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ME AND THAT MAN Behemoth’s Nergal returns to cast his unique spell of dark folk mastery with special guests like Myrkur, Randy Blythe, Alissa White-Gluz, Devin Townsend and more!
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ISSUE 60
THE FRONT 6 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46
THE NEW WHAT NEXT CALLING ALL CAPTAINS DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT CAN'T SWIM GRIM DEEDS TEETH FEAR OF A QUEER PLANET DEAD BROKE REKERDS 197 MEDIA THE COATHANGERS / L.A. WITCH PORTRAYAL OF GUILT THE LAST GANG SURFBORT ANGEL DUST VIOLENT FEMMES EVERY TIME I DIE BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE WHITECHAPEL FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES MELVINS
FEATURES 48 52
’
FULL OF HELL THE CHISEL
THE BACK 56 58 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80
FACE TO FACE BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS 12 FOOT NINJA THE COPYRIGHTS EMMA RUTH RUNDLE KOWLOON WALLED CITY SEEYOUSPACECOWBODY BLACK MAP ME AND THAT MAN THE SHORTLIST ANALOG CAVE
THE CHISEL COVER PHOTO BY ANNA SWIECHOWSKA FULL OF HELL COVER PHOTO BY ZACHARY HARRELL JONES TOC SHOT OF JOYCE MANOR CROWD BY JOE CALIXTO
BY NICHOLAS SENIOR PHOTO Casey Reid
PHOTO Rumar Hrodi Geirmundsson
PHOTO Nat Enemede
AD INFINITUM
Location: Montreux, Switzerland Album: Chapter II— Legacy, out now via Napalm Records
Symphonic metal with teeth? Ad Infinitum show off their fangs on this stellar sophomore release. There’s something equally timeless and modern about Chapter II—Legacy. While gothic, power, and prog have all had recent moments under the sun, Ad Infinitum is here to remind listeners of the power of immaculacy crafted symphonic metal. It’s fitting that the record centers around a dark historical figure— Vlad Dracul, aka the inspiration for Dracula— as the record isn’t afraid to spread its wings with some technical riffs, startling heavy sections, and— of course— the soaring, powerful vocals of Melissa Bonny. Once you invite the band into your ear canals, prepare to be enchanted and fall heels-over-bittenneck for their unique style. Bonny explains the Dracula-centric focus: “We wanted to explore all the aspects of the character Vlad Dracul. For some people he was a national hero, for others who stand, or stood, on the other side of history, he was a horrible tyrant, and for a lot of people, the name Dracula inspires the myth of vampires. That makes him the perfect source of inspiration for a colorful album.” 💣
CHERIE AMOUR
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland Album: Internal Discussions EP, out now via Equal Vision Records Cherie Amour pulls off one of the most interesting musical hybrids in recent memory. Yes, mixing hip hop and rock is not nu. I had whole CD cases full of it back in the day, which was, holy shit, 20 years ago... Regardless, what this Baltimore band do is less rap/metal and more R&B/post-hardcore. Imagine Don Broco and newer Fiddlehead collaborating with Lil Nas X and Vince Staples. It’s like a playlist of the past few years fusing into one artist. If that sounds odd in theory, it’s astounding in practice, and that all comes from a sense of being open, honest, and creative with each other. Guitarist Casey Reed expands:
BASTARDUR
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland Album: Satan’s Loss of Son, out now via Season Of Mist Solstafir vocalist and guitarist Aðalbjörn “Addi” Tryggvason, like many crazy talented musicians during COVID, has launched an excellent new project to showcase a different musical side. Bastardur’s blend of Entombed-core death metal and crust punk is a righteous middle finger to the status quo, perfectly marrying punk ethos and energy with metallic fury. However, unlike others that were inspired by existential dread and isolation, Bastardur’s “a-ha” moment came about during a packed, sweaty outdoor concert years ago, as he hilariously notes: “I had this divine intervention, if I’m going to be poetic about it. I think it was, I don’t know, 2018 or ’19. I was at Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands watching Disfear. They’re playing, and they don’t do that often. They’re sort of a legendary band. I was there standing in the middle of the venue waiting for them to start. I was probably the first one to arrive, so I waited half an hour for the show to start. And you have [members of Entombed and At The Gates] these legendary guys. And when they start the show, I almost shit myself. It was so fucking heavy. I had never experienced anything like that, and I’m an old fart. I’ve seen a lot of shit. This was just crazy. So, I basically decided to rip off Disfear. And that’s what I did.
