERROR!

SCENE NOT HEARD THE GATHERING™ 2019 EDITION

BY SEAN GONZALEZ

FEATURING

he Gathering™ is a showcase that brings hot up-andcoming alternative bands to Louisville, Kentucky, to perform a quick set in the hopes of grabbing the attention of individuals in the music industry who push new talent to the rest of the world. Everyone there has a purpose and cares about expanding the boundaries of alternative music. The Gathering™ brings together people from radio, music supervisors, managers, labels, and journalists and is organized by Amplify Management and run by the ever-gracious and loving Tracy Brown.

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The lineup for 2019 featured projects with louder avenues of sound, including some groups who have already made strides in the public eye such as The Wrecks, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Saint PHNX, The Strumbellas, Bad Suns, and Bishop Briggs. I had a few minutes to catch up with a second-year presence of The Gathering™, Tatiana DeMaria, about her voice in the industry.

On having a Marvel comic book, “Going to the Go Go!,� created about her and building different representations of herself for her community: “It’s eight pages, and it is hard to put a lot of yourself in eight pages. That being said, I’d like to make it more of a visual representation of myself, but it can be difficult to do. It is like a song: you write really deep, and music can change the meaning you want to achieve. Visuals, as an artist, can do the same thing. I have found that while making music videos, I make them as simple as possible and try to keep them in the truth of what I am trying to say and make the best version of myself.� “I’m a very private person, but I think it is about putting your ego on the table and really exploring all different parts of your own hu-

4 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY JERED SCOTT

SHIFTING THE FOCUS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CREATE THE BEST ALBUMS TO TAKE AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES JOBS THAT KEEP THE INDUSTRY RUNNING. GO BEYOND THE MUSIC AND MEET THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP YOUR FAVORITE BANDS IN THE PUBLIC EYE... man condition. Your vulnerabilities, dering if they are good enough. You your truths, all sides of yourself could have a bad week and wonder can be exposed and talked about. if you are done because of a plethAs musicians, we have the luxury ora of things. I think it’s a continuto shine the light inside. We get to ous ebb and flow of understanding. talk about it, put it out there for It is more about having courage to other people to go, ‘Fuck, I relate overcome the fears. If you weren’t to you.’ Music creates a joy, a sad- afraid, what would you do? Fear is ness, an understanding. We feel the at the root of so many things: fear same set of emotions. If you can of not being loved, fear of not beput those emotions out there and ing accepted. We need courage to discuss them, whether in music, a overcome the fears of the world.â€? comic, in a podcast, a book, all of these different avenues can create “The more that someone has aca clearer picture of what a person ceptance for yourself and others, is trying to put across.â€? we will judge ourselves equally. If some of the judgement is removed On being a woman making art with- and if people are allowed to be in the current political climate: themselves, we will all allow ourselves to be ourselves more.â€? “There isn’t a single person out there who isn’t insecure or wondering This was my second Gathering™, how they could be better or won- and because I had a grasp on how it

ran, I was interested in diving into its community. Upon doing this, I remembered one of the key reasons why I fell in love with music.

The best thing about the showcase is sitting next to a music supervisor at Disney one minute, eating dinner with a group of managers the next minute, and then meeting a drummer who can’t find the words to express their gratitude for living in this scene. It’s a testament to the people who genuinely care about sharing aesthetic experiences with music and the things we have given up to do so.

The Gathering™ is a showcase built on community, on the premise of remembering friends from previous lives and continuing to share in the wonderful world of music. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

THE NEWEST NOISE FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE! PHOTO BY ALEC MOORE

PHOTO BY MERRICK ALES

BAGGAGE Flint, Michigan

Life in Misophonia | Aug. 2 | Smartpunk Records RIYL: Giving back. Gaining perspective. Growing pains. “Don’t write what you don’t know� is such an obvious mantra, but it’s at the core of what makes Baggage’s debut album such an impactful, incredible listen. Featuring vocalist and bassist Jonathan “Jono� Diener, formerly of The Swellers, Life in Misophonia is a pained portrait of an artist picking up the pieces and figuring out how to keep on keepin’ on. It’s also wonderfully melodic, brimming with grungy riffs and big hooks.

Like the deepest ocean, there’s a lot happening under the surface; while the mirage is beautiful, it’s what’s inside that counts. Diener is quick to get at why Baggage’s first album connects so easily with people. “The record starts with our van dying and ends with my relatives dying,â€? he says. “You stop worrying about superficial things and care about what matters. If that doesn’t put it into perspective, I don’t know what will.â€? Most importantly, Life in Misophonia is also about giving back, something Diener does very literally behind the scenes. He’s passionate about helping his local community, having raised over $15,000 for Flint. No matter how grim the record gets, there’s a sense that propping others up is what matters. It may just help you get out of a funk too. đ&#x;’Ł

BLACK PUMAS Austin, Texas

Black Pumas | June 21 | ATO Records RIYL: Spiritual flashlights. Big cat night vision. Inspired partnership.

Black Pumas are the perfect nostalgia trip, because they’re a vehicle for progress rather than regressive mental traps. Their debut record shines a light on how to write soul-stirring jams and emanates a joyful, uplifting tone throughout. Ultimately, Black Pumas is about the joy of reality and connection through music. It’s also incredible modern soul. Vocalist Eric Burton met up with guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada and discovered that they share a similar musical vision, making Black Pumas that rare union of a good idea and a good—no, great time. “I was aiming to bare my soul in a boisterous way,â€? Burton says. “We both strive to showcase the dichotomy of [the] light and darkness of life in our writing. Every song I’ve ever written provides a way out of the darkness without shunning it altogether.â€? The band’s Motown-meets-hip-hop style is vibrant, brimming with both personality and pensive lyrics. It’s the type of music that can connect generations of people with an open mind and a half-hour to unwind. This is music that demands to be taken in with full attention.đ&#x;’Ł

BLACK SWIFT Stuttgart, Germany

Desert Rain | May 17 | Self-Released RIYL: Arid isolation. Lush encouragement. Spaghetti Westerns.

PHOTO BY STEFFEN SCHMID

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Desert Rain is the soundtrack to the feeling you get when life is at its most desperate, when it’s been six days without water, body full of wind and sunburns, and the verdant, moisture-rich valley below is just within sight. Black Swift play songs steeped in everlasting loneliness and unyielding hope. The music is the perfect counterpart to these themes, a post-punk-ified, Western-tinged, desert rock—which is to say that Black Swift hit a nerve that exists in all of us, even if some of us haven’t seen “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.â€? This push and pull between despair and optimism is masterfully tugged by the German-by-way-of-the-American-Midwest vocalist, guitarist, and lap steel player Sally Grayson. As she eloquently notes, “I want people to know that when they are in that dark place, they are not alone, and that they have the strength inside of themselves to keep moving on and to carry on.â€? If ever a band could pull off this silver lining, it’s Black Swift. Whether winners or losers—or both, aren’t we all?—Desert Rain has something for everyone. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY GABE BECERRA

COLD CURSE Central Coast, California Violent Measure | July 12 | Creator-Destructor Records RIYL: Positive outlets. Negative energy. Resisting power.

“I want people to feel this record. I think it’s perfect for circle pits, moshing, and headbanging,� guitarist and vocalist Cole Berber says, succinctly laying out Cold Curse’s mission statement. As someone who reviewed advertising for the FDA, I can confirm that this is a very fucking truthful statement. Few EPs are this damn visceral. Violent Measure doesn’t politely ask the listener to get up and jump around, it vehemently seizes your entire body until you’re moving faster than human lightning. Cold Curse’s brand of crusty, thrashy metallic hardcore is vicious and vivacious, yet there’s a care and calm to the compositions that beg for more astute listening—if your neck could only stop moving at 100 ppHPM (painfully pleasurable headbangs-per-minute). You’re damn right the riffs and rigor are old-school, and that accentuates how elemental Violent Measure feels.

It’s the perfect concoction of every fast, heavy subgenre plus more fun than should be humanly possible in 11 minutes flat. The theme of pushing back against power only augments the violent approach. Even if top-tier crossover isn’t your cup o’ coffee, it’s unlikely you’ll find a more efficient, mind-blowingly enjoyable way to spend the same amount of time it takes to evacuate said coffee. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY MORGAN FOSTER

COLD MOON Oakland, California

Rising | May 10 | Pure Noise Records RIYL: Basement jam sessions. Good memories. Great pals.

There’s a connectedness to Rising that rarely exists in debut EPs, a sense that some of these six songs are a lot older than is typical of a band’s first output. That impression is only furthered by Cold Moon’s delightfully throwback sound. Imagine a halfway point between American Football and Wilco, with a post-rock sheen that lends a brightness and comfort rarely associated with more emotional rock. All of these feelings exist because Cold Moon, in many ways, are not a new band at all. Former The Story So Far guitarist Kevin Ambrose explains, “We all grew up together and never really got the opportunity to play music with each other until we were adults. In 2016, [vocalist and guitarist] Jack [Sullivan] moved back to California for work, and actually moved in with my family while he was getting his feet set. We started playing music every night and shared some songs that had been in the inventory since we were kids. Those songs that we played in my parents’ house later grew into some of the ones we recorded for Rising.â€? Knowing that many of these songs literally grew up into this immaculate alt-rock gem only elevates the experience. This is a gorgeous record, perfect for admiring the rising sun.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

COLLAPSING SCENERY Brooklyn, New York Stress Positions | June 28 | Metropolitan Indian RIYL: Love as a weapon. Robotic hearts. Cursive references.

Art is hard, at least art that works both as an objectively pleasing enterprise and as something worthy of careful critique. Collapsing Scenery utilize the form and function of electronic sounds to create something distinctly and beautifully human. Stress Positions is a complex, sonically dense electronic album, but the way those traditional electronic instruments are used defies simple categorization and, more importantly, feels different. The why is in the how. “The jam that turned into ‘Metaphysical Cops’ [from 2016’s God’s Least Favorite], for example, was recorded in pitch darkness while we wore military-grade night vision goggles,� vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Reggie Debris notes. “That engendered not only a strange headspace but also slowed us down, as we had to adjust to seeing our interfaces and our own hands through this surreal, infrared lens.� Why make it so hard on themselves?

That’s part of the fun, and that playfulness oozes through the speakers. For all the focus on electronics and production, Stress Positions is centered on the desire to tear down power structures and empower the expression of love as the highest good. Collapsing Scenery are like genius-level robots who only want to love somebody while the world falls apart.đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 7

PHOTO BY KEVIN BAKER

GLITTERER New York City by way of Pennsylvania

HETEROFOBIA Monterrey, Mexico

Looking Through the Shades | July 12 | ANTI- Records RIYL: Glitter bombs. Vintage viewfinders. Keyboard neckties.

Queremos Ver el Mundo Arder | May 24 | Drunken Sailor Records RIYL: Pink. Punk. Pride.

As Glitterer, Ned Russin of Title Fight fame has created a perfect summer album, the sonic equivalent of a glitter bomb. Brimming with sunshiny choruses, borderline cheesy but tasteful keyboard effects, and grungy guitars, Looking Through the Shades shines a light on growing up. The project started when Russin bought a midi keyboard to fuck around with, but it feels fully fleshed out. Sure, none of the songs stick around too long, but the lasting impression is one of growth, reflection, and fun. “Generally, the record is talking about concepts of self and other, the selfishness or selflessness that creates, and the way that colors the way we see the world,â€? Russin expands. “I think it’s very convenient, especially in a time as volatile and depressing as our own, to become convinced of some very nihilistic philosophies rooted in this belief in a singular, all-important self—like the world is so beyond fixing that the only thing you can do is focus on making yourself happy or something. [‌] This record is an attempt to show how and why that is convenient and then to show why that mentality is equally as unproductive and unappealing and then, most importantly, some ideas of how we can learn to live outside such a binary.â€? Looking Through the Shades feels like “Blue Velvetâ€? meets summery jams, probing into the collective American psyche while having a blast. đ&#x;’Ł

Heterofobia means exactly what you think it does, and this Mexican band brazenly blow through any and all preconceptions of what queercore punk should be. Queremos Ver el Mundo Arder—which translates to We Want To See the World Burn en inglĂŠs—is a fiery, ferocious album. It’s unapologetic in its indictment of humanity’s ugliness, yet it’s not closed off. There’s a strong sense of community and empathy embedded in these 10 post-punk rallying cries. Heterofobia’s style is as sharp-edged as their message, with a frenetic, guttural hardcore aggression propelling the lo-fi fuzz that only adds to Queremos Ver el Mundo Arder’s sonic ferocity. Thematically, the quartet aim to highlight the injustice and oppressive forces that pervade the world around them and raze that motherfucker to the ground. “[It’s] important to talk about what my community has to go through and make our presence visible in the punk scene,â€? vocalist Dani Ă lvarez relays, “especially in a really homophobic, misogynist, and conservative city.â€? This unabashed honesty only augments the listening experience, resulting in an audacious, ambitious release worthy of a punk pride parade—after all, the first Pride was a riot.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

VANITY MUSIC GROUP proudly presents PHOTO BY RAYMOND MCCREA JONES

ILLITERATES Los Angeles & Atlanta

goddamn gun-toting junkie camaro enthusiasts | June 14 | Baby Robot Records RIYL: Instant gratification. Copious Ritalin. Red cards. goddamn gun-toting junkie camaro enthusiasts is the definition of musical instant gratification. With punchy, punctual songs propelled by a palpable sense of perfect pace, illiterates are cunning linguists in the language of psych punk. Simple categorization is impossible here but also unnecessary. If one song bores you—though there’s no chance of such an occurrence—simply wait a few seconds for the next blistering batch of boisterous bombast. This efficient mindset is clearly preplanned, and vocalist Steve Albertson concurs. “We have enforceable rules in illiterates to keep things simple. Any one of us can pull out a red card or veto to say, ‘Stop trying to work out that part and simplify,’â€? he says. “What we want most with this record is immediacy. It’s how we write the songs. It’s in the lyrics. There’s lots of political shit in here, but there’s also a bunch of songs about drugs, drinking, and sex. We’re aiming for that primal, visceral, lizard part of your brain that only understands sex and violence. We’re taking on heavy subjects like religion, power structures, and casual violence with a wink and a slap on the ass.â€? If ever you wanted to rage against the machine while getting patted on the backside consensually, illiterates are for you. đ&#x;’Ł

8 NEW NOISE

Killer melodic, progressive metal.

Features drummer John Macaluso (Ark, Labyrinth, Michael Romeo, etc.)

Las Vegas' top alternative rock act.

Features the single, "Already Gone."

www.vanitymusicgroup.com/store www.vanitymusicgroup.com

PHOTO BY JAKE CUNNINGHAM

PHOTO BY JOSHUA WEST

LURAY Richmond, Virginia

Dig | July 26 | 6131 Records RIYL: Non-“Deliverance� banjo.

Self-discovery. Comfortable discomfort.

“The music I’ve written for Luray was something I had bubbling up inside me for a long time,� singer-songwriter and banjo player Shannon Carey states. “I think [I was] hesitant to be so honest and put myself out there. It was only after I started learning banjo—I had previously played guitar—that a part of me opened up. I think being a ‘beginner’ in that way helped me get out of my head and be more intuitive with the songs.�

She’s spot-on, as there’s an elemental, soul-bearing character to her second album. Dig does, er, dig up some rather poignant and powerful personal anecdotes, as the record was written during a period of self-discovery after a divorce, but it’s not a morose, meandering musical journey, and Luray aren’t lured into the swamp of self-deprecation. Dig feels like a form of therapy, and the wistful, barebones nature of the music only adds to the album’s power. Carey comes from Virginia, and there’s a spiritual yet folksy aspect to her compositions that matches her haunted and haunting voice. This isn’t peppy listening, but for those willing to dig a little deeper, Luray are magical stuff.đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ASHLYN HUBENAK EDITED BY CAM PERKINS

THE OFFERING Boston

Home | Aug. 2 | REDMUSIC & Century Media RIYL: Charles Darwin. “Timeless.� Rob fucking Halford.

Home is a truly exceptional album, let alone a freaking debut, from the most promising new metal band around. The Offering’s take on metal feels both ancient and advanced, like the best aspects of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal made more extreme yet impossibly catchy. Elements of thrash, death, groove, power, prog, metalcore, and even black metal can be heard, but there’s a massive dose of first-wave theatricality that recalls Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Home is that extremely rare offering with both widespread appeal and mouthwatering talent, so fans can have their shred cake and headbang while they try to eat it too. “Even though the band is ‘new,’ we’re all 26 years old and have spent ample time listening to music of all genres, honing our musical proficiency, and most importantly, living a lot of life asking the important questions as we’ve pursued this dream,â€? guitarist Nishad George says. “The aim of this album was to put those cumulative experiences into one work of art, because great records always have a great personal statement woven into them.â€? That personal touch imbues Home with an introspective look at self-worth, spirituality, and mental illness. It’s an album of the times that will stand the test of time. đ&#x;’Ł

PROPER. Brooklyn, New York

I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better July 26 | Big Scary Monsters RIYL: Exoduses. Dunking on Redditors. Polite middle fingers.

Thank god Erik Garlington got the fuck out of the Bible Belt.

Otherwise, fans might not have been gifted with the most passionate and endearing alt-rock album in years. Proper. tug on preconceived notions of Black identity, punk identity, queer identity, religious identity, and the ways they’re allowed to intersect, and I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better perfectly encapsulates the honest optimism Garlington excels at—even if that’s a newfound mental state. Despite past hardships, Proper. 2.0 are buoyant. “I wanted to show that people can always grow and change and that that isn’t a bad thing,� the vocalist and guitarist says. “The me that wrote the first record hated where he was in life and felt like he’d be alone forever. Some of those songs I wrote at 22 when I was at my most angry. I’m 28 now.

The person that wrote this record is married, finally found a loving friend group, and has a family in his bandmates. I want people to listen to this record and feel hopeful about their future.â€? Garlington gets his wish. Proper. don’t play sappy or sullen tunes. Instead, their widescreen approach allows the full spectrum of life to present itself, resulting in a fantastic album that makes you want to get better too. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

SO SENSITIVE Brooklyn, New York

SPIDER Long Beach, California

THE WARHAWKS Gloucester City, NJ

Bedroom Drama is both curious and genius. Kira Clark and Keith McGraw used to be the dark doom-rock act Muscle And Marrow before a creative spark ignited into this pyrotechnic display of discomfiting, subversive synthpop. So Sensitive are elevated camp, reveling in the majesty of bubblegum bombast yet stacked with sonic density and deceptively complex, conflicting ideas. “We were on tour, and I was feeling a little bit isolated per usual,� Clark notes. “I really did struggle a little bit in the scene that we found ourselves in. It was hard touring in the middle of the country and feeling like the spaces were certainly not welcoming to women. We were in the van, and I think we were listening to Mariah Carey or something like that, and I just had this realization that I could, if I wanted, try to make music that sounded like what I so often liked to listen to, that there was nothing really stopping me—except not being a pop genius like her, of course.� Clark’s being coy, as “Lipstick� may be the single catchiest pop song in years. “I was interested in the collision of those two things, a world in which a song feels familiar structurally and melodically but lyrically unsettling,� Clark continues. “Music can make you feel good and surprise you. You can move your body to something that also makes you a little uncomfortable.�

There’s little if any discomfort once Bedroom Drama fully sinks in—unless you’re paying attention to the lyrics, of course. đ&#x;’Ł

Spider stand out among the typical The New What Next fare despite being fiercely DIY. For one, vocalist Hector Martinez not only went to law school but also attained his LL.M. in intellectual property law. Second, Spider aren’t a new band, merely a happenstance resurrection of one you absolutely should know—whether you know you knew them before this very moment or not. Spider play a very SoCal version of frenetic punk, though they love Black Flag so much that they cover “Depressionâ€? as they storm the beach with this, ahem, energetic EP. It’s a huge credit that not only do they nail the cover, the other two songs on Energy Gone Wrong may be even better than the D.C. hardcore classic. Thematically, the record revolves around the idea of how energy can go haywire and how to course correct. “I like to let the lyrics speak for themselves, and I try not to deconstruct anything too much,â€? Martinez states, “but themes of existentialism are usually heavy and in the forefront. I was a philosophy major in college, so that stuff is always floating around in the back of my mind and informs my creative side. I wanted to talk about embracing the power to create under the specter of death. I want to destroy myths, and I want to have fun!â€? đ&#x;’Ł

Despite all that you hear about the “Armpit of America,â€? New Jersey is a lovely place, full of gorgeous green space—a veritable Garden State, if you will—lovely scenic vistas, and wonderful people who are working hard to make a better life for their families. There’s an appreciation for the little things while keeping up the prototypically fast East Coast pace. That approach suits The Warhawks very well on their stellar new album, Never Felt So Good. This is heartfelt, Springsteen- and Petty-worshipping melodic punk at its purest, but there’s no sugarcoating going on, no glossing over reality. “The record is a snapshot of our lives,â€? vocalist and guitarist Matt Orlando explains. “We tried to be as honest as possible, including all of the highs and lows. That’s where the title comes from. On one hand, the phrase can be taken from the perspective of someone who’s never felt better than they are feeling in that moment. On the other hand, it could be from someone who is realizing that they’ve never really felt too good about life at all.â€? The result is a collection of nine songs that stick with you long after they’re over and an album you don’t want to end. đ&#x;’Ł

Bedroom Drama | Aug. 2 | Soft Boy Songs RIYL: Crying. Empathy. Synths.

Energy Gone Wrong | July 19 | MVD Entertainment Group RIYL: Kinetic. Thermal. Electromagnetic.

Never Felt So Good | Jan. 18 | Self-Released RIYL: “The Game of Life.� Snapshots. Glass at half capacity.

NEW NOISE 9

EXPERIMENTAL HEALING

BANDAID BRIGADE INTERVIEW WITH ZACH QUINN AND BRIAN WAHLSTROM BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

s musical genres burn up like Goodyears on a Camaro, Bandaid Brigade are hitting the gas on a Z28 straight out of 1982. They’re bringing a different punk rock idea—emphasis on rock—to the streets in the form of their debut release, I’m Separate. The music video for their first single, “Travel Light,� hits June 27.

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“Me and [vocalist and pianist] Brian [Wahlstrom] started touring together, doing One Week [Records] stuff with Joey Cape, and we kind of had a mutual love for all kinds of things musical,� says vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Zach Quinn, who is best known as the vocalist for PEARS. “We started writing stuff together, and I don’t know—it kind of just fell into place.

We wanted to be partners.�

Black In Bluhm Music. “We just hoped that it would work out, because we were doing something we’ve never done before,�

Quinn says. “We’ve never been like, ‘OK, this, this part is going to be like Genesis.’ I’ve never done that before. So, that was absolutely—I mean, the whole thing was a leap of faith.�

Fans of Quinn, Wahlstrom, and Rucker’s other bands may wonder if this is a joke.

It’s what one might hear on a Rodney Dangerfield DJ playlist on the set of “Caddyshack.� Maybe less Journey and more Gary Numan beating Emerson, Lake & Palmer in a knife fight and taking their stuff. There are no Keith Emerson organ solos here. This is not a joke. It’s tight. The music has a sense of humor, but it comes from a cathartic place.

In the studio in Denver, with emotions and creativity flowing from so much loss, Quinn and Wahlstrom wrote the lyrics for I’m Separate on the fly. They put their lives on permanent historical display, and Fogal mixed it down. The catharsis is real, pure, and enduring for both musicians. “It was easily the most magical, effortless experience I’ve had in the studio,� Quinn says.

It got dark during their studio time, but Bandaid Brigade emerged with a light

sound and a record full of deep themes.

Conversely, they had nothing but fun putting together the music video for “Travel Light,â€? and it shows on the screen. “That’s kind of the secret, you know?â€? Quinn says. “I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned in the last 10 years is to trust your gut. When you’re just too busy having fun to even notice that you’re getting work done is when you’re doing the right shit.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

Bandaid Brigade offer late ’70s and early “I literally, physically, drove into Colorado ’80s rock influence with a backbeat pro- one person and came out a totally differvided by Paul Rucker of Armchair Martian. ent person,� Wahlstrom says. “Basically, I drove in and my car just fucking blew Wahlstrom, who also plays in Gods Of up two hours outside of Denver. I had to Mount Olympus, says, “It started to define get a tow truck to the studio. They had a itself after the drums started to get laid broken-down car in the parking lot for a down. I’d say that involving Paul was like a week, trying to figure out what to do with critical kind of moment. His style—he loves that. Meanwhile, [we’re] trying to work on ’80s rock. That’s kind of what he did. He grew up in the punk scene, but ’80s, ’70s rock, the beginnings of a record, and then, the second day, my wife just decided to bail. that’s his thing. It just totally fit for him.�

That was rough, but it’s crazy because of the people who I had around me at The band recorded in Denver with Chris Fogal of The Gamits at Fogal’s studio, that time.�

WRECK AND REFERENCE INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST FELIX SKINNER BY CALEB R NEWTON

os Angeles duo Wreck And Reference deliver a somehow simultaneously abrasive and soothing fever dream of immersive experimentation on their new album, Absolute Still Life, released July 19 via San Francisco label The Flenser.

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Seeing their latest work as a “fever dream� is not at all a mischaracterization according to multi-instrumentalist Felix Skinner, who says that its foundation was laid when he and bandmate Ignat Frege turned to frenzied creation in response to actual sickness last winter. “We came down with the same strain of flu—we had shared a bottle of something we found on the bus—and both spent the weekend in our respective beds racked with a terrible hallucinatory fever,� Skinner explains. “On Monday, we emerged like newborn babes with a dozen or so pages of chaotic nonsense scribbled on paper that neither of us remembered writing. Those scrawls became the basis of the new album.�

As one might expect, that genesis led to an album that’s unique and complex essentially any way you look at it, and Skinner jokes that the band tried to get sick again after their winter incident just to capture some more inspiration.

Wreck And Reference tend toward icy, swirling tones and alternate sharing their

10 NEW NOISE

strikingly vivid lyrics between subdued but personality-packed spoken-word vocals and straightforwardly harsh vocal work that, while still accessible, burdens the listener and adds to the music’s subtly creeping physical force. They’ve combined these various strands that, in their purity, feel drawn right from the natural and unnatural environments around them, focusing the weight of those forces and dragging observers down into an unpredictable confrontation with a slow, steady collective devolution into resigned madness.

Skinner has a memorable vision of what scenario best suits Absolute Still Life, describing the emotional place it sits as “somewhere in the desert. Tumbleweed. Storm clouds on the horizon. An iPhone with a bullet lodged in the screen is propped against a cactus, which is really a poorly disguised cell phone tower. A bearded, bedraggled man is crawling across the horizon, like in all of those New Yorker cartoons, except he doesn’t have anything clever to say. He’s just thirsty, and his skin is peeling off from the sunburn.�

Ultimately, Wreck And Reference’s latest feels like a decidedly modern creation—an iPhone with a bullet lodged in its screen couldn’t appear on a battlefield 100 years ago, after all—but at the same time, Absolute Still Life presents a very human perspective on the messes created by our particular technologically advanced society.

Skinner has experienced plenty of this mess himself, sharing, “How did we get here? The only way we know how—determinism, baby. Which raindrop broke the levee? It’s all so cumulative and opaque.

At this point, Apple and Google probably know more about who I am and how I got here than I do.�

Discussing how the band captured these moods with their new album’s tones, Skinner acknowledges the push-and-pull we’re all trapped in, quipping, “Detached but dramatic is what online life is all about these days, and online life is what offline life is all about these days, so it all seems pretty natural, no?â€? đ&#x;’Ł

ROCK 'N' ROLL PRODUCERS

RIVERSIDE ODDS INTERVIEW WITH FRONTMAN RW HELLBORN BY KELLY MCGOWAN

no one really knew what to expect—not even Eddie,� Hellborn admits. “We spent two 10-hour days in our rehearsal space with him, and by the end of the second day, everything really started to come together for all of us. There was this obvious excitement building in us all in how we were able to work together to make these songs the best they could be. It’s impossible to state how much we really learned from Eddie, especially when it came to understanding how a song can change, even in the last minute in the studio.�

iverside Odds are a ferociously fast rock ’n’ roll band out of Philadelphia who released their second album, Get Into It, on June 7.

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The album was produced by none other than Supersuckers vocalist and bassist Eddie Spaghetti and released on legendary punk imprint Altercation Records. As one would expect with those two names behind it, Get Into It totally rips! “We are so proud of what we’ve accomplished with this new album,� Riverside Odds frontman RW Hellborn says. “It’s fucking incredible—and I know I’m supposed to say that, but take a listen for yourself, and you’ll know we aren’t blowing smoke up your ass. It’s fast and loud. It’s rock ’n’ roll songs about rock ’n’ roll things.�

“He knew what we wanted to accomplish, and he knew how to get us there, which really helped with all the stress of recording an album,� Hellborn continues. “He helped us to capture our onstage ‘Speed-Punk Rock-N-Roll’ sound in the studio, where we spent 14 hours a day for five days tracking the album. Then, on the last day in the studio, we called it done around 3 a.m.�

Get Into It marks the first time Riverside Odds have worked with an outside producer, and Spaghetti far surpassed their expectations.

“Then, Eddie and I ran to catch a flight—because the Supersuckers had a show in New Mexico that night,â€? Hellborn concludes. “Now, that is rock ’n’ fucking roll, baby!â€?đ&#x;’Ł

“This was our first time working with a producer, and going to work with Eddie,

TITUS ANDRONICUS INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST PATRICK STICKLES BY JOHN B. MOORE

hose thrown by Titus Andronicus’ I didn’t know that before, and I wouldn’t fantastic but surprisingly mellow have assumed that he’d even heard of us last album, 2018’s A Productive before,� Stickles says. “I also happened to Cough, can revel once again in the band’s know Michael Azerrad who wrote the book louder, more raucous side. Just a year after ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life: [Scenes it’s predecessor, the New Jersey band are From the American Indie Underground, back with An Obelisk, nearly 40 minutes of 1981–1991],’ and he became the cowriter ferocious rock layered with witty lyrics. or editor of Bob’s [2013] memoir, [‘See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody.’] I said to him, ‘You think Bob would produce According to vocalist and guitarist Patrick a record for us?’ He asked Bob if it was OK Stickles, the band had every intention of to give us his email address, and he said OK, following up their softer record with a so we kind of just took it from there.� sound more familiar to their fans.

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months away. Once we’re in the thick of it, I may be kicking myself and trying to figure out what was going on in my crazy mind

when I agreed to this. What am I saying, ‘agreed to it’? It was my idea.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY RAY CONCEPCION

“It’s all part of the master plan,� Stickles says. The mutual adoration between the band and the punk rock godfather extended out“I had an interest in performing live in a more acoustic, singer-songwriter capacity, side the studio as well, with Titus Andronicus opening a slew of U.S. shows for Mould’s which we did in supporting that album. It’s always been among my musical interests, 40th anniversary tour in early 2019. ballads and more traditional songs with country leanings. There’s some of that on all “Bob Mould fans want to rock, and you don’t of the albums. I’ve been interested in that want to get up onstage before Bob Mould all the way back to the debut, [2008’s The comes on and be sleepwalking, because Airing of Grievances], but it wasn’t until last you know he’s going to burn the place year that I thought my career was in such down,� Stickles says. “Forty years in, and a place that it would be prudent to pursue he’s really still coming with the thunder, so that in the focus that we did.� we couldn’t be slacking off—and that goes for being in the studio with him as well.�

An Obelisk, like the album before it, is on Merge Records. It came out on June 21.

Titus Andronicus will have plenty of opportunity to bring the thunder for their own headlining shows as they trek across the When it came time to find a producer, Titus continent supporting An Obelisk for most of Andronicus were able to convince one of the summer and fall. their musical heroes and labelmates, Bob Mould, to help them out. “This one is clearly ambitious with 63 cities in North America, but to me, that should “Around the time [Mould] came out with be the standard,� Stickles says. “Some of his Patch the Sky album a few years ago [in 2016], I read a profile of him where he men- these musicians are fucking lazy. Again, tioned that he liked Titus Andronicus’ music. that’s easy for me to say when it’s a couple

NEW NOISE 11

GOING THE DISTANCE

DROWNS INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST AARON REV BY JOHN B. MOORE

t seems like the biggest obstacle to “All of The Drowns were well-seasoned veterans of the punk rock touring world with The Drowns forming in the first place over 50 years of combined experience,� was timing. Featuring members of says vocalist and guitarist Aaron Rev, best Success, Time Again, and Madcap, it took a slowdown in all of their respective proj- known for his time with Seattle-based band ects for the group to finally come together. Success. “We were also just buds who all

I

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

songs for the 7� shortly after writing the first full-length—and we immediately started writing after that too. We are trying to constantly be pumping out quality material.�

The visual design of The Sound—with a printed polybag that lines up with the sleeve to show a gridded street map of Seattle overlaid on a shot of the city, then a photo of Mount Rainer on the back—is one of those elements that can only come from a band of record collectors.

had a few projects slow down at the same time. The universe was on our side when everything came to the timing of starting this band. We all had the same understanding on a sound, what the band should stand for, and running the band with a blue-collar work ethic. It all came together pretty “We are collectors for sure,� Rev says, “and quickly because of these prerequisites.� we all still believe in the heart that goes in to the whole process of developing Even with their commitments to other an album, art and packaging included. groups, don’t confuse this as just another That’s why we truly lucked out by teaming one-off side project. up with the great folks at Pirates Press Records. They have the exact same passion “This is our band,� Rev says. “It was always about the process of making an album meant to be. We knew it was right from that we do. They actually took the reins on the minute we started, and that’s why the album art and layout themselves, and we hit the ground runnin’. We are gonna they knocked it out of the park.� keep pushing as hard as we have since day one.�

Despite half of the members living in Seattle and the other half calling Los Angeles The band, who turned in their debut LP, their home base, the distance did little to View From the Bottom, in 2018, quickly slow The Drowns down. found their way back into the studio for their latest 7â€?, The Sound, released via “In this day and age, the long distance Pirates Press Records on June 7. barely affects us,â€? Rev says. “We send each other sound clips and videos during “I mentioned our blue-collar, work- the writing process and communicate ing-class ethic before, but it truly has on song structure a lot. When it comes to been playing a role in this band,â€? Rev practicing, we are all rippers who have says of the speed with which The Drowns been in the game for a long time. We can got right back to work. “We wrote the handle most practice on our own time.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

SANCTION INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MIKE MARINO BY NATALEE COLOMAN

ew York hardcore band Sanction released their sophomore full-length, Broken in Refraction, via Pure Noise Records on July 26. The album is described by guitarist Mike Marino as a fine-tuned and heavier version of their 2017 debut, The Infringement of God’s Plan. Alongside their excitement for the new record, the band are also touring with Stick To Your Guns, Counterparts, Terror, and Year Of The Knife on the Pure Noise Tour in July and August.

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Writing Broken in Refraction was a very unique experience for the band. Fighting the cold of winter in Ontario, Canada, they were time-crunched during the writing and perfecting of their album while the new, unfamiliar environment sparked inspiration. “We spent the whole week there writing and finishing it up. It was crazy, since we’ve never done anything like that before,� Marino shares. “Being there was just a weird experience while being very memorable at the same time.�

song. “Shattering Man,� the album’s 10th track, was originally scrapped, because Sanction were running on short on time and couldn’t perfect it. However, they rewrote the entire thing with only a few days to spare while on their trip up north. “The way it came together makes that song stick out to me the most easily.

I think the situation I was in when I was writing that song was unforgettable,�

Marino shares. He even considers the grim and depressing environment of Canada in the middle of winter to be the best place to write music.

Broken in Refraction was officially released to the public in the middle of the Pure Noise Tour, and while Sanction didn’t have an official celebratory plan

Sanction have spent the past year and a half touring on and off and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “Getting to tour full-time has just been awesome,�

Marino says. “Having that lifestyle change so quickly and drastically has been pretty weird, but this is what I want to do, so it’s incredibly amazing.�

Some of Marino’s favorite spots on tour include Toronto and Belgium for the beautiful scenery. He looks forward to meeting fans in Japan in the near future.

The pressures of creating a cohesive, Marino mentions that one of their craraw sound led to one of Marino’s fa- ziest experiences on tour was in London. vorite memories from writing Broken “There were people going absolutely in Refraction and his overall favorite crazy, singing all the words to our songs

12 NEW NOISE

in a country I’ve never been before,� he explains. “It’s super endearing, and it’s a really good feeling.�

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BYCHOLSKI

for the release date, Detroit fans might have received an extra surprise at their July 26 show. The Pure Noise Tour concludes on Aug. 24 in Santa Ana, California, and fans can expect additional tour dates overseas throughout the rest of 2019. đ&#x;’Ł

SWISS IMPORTS

HEROD

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/BASSIST PIERRE CARROZ BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER ome bands are so in touch with theme and concept that they are able to write an entire album that tells a cohesive story. The latest from Vevey, Switzerland’s Herod, Sombre Dessein, released in February via Pelagic Records, focuses on civilization, heritage, and the human condition.

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“The concept of the album is about the end of our Judeo-Christian and thermo-industrial civilization,� guitarist and bassist Pierre Carroz says. “The artwork and video clip are made up from footage of ‘shipbreakers,’ people who dismantle huge container ships, which end up mooring to die on Indian or Bangladeshi shores. The

concept is a visual image of the abyss of the human consumption project, which turns out to be hell on earth for these people whose everyday work involves constantly risking their lives to feed their families.�

The band were inspired to use ships as a metaphor for the destruction present in the world because of a Denis Delestrac documentary from 2016.

“When [vocalist and guitarist] Michael [Pilat] and I worked on the lyrics, I came up with a concept made out of ideas and punchlines I had been collecting for a few months,� Carroz continues. “At that time, I was reading the works of a French philosopher, Michel Onfray, who introduced me to the idea of the inescapable end of our civilization. We all have studied the history of ancient civilizations that have collapsed at some point, but it is like we cannot face the idea that we might reach the end of our civilization that started about 2,000 years ago. After brainstorming with Mike, we decided to build the lyrics with the concept of the rise and fall of a dictator, which is also a tip of the cap to King Herod.�

While they tackled some deeper lyrical “I had the idea of the ‘shipbreakers’ when themes on Sombre Dessein, Herod’s writI saw the documentary ‘Freightened: [The ing and recording process was similar to Real Price of Shipping],’â€? Carroz says. that of their previous album, 2014’s They “That talks about the cargo freight that Were None. ships 90 percent of what we consume in social, economic, and environmentally “Production-wise, we worked the same disastrous conditions. I thought this idea way as on our previous record,â€? Carroz was a strong statement of the madness of confirms. “I bring the riffs and someour blind consumption project and the times arranged structures, and we work fact that we’re all concerned. Afterward, together with [drummer] Fabien [Vodoz] I looked for documentaries that talk spe- and [guitarist] Bertrand [Pot] to build cifically about the shipbreaking in India the tracks. Mike came in at the end of and Bangladesh in order to do the design the process with the vocal arrangeand the video clip for the track ‘Fork ments, and he’s also playing a baritone Tongue’ featuring Sir William Steer of the guitar onstage.â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł mighty Carcass.â€?

THE JACKETSÂ INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER CHRIS ROSALES BY TOM CRANDLE

hile rock ’n’ roll often struggles to find an audience in the U.S., it continues to thrive in Europe.

That’s in part due to bold, new, genre-defying bands like The Jackets. The Swiss trio are made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Jackie Brutsche, drummer and backing vocalist Chris Rosales, and bassist and backing vocalist Samuel Schmidiger. They combine the best of garage, psychedelia, acid, punk, trash, and blues to cook up their tasty rock ’n’ roll stew.

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The Jackets dropped their fourth fulllength, Queen of the Pill, on Voodoo Rhythm Records on June 14. Rosales, a California native, has some insight into European fans’ differing preferences. “Europeans really like quirky, arty, classic, and simple rock ’n’ roll styles like three-chord garage, punk, groovy power pop, and bluesy, swampy, clangy noise.

Bands like Wall Of Voodoo, The Fleshtones, DEVO, Gun Club, and The Cramps are absolutely worshiped here as gods,� he explains. “Different ears? Better taste?

Who really knows the answer, but there are enough European kids who want to listen to real rock ’n’ roll to push the scene to festival levels.�

He’s less optimistic about a rock revival in the States. “I believe that most kids are

drawn to rock ’n’ roll instinctively,� Rosales opines. “I just think there is too much competition from games, social media, me-culture, bad radio, and the race to be in with the next big thing for most kids to have the opportunity to find real rock ’n’ roll in the USA.�

Rosales says the band’s members aren’t bothered by The Jackets being referred to with the out-of-fashion term “female-fronted.� “We don’t have a problem with it. We’re proud of it even, but it’s clear that Jackie’s female-ness isn’t the only thing that makes us what we are,� he says. “Jackie is Jackie, and she happens to be a woman. Besides the fact that she has a ‘female voice,’ we really don’t feel that there is anything particularly female about our band.�

and vulnerability� according to Rosales. “A great mix! The songs work together in a seamless way,� he says. “There is a sensory overload with groovy hooks and mesmerizing backing harmonies with cutting fuzz.�

ern clarity. Garage impresario King Khan assisted in production and songwriting and has pushed the band into exciting new musical territory. The catchiness of The Jackets is undeniable this time around.Â

A lot of talented hands have touched Queen of the Pill, and it shows. Berlin-based recording engineer Nene Barrato of Big Snuff Studio has created a sonically diverse record that sounds vintage but has a mod-

Rosales’ shortest and most enthusiastic response comes when asked if he thinks the world is ready for a female guitar hero. “Fuck yeah!â€? he concludes.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY INAKI ESNAOLA

“She is the lead guitar player and singer in our band,� he asserts. “Period.�

Brutsche’s guitar and voice are the focal point, but The Jackets are truly a group effort. “Jackie gets a lot of attention, but internally, the band is very balanced when it comes to responsibility, decisions, songwriting, and even space onstage,� Rosales describes.

Ultimately, Queen of the Pill is about good songs and quality musicianship. Lyrically, it explores the dual concepts of “confidence

NEW NOISE

13

IMPENDING DOOM

ALL OUT WAR INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST MIKE SCORE BY HUTCH

ocalist Mike Score of New York’s All Out War is again addressing the masses to illuminate the fact that they are not condemned to suffer—but destruction is impending, and society’s current embrace of ignorance and consumer convenience only hastens its arrival.

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In his 25 years of screaming over metal-driven hardcore, Score’s main targets have been politicians and organized religion. All Out War—who reformed their classic lineup from 1998’s For Those Who Were Crucified six years ago—have been reinvigorated and have resumed dominating stages. They returned on July 26 with a new album, Crawl Among the Filth; a new producer, John Naclerio; and a new label, courtesy of Stigmata and Bulldog Courage’s Buddy Armstrong and his Unbeaten Records.

As a high school history teacher for 13plus years, Score comments that he never avoids discussing weighty subjects with his students. He simply refrains from spouting his opinions in a blustery manner. “You want to give kids the ability to engage in critical thinking,� he asserts. “You want to give them the information and hope they

Score revels in the freedom 2019 offers use critical-thinking skills to piece all of to him and his bandmates in All Out War. this together—and history is a great tool to do this, because you decipher prima- “We’re not tied to any label. We’ve been working with friends, and it is so much ry-source documents and understand better,� he shares. “Now, it’s people what has been going on for centuries and who are super behind the band. Now, deduce that nothing has changed.� it’s fantastic. It’s what you dreamed of This empathy drives Score’s job as a teacher. doing as a kid. You just make a kickass record, your friend puts it out, and we His lyrics are somewhat more jarring, but they have a different audience. Either way, do some shows. We’re not trying to be rock stars, and they’re not looking to be Score’s goal is to make critical thinking a millionaires.� habit. “Government and organized religion depend on followers,� he says. “They want PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO you to blindly follow and not think, because it upsets the system. They want people to blindly support and consume. That’s what they want. That’s the endgame.�

The world is a tumultuous realm. Tracks like “What Was Becomes Undone� and the bleak “Septic Infestation� grace Crawl Among the Filth, and it is on songs like these that Score delves deeper into current issues that beacon the world’s demise. “People have to start opening their eyes and see this is all economically driven,� he argues, “and not economically for you and me but for people who have more money than we could possibly even understand.�

WORMED INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER GABRIEL “V-KAZARâ€? VALCĂ ZAR

BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON

be the key to their labyrinthine battery? “I’m “For me, WORMED’s music has always not saying we’re going to start playing pop been about mixing technical [and] brutal anytime soon—or ever,â€? ValcĂĄzar laughs, passages with more stripped-down, groovy parts,â€? drummer Gabriel “V-Kazarâ€? Val- “but I believe mixing the two types of elesystem is a critical understanding of space ments, [technicality and pop], in a cohesive cĂĄzar notes. “I personally really enjoy and and form. An archetypal song from the admire the technicality behind a lot of ex- way can help us, or any other band, stand Madrid-based outfit relies on both insane out from the rest.â€? treme metal music, but it can be dismissed chops and deft songcraft, the latter being or ignored more easily if it doesn’t have a the main ingredient that makes the band ValcĂĄzar’s the new guy. He joined the band catchy element to it.â€? so scrumptious. WORMED paint a picture in 2018 after the sudden, tragic passing of of a world that one can fully inhabit, exGuillermo “G-Caleroâ€? Calero. His backperiencing it in a multidimensional fashion, Not that WORMED are catchy, but ValcĂĄzar highlights a crucial component of their in- ground in classical and jazz is right up never stuck in one place for too long, always WORMED’s alley. ValcĂĄzar says his knowltricate design. The band are able to achieve redirecting to the next shimmering light. edge of music theory certainly helps with a level of abstraction that masks any direct distinction of the forms they use. In a way, learning and writing new music, but with Their new four-song EP, Metaportal, was WORMED, it’s “sometimes better to ‘feel’ the they hide their intentions. Could pop music released July 19 via Season Of Mist. parts out rather than analyzing them and counting beats.â€?