“As songwriters, each member of the band has their own unique style of songwriting that certainly reflects their personal influences. Additionally, we tend to experiment with multiple methods of writing to really explore creative songwriting styles. For example, ‘Orlando’ and ‘2NICE2SAY’ both began as acoustic songs that later turned into the songs that you now hear. ‘Imposter’ began as a beat with some melodic components, ‘Burn’ as a riff, and ‘A Beautiful Mess, A Perfect Disaster’ was an in-person, group collaboration. When I wrote ‘Orlando,’ I was in a dark headspace, doubting myself and feeling insufficient as a person, so in order to convey that, I sought to emit my The thing is, I’m kind of a hyperactive guy, so I like to do as many styles as I possibly can. I’ve been lucky enough to feelings through the chords I wrote.” 💣 being able to get away with a lot of stuff in Sólstafir. I mean, British goth, black metal, rock, whatever, mixing a lot of styles. But this is sort of next level, this is sort of the leftovers. I can’t really do this in Sólstafir.” 💣
DUNCAN EVANS
Hometown: Leeds, U.K. Album: Until Liars Fear You split with Wilderness Hymnal, out November 5 via Trepanation Records It’s genuinely difficult to create meaningful art when you’re happy. I find when I’m in a good mental place, even writing these pithy, reference-laden pieces is a challenge. That’s probably why Duncan Evans’s latest split release with Wilderness Hymnal spoke to me so much. Both artists traffic in a sort of haunting post-punk/folk rock hybrid style that is both difficult to classify and easy to appreciate. Imagine the ethereal sounds Emma Ruth Rundle and Chelsea Wolfe harness, and you’re on the right track. Until Liars Fear You is a record that will speak to your soul, and while I wouldn’t call these tracks traditionally “catchy,” there are quite a few refrains I found myself humming days later. The record felt like the other half of a magnet that I needed to feel whole. Evans appreciates the sentiment and weighs in on his appreciation of darker art: “I have been attracted to melancholy art for as long as I can remember. I generally feel that art with an unerringly ‘happy’ outlook avoids or even degrades the genuine human experience. That doesn’t mean that I think music should be all about negative emotions. Good music makes me feel elation, joy, and ultimately a sense of peace. It often tends to be ‘dark’ music that takes me there, though, whether that’s black metal or Leonard Cohen. It often feels more emotionally honest.” 💣
6 NEW NOISE
PHOTO Adè Randle
GRIZZLOR
PHOTO Adrienne Battistella
HIGH
Hometown: New Haven, Connecticut Album: Hammer of Life, out now via Hex Records
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana Album: Unearther EP, out now via Ashtray Monument Records
Everything about Grizzlor feels like an outlet for their members. From the chosen Melvins-meets-Deadguy riff-based noise rock, to the passionately furious lyrics, and the fact that the band members sound like they’re taking out every ounce of aggression on their chosen instruments (those poor strings and drums). If that makes you think this is a dour listen, fear not— Grizzlor excel in channeling all this bombastic fervor into an album that is certain to give you all the sweet dopamine hits you can handle. The fact that each song feels like a razor-sharp-focused rant on each particular subject makes for a record that assumes almost an anthology format. If none of this suits your fancy, at least you’ll get a great neck workout.