ORMED may play at speeds that

of a different universe, but W are centering their whole tech-death

Armstrong’s Unbeaten is slinging Crawl Among the Filth by pressing it on some killer colored vinyl, and Score is happy to release something fans will want to buy. The fans have supported this decision. “[This release is] much more relaxed,� Score adds. “Presales are already doing pretty well, so that’s good for Buddy, but there is no big pressure to be on the road and push the record.

Hopefully, people will dig the record and buy it.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

plex. The band’s signature atmosphere is omnipresent, yet the variation on each song is substantial. It’s music that’s ripe for introspection. “I guess there’s a subconscious effort to make every track stand out on its own but still make them feel like a coherent single piece of art when joining them, even throughout different releases,â€? ValcĂĄzar says. “Some elements change from release to release, such as band members, production quality, musical ability, but overall, every release has the same base, and every release sounds like WORMED.â€?

Listening to Metaportal causes a deep change in direction. There’s a real sense of artificial aggression. It may be about distant nightmare galaxies, but it mirrors the world in which we live. Like the abstract expressionism that blossomed in New York City in the 1940s, WORMED create music that is both paradoxical and human. It showcases a darkness that is ever-present yet continually hidden.

“I don’t think the Earth is going to be able to host all of its lifeforms for very long, considering the amount of damage the Nowhere is this process more apparent human species has done in such a relatively than on the EP closer, “E-Xystem://CE,â€? a small time,â€? ValcĂĄzar explains. “On top of song he wrote that possesses immense that, it’s sad to still see so much violence space and subtle direction. “The other guys and discrimination between people due asked me if I could write a more ‘experi- to differences that shouldn’t really matter mental’ song for the EP, so I tried creating at all. The story told by WORMED’s music a more atmospheric song with lots of layers might as well be a plausible scenario in the and dissonance, without being too chaotic,â€? future: human life is completely gone, and he notes. the universe is dominated by technology.

Maybe some AIs are already getting ideas The song’s tranquil quality has a strong from our lyrics,â€? he laughs. effect: the listener drifts away hazily like in no other WORMED song. It’s still very much We better enjoy the beauty that is their creation, simply a next-level WORMED, WORMED’s music now—before it really is a new dimension in an ever-growing multi- too late. đ&#x;’Ł

14 NEW NOISE

KITCHEN SINK APPROACH

CHERUBS INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST KEVIN WHITLEY BY BRIAN O’NEILL PHOTO BT ALISON NARRO

Atlanta group who helped spearhead the new wave of American noise.

Alongside newer bands such as Pissed Jeans and METZ, a reformed Jesus Lizard were touring, there were documentaries about Amphetamine Reptile Records, and more people started asking about a Cherubs reunion. “We started hearing pokes through Facebook, through social media,�

Whitley recalls. “‘What are you guys doing?

We’ve got this band here that’s playing this music, and we love Heroin Man!’ It’s like, ‘How did you know about Heroin Man?’�

“

hen I thought about that the other day, I thought, ‘It is all back-asswards,’� guitarist and vocalist Kevin Whitley concedes about the trajectory of Cherubs.

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He’s not wrong. The Texas band signed a deal with fellow Austinite and Butthole Surfer King Coffey’s Trance Syndicate before ever playing a show. They broke up before their defining 1994 album, Heroin Man, was released. The trio— rounded out by vocalist and bassist Owen McMahon and drummer Brent Prager—went their separate ways, barely keeping in contact for two decades.

None of them played very much. That should have been the end of it, except it wasn’t. It was just back-asswards.

Immaculada High, on July 26. “Specific songs sometimes feel like, ‘Oh, this thing has just been sitting in this freaking formaldehyde jar,’â€? Whitley explains. “There’s a song on the new record called ‘Old Lady Shoe’ that feels like it could have been on Heroin Man. [‌] This record has a bunch of weirdo shit on it, and I’m saying that as, supposedly, a bona fide weirdo! So, if I’m saying that, then for us, it is a very weird thing that’s going to be happening with this record.â€?

Despite this, Immaculada High might be the poppiest collection of songs Cherubs have ever unleashed. “I think that’s true. I think, for us, a perfect song would be if we could just play a riff that we absolutely love for 15 minutes and just fucking play it harder and harder and harder and harder and never change,� Whitley says. “But there’s also something in us—we all grew up with Candy-O [by The Cars].�

The 2013 Cherubs tribute album, Everyone’s Dead Before They Leave, ultimately On July 14, Cherubs played in Philly with Low Dose. The band’s vocalist, Itarya helped push the band back together. “We Rosenberg, gushed about how she was were so shocked and honored and a little emotional about it that we thought, ‘Well, listening to Cherubs when she was 16 years fuck, man. These people really care,’â€? old before joining them for a version of Whitley says modestly. “We should take “Shooflyâ€? from their 1992 debut, Icing. This is ourselves a little seriously—at least seri- even funnier considering that Whitley has a ously enough for the people who we’ve daughter who is about to turn that age. “She had friends at school who were asking her Cherubs possessed a dark, stark, per- actually made a difference to.â€? about our show, because they were going cussive form of angular aggression that with their dads to our show in Austin,â€? he was sophisticated enough to sample XTC “We thought, ‘OK, the kids are going to enjoy this, but we certainly aren’t,’â€? he laughs, but smiles. “She’s coming out of her theater class, but organic enough to have critics toss the it turns out that Cherubs got way more than and there’s her friend who’s going, [and] he grunge tag at them. They could have been they anticipated. Their 2015 comeback goes, ‘Hey, I can’t wait to go to your show!’â€? relegated as a cult curiosity amongst aging album, 2 Ynfynyty, and a 2016 split with Gay Lollapaloozers who would regale young punks about how great they were, but even- Witch Abortion begat a 2018 reissue of the “My daughter’s rolling her eyes like, ‘Oh tually, the tide began to turn. “I remember, 1996 Short of Popular odds-and-sods collec- my god, this is so embarrassing,’â€? Whitley tion and a new deal with Relapse Records, recounts, “but I’m like, ‘This is the best thing specifically for us, when we were starting to who just released the band’s latest album, to ever happen to me!’â€?đ&#x;’Ł hear about Whores.,â€? Whitley says about the

“There was always vague talk of getting the band back together, but after 10 years, 15 years, I didn’t—� Whitley trails off the same way all that time did. “Noise music went away. I mean, I paid attention to music fairly consistently this whole time. Unsane maybe stayed around, but who else was around?�

ENFORCED INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST KNOX COLBY AND GUITARIST WILL WAGSTAFF BY HUTCH

nforced are another killer band from the fertile soil of Richmond, Virginia. Their debut LP, At the Walls, just dropped on July 19 via WAR Records and includes reworked demo tracks from 2016 and 2017, plus two new songs.

Guitarist Will Wagstaff describes the sound as fusing “punk, heavy metal, and hardcore.

It’s almost limitless in terms of song structure, riff ideas, you name it.�

E

death, hardcore, crossover, etc., you’ll like us. As for divebombs, the whammy bar just adds so much dynamic range to the guitar. It allows you to do tons of stuff you just can’t do with a fixed bridge—not only divebombs but other effects-type stuff. There’s tons of stuff on the record you wouldn’t think is done with a whammy bar, but [it] is.�

topic or theme. It’s usually content that I’ve been ruminating about, and the lyrics are mainly a topic being mulled over. No answers or solutions, just a conversation about it.�

“I don’t believe the lyrics have to necessarily match the songs,â€? he adds. “It’s a blend of two different parts. That partnership has to be cohesive and balance one another out.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY CHRISY SALINAS

At the Walls is fierce. Engineered by Bob Quirk, who has worked with Memory Loss, Misled Youth, Left Cross, NO-HEADS, and more, and mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk, whose vast rĂŠsumĂŠ includes records

by Power Trip, War Hungry, Pissed Jeans, and Cavalera Conspiracy, the sonic melee is matched by intense lyrics from vocalist Knox Colby.

“Probably 2014 to 2015, [guitarist] Zach [Monahan] and I were doing a Poison Idea-ish hardcore band,� Wagstaff continues, “and I started kind of exclusively listening to death, thrash, [and] crossover-type stuff: Demolition Hammer, Sepultura, Sadus, Kreator, Pestilence, etc. I heard ‘Neanderthal’ by Demolition Hammer, and I remember thinking it just sounded like a modern hard- “Threaded themes throughout the songs core riff and becoming more and more in- are anger, distrust, corruption, the war beterested in ’90s death metal and crossover tween the head and the heart, unchecked thrash more than anything else.� authority, and the toll of stress,� Colby relates. “However, I also try to hammer home “I really don’t like pigeonholing us in one the importance of positive growth, mental genre or the other,� he says. “We play ag- health, and the power of self-confidence. gressive music. If you like metal, punk, thrash, I’ve never felt any pressure to stick to any

NEW NOISE 15

THE SWEDE SPOT

SATAN TAKES A HOLIDAY INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST FRED BURMAN BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

s their name might suggest, Satan Takes A Holiday are about liberation. The Swedish act embrace freedom from musical boundaries and expectations and create joyous jams in a way that channels the gods of old and perhaps hints at new awakening saviors—at least, if you’re into that sort of thing.

created that many rules for ourselves in the songwriting or sound-wise. This, I think, is more evident than ever on this album.

It’s kind of all over the place, and it might frustrate some listeners—and promoters,� he laughs, “but I wouldn’t want to trade this freedom to do whatever the song asks of us for easier selling points.�

A New Sensation, released in April via Sweden’s Despotz Records, brandishes a version of garage punk that’s both fresh and familiar, emblazoned with absolutely massive riffs and “Jaws�-sized hooks.

Despite leaning on a host of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s influences, A New Sensation feels remarkably, well, new.

A New Sensation’s lyrics focus on all sorts of new sensations: the confusion caused by social media, the end of the world, destructive power structures, and fear and anger. Satan Takes A Holiday push to challenge how society functions and muse about how to make it better.

A

Vocalist and guitarist Fred Burman elabA New Sensation is brimming with passion, orates on how the band’s formula came “The idea was to do covers the way artists in and there seems to be a goal to make each the ’50s and ’60s did,â€? he continues. “There to be, explaining, “It’s one those instances song bigger than the last. There’s a hedonistic were way more adaptations of every song where you stop trying and everything edge to the tunes, like more is always better— comes together way easier. Me and [bass- that came out, and The Cramps revived this an appropriate quality for a band who share later. The way they made every cover sound ist] Johannes [LindsjÜÜ] were both kind of their name with the title of an album by Church like a Cramps tune was so cool. We wanted shelving the idea of ‘making it’ in music of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey. to do that but in the context of everything when we met, and [we] started Satan Takes that had happened in the music scene up A Holiday to have a band to blow off steam until then. We’ve since filled our repertoire “We’ve never been that anxious about and to ‘grow old with dignity’—which fitting into a specific genre,â€? Burman with our own material, of course, but that seems ridiculous now, since we were in our initial idea is what made our sound, I guess.â€? notes, “and by that, I mean we haven’t 20s at the time.â€?

VICTIMS

“We had a lot material on the clear need for change in a lot of places in society right now,� Burman says. “It’s also an opportunity to look inward as a man halfway through life [and] a father and what I need to change about me to serve both myself and people around me in a better way. It’s time to choose who I want to be for the rest of this life—or who we want to be. Change is hard, and it can be painful.

This album is about facing that challenge, as told from different perspectives.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY MIA MOELLBERG

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST GARETH SMITH

BY HUTCH

ormed in 1997, Victims have been is genuinely humbled by the opportunity. a staple in the worldwide hard- “It feels good! It kinda came as a bit of a core scene ever since. Consis- surprise,� he states. “We have always tently putting out records of political and worked with great labels in the past, and social rebellion, these Swedes mastered we usually take it on a record-by-record the vibe and assault of classic d-beat punk. basis. We aren’t that interested in looking As they’ve evolved, they have adapted for a big contract over many records; we and added more atmosphere and mood just want to work with people we respect to their music. Metallic miasma envelops who we feel we can trust.� each track with sludgy riffs filtered through tear gas clouds.

Cynicism is becoming harder to distinguish from simply being realistic. The evidence Victims returned on June 28 with The Horse and predictions of climate change’s and Sparrow Theory, now with a well- impact are damning and scary. Victims climate will do to the planet that our kids earned slot on Relapse Records’ roster. scream and create foreboding tracks and grandkids are going to inherit from us. in order to vent and warn. Smith reacts It’s still almost too abstract to even get your to thoughts of hope among greedy and The Horse and Sparrow Theory harnesses head around and, so, easier to pretend it selfish humans by noting, “Well, that is the the frustration and vindication felt by isn’t happening. That won’t be possible for basis of what we’re talking about on the Victims when peering upon the world’s weighted economic landscape. Vitri- album. We, in privileged Western societies, much longer, though.â€? are too greedy, too selfish to sacrifice the ol-soaked lyrics shone through an astute “I’m an optimist, though,â€? Smith clarifies. “I luxurious lifestyles we lead.â€? lens are placed amid a chaotic, caustic think we are going to turn things around. musical foundation. Again, atmosphere rivals the riffs for the spotlight. The album “The quality of life in Sweden, for exam- Unfortunately, I think it will have to get quite a lot worse before we are forced— is an experience, not simply a collection of ple, has made huge jumps just over a truly forced—into changing things.â€? eight tracks. generation or two,â€? he continues. “At the start of the 20th century, Sweden was one Breaking down The Horse and Sparrow of the poorest countries in Europe. Two Obviously, Victims have had 22 years of Theory’s title, Smith dismantles the ignorant generations later, we have amongst the writing to hone their message and sonic highest standard of living in the world. claims that have propelled U.S. economics treachery, but with producer Karl Daniel since Reagan first spouted the erroneous LidĂŠn and Relapse behind them, the exe- People don’t want to give that shit up, even theory’s attributes. “It’s a metaphor for an if they are terrified of what the changing cution is elevated. Guitarist Gareth Smith

F

16 NEW NOISE

economic theory based on trickle-down economics,â€? he explains. “It’s based on a class structure, where the richest are given free rein to consume and plunder with very little tax limitations—the thought being that the rich consuming goods that the poor produce will stimulate the lower rungs of society.â€? “The thought being,â€? he elaborates, “that the horse being allowed to eat all the oats it wants will do so at such a rate that some of those oats won’t have time to digest and will be excreted whole, leaving oats for the sparrows to pick from. The only problem being the sparrows still have to sift through the horse’s shit to feed themselves. That’s pretty much how I see global class society functioning today.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY

3TEETH INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ALEXIS MINCOLLA BY THOMAS PIZZOLA ndustrial rock band 3TEETH have been on quite an interesting career path since they formed in 2013. What originally started as a part-time project between vocalist Alexis Mincolla and keyboard and synth player Xavier Swafford has blossomed into a full-time band who have released two well-received independent albums, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3TEETH and 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s <shutdown.exe>. They were handpicked by Tool to open an arena tour with

I

Primus in 2016, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve since opened for Danzig, HIM, and Rammstein.

The Los Angeles band, who also include guitarist Chase Brawner, bassist and modular synth player Andrew Means, and drummer Justin Hanson, have been on quite a roll. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expected, not in our wildest dreams,â&#x20AC;? Mincolla says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At first, all we cared about was creating an album that we wanted to hear, but then, we were PHOTO BY KYLE BERGFORS

touring with Tool on our first record. We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expecting any of this. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been quite surreal.â&#x20AC;?

That roll continues into 2019. On July 5, 3TEETH unleashed their new album, Metawar, through major metal label Century Media. The release finds the band at a creative apex, putting them right at the forefront of the industrial metal scene with a distinct ripper of an album.

Their musical evolution continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we first started out, we were more electronic-based, [but] now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re writing around riffs,â&#x20AC;? Mincolla says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Originally, we would have to outsource the guitars, bass, and drums. Eventually, we pieced together a band, one that tours. I believe that a band that stays on the road learns what works musically. You get your finger on the pulse.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once we have a full song, we then ask ourselves, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool, but is it cool enough?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We took a whole year making this record, just exploring, homing in on a direction. Once we have two to three finished songs, we can then triangulate what the record is going to sound like.â&#x20AC;?

This includes Mincolla using his background as a visual artist to spur the project along. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many times, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll create a North Star image for a song and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Make this sound the way this looks,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he says.

All this meticulous planning has paid off for 3TEETH, because Metawar is a major step forward for the band. Each song is a singular ripper, rife with pulsing electronics, seething riffs, and biting social commentary. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got into industrial because of the seething social commentary, its ability to suck all the poison out of a consumerist culture and spit it right back in its fucking face,â&#x20AC;?

Mincolla says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The industrial I listened to from the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, such as Ministry, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Front 242, [and] Nailbomb, were united less by their sonic palette and more by their use of social messaging.â&#x20AC;?

This use of social commentary is in full effect on Metawar. It not only rips but also contains a scathing critique of the 3TEETH took full advantage of their situa- times we live in, without an ounce of preachiness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think people are resistant to tion by taking a thorough approach to the preachiness. I know I am,â&#x20AC;? Mincolla says. creation of Metawar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each song on this album is a standalone. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the beauty of art: the listener can take what they want from it and make up constrict the project,â&#x20AC;? Mincolla says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were writing in-studio. We have this pro- their own mind. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the intention. Telling people to think one way and not ancess we call â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Frankensteiningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; where weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll other way is the same fucking shit. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re take a part from one song and add [it] to another to make it better. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re layering, not like that. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all about holding the funhouse mirror up to the shit.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł trying to find that weird fucking texture.â&#x20AC;?

what’s going on with women in punk nowadays was a substantial undertaking. “I just hoped to help build a bridge so some person coming up now can see, ‘Yes, I have a heritage, a her-itage, something to build on,’” Goldman explains. In the book, she notes that some of the music women have created over the years “has been rendered almost invisible,” so she’s helping to illuminate that “there is an arc of female creativity. And we can build on it and expand on it.” Within the structure of the book, she also offers “track lists” for each chapter, songs that fit the topic

idea of having women involved in music, and they tried to belittle you.” The intrepid writer didn’t let that stop her and ended up becoming features editor, but not without a struggle.

During the burgeoning ’70s punk scene, she discovered a rarity: women playing onstage. “To be honest,” she relates, “when I think back on it now, when there were no other women writers, there were no other women musicians. That’s why I wanted to make the point in this book and say, ‘Yes, punk was our liberator and shifted everything.’”

n a m d l o ivien V G each chapter is exploring, all of which are collected online in a Spotify playlist.

A writer for the London magazine Sounds, Goldman was one of the only female rock journalists on the scene in England when punk broke.

“It was really a boys’ club,” she says.

“They were actually hostile to the

Of course, there were some women in rock and pop, but they usually fit a certain mold. “There was a very reductive view of which women had the right to make a record and [how] that record had to sound,” Goldman says, “and they had to look the way the cultural gatekeepers, who were mostly male, felt was appropriate and

“FRAME OF MIND: PUNK PHOTOS AND ESSAYS FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., AND BEYOND, 1997-2017”

BY ANTONIA TRICARICO

INTERVIEW WITH JOURNALIST/AUTHOR VIVIEN GOLDMAN BY JANELLE JONES

I

n her latest book, the enlightening and inspiring “Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History From Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot,” released in May via University Of Texas Press, pioneering journalist, NYU professor, and musician Vivien

18 NEW NOISE

Goldman offers a retrospective of women in punk while creating a timeline to the present day with bands who continue to spiritedly carry on the legacy.

Drawing a line between originators like X-Ray Spex and The Slits and

Released June 4 via Akashic Books, photographer Antonia Tricarico’s “Frame of Mind” includes 200-plus photos from the D.C. scene, shot between 1997 and 2017, and features both bands who called D.C. home and those who came from all over the world to play there. The photos in this beautifully designed tome capture bands in

energetic and gripping action onstage as well as in more intimate, personal settings. Making this work even more special are the 14 moving, inspiring essays sprinkled amongst the wide array of photos, penned by influential female musicians like Alice Bag, Joan Jett, Donita Sparks, Lori Barbero, and Allison Wolfe, to name a few.

commercialâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but that was a very, very, very narrow view.â&#x20AC;? Punk, in contrast, featured disparate icons such as Patti Smith, The Pretendersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chrissie Hynde, Blondieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Debbie Harry, X-Ray Spexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Poly Styrene, Alice Bag, and The Slits.

Goldman shares that the initial flicker of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revenge of the She-Punksâ&#x20AC;? was a Pitchfork article about women in rock to which she contributed, noting, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When University Of Texas Press approached me and asked if I was interested in developing this little paragraph that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d written into a book, I had to go and think about how to approach it and what I really wanted to say.â&#x20AC;? She didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know everything she was looking for or what sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d find, but she knew that she â&#x20AC;&#x153;wanted to get a sense of what women artists were thinking and feeling and doing now, as well as just when I lived through it at the dawn of punk.â&#x20AC;?

To create this lineage, Goldman offers up particularly consequential songs in her track listings.

Some offerings are from punkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first few years, like X-Ray Spex, Crass, and The Selecter, and artists who might not be considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;punkâ&#x20AC;? in the traditional sense, like Jayne Cortez, Grace Jones, and ESG. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s beacons like Bikini Kill, Shonen Knife, 7 Year Bitch, and Sleater-Kinney lead in to more modern bands, acts from around the world who are still challenging the status quo, including Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Maid Of Ace, Skinny Girl Diet, and Big Joanie; San Antonio, Texasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fea; and those who have shown bravery by expressing dangerous viewpoints in their homelands, like Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pragaash, Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tika & The Dissidents, and, of course, Russian renegades Pussy Riot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What was interesting to me about punk was the revolutionary aspect,â&#x20AC;?

Goldman explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That and the fact that women could get involved for the first time.â&#x20AC;? Not every artist in the book may be considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;punkâ&#x20AC;? in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;louder, harder, fasterâ&#x20AC;? sense, she says, but Goldman asserts, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not really what would give me a lifetimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engagement with the ideas.

So [I included] unsung foremothers like Jayne Cortez, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get more DIY than Jayne Cortez.â&#x20AC;?

In the end, Goldman says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revenge of the She-Punksâ&#x20AC;? is â&#x20AC;&#x153;like a template [for] how we can encourage our sisters. If theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re younger, from different countries, from a different backgroundâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we can encourage each other.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

Genya Ravan do they know?

They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to be onstage.â&#x20AC;?

Kristal knew Ravan had what it took to make a great-sounding recording. Later, she produced records for such disparate artists as Ronnie Spector and New York hardcore heroes Crumbsuckers.

On her latest workâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the appropriately titled Icon, which she also producedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ravanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong, distinctive voice is on full display. The album features eclectic offerings that run the gamut from rousing punk to hard-hitting, soulful crooning to country-tinged rock.

One particular track strikes a nostalgic nerve, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Go in the INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/PRODUCER Bathroom,â&#x20AC;? on which she offers a GENYA RAVAN BY JANELLE JONES rocking sendup of the infamous o I have an attitude woman to produce other artists, CBGBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bathrooms and paints a â&#x20AC;&#x153; when I write? Yes. You including â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s punk rock royalty vivid mental picture of that latewanna call that punk? Dead Boys. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s hotbed of punkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first wave, Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine with me too. namechecking everyone from What does punk really mean?â&#x20AC;? She prefaces that collaborationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kristal to Blondie to Dead Boys vocalist and producer Genya origins humorouslyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;?Oh my and Legs McNeil.

Ravan asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called rebellion, god, this is the funniest freaking and this has been going on since storyâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;before recounting how â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can sing anything from R&B to I can remember: Marlon Brando CBGB owner and friend Hilly jazz, and the reason for that is Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Wild Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or James Dean Kristal asked her to come down singer. There is no one bag,â&#x20AC;? Ravan in his movies.â&#x20AC;? to the club to check the band out. explains of Iconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eclectic style. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m â&#x20AC;&#x153;I went down,â&#x20AC;? she relates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The not cornered. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, belligerence of a first song [vocalist] Stiv [Bators] cornered, and as far as rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll teenybopper is punky,â&#x20AC;? the sings is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;everybody knows you and punk or anything like thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; pioneering singer, who began her were caught with the meat in listen, if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m into it.â&#x20AC;? career in the early 1960s, insists your mouth.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? When Kristal called with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The terrible twos go them charming, Ravan says she Icon took about two years to on for a long time.â&#x20AC;? laughed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re singing about make, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a long time,â&#x20AC;? according to somebody giving somebody else Ravan. For one thing, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been Ravan has a new, noteworthy a blowjob. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about busy DJing, working on two shows album entitled Icon coming out on charming!â&#x20AC;? However, she had no for the satellite radio station Little July 26 via Rum Bar Records, but doubts about the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential, Stevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Underground Garage: Ravan is notable for many things, reminiscing, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Hilly says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chicks & Broads,â&#x20AC;? which features and one can read a detailed itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something special, I never solely female artists, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Goldieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chronicle of her exciting life in questioned him.â&#x20AC;?

Garage,â&#x20AC;? which showcases her 2004 autobiography, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lollipop unsigned bands. Secondly, she says Lounge: Memoirs of a Rock and Ravan ended up producing Dead itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard for her to round up â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Roll Refugee.â&#x20AC;? To brieflyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and, Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seminal 1977 debut, Young herd,â&#x20AC;? i.e. her musical collaborators. undoubtedly, unjustlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;summarize Loud and Snotty. She says Kristal â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have other gigs,â&#x20AC;? she explains, her accomplishments for those initially thought sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be the best so they can only record one song unfamiliar, she was a pioneer, first producer since sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d â&#x20AC;&#x153;been on every two or three weeks. making a name with her band both sides of the glass, and he was Goldie And The Gingerbreads in right. I tend to get a great live feel â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took a long time to get it together, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s, who became the first all- from rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll bands, which is but this is it,â&#x20AC;? Ravan states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll girl rock outfit to be signed to a something they miss when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in be more albums, but for now, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m major label. She was also the first a studio, because producersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;what excited about this one.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

D

NEW NOISE 19

Chelsea Wolfe INTERVIEW BY MARIKA ZORZI

S

ince her first album, 2010â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Grime and the Glow, Californian singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t slowed down.

She has explored different sounds during her 10-year career, built on five studio albums and long tours between Europe and the U.S. In 2019, Wolfe returns to her solitary origins and the intimacy of her own voice and guitar with Birth of Violence, out via Sargent House on Sept. 13.

Birth of Violence is reminiscent of Wolfeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut album and the reclusive nature of her earlier recordings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I write alone a lot, but [2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] Hiss Spun, my last album, was more like a group or collective effort where we were jamming a lot together,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted all of these songs for Birth of Violence just to be able to be played on an acoustic guitar and voice if needed, just totally stripped-down.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I definitely feel like thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some kind of breath of relief with this album,â&#x20AC;? Wolfe admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was really pushing myself for a long time to keep going and keep going. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you have to do in

20 NEW NOISE

this industry, just keep staying on the road and keep playing shows.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how people find out about you, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you can make money, but there was something really nagging in me last year that I needed to take a break or I was going to burn out.â&#x20AC;?

and also the feeling of this place.

Sometimes, I would leave the door open when it was storming outside just to capture the outside elements or I would have the fire crackling in the background because it was comfort to me, and that would kind of help me get to a good place.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This album is meant to really feel The result is an album that sounds like home,â&#x20AC;? she continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think like a cry of pain and a protest Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been sneaking out to against American cultural shifts, places that felt like home when I the brutality of the human being was on the road. I finally moved and patriarchal society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back home to Northern California a heavy sense of things turning a couple of years ago, but I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t backward in my country and really been able to spend much wanting women not to have the time in the house I moved into. So, rights that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten over all making this record was a way to these years, wanting to turn that settle in and really get to know the backward. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really frustrating,â&#x20AC;? house and get to know this area Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Wolfe says. living in in the mountains.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Violence,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; for me, is such a This explains Wolfeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice to beautiful word for something that record Birth of Violence at her is so ugly,â&#x20AC;? she confesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think home studio in Northern California I kind of wanted to reclaim that with longtime collaborator Ben word a little bit, and when I looked Chisholm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a rawness in it up in my old dictionary, I saw the the album,â&#x20AC;? Wolfe notes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;strength of emotionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as one end, this album was about taking description of the word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;violence.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the time away from everyone That instantly gave me this visual of and everything to make sure that women, who are emotional beings, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m capturing the right moment really rising up and accepting their

PHOTO BY ALICIA ARMIJO

own strength and fighting back against all the shit we have to deal withâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and also, like, Mother Earth, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting to shake us off a little bit. The climate is changing so much because of the way we treat the world and we treat the Earth.â&#x20AC;?

Birth of Violence certainly does not lack for references to nature. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve definitely become more and more connected to nature since I moved out here,â&#x20AC;? Wolfe confirms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did explore religion as a younger person, but I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. When it comes to nature and paganism and even witchcraft, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a place where I feel much more at home and much more like myself finally.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this album is really reflecting almost like a new beginning for me,â&#x20AC;? she concludes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I finally stopped to really take stock of who I am, [who] I want to be as a person for the rest of my life, however long that might be, and who I am spiritually and give myself the time to really explore that.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

LINGUA IGNOTA INTERVIEW WITH KRISTIN HAYTER BY MARIKA ZORZI

I

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

wanted to look at the full spectrum of the depravity and the loneliness and the total despair and devastation and the rage and the psychotic anger and all of the things that accompany abuse of power,â&#x20AC;? says Californian multi-instrumentalist Kristin Hayter, better known as Lingua Ignota.

Lingua Ignota has always taken a radical, resolute approach to themes of violence and vengeance, and CALIGULA, out via Profound Lore Records on July 19, builds on the evolution of the survivor at the core of this narrative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A big part of this project is about transformation and about how survivors move through their experiences, how we move through our experiences,â&#x20AC;? Hayter explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was looking at someone like [the Roman emperor] Caligula, who matches the depraved narcissism of certain political figures that we have today but who is also very similar to the behavior that we see in a lot of abusive people in intimate relationships and also might be reflected in how the survivor then behaves.â&#x20AC;?

Hayter also removed a lot of electronic elements to move her sound toward something darker and weirder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to pull from all these different sources that I was thinking of instead of adhering to, like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;People think All Bitches Die is a noise record.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if I agree with that, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what they call it, so I need to make another noise record,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Hayter confesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do that again, and I wanted to make sure that it sounded authentic to what I was feeling at the time. At that point, I really wanted to bring out acoustic elements and orchestral elements and make it a little more raw and a little less hidden behind noise and distortion.â&#x20AC;?

Working closely with engineer Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, helped Hayter to achieve the sound she wanted for this new incarnation of Lingua Ignota. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He really helped me adhere to my original vision for the record and adhere to what I actually wanted to do,â&#x20AC;? she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;because there were certain points where I felt like I was taking too many risks and I was going too far outside of the zone of All Bitches Die and Following her self-released the industrial stuff. I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, 2017 album All Bitches Dieâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; I need to write another song that rereleased via Profound Lore sounds just like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Woe to All (On the following yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;CALIGULA the Day of My Wrath),â&#x20AC;? because sees Hayter design her most thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the song that people like,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ambitious work to date. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel and he was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the this one is much, much larger to vision of this record. You need to begin with,â&#x20AC;? Hayter says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had do whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true to you.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? a budget and I had a recording studio instead of just being at â&#x20AC;&#x153;For instance, a thing that he did home in my shed in the woods, was help me change the space in which is where I recorded All the way I think about my voice on Bitches Die.â&#x20AC;? this record,â&#x20AC;? Hayter continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I

felt like there were a lot of parts on CALIGULA where the voice sounds very ugly, and there are moments where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pitchy and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not beautiful and it sounds kind of gross. I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We have to edit that out. We have to change that, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not beautiful,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Seth would tell me, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No, that was your emotion at the time and the pitchy-ness augments how ugly you were feeling.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; So, it was really important to have him there.â&#x20AC;?

CALIGULA is a gigantic work, a multifaceted, epic album on which Lingua Ignota gives voice and space to that which has been

silenced and cut out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The record is about taking tools used against you to make yourself powerful,â&#x20AC;?

Hayter asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Bitches Die came from a very helpless place.

I think CALIGULA also came from a hopeless place; it was written about my experience of speaking out about abuse in Providence when I lived there. So, I wrote about that experience, but I think that I was much more insecure about my ability to make music when I made [All Bitches Die]. I knew that I could do something special with this one.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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Drab Majesty INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST DEB DEMURE

I

BY CALEB R NEWTON

f one were to pour dreamlike by the particular environment. whatever, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really humbling. ambient music from Gregg â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole city being steeped in Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very big motivating Kowalsky into early-morning such antiquity really gives me, factor for me to do something walks with a camcorder through when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m there, a different feeling with intention and just try to make Athens, Greece, and complete it about my very, very temporal the most of the moment, because on the other side of the Atlantic existence on this planet,â&#x20AC;? DeMure these monoliths are so impressive.â&#x20AC;?

Ocean, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come closeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;possi- shares, contrasting Athens with blyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to the new record from Drab their home base of L.A. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very DeMure spent a couple of months Majesty. inspired by architecture, and for in the illustrious locale prior to a me, visiting architectural sites and tour, and once they setted back Modern Mirror, out via DAIS ruins on tour is one of my favorite into a home away from Greece, Records on July 12, is the ethereal things to do, because it just kind they were able to trim the music Los Angeles projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third album ofâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it reminds you of the short blip that had emerged down to the and encapsulates a progression that you inhabit on the greater eight tracks on the new Drab into a somewhat happier, or at timeline.â&#x20AC;?

Majesty album. DeMure shares least more upbeat, space than that, in their perspective, the key before. The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocalist and Finding peace within that part of the whole process was the guitarist Deb DeMure shares that grandiosity led to the gently sonic creation that took place they funneled feeling at home elevating music of Modern Mirror. under the shadow of Athensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surrounded by the ancient history â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without that kind of conscious profile. Most of the lyrics came of Greece into the expansive but reminder of the past, you get later, adding to the immersive ultimately danceable record. a weird idea of how long your foundation that was already timeline is or what actual decade present rather than defining it.

DeMure says they embarked you exist in,â&#x20AC;? DeMure adds. with â&#x20AC;&#x153;the sole purpose of kind of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing these insane structures Along these same lines, DeMure detaching from my devices and that are still standing there is not keen on strictly defining kind of finding a place of refugeâ&#x20AC;? and have outlasted bombings Modern Mirrorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sound. They say but also found themself enriched and wars and occupations and that although they â&#x20AC;&#x153;respect goth

22 NEW NOISE

music and think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of excellence in music thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called goth,â&#x20AC;? thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not where they think Drab Majesty fit best. They just strive to be honest, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would hope that authenticity is translated into music and it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like some contrived approximation of X-genre or something like that. I think the most successful thing is for people to just appreciate it as good, thoughtful songwriting.â&#x20AC;?

With a growing list of global tours, Drab Majesty seem to have found some of this success. Despite their airy electronic nature, the wide acceptance of the band has even extended into the heavy metal community, with one of their visually demanding live performances unfolding at the high-profile, heavy-music-driven Roadburn Festival in April. There is evidently a clear appetite for the honest artistic ambition Drab Majesty present. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

TURN THAT QUEER SHIT DOWN! THE STATE OF LGBTQ METAL METAL is very queer.

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

From the earliest days of skin-tight leather and giant sunglasses, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that the metal scene borrows very heavily from the world of leather daddies. And although the genre has unfortunately collected its fair share of homophobes, racists, and other despicables, the underlying ethos of the trve metal enthusiast remains the same: to celebrate the underdog and defy authority.

GAAHL

PHOTO BY DAN ALMASY

PINK MASS

Named not for a mass of pink flesh but for the satanic ritual that can apparently make Christian souls queer in the afterlife, New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pink Mass are nothing if not full of creativity. Think goregrind ethos meets BDSM and social awareness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one owns metal, and no one owns punk,â&#x20AC;? vocalist and lyricist Trevor Pason, aka Tyrant Perversor, says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s escapism from the horrendous cycle of despair living in this world is. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music that will support you even when you feel unsupported. Anyone who thinks metal is a platform for racist beliefs or just general bigotry is dead wrong and needs to start holding individuals accountable for using this music to promote that.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I managed to fall in love with someone, and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any surprise to my close friends,â&#x20AC;? he says of his coming-out process.

While many queer musicians work hard to keep certain viewpoints out of their genres, GAAHL believes a lack of censorship is a way to promote queer equality.

THOU

Louisianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thou have never been ones to shy away from the bigger issues. Their lyrics touch on the philosophy of anarchism and capitalist suppression. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

One of the best-known LGBTQ figures in the metal worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;besides Rob Halfordâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;GAAHL is mostly remembered for his work in the legendary Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth. However, these days, he keeps busy painting and making his own music.

also always been an outspoken force for good, using their platform to advocate for visibility.

TORCHE

Vocalist and guitarist Steve Brooks and his band Torche have already made a major mark on the metal scene. Not only have the Miami group solidified themselves as one of the biggest bands in doom, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also made great strides for normalizing queer visibility in metal.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I gradually integrated into the local, DIY metal and hardcore scene and learned more about queerness at about the same rate, though I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come across the idea of nonbinary until my 20s,â&#x20AC;? their newest member, KC Stafford, says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the DIY scene, I found a sense of belonging and acceptance that I could be whatever kind of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;freakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; I wanted to be, and no one cared as long as I was chill.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to make art and to always push things forward,â&#x20AC;? he However, Stafford realizes we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These days, people are very â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I came out, I was more in the there yet when it comes to complete quick to be offended by things, punk rock scene,â&#x20AC;? Brooks says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I acceptance. How can we fix that? but I think when we start with was around a lot of open-minded â&#x20AC;&#x153;Other than putting in hours volunteering censorship, we also risk that being people, so when I told people, they and protesting? Just keep talking about used against us.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł were just like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, cool, awesome,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; stuff,â&#x20AC;? they assert. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be open about being and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any bad queer. Be open about everything. The PHOTO BY JORN VEBERG machismo of most metal is a dying experiences with anybody.â&#x20AC;? breed. Kiss your friends.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł While Brooks doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t specifically touch on queer themes in his songs, he has written about love and loss, which adds some fuel to the fire of Torcheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mournful and beautiful sound. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I lost a partner in a car accident years ago, so that comes up in some of my songs,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of themes that are more personal, like loneliness and loss, but they can pretty much apply to anybody.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

That said, Pink Mass donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel that metalheads will change beliefs by hanging with the same crowd all the time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you let these idiots who use metal to promote hateful ideas run the scene, you only create more enemies,â&#x20AC;? Pason says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk to these impressionable kids, someone else will.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

VILE CREATURE

Combining sad, crushing riffs with social consciousness, Ontario duo Vile Creature are reinventing what it means to make metal in 2019. While it may look like queer themes are at most the subtext of their lyrics, drummer Vic Creature assures they are very much there.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sneakily, they are everywhere,â&#x20AC;? they say. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that people

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

living outside of binaries create, because When it comes to queer acceptanceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; it gives power to the multitudes of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ah, yes, the gay agenda,â&#x20AC;? they experience. Like, I gravitate toward quipâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Creature believes it starts with queers making art, because I could education, â&#x20AC;&#x153;or rather unlearning shit potentially relate to their experiences they have learned about power and and outlook on the world, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m colonial mindsets,â&#x20AC;? they clarify. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I not necessarily interested in who think if we all try to kill the fascist they fuck or their gender; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a inside ourselves and deeply reflect jumping-off point to more interesting on liberation, we can do some perspectives on the world, in my meaningful work that intersects with a opinion at least.â&#x20AC;? lot of other marginal identities.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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24 NEW NOISE

MESSAGES FROM THE OTHER SIDE INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ROSS FARRAR AND GUITARISTS ANDY NELSON AND ANTHONY ANZALDO

BY DEREK NIELSEN

“A

lmost no band needs L-Shaped Man, kind of a middle a sixth album,” Andy ground for those records. We Nelson, guitarist for the don’t really have any fast songs, Bay Area punk band Ceremony, but there are a ton of songs that affirms, “unless you’re, like, Yo are high-energy, and we don’t La Tengo or Sonic Youth or Wire. have almost any slow songs like Those are bands we feel a kinship we did on L-Shaped Man.” with. But especially after a really long break in releasing new mu- “The last record was really sic, we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fueled by despair,” Anzaldo absolutely worth people’s time.” elaborates. “It was a sad record and, personally, a sad time for all Dropping Aug. 23 via Relapse of us. This time, we were hungry.

Records, In the Spirit World Now We were ambitious. We were like, is not only Ceremony’s sixth ‘Ya know what? Let’s flex on these record, it will also be referred fools.’” He pauses to emphasize to as their synth record. While this point, adding, “I wanted to early Ceremony albums came make our other records look crammed with a cacophony of bad. Like, our other records suck distortion and traffic-accident compared to this record, and song structures, In the Spirit World truthfully—it’s hard to say this, Now is a heaping helping of new because some of our records wave synthpop produced by Will have been out for a long time Yip and mixed by Ben Greenberg. and people grow with music. I’m not trying to downplay anyone’s That the band have gradually feelings toward any of our distanced themselves from the records. The quality of the music world of hardcore powerviolence is just one part of your love for has been well documented within any kind of art.” the music community—there’s even a run of t-shirts that read, “I On past albums, especially Zoo, Miss the Old Ceremony”—but this Ceremony began flirting with album is still going to turn heads. traditional song structures, but with In the Spirit World Now, they “There’s a lot of wild shit on here, fully embrace the pop formula. but it still sounds like a Ceremony record from the first needle drop, “Once we started writing more even if you compare it to our last melody-based music, we were album,” Nelson says, referencing still coming at it as a punk their polarizing 2015 release, band. We will still be that at our The L-Shaped Man. “This album core,” Anzaldo states. “The vocals is technicolor. The last one was were probably what we worked more monochromatic.” hardest on. With melody-based, pop-structured music, I’ve always Some critics and fans felt that The been one who feels like vocals L-Shaped Man was intentionally are the most important part. A distant, creating a void between chord progression is just a chord the band and the listener that progression; without a melody could only be bridged with on top of it that gets stuck in musical muscles he didn’t know unanchored interpretation. your head and makes you feel he had. something, it’s kind of pointless.

“I think we’re a colorful band. A Ross, Will, and I, at the end of the “This record is more like a pop lot of people were weirded out session, put a lot of effort into record,” he says. “I felt a little

by L-Shaped Man. The tone, the finding the right melodies. There uncomfortable about it at first. sound, even the look of that are certain melodies that Ross I’m not a huge pop guy. By nature, record was pretty drab,” vocalist wasn’t sure on, so the three of I don’t like things that are inand lyricist Ross Farrar reflects, us would loop a section and try your-face and too deliberate. I laughing. “I was in a dark place, to Frankenstein a melody. Then, like mistakes, I like nuance, but and [guitarist] Anthony [Anzaldo] that night, Ross would go home this—this is like straight-up pop was too when it comes to love and write words for that section.” music. So, I thank Anthony and Will for putting me in that territory, and relationships. I think the [new] record is a good mix of For Farrar, this required leaving because I wouldn’t have done stuff from [2012’s] Zoo and The his comfort zone and flexing it myself. I’m out of my comfort

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE CALIXTO

zone. I’ve never made anything like this, stepping into this room and doing some pop shit.”

Exploring new territory is a key theme on In the Spirit World Now, and Ceremony never miss a chance to deepen and expand on these ideas. The album cover features solid, bold colors that force the viewer’s perspective toward a doorway, which is slightly ajar, exposing a small glimpse of clear night sky punctured by a silver-lined moon. Stylistically, it’s

NEW NOISE 25

reminiscent of the bright, simple themselves with every release, imagery in a children’s book. Anzaldo is upfront about the Remember when you were a kid band’s approach. and really explored the world at night for the first time? The dreamy, “There’s no secret other than ethereal, almost magical place we’re just being true to what your own neighborhood seemed our band is supposed to be,” he to transform into when everyone explains. “The reality is that us else was asleep? Yeah, it be like doing anything that we’ve done that. prior wouldn’t be very good.

The bands that really have an “The spirit world is a place impact on us—and that have that we have no idea about,” always had an impact on us— Farrar says, delving into the are bands that paint with a wide lyrical content. “It could be brush, bands like the Talking the afterlife or purgatory— Heads or DEVO or Prince or basically what happens to us even Black Flag. It’s just not in after we die, where the dead or our nature as people, let alone departed go, but even beyond artists—and look, who am I to that, it’s like this nebulous place say what any artist should do in the unknown. With Ceremony, or what’s best for them? The we try to do things that are new, reality is there are some bands strange, and difficult, and with that keep putting out records this record, we were stepping in similar veins as before and into some new territory, so I make it work. The Ramones thought it was fitting.” did that. Andy and I actually counted, recently, how many The members of Ceremony Ramones records are great, and explored new territory in a lot we’d say mostly all of them—at of ways this time around. In the least 10—and none of them are four years since their last release, that much different. They kind they have scattered all over of figured it out. Certain bands the country to pursue their own can do it. We just don’t have an personal interests, with Farrar interest in doing that.” studying for his Masters in Upstate New York and Anzaldo and As for what Ceremony will do Nelson relocating to Los Angeles, in the future, the members are while bassist Justin Davis started skeptical about whether that a family. The group, rounded out decision is really theirs to make. by drummer Jake Casarotti, also It’s a satisfyingly ironic answer, left Matador Records, their home since In the Spirit World Now’s since 2011. closet musical analogue may be DEVO’s Freedom of Choice.

“The last few records, we really figured out what kind of band “Willpower is also a central we are and what kind of band we theme on this record,” Farrar should be,” Anzaldo speculates. muses. “It’s one of those topics “We had always booked ourselves that gets thrown under the and did everything ourselves. rug. What does it mean? Does Then, we got signed to Matador. it exist? It’s hard to define. For We got onto a ‘real label,’ and example, my neighbor will be we got a booking agent, and brewing a batch of coffee, and then, we have a foundation I smell it coming through the behind us, working with us, and window, so then, I have to go get we were kind of able to step some coffee. So, I’m wondering back. Because of that, I feel like now: Am I even in control over we lost control of the narrative anything in my life?” a little bit. Me, specifically, I said, ‘OK, that was a learning “I’ve always attributed being an experience. No matter what artist, a creator, to be like my label we’re on or if we have a sexuality,” Anzaldo offers. “I booking agent, we still have was born to like who I like. That to be just as involved, to be a wasn’t a choice that I made. part of the perception and the There’s no choice that I made to narrative of our art.’” play music or make Ceremony records. It is something that Reflecting on how Ceremony is instinctual and something challenge not only their fans but that I have to do—and much

26 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

like sexuality, a lot of times, it doesn’t make sense, or you think, ‘My life would be easier if I were doing things this way,’ but certain things you don’t have control over. Certain feelings or certain paths you take, you take because you feel you must

do that, regardless of anything.