While many of us were a few drinks/seasons/bags of chips deep during last year’s lockdowns, High were presumably not taking their name to heart (if you catch my smoke-filled drift). Instead, these New Orleans punks were hard at work in the studio writing an EP. While writing in the studio can sometimes result in songs that feel rushed or half-baked (sorry to bowl you over with the weed puns), the resulting EP feels lived-in and comfortable. High’s brand of indie punk feels like a time capsule for 1991, when Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr. were the favored influences of punks the world over. Unearther truly is a delight, with fantastic sing-a-longs and sneaky-great riffs. There’s also a nice balance between despair and absurdity.
The record’s striking cover image evokes cosmic horror and slashers, with a terrifying twist on the Thor’s hammer. It’s the perfect visual accompaniment to what the band describes as their lyrical ethos: “[The record talks about] the same stuff we always do, which is just stuff that is pissing us off at the time.” 💣
Guitarist and vocalist Craig Oubre wanted it that way, as he explains:
PHOTO Dwayne Cathey
“We sort of realized that these songs had a common thread once they were all complete. It was written and recorded inside the constraints of the pandemic. The lyrics often allude to what happens when we have enough time on our hands to dig in. You think you want a day off until you spend it unearthing things you buried in the dark corners of your head. I’m glad the humor did not go unnoticed. We probably spend more time clowning on each other than we do working on music, so it would be a crime to not add a comedic element to any High release.” 💣 PHOTO Lexie Alley
NECROFIER
Hometown: Houston, Texas Album: Prophecies of Eternal Darkness, out now via Season Of Mist The notion of a sound needing to be crafted in a particular place has always been funny to me. Sure, black metal almost universally conjures up images of dense, verdant forests (see: Norway and the Pacific Northwest), but some of the best black metal bands ever existed elsewhere. Necrofier take major influence from two of those very acts— Greece’s Rotting Christ and Sweden’s Dissection— as well as adding more than a dose of Southern, swampy doom for good measure. This resulting sound is as melodic and ritualistic as it is terrifying. It’s also beautiful and fun as hell. Plus, this likely-not-super-merry band of Texans have something to say, too. Bland, dollar store Satanism this ain’t, as Prophecies of Eternal Darkness is the result of a lifetime spent trying to figure out life’s biggest questions. For vocalist and guitarist Bakka Larson, all his reading and reflection came to one conclusion: the journey matters much more than the destination:
SNARLS
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Album: What About Flowers? EP, out November 12 via Take This To Heart Records Snarls just sounds like the name of a metal or hardcore band, right? You’re expecting serious dudes baring their teeth in every promo photo. Snarls is more than happy to shatter your expectations. Their latest batch of hazy emo-pop is haunting and gorgeous, with heart-wrenching melodic vocal and guitar interplay. However, the close-knit group are baring their teeth on What About Flowers? It’s not an angry album, but the sense of community and fighting for what they believe in really stands out once you let the joyfully emotional noise wash over you.
Guitarist Mick Martinez (she/her) shares how the band’s interpersonal dynamics “I would say that the biggest thing I came across is life is more the journey than it is what you came to be: want. It’s like, what you actually go about, how it happens when it’s happening. I mean, if you were using this in a band situation, it’d be like, every band wants to be huge and playing “I think the biggest reason for this is that we are truly a family. [Drummer] Max [Martinez] stadiums, but the real part about it is trying to get there. You want to be enlightened. You is my brother, and we’ve known [bassist] Riley [Hall] our entire lives. It feels like we’ve want to achieve certain things. You want to do all this stuff. And some people, they want to known [vocalist] Chlo [White] for ages, she just fit in perfectly. We also are very aware skip over the process of it, and they just want the end result. That’s not fun.” that each member of this band creates the whole, and the songs would not be what they are without every person’s contribution. We are completely collaborative in our It’s fascinating that this journey-versus-destination theme feels like a statement of intent in a songwriting and try to make sure everyone gets their moment! We want all of our songs state that is notoriously very conservative and religious. Was that intentional? to be real, pulling from genuine experiences. During the writing of this record, we were going through the height of the pandemic while trying to figure out how to be adults. “I mean, my parents raised me Christian until whenever. I don’t know what age I was, but I started We’re navigating new relationships and living life on our own. These last couple of years refusing to go to church, and that was a whole issue. Anytime they ask, ‘How’d you end up like have been overwhelmingly dark, depressive, and lonely, but at the same time, we’ve this?’ I’m like, ‘You started it. You did all this.’ Essentially, one of my dad’s friends visited from had some great times and major accomplishments, so I think all of those things are Norway, and he was a metalhead and had all this music. I had no idea what that stuff was. I represented in this record. We just wanted to talk about real things that happened to us, was just like, ‘What the fuck is all this stuff?’ I was like 12 and knew I needed all of [the metal].” 💣 and we hope others can relate.” 💣