I feel that playing music—and I can say that for all of us—that’s just who we are. It’s like the color of our hair. It’s something that’s instinctual. It’s something I’ve known I was supposed to do my whole life. It’s as simple as that.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THIS TIME, WE WERE HUNGRY. WE WERE AMBITIOUS. WE WERE LIKE, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;YA KNOW WHAT? LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FLEX ON THESE FOOLS.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I WANTED TO MAKE OUR OTHER RECORDS LOOK BAD.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ross probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t articulate [it] as someone external could,â&#x20AC;?

Nelson quickly interjects, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but Ross can really only do this one thingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not meant to be mean! If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spent time with him, it becomes really clear the one thing he was put on

earth to do is to communicate would he do if he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t writing on this really intimate level with poetry for the rest of his life?â&#x20AC;? people through his writing and â&#x20AC;&#x153;I vividly remember having his performance. People have conversations with him when we a real deep, intimate thing with were kids,â&#x20AC;? Anzaldo reminisces, Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s writing and his persona. going back to when he and Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely sincere and earnest, Farrar were exploring the world and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even imagineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;what for the first time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ross and

I went to elementary school together. When we were 15, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I know this is my life. I know I will never make more than $20,000 in a year. I just know that. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the reality of what I will be.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

NEW NOISE

ART BY SARAH SCHMIDT

27

WHETHER YOU WERE STOCKPILING CANNED FOOD IN PREPARATION FOR Y2K OR DANCING YOUR ASS OFF TO PRINCE, 1999 WAS A HELL OF A YEAR. TWENTY

Orchid, Chaos Is Me, and the Noisy Birth of Screamo

T

he members of Orchid had no idea they were about to record one of the most influential records in screamoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short history when they entered GodCity Studio with Kurt Ballou in 1999.

Made up of four college kids from Hampshire College and UMass in secluded Amherst, Massachusetts, where there was little in the way of a local scene, the band werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t out to do much beyond making some noise and putting out a hardcore record. With each member being into slightly different stuff, ranging from Dischord-style post-hardcore to heavier mosh bands, they just played whatever came naturally. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter where it would fit in.

How many people were going to listen to it, anyway?

their tongue lodged firmly in their cheek. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be a couple more years before Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Full Collapse would spark its full-on misuse in mainstream music parlanceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;much to their dismay. As far as Orchid knew, they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing anything other than jamming out with some of the only other punks in town.

Instead, over the course of 19 anxious minutes, Chaos Is Me flipped the script on what hardcore could be. From the recordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first moments of unsettling noise, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immediately apparent that listeners are in for an uncomfortable ride. That suspicion is confirmed the instant vocalist Jayson Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acerbic shrieks start spewing verbal stomach acid all over a punishing rhythm section driven by drummer Jeffrey Salane and bassist Brad Wallace, while Will At the time, the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;screamoâ&#x20AC;? Killingsworthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buzzsaw guitars lend was hardly even part of the punk a serrated edge to the proceedings. vernacular. While the offshoot Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brutal, spastic, and comparable of emo and hardcore had been to nearly no one else. around since the early 1990s Gravity Records sceneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including bands like There are familiar elements of Antioch Arrow, Heroin, and Moss grind and hardcore, sure, but it Iconâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly a household also didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit neatly within the word, and it certainly wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a term confines of any existing subgenre anyone would have used without with a -core suffix. Where Converge PHOTO BY SARAH STIERCH

overwhelmed with labyrinthine song structures, Portraits Of Past experimented with texture, and Combatwoundedveteran at least flirted with the concept of groove, Orchid played it straight with throat-searing rage screamed over white-hot riffs. Their closest point of reference might have been Reversal Of Man, whose This Is Medicine came out that same year and tread similar razor-sharp territory.

Yet, Chaos Is Me was the record that would wind up becoming virtually synonymous with screamo.

The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsequent albums continued to develop their highly literate yet aggressively spastic sound, but this was the one that stuck, often placed alongside Circle Takes The Squareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s As the Roots Undo from 2004 and Pageninetynineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Document 8 from 2001 as a generational cornerstone of emoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noisy, grind-influenced dark side.

While the record was widely available when it originally came out on Ebullition Records, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until that certain S-wordâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and its internet-speak derivative, â&#x20AC;&#x153;skramz,â&#x20AC;? a term meant to delineate â&#x20AC;&#x153;realâ&#x20AC;? screamo from its mainstream counterpartsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fully took off that kids would retroactively discover what Orchid were doing. Even 20 years later, you can still hear traces of its influence on younger bands like portrayal of guilt, Ostraca, and SeeYouSpaceCowboyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who literally have a song entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stop Calling Us Screamo,â&#x20AC;? which tells you what the past two decades have done to the genreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation.

Regardless of categorization, Orchidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chaos Is Me remains one of the most influential punk records of any stripe, proving that waxing philosophical over harsh noise at 180 beats per minute could

28 NEW NOISE

not only work but actually alter the trajectory of an entire scene without even trying. With the recent passing of its 20th anniversary, now is as good a time as any to revisit it. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

In early 2019, Ebullition Records reissued Chaos Is Me to celebrate the recordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20th anniversary, limited to 1,500 copies with a special foil-printed cover. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad people listen to it and like it still,â&#x20AC;? says guitarist Will Killingsworth, who currently plays in the long-running hardcore band Ampere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any time you make a record or something, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to go or if anyone will hear it or if anyone will still be listening to it in a couple of years or anything like that. So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool that people continue to identify with that record.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting, you know,â&#x20AC;? he adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;at that time or even years after, we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have necessarily assumed that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be here reissuing the record and talking about it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just interesting what history chooses to remember or not.â&#x20AC;?

YEARS LATER, END OF THE CENTURY LOOKS BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC ALBUMS TO DROP RIGHT BEFORE THE NEW MILLENNIUMâ&#x20AC;Ś BY BEN SAILER

Sigur RĂłs, Ă gĂŚtis byrjun, and the Enduring Power of Post-Rock

1

999 was the year post-rock po- they first issued it on June 12, 1999â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sitioned itself to break out into tracks like the sprawling â&#x20AC;&#x153;Svefn-gmainstream consciousness. If englarâ&#x20AC;? and the bass-driven â&#x20AC;&#x153;NĂ˝ one cares to disagree, consider BatterĂ­â&#x20AC;? continue to resonate with the fact that the genre had been an emotional power that is yet building steam in the indie rock un- unmatched by the countless alsoderground throughout the decade, rans who have emerged in the starting with Slintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influential yet bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wake. inimitable Spiderland in 1991. That energy culminated with the release Three days later, on June 15, 1999, of several cornerstone records just San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tristeza would release before the turn of the century and their debut album, the cult classic the beginnings of some intriguing Spine and Sensory. While the projects that would prove to be band would eventually establish immensely consequential over the themselves as prolific contributors next 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and counting. to the post-rock landscape in their own right, founding guitarist Jimmy Struggling to remember which LaValle would become much records came out that year to better known as the visionary prompt this stance? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start behind his other electronic-tinged with Icelandic four-piece Sigur instrumental project, The Album Leaf.

RĂłsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sophomore LP, Ă gĂŚtis byrjun, an album so far ahead of its time Meanwhile, Mogwai had released that a Pitchfork review from writer Come On Die Young in April, the Brent DiCrescenzo claimed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To somber follow-up to their 1997 term this music â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;post-rockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; would debut, Young Team. The sophomore be an insult; Sigur RĂłs are pre- record saw the sardonic Scotsmen whatever comes this century.â&#x20AC;? The push themselves away from the band themselves seemed aware Britpop scene theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d inexplicably of the impact they were about to been linked with, presumably have too, stating on their website, for little reason beyond being â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are simply gonna change a rock band in the U.K. It would music forever, and the way people precede the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued think about music.â&#x20AC;? slow burn into becoming the stylistic forebears they are today, At the time, these statements having most recently released the may have sounded like a mix of soundtrack to the 2018 film â&#x20AC;&#x153;KIN.â&#x20AC;? stereotypical media hype and youthful overconfidence, but in Mogwaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence around retrospect, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve proven to be that timeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and beyondâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;was sharply prescient. Not only did undeniable, as evidenced by the the album sound ahead of its time impact they had on a certain when it was released, it sounds young band from Austin, Texas, ahead of its time today. Reissued called Explosions In The Sky, who by the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KRUNK label as a played their first show in the seven-LP vinyl box set with an 84- summer of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;99â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the video of which page cloth-bound book on July can still be found with a quick 26â&#x20AC;&#x201D;almost exactly 20 years since search on YouTube. While they

were sometimes derisively referred to as an American take on Mogwai, anyone with a passing interest in modern guitar-based rock music knows where their career went from there.

Like Antennas to Heaven until the following year, their 1999 EP, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada, was a brief-yet-powerful portent of what was soon to come.

Stylistically, grouping these Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Do Make Say Think bands under one label may be began their slow emergence from a stretch in some ways, but what obscurity in December of 1999 they all have in common is their with the four-song EP, Besides, a continued influence on 20 years brief exploration of minimalist of instrumental, experimental, melodicism that followed their or otherwise hard-to-pin-down self-titled, self-released debut full- ambient indie rock bands after length and preceded two decades getting their start or hitting their of experimental instrumental rock. stride around the close of the And while their fellow QuĂŠbĂŠcois 1990s. If it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always evident countrymen Godspeed You! Black that history was being made at the Emperor wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t release their time, it certainly is now. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł landmark LP Lift Your Skinny Fists

NEW NOISE 29

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

& N I G & N I & O N I V G I G N G N G I O N I V G I I & G G & T G N T N I N T E I N TI L I E O G G L N V G N I O I O I V G V G G I G I GG TTIINNGG N I T T T LLEE ET

L

INTERVIEW BY GEN HANDLEY

J GIVING IN & oey Cape is a very busy man.

via Fat Wreck Chords, and Lag- issues in the world,â&#x20AC;? he continues. wagon are preparing to release â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about the basic functions their much-anticipated ninth al- of being a good person, a kind On top of his multiple suc- bum on a yet-to-be-determined person, a compassionate percessful musical projects, Cape date, adding more to an already sonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;living your life with respect is also a devoted family man, full plate. for others. As simple as it sounds, juggling the two roles with the and I kind of sound like a hippie grace and honesty one would Cape says Let Me Know When You with that idealism, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really just a expect from an artist with such Give Up is about disconnecting matter of sanity.â&#x20AC;? an illustrious reputation in the oneself from the noise of the punk scene. persistent political debate and A philosophical record of sorts, focusing on what makes you Cape says that the primary theme â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any chance tomorrow is better?â&#x20AC;? happy. of the album can be summed up he says in a text when rebooking by the song â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Know How To Run.â&#x20AC;? the interview for a second time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just want to have a nice conâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m only asking â&#x20AC;&#x2122;cause I have to versation that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thematically, it felt like a quintdrive my daughter to a dance tons of stress regarding the essential song on the record,â&#x20AC;? he recital at 11:30 today. I can still administration and world issues,â&#x20AC;? says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In words, it really captures do it, but it might be a bit hectic.â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think I got to a the defeat I was feeling and point a couple of years ago in then the feeling of freedom and With Cape, having patience is my life where I felt the better half then, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh yeah, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to always worth it. The incredibly of my lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more than that, just play thisâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to play sincere solo artist, frontman discussing these issues and de- this game. I can run.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I felt like it of the legendary punk band bating with people, it feels like a encapsulated the idea of letting Lagwagon, and founder of One strange thing for a person whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go of these things, of paying atWeek Records is as amiable as it not spiritual and is an atheist, so tention to the important things in gets for a singer-songwriter who I feel like nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the time to enjoy life. Early on, I really felt like we has recorded as many influential your life and get things done. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m nailed it with that one.â&#x20AC;? albums as he has. just reflective of having a child as wellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not to preach or sound Working in the music industry Life is about to get even bus- lameâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and want to enjoy life.â&#x20AC;? can be a tough job, but Cape ier for Cape. He released his says that, for some reason, his brand-new solo album, Let Me â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an idea of letting go of the de- peers have aged better than exKnow When You Give Up, on July 5 bate and letting go of the current pected. He waxes philosophical

about how he has managed to maintain his youthful spirit.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to believe that if you do something you love and if you try to surround yourself with things that you enjoy, it definitely helps,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like a lot of the people I know in music, they live a pretty tough life. They travel for work, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a lot of sleep, and many of them do a lot of drugs and a lot of drinking, but somehow, when a lot of them started turning 50, a lot of them look a lot better than the kids who went down other paths. So, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about, but maybe thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something to it. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something to doing what you love and just enjoying yourself.â&#x20AC;?

LETTING GO

30 NEW NOISE

While Cape is mostly focused on his solo work at the moment, many fans are wondering when the new Lagwagon album is coming out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m allowed to talk about it,â&#x20AC;? he says with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just completed it, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all wrapped up with a bow just waiting for the bureaucracy to catch up.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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NEW NOISE

31

d

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST JESSE WAGNER BY JOHN B. MOORE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be sincerely honest, we never broke up and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan to,â&#x20AC;? vocalist and guitarist Jesse Wagner says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were touring about 250 days a year for about 12 years straight. It began to create a lot of financial, mental, and physical hardship on certain members in the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;myself being one of them.â&#x20AC;?Â

Despite those years away from the recording studio, surprisingly, Wagner says nothing has changed. The Aggrolites recorded REGGAE NOW! at pianist and organist Roger Rivasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; studio, so there were no deadlines and no pressure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working Roger since 2002, [bassist] Jeff [Roffredo] since 2007, and [drummer] Alex [McKenzie] since 2009,â&#x20AC;?

Wagner relates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been friends with [guitarist] Ricky [Chacon] since 2002. The five of us were always gigging, so the chemistry was all there already. The vibe was already set. We just needed the songs, and that came naturally as well.â&#x20AC;?

So, beginning in 2015, the Los Angeles band decided to take on fewer live dates and focus more on their personal lives. Some of the members got married, some recorded solo albums, some recorded projects with friends, some started The release of REGGAE NOW! was businesses, some built home studios, bound to happen sooner or later. and some got jobs in the music in- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been eight years since our last dustry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The thing is,â&#x20AC;? Wagner notes, release, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been itching to â&#x20AC;&#x153;we never did say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The band is over.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? come out with new material for a long time,â&#x20AC;? Wagner admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After For the next three years, The Aggrolites a good decade of touring nonstop, continued to play gigs, just not as many. all those years on the road turned â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that we have a new album, we into a sort of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Groundhog Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for know touring the record is a big part me. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong, it was a of the release,â&#x20AC;? Wagner says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We fun â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Groundhog Day,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; for sure, but got our ducks in a row and, now, are it made it hard to write songs while spending every single day and night ready to hit the whole world again.â&#x20AC;?

The band are happy to be back on the road. After their U.S. summer tour supporting Long Beach Dub Allstars ends in early August, The Aggrolites will be heading to Japan in September and Europe in November. Chances are, fans have also heard their song â&#x20AC;&#x153;A.G.G.R.O.â&#x20AC;? in an IGLOO Coolers commercial this summer, as the spotâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;featuring an all-yeti backyard barbeque and a variant of the song that changes the chant of â&#x20AC;&#x153;A.G.G.R.O.â&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;I.G.L.O.O.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; began airing on June 18. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are excited to get back out there and hit spots we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been to in years and [are] looking forward to catching up with old faces from the past,â&#x20AC;?

Wagner says.đ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

espite the eight-year gap between 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rugged Road and REGGAE NOW!, released on May 24 by Pirates Press Records, The Aggrolites never actually called it quits.

PHOTO BY MATT CORKILL

for months straight crammed up next to each other.â&#x20AC;?

But after eight years of no new musicâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;aside from three songs released digitally in 2015, which have now been rerecorded and included on the new albumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;why now? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was time,â&#x20AC;? Wagner says simply. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eight years was way too long to make our fans wait. We had our free time at home, and now, we owe it to our fans to give [them] more music.â&#x20AC;?

CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T GET ENOUGH JESSE WAGNER? DEFUSE WITH

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST KERRY MARTINEZ BY JOHN B. MOORE

W

hen three former members of U.S. sibility of him taking on vocals,â&#x20AC;? Martinez shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We auditioned many people from Bombs went looking for a fresh all over the globe. After the four of us did a start, they found it in The Aggrolites demo session together, it was certainâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he frontman Jesse Wagner. After the Orange County bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core lineup split with contro- was the one.â&#x20AC;? versial vocalist Duane Peters, founding guitarist Kerry Martinez, bassist Wade Walston, So begins the origin story of United X Bombs. The four-piece will put out a self-tiand drummer Chip Hanna were left with a tled, two-song 7â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Phoenixâ&#x20AC;? and large catalog of leftover songs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had been writing and compiling songs for a new re- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Night Marchersâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;via Bomb City Rockers cord for quite some time,â&#x20AC;? Martinez says, on Aug. 9. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we started working on these songs together, everything started â&#x20AC;&#x153;more than three releases worth of material.â&#x20AC;? taking on a new shape,â&#x20AC;? Martinez says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believed in the music and decided â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jesse is a multitalented guy! He adds so much depth, not only as a singer but as that we were going to play together and a composer, musician, frontmanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you record regardless,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Enter name it. He brings so much to the group, Jesse Wagner.â&#x20AC;? not just from a reggae perspective but as a collective of world music and then some. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chip has known Jesse the longest and introduced Wade and myself to the pos- The songs on this first single are a small

34 NEW NOISE

sampler of the depth and dynamics of things to come.â&#x20AC;?

United X Bombsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or UXB for shortâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are currently scouting studios and labels, though theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve already picked the next songs they plan to release, along with the corresponding artwork. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are also working on some videos for the single. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a

lot of wheels in motion,â&#x20AC;? Martinez adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main goal for now is to get this fulllength recorded and ready for release,â&#x20AC;? he concludes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to have it ready to go so that we can start working on the other records. There is so much material. We want to put out as much as we possibly can and tour as much as much as we can.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST RUSS RANKIN BY GEN HANDLEY

R

uss Rankin is sick and tired of people sending their thoughts and prayers. So much so that the Good Riddance lead vocalist has named his bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new album, released on July 19 via Fat Wreck Chords, after the clichĂŠ condolence politicians repeatedly offer when disaster strikes in America.

the creature comforts of the status quo. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unfortunate, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weakness or not wanting to actâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just more about human nature.

We like the calmer sea, and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the stormy sea.â&#x20AC;?

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not in any kind of denial of the size of our band and what kind of dent we can make,â&#x20AC;? he admits, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but if people do listen to it and get engaged and inspired, then thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tremendous positive.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sick of hearing that,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;especially when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mass shooting in New Zealand and the nation takes steps to outlaw semi-automatic weapons in the same week. Meanwhile, here in America, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with hundreds and hundreds of mass shootings and not doing anything about it.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, on Twitter, after another dozen kids get gunned down, some lawmaker is sending their thoughts and prayers,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like, that person is my representative for my area. What the fuck? That personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not speaking for me, and I want to know how I can change this.â&#x20AC;?

In 2007, much to many fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chagrin, Good Riddance announced their breakup, playing a sold-out farewell show that was recorded and released in 2008 as a legendary live album, Remain in Memory: The Final Show. However, in 2015, the Santa Cruz, California, band released the severely underrated

Peace in Our Time, a return to form and to a scene that they had so undeniably influenced since their 1995 debut, For God and Country.

Good Riddance continue that influence and momentum with Thoughts and Prayers. The album is a progression of sorts, not so much in the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinct, melodic sound but in their songcraft.

Rankin flexes his creative and lyrical prowess, particularly on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lo Que Sucede,â&#x20AC;? which is sung entirely in Spanish. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love bands like Los Crudos, and I always thought it lent itself to punk and hardcore music really well,â&#x20AC;? he

says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it would be a good challenge.â&#x20AC;?

Rankin hopes this new album ignites dissent, inspiring likeminded listeners to take a more active role in politics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In my opinion, there doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be enough outrage,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, there is outrage, but generally, it seems like entrenched wealth and power is doing everything it can, via mainstream media and the entertainment medium, to prop up the illusion that everything is just fine.

A lot of people are willing to silence the back of their mind thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saying this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t right and accept

While catchy and upbeat at times, Rankin is adamant that Thoughts and Prayers is not a hopeful record.

It is evident that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as pissed off as he was 20 years agoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if not more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if there ever is an optimistic Good Riddance record,â&#x20AC;? he says frankly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to be pleasantly surprised, but I see a lot of indifference and a lot of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not happening to me, so why should I care?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; These are values that are very unfortunately American, a real lack of the social contract that I see in [other] countries I visit. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to have to be worked on in order for people to come together to address the things happening not only politically and socially but environmentally to give future generations a shot.

Having said that, I try to be optimistic and would love to believe in the best of our people.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Łđ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

NEED A DASH OF OPTIMISM? CUDDLE UP WITH

RUSSIAN GIRLFRIENDS INTERVIEW WITH ADAM HOOKS, COLIN DOWELL, AND JEREMY KEITH BY CALEB R NEWTON

O

n their new A-F Records release, In these songs helped me focus that negative Russian Girlfriends create an alluring the Parlance of Our Times, out June 21, energy and rearrange it into something space where, even as the metaphorNew Mexico punks Russian Girlfriends craft powerful and motivating.â&#x20AC;? ical and literal bombs drop, one can confident music that rushes to address the maybeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just maybeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;have a good time. itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to shine a light on some of our darker truths,â&#x20AC;? bassist Jeremy Keith unique social and personal challenges â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes, the optimism is presented in Guitarist Colin Dowell chimes in, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think, before things start to get plopped into our laps in the present day. the themes on the album may come across strange ways,â&#x20AC;? Hooks adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the song as pessimistic, but they are actually real- better, music and art have to start reflectâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;White Guilt White Heat,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the end of the istic. If anything, the album begs people, ing the reality weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re living in and not some â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to be optimistic. Otherwise, what world is imminent. The main character ourselves included, to be better. Musically, slick, shiny social media depiction of what is there worth fighting for?â&#x20AC;? vocalist Adam finds themself making their way home reality is or should be.â&#x20AC;? weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to be a party. Hopefully, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hooks asserts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spent so many years on to the only person theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d want to spend an appropriate vehicle for our album the nihilistic end of the punk rock spectrum the last day on Earth with. The optimism â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything will eventually end, including about destroying the world.â&#x20AC;? that, at a certain point, I hit a wall and the of the song comes through the peace the this world,â&#x20AC;? Hooks adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so let it happen depression, anger, and substance abuse character experiences through death with our middle fingers in the air and that came with that became too much of and the destruction of our modern con- â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a time when people flat out ignore a weight to bear and I had to reset. Writing sumerist culture.â&#x20AC;? history or subscribe to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;alternative facts,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; smiles on our faces.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

36 NEW NOISE

TITUS ANDRONICUS â&#x20AC;¢ an obelisk

PAINT SHIT. SHOOT SHIT. BUILD SHIT. BE THE SHIT.

INTERVIEW WITH PHOTOGRAPHER ALICE AND PROP MASTER BRANDON

38 NEW NOISE

BAXLEY, VIDEOGRAPHER RYAN BAXLEY, SCHWARTZEL BY JAMES ALVAREZ

ind Palace is a creative studio space and hub of kickass DIY energy located in Los Angelesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Glassell Park. Founded by the married tag team of photographer Alice Baxley and video guru Ryan Baxley alongside musician-turned-prop-wizard Brandon Schwartzel, this bustling L.A. studio has become a top destination for acts like Culture Abuse, Angel Du$t, Bleached, and many more when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re yearning to crank out unique, killer media content.

While the creative team behind Mind Palace having been collaborating for years, they are beyond stoked to finally have their own legitimate headquarters, a space to foster creativity within the music and art scenes they love so much.

The Mind Palace story goes back to 2006-ish. The Baxleysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; romance was in its infancy, and the punk juggernauts FIDLARâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who Schwartzel shreds bass forâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;were years away from existence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We met through a mutual friend,â&#x20AC;? Schwartzel explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I lived with a friend of [Ryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] who he grew up with.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of us hung out as friends and were friends for a long time,â&#x20AC;? Ryan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When FIDLAR was getting going, we were all just kind of making that stuff together and were like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, we actually work well together.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

FIDLAR got going in a big way in 2013, when their self-titled debut album cracked open the 21st century punk scene. With the Baxleysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; good pal Brandon in the band, as well as stro when his band began needing Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother, frontman Zac Carper, crazier and crazier prop creations. it was only natural for this photogra- None of them planned on doing this pher and video-directing duo to put type of thing, yet here they are. their creative talents behind team FIDLAR. They worked tirelessly alongside â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all have the same ethos with our Schwartzel to craft merch, sets, visuals, approach to DIY stuff,â&#x20AC;? Ryan reveals. and props and concoct shitty-but-ef- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all very much on the same wavefective DIY rigs for use in all the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length with work ethic and everything music videos and stage shows. else. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of fun, because we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to communicate too much.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was all really out of necessity,â&#x20AC;? Alice recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When they first started â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the mind palace!â&#x20AC;? Schwartzel getting popular and they needed chimes in. all this content, it was like no budget, no nothing. It was all of our friends Yeah, so what exactly does Mind Palcoming together and being creative ace mean? together. Through that, we figured out that, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh shit, we work really well to- â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from Sherlock Holmes,â&#x20AC;? Schwartzgether.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I was into photos, but I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t el explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;when he says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I gotta go like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is what I want to doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not until into my mind palace,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeing after I started doing it because of FID- numbers everywhere.â&#x20AC;?

LAR. That basically forced me to get better, because I need to take photos â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were thinking of what to call it, and for this thing now, so it kind of trained we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want it to be something serime to be a better photographer.â&#x20AC;? ous. Brandon said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mind Palace.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alice hated it,â&#x20AC;? Ryan says, laughing, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and we Ryan was forced to drop out of au- were like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re calling it.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? dio engineering school and seemed poised to wait tables at Cocoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be- â&#x20AC;&#x153;It sounds too hippie or something,â&#x20AC;? Alice fore a chance opportunity to edit notes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but then, it just became really infomercials inadvertently led him funny, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become the Mind Palace.â&#x20AC;? down the path to directing. Schwartzel was just a good old-fashioned Thus, the Mind Palace was born: punk musician who accidently L.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-stop shop for ingenious became a practical effects mae- DIY content, where you can get your

PR photos done, film a music video, and craft backdrops for your next tour all in the same place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having this spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cool to have a spot to work on our shit and work together but then open it up to friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bands and people to come and make shirts,â&#x20AC;? Schwartzel shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Culture Abuse will roll through like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, can we spray paint some shit?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yeah dude, paintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the back.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having that sense of community,â&#x20AC;?

Alice adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;40oz. On Repeatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; video, I feel like thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where this place came from,â&#x20AC;?

Ryan claims, referring to FIDLARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015 music video that pays homage to MTV staples from winters past. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our friend, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this super awesome photographer, had this huge studio. He knew we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much money, and he rented it to us for $100 a day. That was the first time I feel like we had a spot, and we were able to make so much shit, working 16 to 18 hours a day, drinking and having such a good time doing it.

Coming out of that, we were likeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;we should always do this,â&#x20AC;? Schwartzel interjects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we were trying to chase that experience for a long time, to get here,â&#x20AC;? Ryan says proudly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having a friend who gave us that opportunity, we want to be able to do that for our friends.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

NEW NOISE 39

POP SENSIBILITY LEATHER, DENIM, AND SPIKES CAN MAKE YOU LOOK REAL TOUGH, BUT IN THE BALMY SUMMER HEAT, THEY MOSTLY MAKE YOU SWEATY. JUST ADMIT ITâ&#x20AC;Ś UNDER THAT CONFLICT SHIRT, YOUR HEART BEATS FOR SWEET BUBBLEGUM MELODIES AND FIZZY SODA-POP RIFFS. DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BE ASHAMED, TOUGH GUY! THROW ON A TANK TOP, GRAB A POPSICLE, AND INDULGE THAT CRAVING FOR SUMMERY POP HOOKS!

MIKEY ERG INTERVIEW BY SAMANTHA SPOTO

PHOTO BY PAUL SILVER

M

ikey Erg returns to Don Giovanni Records on July 26 with his second full-length solo album, Waxbuilt Castles.

Erg admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I keep calling this my vanity record; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the record that I made because I wanted to do this for my entire life.â&#x20AC;?

With time booked at the legendary Well known as the drummer and London studio, Erg got to work. songwriter in the semi-defunct Whereas his 2016 debut, Tentative New Jersey pop punk outfit The Decisions, resulted from overcoming Ergs! and from his work in at years of writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s block, Waxbuilt least a dozen other bands, Erg Castles was born in just two relied on more classic sounds short months to account for his while crafting this record. He approaching date across the pond. draws influence from idols like Elvis Costello and The Beatles, so â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt like the floodgates finally much so that he built his deadline opened. I think the last record for Waxbuilt Castles around really got the nerves out,â&#x20AC;? Erg availability at Abbey Road Studios, says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Things just came easier where he had the album mastered. this time around. I wanted this record to be quick and dirty. I â&#x20AC;&#x153;So many of my favorite records love albums that are a moment in were done in that building, it was time, so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to overthink just something I needed to do,â&#x20AC;? this too much.â&#x20AC;?

40 NEW NOISE

While the lyrical content on his In his typical fashion, Erg has latest LP isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much of a departure a busy road ahead. This fall, from the relationship-heavy songs he will set out on tour with The Erg typically leans into, the album Ergs! to celebrate the 15th features quieter, more vulnerable anniversary of their 2004 album, including moments. Between the catchy riffs dorkrockcorkrod, and raw â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s pop rock melodies, Erg an appearance at Riot Fest shows his true self on this 10-track in Chicago followed by dates record. Each song is a colorful in November and December. vignette of love and heartbreak. In between, he plans to play Recorded with Alex Clute, who shows in support of Waxbuilt played with Erg in the house band for Castles, though nothing has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chris Gethard Show,â&#x20AC;? Waxbuilt solidified until early September.

Castles dives into Ergâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal stories in a simple but powerful way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to tour with some of the singer-songwriters in our scene,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was funny to have to rethink Erg says. He then adds with a the way I sang a lot of the songs,â&#x20AC;? laugh, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to get in touch Erg says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alex would say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re with some of my heroes to see if singing too forcefully. Calm it down theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tour with me.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł a bit.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I had to get used to hearing my voice without this white noise behind it, masking it.â&#x20AC;?

BLEACHED

INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER CLAVIN AND JESSICA CLAVIN BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON leached have always encom- write about?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; because the most interesting passed a wide range of qualities, things are from when we were just crazy both aesthetically and musically. girls,â&#x20AC;? she laughs.

Vocalist and guitarist Jennifer Clavin and guitarist and bassist Jessica Clavinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hard To Killâ&#x20AC;? is perhaps the most represenoffering, Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t You Think Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Had Enough?, tative of the recordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essence. Its shiny extedue out July 12 via Dead Oceans, is both rior is heated up by the Clavinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hard-living their darkest and most colorful yetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a past. Yet, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ambiguity that creates working dichotomy that is indicative of a void, letting the listener maneuver inside artists at their peak. and hear what they see fit to hear. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a trait all great songs carry and a reminder of why Under the shimmering Cali-pop that music is such a high art form. Individuals stretches wide across the Los Angeles can write and sing about the most personal bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new album, punk angst still remains things, but when they offer it up to the world, the driving force, the special bond that it becomes even more so. cements the form. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thinking of this one Germs photo where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all in ties and â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we were kids, we had a punk band, cool uniforms,â&#x20AC;? Jess laughs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I imagine and we had a song about a turkey sandpunks in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s, I imagine them running wich,â&#x20AC;? Jen laughs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one knew that, you around in L.A. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always sunny here. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s know? People interpreted that in any numso much you can do with the weather.â&#x20AC;? ber of ways and never knew it was about a turkey sandwich. So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t You Think Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Had Enough? glistens say whatever, and whatever people need with that aura, a freeness and warmth that to hear, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll hear.â&#x20AC;? belies the struggles the record is built upon.

The two sisters wrote and recorded from a On their third album, Bleached feel invigorated, place of sobriety. There lies a great energy tight, able to withstand the trials and tribulaat the heart of each songâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a positive, boun- tions of life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like being sisters, Jen and I tiful oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;yet the past remains the key, the are so close,â&#x20AC;? Jess says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Growing up together vital life potion that is the true nature of the listening to punkâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and being on the road, you album. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I stopped drinking and using have family, because it can get lonely out there.â&#x20AC;? drugs, I had to figure out how to fill that void in a happy way,â&#x20AC;? Jen says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, I was in a real Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t You Think Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Had Enough? is meant good place and still am, but when we went for the open road. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new dynamic and to start writing, we were like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What do we a real partner. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

B

PHOTO BY LINDSEY BYRNES

JAY SOM INTERVIEW WITH MELINA DUTERTE BY J POET

elina Duterte, the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who performs and records as Jay Som, went from recording in her bedroom to being a touring headliner almost overnight.

M

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was about 12 years old when I started re-

cording and writing songs,â&#x20AC;? Duterte says from her Los Angeles apartment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I taught myself guitar by watching lessons online. I recorded songs on my laptop using a webcam mic, my guitar, and a Yamaha keyboard. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d play beats on a shoebox with spoons and forks. I also taught myself production.â&#x20AC;?

PHOTO BY ALAN_SNODGRASS

By the time she was 15, she had about 20 Aug. 23. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another quiet expression of songs on her Myspace page. She put her bedroom soul, with Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intimate next new songs, an album she called Turn vocals awash in ambient guitar textures, Into, up on Bandcamp in 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sang and glistening keyboards, and beats that played guitar, bass, keyboards, and a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draw on funk, retro rock, and classic R&B. drum kit,â&#x20AC;? she recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was making pretty â&#x20AC;&#x153;My dad was a DJ in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s, so music using one mic. This was before I start- I absorbed a lot of funk and R&B before ed classes in music production.â&#x20AC;?

I discovered jazz and alternative rock in high school,â&#x20AC;? she explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all gets mixed Without any formal promotion, the songs up in my music.â&#x20AC;? got thousands of hits and offers from indie labels to release them on CD. At the same After the basic recording was done, time Duterte was putting her songs online, she Duterte invited a few friends to bring was playing bass with local bands in the San a bit of polish to the tunes, allowing her Francisco Bay Area. When Turn Into took off, to expand her basic sound without disshe put together a band and started touring. turbing its relaxed aura. In addition to She signed with Polyvinyl Records in 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201D; drummer and vocalist Justus Proffit, with who reissued Turn Into that Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;made whom Duterte recorded the collaborative another album in her bedroom entitled Nothingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Changed in 2018, she brought on Everybody Works in 2017, and stayed on the bassist Annie Truscott of Seattleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chastity road. She also relocated to Los Angeles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Belt, who will return from their hiatus with wanted to change my environment,â&#x20AC;? she a self-titled album produced by Duterte says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bay Area is so expensive, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a in September. Anak Ko also features the nonstop grind to make a living, so music members of Jay Somâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s touring lineup, was becoming a side project. Down here, drummer Zachary Elsasser, guitarist Olmusic and art is a central part of the culture, iver Pinnell, and bassist Dylan Allard, as so it allowed me to work a little harder on well as pedal steel player Nicholas Merz my new album.â&#x20AC;? and vocalists Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts and Laetitia Tamko of Vagabon.

As before, Duterte put together the skeleton for Anak Ko, her third record, by herself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was feeling more confident,â&#x20AC;? Duterte went out to Joshua Tree for a week,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I added violin, pedal steel, more shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I took all my equipment so I could guitars, and backing vocals. I was like flesh out the songs, finish writing the lyrics, a wide-eyed kid playing music with my and sing. I already had the drum tracks. I friends, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to get too experdid them up in the Bay Area with a couple imental or ambitious. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to explain of drummers I work with.â&#x20AC;? what I was aiming at. I like to leave it up to the people who listen to my albums to deAnak Ko will be released by Polyvinyl on cide how this differs from the last one.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

NEW NOISE 41

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

JESSE MALIN INTERVIEW BY ANGELA KINZIE

I

n the mid â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, New York singer-songwriter Jesse Malin heard a voice he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize surface on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Still Standing There,â&#x20AC;? a track from Steve Earleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1996 album, I Feel Alright, which he had just bought.

edge. I realized this was labeled as roots music, Americana, whatever box people put things in, but she was just as rock â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll as anybody, like a female Keith Richards or a Chrissie Hynde with some kind of Southern twang.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was stunned. I was so excited,â&#x20AC;?

Malin says.

On collaborating with Williams, Malin states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was an honor, a pleasure, and just something really surprisingly great about working with her.â&#x20AC;?

The voice he heard was that of Lucinda Williams. A longstanding icon of Americana and folk rock, Williams most recently produced Malinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first solo release in four years, Sunset Kids, out Aug. 30 via Wicked Cool, The Orchard, and Velvet Elk.

With occasional pedal steel and acoustic guitars accenting Sunset Kids, Malin explores some familiar territory, but also some that is uncharted for the 40-year punk rock veteran. Extremely friendly and eager to chat, he explains what he perceives to be the connection between punk, folk, and Americana.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used to have these daily conversations with Joey Ramone, believe it or not. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call up or Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call him, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;What are you listening to?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I just heard this woman, Lucinda Williams, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about telling stories,â&#x20AC;? he sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so great!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Malin recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Punk rock was always about went to some shows, and she was lyrics. Joe Strummer, they used so badass but so personable, to call him Woody, so there you telling stories about her songs, go, like Woody Guthrie. Johnny and her band had such a vibe, an Cash, Bob Dylan, I mean, those

42 NEW NOISE

are protest songs; those are angry itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still never easy,â&#x20AC;? he continues. songs. Even Jerry Lee Lewis and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then, my dad passed, and then, Chuck Berryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;punk rock. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just my guitar player for many years who was in D Generation and my the attitude; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the message.â&#x20AC;? solo stuff, Todd Youth, a wonderful Creating Sunset Kids served as both guitarist, way too young, [â&#x20AC;Ś] died a a distraction and catharsis for month after my dad passed. There Malin, who experienced copious were a few other friends. It was amounts of personal loss over the just a really intense year. When I past year, which dominates the title, was walking in L.A., the title came. subject, and recording of the album. I saw the sign, and I just thought, you know, we made this record â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weirdly enough, the first on both coasts, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of a conversation about this record was nod to music being a way to keep right after Lucinda opened for Tom the spirit of those you love who Petty And The Heartbreakers,â&#x20AC;? Malin have touched your lives and have shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Turned out, it was Tom Pettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passed, just keeping it aliveâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just a last gig. It was in L.A., at Sunset. Then, little dedication to those people.â&#x20AC;?

I started making the record with one of Lucindaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineers, David â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shining Down,â&#x20AC;? the most obvious Bianco. [He] also did Tom Pettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s track to embrace mortality, is autobiographical Wildflowers [from 1994] and, funny â&#x20AC;&#x153;straight-up enough, went full circle back to my about my family,â&#x20AC;? Malin offers. band D Generation. David was a big â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life is for the living, but these part of the early days of Sunset Kids, angels are up there. [â&#x20AC;Ś] So, as and he passed in the making of the much as I write about things record [on June 20, 2018], which was that are depressing or hard or whatever, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meant to be some a real shock to all of us.â&#x20AC;? kind of exorcism and be positive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not to be so morbid, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shining Downâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is keeping the light part of life. Everybody does it, but on somewhere.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

OSO OSO INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST JADE LILITRI BY RENALDO MATADEEN

stressful or an easy guarantee to experience less emotional pain, and then kind of weighing what it is to bypass that for glimpses and moments of euphoria and the risk or reward that comes with that.â&#x20AC;?

As for the title, basking in the glow, he mentions that it has a double meaning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While ade Lilitri has had quite an inter- there is probably a lot of subconscious it does come off very optimistic, there is esting ride fronting Long Beach, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s influence in the songs.â&#x20AC;? something about â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;basking in the glowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oso oso. Many considered the project to be a solo endeavor as A lot of this stems from the more com- that gives a very â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ignorance is blissâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feelit evolved following the hiatus of his band pressed route the band took when record- ing to it,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re basking State Lines, but as 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the yunahon ing. Compared to the yunahon mixtape ses- in the glow, it can be very blinding, and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the risks or dangers that mixtape reminded fans, oso oso are a full- sions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there simply was just way less time to sit can come with that. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where blown band of indie punk darlings who back and digest the songs and let them soak are intent on rocking out. or marinate and then make adjustments,â&#x20AC;? the conflict lies in the record. Where do you draw your lines in the pursuit of your Lilitri explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think either process happiness, and at what cost?â&#x20AC;?

Two years later, Lilitriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back at it with is better than the other, but I definitely do basking in the glow, out Aug. 16 via Triple think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re responsible for each album Lilitri confesses that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as excited as Crown Records. Though some people being the way that they are, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad ever to play these songs liveâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially might find the new release tame, Lilitri is to have experienced both processes as perfectly clear that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;chillâ&#x20AC;? and dialing a songwriter. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what the next â&#x20AC;&#x153;the view,â&#x20AC;? which he hopes will become a it down didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop the band from making recording process will be like yet, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;crowd favorite.â&#x20AC;? When asked to offer an elevator pitch for those anticipating the a punchy, charmingly saccharine alter- even [more] exciting to think about.â&#x20AC;? record, Lilitriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit nervous but eventunative rock record. oso oso have always had a knack for cre- ally concludes with the sell, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, try it out. You might like it, and if you do, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an intentional thing, but I ating earwormsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;indelible, catchy tracks wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind suggesting that, perhaps, that push the boundaries of pop punk. then it was probably worth the $12 to $20 you spent on itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, I will let it has to do with me getting older and One of these melodic masterpieces is â&#x20AC;&#x153;the more chilled out and melodramatic as a view,â&#x20AC;? a song Lilitri holds dear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pos- you kick my ass!â&#x20AC;? person,â&#x20AC;? Lilitri laughs when asked about sibly my favorite on the album,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Judging from the array of emotional, the swath of mid-tempo offerings on tap. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That song is about somebody finding head-bopping songs offered on basking in â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I think you nailed it on the head with this apathetic mindset very attractive to the glow, that probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;alternative.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very fitting, and delve into and explore, whether it be less

J

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

SIGNALS MIDWEST

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We go months without seeing each other, work like crazy, and live our lives, and when we do meet up, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very much a no-bullshit, here-to-do-the-thing kind of vibe. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely not ideal, but I think doing it less has actually made me enjoy the band more. I sure as hell donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it for granted.â&#x20AC;?

Longitudes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something he kept in his back pocket and conjured when searching for a title that â&#x20AC;&#x153;connected us to our past.â&#x20AC;? A lot of it comes down to the wordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multiple meanings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can be a noun or a verb,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a powerful action or an inanimate object. You can use it a bunch of different ways. A lot of our earlier catalog approaches things in a very cut-and-dry lyrical fashion, but on this one, I think a lot of the songs deal with duality.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I listen to our earlier records and there are definite moments that I love, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a ton of overplaying and cramming as many ideas into each song as Pin is just six songs long and feels more possible,â&#x20AC;? Stern says of Pin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those were years of great discovery and experi- like an EP, but to Stern, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the story: finding your identity, balancing mentation, but I also think it led to some messy songs and a lot of cutting corners, work and love, and self-actualization. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all over 30 or about to be,â&#x20AC;? he performance- and production-wise.â&#x20AC;? shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] family, responsibilities, partners, careers.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the songs on Pin groove a little bit more. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more locked-in,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Somehow, the band let me get â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other thing is that in our 11 years as a band, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never made anything away with putting a two-minute piano shorter than a traditional LP,â&#x20AC;? he notes. song as the opener. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just trying INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST to create more space, keep it a little â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always talked about doing it, but MAX STERN BY RENALDO MATADEEN weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just keep writing and end up with simpler, write more hooks, self-edit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too many songs. So, when we got these all a process.â&#x20AC;? hio quartet Signals Midwest are â&#x20AC;&#x153;After a decade in Cleveland, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a songs together, it was either wait andarlings of the indie-emo circuit. three-city band now,â&#x20AC;? Stern says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so evother year to write and record five to 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latitudes and Longitudes erything we do is meticulously planned â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think I just want to keep getting more six more songs or just get it down while dynamic,â&#x20AC;? Stern muses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to know put them on the map, followed by 2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s months in advance because of the things still felt immediate and good. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m what a Signals skate punk song sounds Light on the Lake, and three years later, travel required for us to be in the same hesitant to say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an EP. In the digital like, and I want to know what happens the acclaimed At This Age was born. Now, room. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m honestly proud of it.â&#x20AC;? age, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not even sure if tags like that if we try to play two notes for seven as vocalist and guitarist Max Stern reveals matter anymore. I look at it as a cominutes straight.â&#x20AC;? on their upcoming release, Pin, out Aug. 2 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know many bands who survive hesive record and as a statement that via Lauren Records, their settled and ma- that kind of thing,â&#x20AC;? he continues, noting Stern admits that the recordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud of. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just short.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł ture lives donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wandered the departure of Loren Shumaker and too far from the things that defined them. addition of new bassist Ryan Williamson. Pin, was almost used for Latitudes and

O

NEW NOISE

43

PHOTO BY KEANS LLAMERA

THE GODS OF THUNDER POP

TORCHE INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER RICK SMITH BY THOMAS PIZZOLA

M

iami-born doom-pop- ning for the band, now comprised on this album compared to previpers Torche just released of Smith, vocalist and guitarist Steve ous recordings. This will be the first their fifth album, Ad- Brooks, bassist-turned-guitarist Jon- Torche record since our [2005 self-timission, through Relapse Records athan NuĂąez, and newest member tled] debut to featured printed lyrics. on July 12. The new album comes bassist Eric Hernandez. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It marks a new Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be up to the listeners to interpret four years after their previous re- era for the band with Jon moving from for themselves, as some are not so lease, 2015â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restarter, and it shows bass to guitar and our longtime friend black-and-white, and others can be the band further refining their ev- and auxiliary member Eric Hernandez a little more obvious.â&#x20AC;? er-evolving sound. This time, the joining full-time on bass,â&#x20AC;? Smith says.