NEW NOISE 7
PHOTO Alex Carre
PHOTO Stephanie Harrison
WINE LIPS
WOLFTOOTH
Listening to Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party (frontrunner for title of the year) is a lot like watching those classic Italian psychedelic films by guys like Dario Argento and Mario Bava that were a choreographed, artistic psychological horror. Even the best of them were gleefully bizarre and bordering on insane (they make for great Spooky Season viewing). Plus, doesn’t Wine Lips sound like a ’70s Italian nickname? There’s a sensuality and strong sense of controlled chaos that these Canadians bring to life on the record. Pressing play and giving up control during its duration is the best way to experience this post-punk dance party.
Everything about Blood & Iron is about gleeful escapism. Mining a wealth of fantasy legends and tales, it’s a record that will transport you to a time when dragons were real, and breakfasts happened twice a day. Musically, those who miss early The Sword, or want epic stoner doom that knows how to pick up the pace, will feel at home. Everything is big, bigger, and huge on the record, and that came from the fact that the members’ familiarity is their friend. Drummer Johnny Harrod expands:
Hometown: Toronto, Canada Album: Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, out now via Stomp Records
Hometown: Richmond, Indiana Album: Blood & Iron, out December 3 via Napalm Records
“I think the 25-plus years of friendship we all share was a big advantage to having a good chemistry from day one. At least three out of four of us had been in bands together at some point since the late ’90s. So, when we decided to form Wolftooth in 2017, it was purely for fun at first, but it wasn’t long before we knew we had something special to share. With Blood & Iron being our first major label release, we wanted to really dial “I love songs that make you feel good and make you want to dance or break something! I write a lot of songs in the morning while I’m drinking coffee, so I’m usually pretty wired while I’m writing, in what the Wolftooth sound is compared to our first two albums. We weren’t able to tour at all on our last album due to lockdowns, so we were lucky we had the extra time and that’s probably why so many of our songs are super-fast-paced and energetic [laughs]! A to put into the songwriting and making sure everything was just right before we put it lot of these songs were written during the first lockdown, and it was a weird kind of dark, crazy to tape.” 💣 time with its ups and downs. I’m sure a lot of people can relate, but there were times where I felt like I was going crazy being stuck at home for so long. Nobody had to work, so my roommates and I were drinking a lot, and it felt like we were just existing with no real purpose sometimes. That being said, we had a lot of good times too, and in between all that craziness, I happened to write some songs that reflected what was going on.” 💣 While it’s clear that the turmoil of the past few years weighted heavily on the band, guitarist Cam Hilborn notes that giving everything a frenetic energy was important:
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Big Canadian Feelings
CALLING ALL CAPTAINS INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST CONNOR DAWKINS AND VOCALIST LUC GAUTHIER BY WOODY WOODWORTH
Y
were supposed to go over and record “Quinn has actually been quite funda- to really grind with Quinn on these songs. I our 20s are some of the hardest for a month. Instead, the band worked think we produced the best possible album times of your life. You are in the mental to the process of how Calling All with Quinn Cyrankiewicz at The Audio De- Captains has grown, particularly with we could have under the circumstances.” thick of it, trying to figure out who partment and churned out over 25 songs, Nothing Grows Here,” says Dawkins. “It you are and where you want to be, but for borrowing some from previous sessions. so many of us, mental health and drug was natural to go with Quinn. We were all “I just wanted to write some songs, and it turned out to be what we’re going through use issues are at the top of the thought list. worried about leaving our comfort zone Navigating life during this stress is tough “We really had to come together and de- and going out and doing this new record- at the time,” says Gauthier. “I never write cide what was going to be on the record, ing experience. Then, unfortunately, we with the intention of creating something enough, but throw a global pandemic and how to fit together all of the different but putting it all together; it’s just these that forces isolation and quarantines into weren’t able to. But it was kind of a blessing parts of each of these songs but still give collections of songs are really special.” 💣 the mix, and all rationale heads out the in disguise, I think, because we were able them their own identity,” shares vocalist door. Luckily, Alberta’s own Calling All PHOTO Luc Gauthier. “I think that was one of the Captains kept on track, fought forward Kristin Breitkreutz despite everything, and produced some- biggest reasons why we chose the songs we did. All of them, when you listen to thing truly special. them front-to-back of the record, each song has their own sound. You know they “[We had] such a dream team behind us for this record,” explains guitarist and vo- have their own identity.” calist Connor Dawkins. “This whole COVID thing set us back and made it a real chal- Cyrankiewicz worked with the band on their EP back in 2019, so it was a very comlenge. We were able to stack our deck in fortable experience, garnering a little the meantime. I think we’re coming out of luck from the original plan, now defunct. the gate stronger than we’ve ever been.” Putting together a full-length instead of an EP took a different approach. When The band’s debut album, Slowly Getting Better, is their highly anticipated fol- they were throwing together Nothing Grows Here, the band members all had low-up to the Nothing Grows Here EP, out via Rude Records/Equal Vision Records. jobs and had to coordinate going into the studio a few days a week for three to four It showcases how far Calling All Captains hours at a time. For their debut album, have come in their career. Big moves they booked a month and a half in the were originally set in motion for the band studio and took time off from their jobs to work with Capitol House in the U.S., but to be able to sit down and work on the COVID disrupted those plans, forcing the album without any distractions. border to close two weeks before they
YOUTH FOUNTAIN INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MASTERMIND TYLER ZANON BY WOODY WOODWORTH
I
t can be hard balancing the life of a fulltime artist and a full-time life outside of music. For most bands, members take on a job—or multiple jobs—during downtime to earn money for tours, to invest in
the band, and to be able to grow organically until they hit that big break. Tyler Zanon, the mastermind behind Canada’s Youth Fountain, has been doing this
PHOTO Brandynn Leigh
the entire time he has been making music. He has worked as part of a duo and as a solo artist, and still finds himself loving every second of it. Zanon is now ready to put out a new album, marking a fresh, new era for Youth Fountain. “I’ve always loved to just do music and record on my own, and just write songs, and [they] seem to resonate with some people,” shares Zanon. “I’ll give it a try. I’ll put out some more songs and see how she goes. I love to do it, and it makes me happy. It’s like some emotional outlet for me for sure, and at the end of the day, I just do it because I have to, and that’s the bottom line.” The new album, Keepsakes & Reminders, released November 5 via Pure Noise Records, and is the highly anticipated follow up to Youth Fountain’s breakout album, Letters to Our Former Selves. In 2020, vocalist Cody Muraro left the band, and ended up resurfacing as the new vocalist for Real Friends. A new era for Youth Fountain came when Zanon put out the Letters to Our Former Selves acoustic EP, showing he can still get things done, like he has his entire music career. Keepsakes & Reminders shows off that growth, and a slightly different sound, but still has all of the high energy pop punk
10 NEW NOISE
renditions that Youth Fountain is known and loved for. And the songs are not only loved for their music, but the lyrics and meanings behind them resonate with listeners as well. “[My lyrics are about] what I’m kind of going through, in terms of how I’m feeling emotionally,” says Zanon. “A lot of my lyrics are very blunt and personally driven from life experiences and things that I go through in my mind. I’ve always stuck with the whole emo-pop-punk thing, just because I feel like it’s always been my main go to, the kind of music I listened to. It’s what makes me feel something.” Zanon took a very different approach to recording this record versus Letters. Instead of recording on his laptop, then engineering and mastering everything himself, he worked with Tim Creviston (Spirit Box, Misery Signals, Chief State) in the studio. Some of the songs had been tucked away in the vault since 2017, and some riffs from 2014 made it into the final cut. It’s been a long time coming for Zanon to truly break out, and Keepsakes & Reminders is just the recipe to make that happen. “I have so many other things going on in life, on top of work and everything,” explains Zanon. “It can be a little bit to juggle everything going on, but it’s something I love to do. No matter the hard work that it takes, I like to do it, and I think I think that’s what shows in the music. I’m a firm believer in working hard and doing what you love. Even if it is just kind of on my own, I’m still going.” 💣
“…a springboard for the band to bona fide cult status.”