Even the cover features a stunning band took a different path to craft â&#x20AC;&#x153;This new lineup is probably my favorite the best album possible, especially so far, and the songs are more thought- image that is a break from the colorful approach Torche usually take. after the rushed approach they took out and complete.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The artist responsible for the cover to Restarter.

One can definitely hear the differ- image is South Florida-based miniâ&#x20AC;&#x153;We took our time over a couple years ence, as Admission strikes the proper malist artist Richard Vergez. Richard is working on Admission. Some of the balance between the doom and pop well-respected by people locally and original ideas on the album date in the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature â&#x20AC;&#x153;thunder pop.â&#x20AC;? has also been involved in the music back to 2016, not long after Restarter Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more focused, with sharper scene for many years performing uncame out,â&#x20AC;? drummer Rick Smith says. pop hooks, while Restarter leaned der a few names as an experimental â&#x20AC;&#x153;Restarter was written in two weeks more on the sludge aspects of their composer,â&#x20AC;? Smith says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a and recorded in two weeks. It was sound. Both elements are equally fan of his visual and sound art for a so quickly put together that I feel it important to their musical identity. long time. When Steve mentioned to lacked some of the imagination that me that he was really digging Richtypically goes into Torche songwriting. The lyrics were more thought-out this ardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stuff on Instagram, it dawned on It seemed to be well-received by crit- time around too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The lyrics on the us that his art may be a perfect fit for ics, so I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m unhappy with the record address an array of personal the new visual direction we wanted overall end result, but I definitely feel stuff for Steve. Like most classic rock to take for Admission. Richard had way more confident with the material â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll albums, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely sex created a handful of pieces for us to on Admission.â&#x20AC;? and drugs, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way more than choose from, and the Admission covthat,â&#x20AC;? Smith says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steve really wrote er was something that really stood Admission marks another new begin- some imaginative and strong lyrics out. We all knew it was the one.â&#x20AC;?

44 NEW NOISE

2019 also marks their 15th year as a band. Torche have had many ups and downs over the years, but they keep on moving forward, especially with Admission signaling a rebirth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think writing timeless, honest, and unique music is what keeps us going.

No one out there does exactly what we do; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bands we get compared to, but most of the time, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accurate,â&#x20AC;? Smith says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part Chimp in the U.K. is a band we consider to be our cousin bandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;very heavy, loud, and melodic. It probably stems from influences more than anything. They like the stuff we like.â&#x20AC;?

Torche also plan to keep doing this as long as they possibly can. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I personally donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see an end to this as long as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in good health and capable. We really love what we do,â&#x20AC;? Smith says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t run out of ideas, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obvious when listening to Admission. While having a classic Torche sound, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a more mature record than any from the past and also showcases how we can reinvent ourselves without losing focus of our intention or identity.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

TM

ES 18 VENU TLERS 3 DAYS O WRES R P & S DIAN S, COME 0+ BAND

35

JAWBREAKER LESS THAN JAKE AGAINST ME!2 NIGHTS PLAYING WHITE CROSSES, TRANSGENDER DYSPHORIA

BLUES, SEARCHING FOR A FORMER CLARITY & NEW WAVE

JAWBOXREUNION STIFF LITTLE FINGERS PLAYING INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL THE BRONX AMERICAN STEEL MARIACHI EL BRONX OFF WITH THEIR HEADS AJJ IRON REAGAN TIM BARRY JOYCE MANOR TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET THE LILLINGTONS TORCHE MASKED INTRUDER

CAREER SUICIDE SCREAMING FEMALES PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS SQUIRTGUN WAR ON WOM EN SPRAYNARD REUNION A WILHELM SCREAM GRADE NO TRIGGER BAD COP/BAD COP THE CASKET LOTTERY BULLETS TO BROADWAY REUNION REHASHER GOUGE AWAY A**HOLEPARADE NO TRIGGER THE D OPAM INES L AU R A J ANE GRACE DAVID DONDERO KEPI GHOULIE WORRIERS THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE ABLE BAKER FOX WHISKEY AND CO. THE COPYRIGHTS BRENDAN KELLY AUDIO KARATE TSUNAMI BOMB

D I KE MB E SPANISH LOVE SONGS TIMESHARES SLINGSHOT DAKOTA SIGNALS MIDWEST DEAD BARS HEARTSOUNDS MIKEY ERG RADON DOLLAR SIGNS GO BETTY GO GRAF ORLOCK WOLF-FACE SHEHEHE

SAVE ENDS COFFEE PROJECT JASON GUY SMILEY THE BOMBPOPS KILL LINCOLN MACHINIST NOMORE W E T N U RS E EXPERT TIMING DFMK MEXICO A VULTURE WAKE DEBT NEGLECTOR BLIS. TEEN AGERS CITY MOUSE CAFFIENDS HOT KNIFE SKATUNE NETWORK FULL BAND MAKEWAR YOU VANDAL GOLDEN PELICANS SUCH GOLD KID YOU NOT DOWSING POST TEENS PROTAGONIST GILLIAN CARTER SUNSHINE STATE THE ERADICATOR FRAMEWORKS THE ENABLERS RATIONAL ANTHEM POOL KIDS ADULT MOM TOO MANY DAVES BIKE TUFF DUSK AMERICAN PINUP BRETT NEWSKI TILTWHEEL DIVIDED HEAVEN FULL BAND QUIET FEAR ZETA

GE AWAY

AND MANY MANY MORE

FOR TICKETS & MORE INFO VISIT THEFESTFL.COM

46 NEW NOISE

8.9.19

8.30.19

9.20.19

info and pre-order at fatwreck.com

CAVE IN R

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST STEPHEN BRODSKY AND GUITARIST ADAM MCGRATH

BY BEN SAILER

arely have a simple guitar and a hummed melody sounded as haunting as they do on the opening title track of Final Transmission, the latest release from influential post-hardcore trailblazers Cave In. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken directly from the last voice memo the Boston band received from bassist Caleb Scofield, shortly before he passed away in a tragic automotive accident on his way home after practice.

There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much to it beyond a barebones skeleton of a tune, yet the weight it carries feels insurmountable, the last document from a creative spirit taken from this world too soon.

The song sets the tone for what may be the most unexpected yet most important entry in Cave Inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s catalog, released on June 7 via Hydra Head Records. Compiled from demos intended to precede their next proper studio recording and released to benefit the Scofield familyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with 50 percent of the proceeds going to Scofieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an endearingly rough-hewn tribute to a friend and bandmate whose impact canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adequately be described in words alone. The album isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy to listen to, nor was it easy to create, but it may be one the band needed to finish in order to move forward.

48 NEW NOISE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still kind of living through the experience of this whole process of losing our friend,â&#x20AC;? guitarist Adam McGrath says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the document of our last moments with our friend. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so happy that the last time I ever spent time with him, we played music together. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so happy about that. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bittersweet. Very mixed feelings.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just wanted to do my friend right,â&#x20AC;? he shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we did, you know? I just wanted to do right by him. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a beautiful last testament to him.â&#x20AC;?

The sessions that would eventually become Final Transmission started in 2017 following an extended break from recording after 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s White Silence. While there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a definite consensus around what the next Cave In record should sound like, Scofield perhaps had the clearest vision for the direction the band should take. Their creative trajectory had never followed a linear path, beginning with their metallic 1999 debut, Until Your Heart Stops, before diverging toward the space rock adventurism of 2000â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jupiter and thick alt-rock riffage on 2003â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Antenna.

uncharted tonal territory. Cave In credit Scofield for playing a pivotal role in guiding them toward a sound that encapsulates the best of everything they have done to date, drawing upon a rich sonic palette developed over two decades of following no oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muse but their own.

The raw tracks were completed collaboratively with engineering assistance from Andrew Schneider and mastering by James Plotkin, keeping Scofieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions as he played them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rerecord any of the live tracks that we did with Caleb,â&#x20AC;? vocalist and guitarist Stephen Brodsky says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything that we built on those tracks was based off what we captured in the room with the four of us.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I mean, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a product of us playing together for years, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy that you can hear that in these songs,â&#x20AC;? McGrath adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can hear a lot of miles between us, and I love that.â&#x20AC;?

One might wonder what the tracks on Final Transmission could have been had they been That sort of unpredictable ped- finished as originally intended. igree certainly leaves a band However, doing so may mean with a lot of room to explore missing the point.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always try to bring the focus back to what started the record,â&#x20AC;?

Brodsky explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;which was basically us trying to do what we can to help the Scofield family get back on their feet after everything that transpired last year.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a takeaway that people should get from this,â&#x20AC;? he concludes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth the effort to go the extra mile to get through whatever painful situation it is that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to overcome. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. No one is excluded from death or any painful situations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just par for the courseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and, you know, maybe this could set an example for people, like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, you know, in your most fucked-up state, maybe something beautiful can come out of it.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

PHOTO BY KYLE BERGFORS

FULL

DEATHCORE JACKET

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST SCOTT IAN LEWIS BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

H

umorously, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Die Without Hope ended up being the wellspring that gave Carnifex a new life.

Since then, the San Diego quintet have been testing the boundaries of their sound, redefining what deathcore can be. World War X, out Aug. 2 via Nuclear Blast Records, is their creative zenith, demonstrating the band at their most visceral, vicious, and exhilarating.

album. That was our marching order, so to speak.â&#x20AC;?

Between their last album, 2016â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Slow Death, and this release, Lewis wrote the blood-spattered mystery graphic novel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death Dealer,â&#x20AC;? and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that World War X harnesses his storytelling talent with even more elegiac, beautifully written lyrics. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a concept record, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a deep cinematic element here, like if David Fincher directed an apocalyptic horror filmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or a modern retelling of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Full Metal Jacket.â&#x20AC;?

Vocalist Scott Ian Lewis and company have been fighting the good fight, continuing to represent deathcore while many bands have left the sound altogether. This â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or Kubrick, yeah,â&#x20AC;? Lewis interalbum highlights that the struggle jects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fincher reference is astute, because I am a total student was worth the crusade. of his work and admire what he â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to focus on replayabil- does creatively, but before I found ity, writing songs that had a flow to Fincher, I found Kubrick. I rememthem and had flow and contrast ber a big thematic archetype that to them,â&#x20AC;? Lewis states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted I had been leaning on for this ensongs that took you on a journey tire album was the movie â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Full Metand werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a single note from al Jacketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and that cynical look at beginning to endâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not just in war. Kubrick showed it, and at first, the songs but across the entire you think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glorifying war: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

on the cover, on the leads, everything about it is highlighting war, making it look cinematicâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and good too. It was also this cynical look at what came from it. That was the subtext of the whole thing.â&#x20AC;?

this great creative energy from the Slow Death cycle.â&#x20AC;?

The breakdown at the end of the title track, which also opens World War X, is monolithic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possibly one of the best breakdowns of the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career.

Even when Carnifex push the boundaries of their inherent brutality, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a philosophical, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those lyrics that are over that contemplative element to their breakdown, I really tried to strip work. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to picture aspects away that subtext and spoonof World War X filmed like the feed what the theme of the album scene in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Se7enâ&#x20AC;? in which Brad Pitt is,â&#x20AC;? Lewis explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The lyrics and Morgan Freeman wax poetic are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Burn the flags, bow to the about the absurdity of life but with gun / Born to kill, because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war as a backdrop rather than a how wars are won.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this amalgam of glorifying it but really biblical murder spree. underscoring the sick cynicism of â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was an inspired record, not it. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the album is aboutâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; just for myself but for [guitarist] itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schizophrenic in that nature.

Jordan [Lockrey], [drummer] One minute, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all Shawn [Cameron], and myself, about guns and the glory, and the who wrote the album,â&#x20AC;? Lewis says. next, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all a big, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guitar playing on this sick joke on all of us that really recordâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you talk about inspired, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing any favors for anyone.â&#x20AC;? he took it to the next level. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł even take even a portion of the credit. We were just coming off

NEW NOISE 49

PHOTO BY ESTER SEGARRA

INTERVIEW WITH NOCTURNO CULTO

BY MARIKA ZORZI

T

he legendary, longstanding partnership of Norwegian drummer Gylve Fenris â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fenrizâ&#x20AC;?

Nagell and vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Ted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nocturno Cultoâ&#x20AC;? Skjellum returns with Darkthroneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first studio album since 2016â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arctic Thunder. Released May 31 via Peaceville Records, Old Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six new epic tracks take old-school heavy and extreme metal and a hefty dose of doom-laden riffing and channel them through the grime of the underground.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were very stoked about making Arctic Thunder, so we knew we had to somehow continue in that same vein,â&#x20AC;? Nocturno Culto says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a continuation, even though Old Star is probably a lot slower than Arctic Thunder, but we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really control whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming out. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just there.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We live just day by day. We had two recording sessions for Old Star, and that was, like, two weekends, actually,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This kind of time pressure is something that we inflict upon ourselves. We really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to do it so fast, but we like the way weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working now since 2005. We record ourselves. It works out for us. The environment that we recorded Arctic Thunder and Old Star in was this old bomb shelter that we used to rehearse and record some demos in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s. The acoustics there are horrible, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like going into war when we are in the studio, but we like that kind of war.

We always fight the elements.â&#x20AC;?

Old Star was recorded at the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Necrohell II Studio, with engineering and production duties carried out by Nocturno Culto and complemented by an entirely organic mix courtesy of Sanford Parker at Hypercube, then mastered once more by Jack Control at Enormous Door Audio. As engineer and producer, Nocturno Culto wanted to explore a specific sound on this album.

50 NEW NOISE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care about what people are listening to. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care less,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is something for everyone there. We have a small joke, which is a bit true as well, when we say that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make music that people should necessarily like today, but the point is that you put on Old Star or [2013â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] The Underground Resistance in 15 years, it will still sound equally fresh, and that is because of the sound. I know a lot of bands that have gotten themselves trapped when new technology comes around. They want to be on it, and when the decades go by and they listen to that album, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Playing music has always been the most important thing for Darkthrone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I care just about spreading our music and not our face,â&#x20AC;? Nocturno Culto admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want people to forget about me and try to listen to Darkthrone. I think that neither Fenriz or myself are on any social media, and I know thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big thing for people. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a very social person and more of an introvert.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m good at being social when I have to be.â&#x20AC;?

However, this has nothing to do with the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision not to play live shows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Playing live, for us now, will be a lot of hassle, meetings, the whole machinery going on,â&#x20AC;? he continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two very different things, making an album and standing on the stage, because being on the stage and entertaining people is more like showbusiness. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like showbusiness. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not born to do that kind of thing.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Darkthrone has been a big part of my life since I was 16 years old, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slowly become some kind of mental lifeline, at least for me and I also think for Fenriz,â&#x20AC;? Nocturno Culto concludes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the one place that has been steady for 30 years. So, for us, continuing to make music for Darkthrone and sharing it with our fans is the only thing that really matters.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

Available 8/16 owthbegood.com - epitaph.com

..

PHOTO BY ROBERT TUCHI

PRACTICED PERFECTION

T

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JOACIM CANS BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

here are bands who Of course, the aim with any put out record after project is to keep pushing forrecord, eventually ward and improving, but Cans resting on their laurels admits there is a definite sense because they know theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve al- of urgency with Dominion, the ready made great music. bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 11th release, and a desire to be absolutely perfect.

Then, there are Hammerfall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we needed to step up a The Gothenburg, Sweden, band little bit; I mean, the whole pride themselves on perfec- band, the production, the tionism and making each new performance is up a notch,â&#x20AC;? he release even better than the last. says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing this Their newest album, Dominion, now for 22 years. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been out Aug. 16 on Napalm Records, touring all around the world, is especially focused on elevat- and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still some territory ing everything to a new level. to conquer. We just want to prove that we are still a band â&#x20AC;&#x153;It feels like we just keep polishing that makes a difference. When the same diamond in order to we go on tour and play live, we make it perfect,â&#x20AC;? vocalist Joac- want fans to want to hear the im Cans says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this album, new songs as well, not just the from the songwriting process old songs. With this album, I to the recordings, everything think it is kind of a new beginis even better than previous ning. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the second coming of records.â&#x20AC;?

Hammerfall.â&#x20AC;?

52 NEW NOISE

The band placed a lot of focus there are all kinds of other lyron sound and production on ics that come from the depths the new record, as well as a lot of my imagination.â&#x20AC;? of focus on the lyrics, what they are about, and how they are If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a fan, be sure to grab presented. Dominion comes Dominion this August and be a with a booklet that explains part of the continued legacyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the process and intention be- and, now, the second comingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; hind each of its 12 songs. that is Hammerfall. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this record, every song is different, and the way they can be interpreted will be different for each individual,â&#x20AC;?

Cans adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a way, they are standard heavy metal lyrics, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also so much more.

I mean, you have everything here from talking about the Vietnam Warâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because I was totally hooked on a 12-hour documentary I saw on TV, and I just got so many ideas from it.

That was the inspiration for the opening track, [â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Never Forgive, Never Forget.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;] Apart from that,

NEW NOISE 53

â&#x20AC;&#x153;WE'RE DIGGING OUR OWN GRAVES, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING DOWN LAUGHING, AND IT'S A DISTURBING COMBINATION.â&#x20AC;?

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD D

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST STU MACKENZIE BY DOUGLAS MENAGH

efinitely the heaviest record to date,â&#x20AC;? King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard vocalist and guitarist Stu Mackenzie says about the Melbourne bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest album, Infest the Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest.

Mackenzie explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fishies was so low-key and so chill. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often the way for us, where we feel like doing the opposite thing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just, like, a push-pull.â&#x20AC;?

like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is scary, the permafrost is melting,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually not scared. Everyone is kind of happy and going about living their lives.â&#x20AC;?

that [like] weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in past records.

This one is like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We are fucked. You are fucked. You are going to hell, and hell is on the surface of Venus, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not fun.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

The album deals with the issue ficInfest the Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest is an effective titiously through horror and slightly While King Gizzard & The Lizard reaction to Fishing for Fishies, as comedic elements, telling a story Wizard have been known for exAfter releasing 14 albums since it sounds vastly different and is about â&#x20AC;&#x153;rogue earthlings.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re] tensive touring, the band recently forming in 2010, King Gizzard & The intricately composed instrumen- trying to escape from this planet enjoyed their longest hiatus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Lizard Wizard are set to drop their tally, with sick riffs, an arsenal of that is dying,â&#x20AC;? Mackenzie explains. just had the longest break that most metallic album yet. Out Aug. percussion, heavy basslines, and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to Mars, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in five years, which was, 16 through ATO Records in the U.S. hardcore atmosphere. Mackenzie they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough money to like, six months off show,â&#x20AC;? Mackand Flightless Records in Australia, approached the vocals like any get in, so they go rogue and build enzie says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually getting Infest the Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest is a straight-up other instrument. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I approach sing- a spaceship and send it to Venus back into it next week, and from thrash metal album. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a suc- ing like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just another part of and try to colonize and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not that point on, pretty much the cession of records of ours that have the music,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You just sing in very successful there either. Earth whole rest of the year is fairly congotten heavy or more influenced the tone of voice that suits the mu- is dead, Venus is shit and everyone sistently with shows.â&#x20AC;? by metal,â&#x20AC;? Mackenzie says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think sic. Hopefully I can sing this live and dies there, and Mars is full of the it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until this one where it was, not lose my voice in five minutes, wealthy, and then, the story ends. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to play all this new stuff, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is heavy metal now.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see!â&#x20AC;?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just our broad critique of and even the stuff from Fishing for what is happening.â&#x20AC;?

Fishies and some other deep, weirdKing Gizzard & The Lizard Wizardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s What makes the heavy music sound er, rare cuts weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never played bemost face-melting record to date natural and authentic is King Giz- Infest the Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest is, at times, hi- fore,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to follows up Fishing for Fishies, an zardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice to draw on the issue lariousâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;often, painfully so. As a re- vary the sets up a lot more and have upbeat, chill album released only of climate change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re digging sult, it is a deeply cathartic record. different shows every night.â&#x20AC;? months ahead in April. Infest the our own graves, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think this album is mostly kind of Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest is, in every sense, a musi- going down laughing, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a legit scary,â&#x20AC;? Mackenzie says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s With Infest the Ratsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nest set to drop cal face-heel turn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In a lot of ways, disturbing combination,â&#x20AC;? Mack- less, like, monsters and creatures soon, Mackenzie concludes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m it was our pushback against Fishies,â&#x20AC;? enzie says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Generally, we are all and fucked-up spirits and shit like feeling good.â&#x20AC;?.đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

54 NEW NOISE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABE BECERRA

youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have the number of people listen to your stuff as we had with Laugh Tracks, so you just write out of the excitement of creating music. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to write this record with the thought of what people are going to think in the back of my head.â&#x20AC;?

HOLY METALCORE MATRIMONY

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST BRYAN GARRIS

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

F

or those ready to com- metal and early metallic hardcore mit their lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;err, earsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to influences. That is to say, this record Knocked Loose, A Different has everything old in a very new, prisShade of Blue, out Aug. 23 from Pure tinely giftwrapped package.

Noise Records, contains every good luck charm needed for a perfect According to vocalist Bryan Garris, metalcore union: something old, the creative challenge of surpassing something new, something bor- their debut wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too difficult once rowed, and something blue. The Knocked Loose got out of their heads.

Kentucky debutantes dazzled with â&#x20AC;&#x153;The stress got to us at first, but we their first vow of excellence, 2016â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just had to separate ourselves from Laugh Tracks, but A Different Shade that thought process, realizing it was of Blue dons a much snazzier outfit. more damaging to think that way,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, we took a step back and reMost importantly, there is still a alized that, most importantly, we had whole lot to love if Laugh Tracks tick- to write a record for us, that we liked.â&#x20AC;? led your fancy. The bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furious brand of metalcore is back this time To be fair, Garris and company did around, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sharper, crisper, and not expect so many attendees at this more adventurous. While much of the musical wedding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted the scene is embracing melody or indus- same feeling we had going into Laugh trial influences, A Different Shade of Tracks,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you start Blue is doubling down on the death a band, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start it thinking

56 NEW NOISE

of guest spots, as the band brought in one of metalcoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best long-running vocalists, Every Time I Dieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keith Buckley, and someone newer to the scene. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Emma Boster is in a band called Dying Wish, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all big fans of them,â&#x20AC;? Garris says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a newer band out of Portland, Oregon.

I like the approach of having somebody new and somebody old. She definitely crushed it.â&#x20AC;?