Diffuser
30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ON VINYL, 2-CD & STREAMING NOW!
Featuring fan-favorites American Music, Out the Window & Do You Really Want to Hurt Me Deluxe CD & digital formats include a trove of previously unreleased outtakes, alternative takes & live recordings With new liner notes from acclaimed songwriter & journalist, Jeff Slate
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Dark & Stormy
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT
the members of the band, and each indi- “What came out are still the songs I’ve written, but with a new touch and character worked vidual performance affects the other in a out by all of us,” Kamprad says. “I am perbeneficial way.” atmosphere. The idea of writing a fullsonally very thankful for my band mates to lthough we understand why length album about the night came about “So I think with this in mind, the new album take part in this challenge.” nighttime occurs from a scientific based on previous experiences with writing has got a way more natural flow, leaving standpoint, there’s still something while “half-awake.” the aggressive and frigid parts behind a bit, “I think we have never prepared ourselves very mystifying about the night itself. It is making more room for those captivating, more for a recording or a tour than before a time of darkness. As our surrounding rethis album production, because simply no stirring melodies to breathe,” he adds. ality becomes lightless and more tranquil, “It was kinda surreal but interesting to experience that my half-awake mind was one wanted to fuck up the recording,” he many living forms typically take this time apparently able to write a song,” Kamprad adds. “Everyone took his responsibility very to rest, while others embrace it as a period The experience of writing, rehearsing, and says. “I could even play it back in my head seriously. All in all, this album definitely for creative inspiration. recording Noktvrn left Kamprad with a sense somehow, like in a computer software or brought us together more as a unit than of appreciation for his bandmates and ever before.” 💣 pride in the end-result of the new record. Which is exactly what Nikita Kamprad, gui- a music player. I found this experience so weird, but also inspiring at the same time.” tarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter of German black metal band Der Weg Einer Since forming in 2009, Der Weg Einer FreiFreiheit, did for the band’s latest musical creation, Noktvrn, out via Season of Mist. heit have developed their sound around the more frigid and aggressive sonic aspects Switching around his writing patterns to of black metal, but they are certainly no absorb more influence from a nocturnal strangers to creating layered melodies as state of mind, Kamprad was drawn to the well. As the band’s career has grown, so dreamlike sounds he was able to generate. has their sound. Through infusing more escalating clean sections, subtle synthesiz“I somehow always wanted to create an er arrangements, and poignant, somber album about the night, about dreams, and the world between being awake and asleep,” overtones, Der Weg Freiheit has expanded far beyond their abrasively blackened core. reflects Kamprad. “For me, songwriting and being creative has always been a daytime activity, so switching to a nighttime rhythm “I think this evolution in our sound, specific to for creativity, writing lyrics, recording dem- Noktvrn, has something to do with the overall production and recording approach of the os, and stuff like that was a nice twist.” album,” Kamprad says. “Ever since I started writing Noktvrn, I had the idea to record it Kamprad’s relationship with the wee hours persisted throughout the making of Noktvrn, later with the full band in a live environment. PHOTO contributing to the album’s overall cleaner, When recording live in one room, there’s Mario Schmitt kind of an invisible energy flowing between more somber, soul-stirring, and spacious
INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST NIKITA KAMPRAD BY SEAN MCLENNAN
A
MØL A
s though finding lighthouse beacons amid a blinding storm, Denmark’s MØL head through demolishing intensity before landing on a place of resounding triumph within their new record, Diorama, a November release from Nuclear Blast Records.
The album centers on blackgaze, tempering the raging torrents of black metal ferocity
PHOTO Cornelius Qvist
12 NEW NOISE
INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST NICOLAI HANSEN BY CALEB R. NEWTON with forcefully elevating atmospherics. On Diorama, MØL intricately interweave these elements, amplifying the force of the searing majesty once they arrive at the grand, surging peaks standing within their music.
sages of the music will contrast really well with the brutality of metal.”
Hansen indicates that MØL have enjoyed the opportunity to bring their music outside of Denmark.
Hansen adds that his “subconsciousness” “I think we’re one of the only bands doing helps guide the way. what we’re doing in Denmark,” the guitarist says. “It’s a very ‘in the moment’ kind of thing for “I think that when I write music, it’s probably me,” guitarist Nicolai Hansen shares, dis- much more about letting my subconsciousThe band’s involvement with Nuclear Blast ness speak to me and kind of guide what cussing his writing. “But normally what Records has helped with furthering broader happens on the guitar,” he says. I’m trying to go for is something that has connections, he explains. some melancholy to it—especially in At times, MØL implement a staggering the leads. I also quite like the music to level of “brutality” across Diorama, which “It was an amazing experience,” Hansen be uplifting. I find that both melancholy and an uplifting character in certain pas- proves invitingly lush but utterly pummel- comments, discussing their signing to the label. “They’re professional, but you can ing. The album combines comfort—hints still sense they’re fans of music. So, we felt of it, anyway—with fiery abrasion, like settling into a sense of security, and may- that they really wanted what was best for us and our music, and that they’d definitebe even peace, while standing against ly work hard to make sure that our music destructive onslaughts. The poignant gets out there into the world.” immediacy of the music ties its experience to real-world themes, as if adding a level Hansen describes himself as “anxious of cinematic drama to efforts to preserve and excited” surrounding the release well-being, which leads into a sense of of the new album. adventure as the energy stays up. “It’s something that tends to flow more natu- “It’s been a long journey after releasing rally for me the more experience I’ve accu- our debut record, JORD, three years ago,” he says. “Composing the album took mulated writing this sort of music,” Hansen some time; you need to fit it in between shares, discussing the contrast between your touring, work, and private life. But heaviness and gentility contained within we’re super excited to see how the world Diorama. “I try to be mindful of dynamics in the music and not let it be loud and aggres- reacts to it. Hopefully, people will love it as much as we do. I feel that the material sive when it doesn’t need to be. Likewise, I try to be aware that the music is not always at- that I’ve composed for Diorama is some of the best material that I’ve achieved. mospheric and bathed in reverb and delay. It Different, but still a natural progression makes the moments when it actually becomes from the last record.” 💣 atmospheric much more memorable.”
Body Movers
PHOTO UV Lucas
FULL BUSH INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER ADE BY CALEB R. NEWTON
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ampires can be inspirational—at least within the context of “Spooky,” a track from Movie Night, the new EP from the Philadelphia rock group Full Bush. Movie Night, which is a November release from Brutal Panda Records, smoothly shifts from mellow rock through blasting punk and beyond, with passionate dynamics and fist-pumping intensity among the key elements defining this journey. And on “Spooky,” the vampire from 2014’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night occupies the spotlight.
The band’s drummer, Ade, wrote the lyrics for the song.
derlies the entirety of Movie Night and the rest of the music from Full Bush. The band express life-affirming confidence throughout their music, which often bounds ahead at an exhilarating pace. When the songs slow down, the compositions still evoke a sense of strength, like a sonic middle finger to those who’d impose shame for merely feeling your feelings. Even within the rock palette from which Full Bush draw, the band also sound danceable—the group’s swaggering bass lines are impressive, and Movie Night proves richly catchy.
the band’s musical rooting clear. The commitment by Full Bush to following their own creative path reflects the band’s broader ambitions.