Garris initially struggled to find inspiration when writing his lyrical vows, but the result is a poetic, profound, and bold album. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a â&#x20AC;&#x153;blueâ&#x20AC;? feeling that permeates A A Different Shade of Blue has plenty of Different Shade of Blue, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old, plenty of new, and plenty of blue, more here than just stock standard but that begs the question: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s despair. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An underlying, repeating borrowed? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could definitely argue theme on the entire record would about all the early 2000s metalcore be loss,â&#x20AC;? Garris says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a topic bands we ripped off,â&#x20AC;? Garris laughs. that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been good at talking â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are some parts weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d chuckle about, because how do you do about when we were writing the record somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life justice in a song? because of how much it sounded like That was something that I really a specific era of metalcore. When we buckled down. I wanted to take a were writing the record, one of our poetic approach to those situations, working titles was Myspace.â&#x20AC;? and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a weight off my chest. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very happy with the things I got to say.â&#x20AC;?

Allusions to promises of forever are one thing, but A Different Shade of Musically, the album harnesses this Blue cements Knocked Loose as a focus and drive. If Laugh Tracks is band both in it for the long haul a thousand fists of fury, A Different and dedicated enough to keep Shade of Blue is somehow more vi- things interesting. olent yet also more careful in how it deploys that musical force. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s They say to marry out of your league, particularly interesting is the choice and Knocked Loose fit the bill. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

NORTHLANE PHOTO BY GIULIA MCGAURAN

W

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST MARCUS BRIDGE BY ANNETTE HANSEN

hen Northlane put to- â&#x20AC;&#x153;The stories and themes through- that relief with these songs yet,â&#x20AC;? gether their upcoming out Alien are things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always Bridge explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping when album, Alien, the Syd- wanted to talk about in the past, we start playing these songs live, ney, Australia, band found them- but I was always terrified to open singing these songs to people who selves in new territory as artists, up about my upbringing with have made it through their own especially vocalist Marcus Bridge. violent, drug-addicted parents,â&#x20AC;? trauma, that unity will trigger the For Bridge, this work was more Bridge says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When [guitarist] release Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been waiting for.â&#x20AC;? than just another albumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it was Jon [Deiley] first started sending an honest glimpse into a frighten- through the first few demos for With this newfound vulnerability the album, the tone of the music in their songs, the band not only ing and traumatizing past. really called for something darker, challenged themselves lyrically â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the most nervous Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been something angrier. It was time to but musically as well. Northlane took everything to the next level for the release of a new record,â&#x20AC;? tell that story.â&#x20AC;? with Alien.

Bridge expresses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve opened up more than ever before, but at While Bridge felt it necessary to the same time, that vulnerability is open up on the album, revisiting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always connected with songs those memories was, and still is, a that I can put myself in, and I pretty scary to put out there.â&#x20AC;? know a lot of people have grown challenge. up in a similar way to me or have Bridge says that with Alien, which is out Aug. 2 via UNFD, the band â&#x20AC;&#x153;Usually, when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m writing about gone through similar experiencspent nearly two years writing and experiences from my past, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s es,â&#x20AC;? Bridge says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This change in recording. While there was no initial the escape and the relief, but approach has brought something goal to get so personal, it became these experiences and memories fresh to our sound, and I think our apparent early on that it was the from my youth have stuck with me listeners will hear and feel somefor a long time, and I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t felt thing very different straight away.â&#x20AC;? direction that needed to be taken.

58 NEW NOISE

However, for Bridge, Alien is about more than Northlane growing as artists; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about using his most painful moments to inspire hope in those listening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This album is dark and real. It touches on things most people may be too afraid or embarrassed to talk about,â&#x20AC;? Bridge describes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My hope is for people to feel comfortable talking openly about their past, for them to see there is a way out and that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not alone. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been lucky enough to travel the world and live my dream despite my upbringing, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because I made a point of not being defined by my parents.

Though it might seem hopeless, you can escape your past and do something positive with your life if you want it.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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NEW NOISE

59

PLAGUE VENDOR

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST BRANDON BLAINE

BY NATALEE COLOMAN

I

n the current musical era, not three different pictures, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bands are continuously writ- one complete image.â&#x20AC;? ing songs to reflect their personal struggles and achieve- Plague Vendor began writing ments. Plague Vendor are no songs for By Night before they different, but the Whittier, Cali- knew what the album was going fornia, band add another layer to be in its entirety, right after to their music, showcasing how releasing their 2016 debut fullcreating meaningful moments length, BLOODSWEAT. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of while working tirelessly can lead the songs we had for a while. We to greater successes. held on to one or two of them and played them live,â&#x20AC;? Blaine These successes are especially adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We knew they would be on prominent on their sophomore the record no matter what other full-length, By Night, which debuted songs we wrote. We just took our on June 7 via Epitaph Records. time and wrote, then when we were ready, we let everyone know â&#x20AC;&#x153;By Night is a celebration of our and locked down time to record lives so far in the world of music,â&#x20AC;? with producer John Congleton.â&#x20AC;? vocalist Brandon Blaine shares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meant to be a celebration re- The band knew from the start that cord of sounds and vibes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not they wanted to work with Conglehere to be examined or reviewed, ton on this album. Blaine even just purely enjoyed.â&#x20AC;? states that he was exactly what By Night needed to complete Plague Blaine describes the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cohesive sound. Consound as â&#x20AC;&#x153;fun musicâ&#x20AC;? that anyone gleton, known for his work with St. can enjoy, regardless of their Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, and taste in music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The eclectic music Chelsea Wolfe, encouraged the listener would enjoy the record band to take even bigger steps. as a whole, and someone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blaine shares that whatever he into a specific type of sound can wanted to try while recording, also find a song to fit their style,â&#x20AC;? Congleton was able to master it he explains. exactly how Blaine pictured.

Cohesiveness and being â&#x20AC;&#x153;oneâ&#x20AC;? is Blaine says the band were â&#x20AC;&#x153;crebig for Plague Vendor, especially ating momentsâ&#x20AC;? on tour and in with By Night. The band utilized the studio, which ultimately led to their time efficiently to create the songs on the album. Even the one larger picture, visually and title, By Night, revolves around the musically, instead of multiple time the band would get together images for their fans to interpret. in the evening after a full day at â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really put thought into every- their jobs, creating a nonstop thing we did, from the sound to flow of working and making the way we looked. We wanted it those moments into something all to be cohesive, and I think our greater. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think if you want to get fans were stoked on the whole things done and you believe in package in general,â&#x20AC;? Blaine em- something, you just have to make phasizes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything had to be it work,â&#x20AC;? Blaine elaborates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You right. The album artwork, press have to work hard for what you photos, music video, everything want. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about balance had to be on the same page. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with everything.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

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PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

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PHOTO BY ALICIA ARMIJO

RUSSIAN CIRCLES INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MIKE SULLIVAN

BY DOUGLAS MENAGH

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hicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Russian Circles, comprised of guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz, and bassist Brian Cook, are set to drop Blood Year through Sargent House on Aug. 2. Ahead of the new record, the instrumental trio released â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arluck,â&#x20AC;? a song with intricate and dissonant hooks, searchand-destroy drumbeats, and aggressive basslines.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THERE WAS ALWAYS A

WAITING IN ANOTHER GUITAR OR PEDAL.â&#x20AC;?

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night to meet friends at a riverside bar for a few drinks.â&#x20AC;?

Blood Year sees Russian Circles reunited with engineer and Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love working with Kurt,â&#x20AC;? Sullivan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At this point, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so comfortable around each other, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less room for misunderstandings. No oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to get bent out of shape if a part isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working in the studio.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Arluckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was the first song we started working on for this album,â&#x20AC;? Sullivan â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it can be beneficial to track says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We went through 12 different with an engineer whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a guiarrangements of that song before tarist,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very persistent we were finally satisfied.â&#x20AC;? and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just settle for an adequate guitar tone when he knows it could The end result is a technically be more interesting. He has a treaimpressive banger that alternates sure trove of amps, pedals, and guibetween moments of tranquility and tars at his studio. There was always a broadly powerful episodes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I stock- compelling sound waiting in another piled a ton of riffs,â&#x20AC;? Sullivan says of guitar or pedal. This record would the writing process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sent them off sound very different if Kurt wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t to the dudes, and once everyone involved.â&#x20AC;? had some time to sit with the ideas, Dave and I started piecing together Russian Circles are an instrumental the songs.â&#x20AC;? band, though they previously collaborated with fellow Sargent House Sullivan explains how Russian Circles artist Chelsea Wolfe on the title track aspired to create an organic-sound- from their 2013 album, Memorial. ing recording, lending it the feel of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fortunate to call Chelsea a a live setting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the previous two friend, but it was still a huge honor records,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dave would actu- nevertheless,â&#x20AC;? Sullivan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It seems ally track the drums 100 percent by to be more rewarding to collaborate himself, and then, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d lay bass and with artists who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily in guitar down. On this recording, we the same genre but have overlapplayed the songs together without ping qualities and beliefs.â&#x20AC;? any guiding tempo or click track.

We wanted the songs to feel more Outside of music, the band are natural and open.â&#x20AC;? excited the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup. Even their name, RusRussian Circles recorded Blood Year sian Circles, comes from a hockey at GodCity Studio in Salem, Mas- skating exercise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe sachusetts, and Electrical Audio in it!â&#x20AC;? Sullivan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dave and I both Chicago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It really has its own unique grew up in St. Louis playing hockey, sound and environment,â&#x20AC;? Sullivan and the Blues were a huge part of says of Electrical Audio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like our youth. Since moving to Chicago Daveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been happier with a and falling in love with the comedy drum recording.â&#x20AC;? duo of [announcers] Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve morphed into a The proof is in the cut. The annihi- Blackhawks fan. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always have love lating drums in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arluckâ&#x20AC;? kick off the for the Blues, though.â&#x20AC;?  song and create space for the killer, bone-crunching riffs and hypnotic After Blood Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s release, Russian basslines, all of which create a Circles are set to tour North America stunning and gritty tone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brian and with Windhand and FACS starting I lodged at the studio, so we would in September. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in a head down to the studio at night to dormant phase over the summer,â&#x20AC;? refine parts and iron out kinks,â&#x20AC;? Sul- Sullivan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come fall, we have livan continues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, it was pretty nothing but touring on the agenda damn cold when we were recording. through next spring.â&#x20AC;? đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d march through the snow each

A THRASH AWAKENING

S

INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/VOCALIST PHIL RIND BY TOM CRANDLE

acred Reich are one of the unsung heroes of the second wave of thrash in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s and early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s. Formed in Phoenix in 1985, they released four full-lengths and a handful of EPs before splitting up in 2001.

In 2006, they reformed as a live band, and 2019 sees the improbable release of their fifth studio album, Awakening, which will be issued by Metal Blade Records on Aug. 23.

The current incarnation of Sacred Reich is made up of core members vocalist and bassist Phil Rind and guitarist Wiley Arnett.

They are joined by drummer Dave McClain, who spent half a decade in the band in the early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s and was also in Machine Head, and young guitarist Joey Radziwill.

Awakening is the first Sacred Reich studio album since 1996â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The spark of creativity returned. The songs came back,â&#x20AC;?

Rind explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we were making records, the songs would

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just come into our head. Then, they went away. For some reason, they returned.â&#x20AC;?

Sacred Reich have always been known for Rindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s socially conscious lyrics, but these eight new songs were less inspired by the In some ways, it was like starting current political climate than over. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been away from might be expected. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The lyrics making records for 23 years. It is are based more on the last 20 a long time, but in most ways, it years of our learning and expefeels good and natural, exciting rience,â&#x20AC;? he recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is some and welcomed,â&#x20AC;? Rind describes. acknowledgement of the current â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rekindling of an old, famil- climate of world politics, the iar relationship. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be division and the fear, but mostly, happier. Adding Dave back into I think the songs are positive and the band and having Joey, at encouraging. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we all the tender age of 22, on guitar could use more of.â&#x20AC;? has brought some energy and excitement.â&#x20AC;?

Awakening seems to be just the creative spark that Sacred Reich Radziwill wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even born the needed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we are just getlast time Sacred Reich made ting started. I have a few ideas a studio album, but he brings for the next record already,â&#x20AC;? Rind more to the table than just his assures. youthful enthusiasm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joey is a killer musician. His right hand The new album is a nearly perfect is a buzzsaw. He played drums blend of their classic sound and in a touring band, and his crisp, modern production. The timing is impeccable. He just guitar riffs are relentless and in doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make mistakes,â&#x20AC;? Rind your face. The drums pummel. says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On top of all that, he The words give listeners a lot to is just a great dude. He has a think about. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It sounds new but great attitude.â&#x20AC;? familiar,â&#x20AC;? Rind succinctly states.

Rind says Arizona was and is a good place to be in a thrash band. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were far enough away to develop our own thing outside of the Bay Area, Los Angeles, or New York,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Plenty of bands came through town, though, so we got to play with a ton of acts, learn from them, and make friends.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it matters too much where you are,â&#x20AC;? he adds.

He also has thoughts on why so many 30-year-old thrash bands are still performing at a high level. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that most of us got into bands because we love the music,â&#x20AC;? Rind posits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no motive beyond writing the best songs and records. No one got into this kind of music thinking they were going to get rich or famous.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, with the proper motive comes the proper outcome,â&#x20AC;? he concludes. đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł

PHOTO BY ROBERT ZEMBRZYCKI

T

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST ANDY MARSH BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

hy Art Is Murder are already a well-established metal band who likely need no introduction. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been topping the metal charts since 2008, when their particular blend of extra-heavy metalcore made an impact. Now, they are back with a new album, Human Target, released July 26 via Nuclear Blast.

Despite the fact that the Sydney, Australia, band have been at it for years, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve still got it when it comes to the studio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The writing and recording process was the same as usual. We kind of get together and write for a few weeks and then record it immediately following that,â&#x20AC;? guitarist Andy Marsh says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have a preset motion. We just let the riffs kind of take it from there.â&#x20AC;?

Lyrically, like many bands writing music in 2019, Thy Art Is Murder stumbled onto heavy themes like oppression and abuse of power. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We talk a lot about the institutional abuse of psychological power around the world,â&#x20AC;? Marsh explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We especially talked about the issues with pharma-

66 NEW NOISE

ceutical companies. Backed by big pharmaceutical companies that are paying for their own tests to show results and rushing things, there is a lot of corruption.

They havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really helped anyone get better, and depression is constantly on the rise. They just make money selling drugs, but they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really helping people.â&#x20AC;?

While these may be big and chal- of its sound and subject matter, lenging lyrical themes to take Marsh doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bad on, Thy Art Is Murder feel they thing. shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste their platform. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think our sound has â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got inspiration from my brain differed that much on this reand the world around me,â&#x20AC;? cord,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to Marsh says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the things that were change. We just try to improve under my skin and bothering me. every record, and I feel like we The best way to start a conversa- wrote a record that was closer to tion with a large group of people what we set out to do than ever Another major subject the band is to write a song about it.â&#x20AC;? before.â&#x20AC;?đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł đ&#x;&#x2019;Ł focus on with Human Target is social media and the horrors of Thy Art Is Murder have certainly modern-day interaction. succeeded there, and although he acknowledges Human Target â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another topic is people who may be predictable in terms judge everything that they do in their life by what other people broadcast on social media, which is like a very unfair vantage point,â&#x20AC;? Marsh says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People only put out the best things that they do, and other people think that thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how they live every day of their lives. We dove into a lot of different things, but mostly about how social media is kind of squashing humanity. We also looked at other issues, either psychological or socioeconomical, social or political, racial, and how a lot of women experience some kind of sexual assault or harassment.â&#x20AC;?

PHOTO BY MASEN SMITH

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NEW NOISE 67

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OUTSIDER: WHEN LOVE DIES: FLATSPOT RECORDS

On When Love Dies, the Richmond, Virginia, kids in Outsider drop five tracks that pay homage to the Matt-Henderson-from-Madball riff approach, No Warning, and Murder Weapon, complete with divebombs and the bounce of Cro-Mags. Their blistering attack nods to New York hardcore stomp but with fresh energy. “Life Runs Out,” “Path You’ve Earned,” “Mind of Misery,” “Let Myself Go,” and the title track all channel crossover, vibrating with genuine spirit. Outsider’s East Coast tour begins when the 7” is released

by Flatspot Records on Aug. 2, runs through Aug. 11, and features bands like Combust, Hoods, and Backtrack.

TOO MUCH: “PATENT LEATHER” B/W “DYSLEXIA” 7”: MERGE RECORDS

Rich Morel has been in Blowoff, BobMouldBand, Deathfix, and, of course, Morel, but he has also produced and remixed for Tori Amos, Cyndi Lauper, Depeche Mode, and Pet Shop Boys. Merge Records has captured the unique experience of Morel joining with D.C. musician Ian Svenonius—of Escape-ism, The Make-Up, The Nation Of Ulysses, Weird War, and many others—to unlock their debut single as Too Much, “Patent Leather” backed with “Dyslexia,” on July 12. “Patent Leather,” for which a video has already been released, is an elevated tune that boasts a punky, sexy synth bathed in a grimy-club, drug-haze feel.

Too Much’s foundation of synth and drum machine is complemented by a seductive swag and psych guitar.

“THE HARDER THEY COME” COLLECTOR’S EDITION: SHOUT! FACTORY A Jamaican-made love letter to reggae, “The Harder They Come” opened the world to a gorgeous and gritty collection of music. Jimmy Cliff plays the tenacious, glory-bound antihero Ivan Martin in Perry Henzell’s emotionally clutching 1972 classic. This three-disc collector’s edition is the film’s U.S. Blu-ray debut, transferred from the original 16mm negative, completely restored, and available on Aug. 20. The live soundtrack consists of six transcendent Jimmy Cliff classics, plus Toots And The Maytals, The Melodians, Desmond Dekker, and The Slickers. Each joint is a certified classic. The Bluray also includes Henzell’s previously unreleased follow-up to “The Harder They Come,” “No Place Like Home,” as well as the documentary “Perry Henzell: A Filmmaker’s Odyssey.”

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BY HUTCH

CASPAR BRÖTZMANN MASSAKER: DER ABEND DER SCHWARZEN FOLKLORE & KOKSOFEN: SOUTHERN LORD

In early 2019, Southern Lord reissued the first two LPs from Germany’s Caspar Brötzmann Massaker, 1987’s The Tribe and 1989’s Black Axis. Brötzmann is a wild, guitar-playing madman who explores his fretboard thoroughly, while Massaker are the power trio rounded out by bassist and vocalist Eduardo Delgado Lopez and drummer Danny Arnold Lommen who generate haunting, disorienting riffs and beats. Well, the eccentric guitarwork was celebrated again, as 1992’s Der Abend Der Schwarzen Folklore and 1993’s Koksofen were reissued by Southern Lord on black vinyl June 28. There are elements of the Gothic embedded in the music, and not just goth as a musical genre but a Gothic literature atmosphere and the feel of recording in a cold castle.

ROB ZOMBIE SOUNDTRACK TRILOGY: WAXWORK RECORDS

The prolific vinyl propagators at Waxwork add three new splendors to their extensive library of horror and sci-fi records in August. The original soundtracks from Rob Zombie’s “Firefly Family Trilogy”—“House of 1000 Corpses,” “The Devil’s Rejects,” and the forthcoming “3 From Hell”—are presented on gatefold double-LP, blood-splattered, 180-gram vinyl, each with 12 pages of behind-the-scenes photos and exclusive essays by Zombie. Each soundtrack was specifically mastered for vinyl, which is gorgeous placed inside Robert Sammelin’s new graphic-novel-style illustrations. Get reacquainted with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ramones, Buck Owens, Slim Whitman, The Allman Brothers Band, and many others, along with several Rob Zombie songs and interwoven score segments.

The incredible new album

OUTSTRIDER Out now!

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NEW NOISE 69

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KIKI & THE COSMIC EGG: GUIDED VISUALIZATION: CRASH SYMBOLS

Skin Tags deliver “on the floor” punk, shaping sounds with crunches of anger that lie low and close to the earth. It’s more abstract than it appears—a rolling tire collecting nails and plastic wrappers—but for all its gnarl, the anthems lend themselves to a math-rock precision, injecting technicality in an artful way. The St. Louis, Missouri, trio put out a demo in 2016 and a split the previous year, so this is their debut proper, and the 11 tracks showcase a collective slashing into the future. “The Motions” starts things off fast and hardcore; “The List” swims in noise pop, chugging and layering; “I Hate Life” waxes philosophical—what is life but a monetary struggle?—and closer “Today Something Happened” is like Bikini Kill and DNA working out a story on the road, a conversation and deep togetherness. Punk is still hard and real. Skin Tags make sure of that.

Kiki & The Cosmic Egg is artist, activist, and intuitive Catherine Eberhardt. A collaborative effort with musician and Reiki master rrao, aka Turiya Madireddi, Guided Visualization follows Eberhardt’s meditative journey with faeries following a Reiki session with Madireddi. The tape is two compositions: “Guided Visualization,” with Eberhardt narrating the process, and “Instrumental,” the same composition sans Eberhardt’s spoken words. The process of experiencing both sides has a profound effect. Side A is a direction, a soft and tranquil journey. Side B is pure autonomy, the shedding of Samsāra and the absolution of moment. A purchase of the cassette includes “specially prepared and infused tea and a handmade scrying bowl” with designs created by Eberhardt and West Virginian artist Connie Rhinehart.

The whole package is a life force unto itself, a mind of peace and perspective. We all need this.

70 NEW NOISE

JT WHITFIELD: COMPLACENT: CHONDRITIC SOUND Austin, Texas’ JT Whitfield turns techno into an odyssey of form. The building blocks on his latest release, Complacent, stack together as architectural, sticky glue—the peeling and reattaching are what make the sections of extension possible. Songs like “To Cross Out Everything” create tunnels wherein trance can perpetuate solid breaks, then additional layering opens up said tunnels, creating a distance that doubles back like a boomerang.

Noise is paramount to the configuration of space here, an abstract and sensual beat.

Complacent is a giant of structure. You travel through it, trying to resist and hold on to common themes but, at some point, give in to the particular world’s individualized journey. “Brush” is perhaps the sneakiest, a song that urges a dance, a tribal account of a universe created by machines, in which lines of communication lie broken and abstract.

ABDOMINAL: AB FLEX: SELF-RELEASED Ab Flex was originally released in 1998 by Toronto rapper Abdominal, aka Andy Bernstein, and mostly sold out of the artist’s knapsack, which, as he notes on his Bandcamp page, “you did in the ’90s… true backpack rap!” We’re all lucky the tape’s getting some redistribution after Bernstein found a box of 63 originals in his dad’s basement, for it’s a colossal of golden-age hip hop, with raps that fuse symbolism and urban density and a collection of DJs and producers—Planet Pea, DJ Serious, Agile, Mr. Knia—laying beats that recall the beauty and mindfulness of progressive appropriation. “Head Games II” is the tale of a journey through a day, the mind a walking cloud achieving maximization. It’s feels like a stroll through the past, because it is—but it feels like the future too.

“Elixir” is a dream, MCs dropping from the sky like slow-motion stars, exploding gases long gone in theory but, really, just beginning to brighten our day.

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