“With our newer stuff, there was a lot more thought that went into it,” Ade says. “We would bring in songs that we were inspired by, and it would be like, ‘OK I really “What we’re trying to do is just, what makes us feel good,” Ade explains. “What do we like this riff’ let’s try and emulate it.’ But then it would be what we call Full Bush- really like to listen to? What do we like to rage to? We want to keep doing what ing it, which is basically like, how heavy we’re doing as women and nonbinary can we get the bass that we can almost people in a band who make music. We destroy the amp?” kind of just want to not be pigeonholed, and that’s our way of doing that. Just beFull Bush repeatedly morph their sound throughout Movie Night, although emo- ing like, let’s just do whatever the fuck we tive (and sometimes fiery) twists appear want to do and call it a fuckin’ day.” across the record. More than once, Movie Night suddenly bursts into a cascade of The band share those expansive hopes with others. That’s the same kind of energy that un- startling—and exciting—ferocity, making
“I just thought the woman in there was just fucking cool as shit, when she’s like, ‘Oh, you’re an asshole; I’m going to kill you now,’” Ade shares, discussing the film. “And just thinking about what that would be like in reality, what kind of power you would have, especially as a woman, you have this power of seeing all this fucked up shit happening to other people. And how can you make sure that you create this safe space for someone else, to make sure they know that person’s never going to fuck with you again?”
GHÖSH
“A lot of moms come up to me because they saw a Black person on the show, and they’re like, ‘Oh, great, now I’m going to go buy my daughter a drum kit,’” Ade says. “It’s just about creating space for other people and also pushing this idea of, if you see a bunch of people who look like women, don’t just classify them as fucking riot grrrl. We hate that shit. Like, use your words, expand your mind, expand your brain about sounds and descriptors of people and what they’re trying to do, and just be open to a new experience, and don’t just be like, ‘Oh, they’re a bunch of chicks onstage.’ We want everyone to have fun and have a good time.”💣
PHOTO Shang Whaley
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/LYRICIST SYMPHONY SPELL AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ZACHARY FAIRBROTHER BY J. POET
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feel of a live performance, with samples hösh want you to get up and move your body. The Philadel- of crowd noise, a syncopated backbeat phia-based trio are a coopera- that sounds like heavy breathing, and Spell’s rap exhorting people to party. tive venture featuring singer and lyricist Symphony Spell; multi-instrumentalist and producer Zachary Fairbrother; and “Bang This” follows, with another unrestrained rhythm, dub effects on distorted mixmaster, live sound engineer, and co-producer Kevin P. Keenan. Together, vocals, and a fiery, tongue-twisting rap from Spell that injects a dose of realism they generate a fierce wall of dance into her exhortations to groove. floor noise that combines hedonistic and political elements to address the challenges of modern life. Hard rock, “I don’t censor myself, per se, but I overthink my lyrics a lot,” Spell says. “I can’t rap, techno, reggae, and jungle inform stand anything that’s too in my face, but Ghösh’s sound, creating something that at the same time, I like things that are sounds both brand new and familiar. acts like a portal. We’re not just playing a Symphony comes in with the lyrics, and over the top. I wanna write about my ex- we chisel away, refining the arrange- show; we’re putting on a show. The face perience as a queer, Black human with- ment and performance. Kevin runs the “With electronic music, it’s easy to mash paint is always different, and we dress up sounds together,” Fairbrother says. “Dif- out being preachy, inaccessible, clichéd, vocal sessions; then we add all the sound and use props. It’s a whole thing.” or stupid. It’s the influence of gatekeeper ferent styles can sound OK next to one effects, overdubs, and other instruments another, as long as you line up the beats. music and my own internalized ‘isms.’” Despite the sometimes-cynical lyrics, to fill it out.” I think there’s a strong connection to how Spell says she does believe in a brighter Fairbrother says the music was put your body wants to react to metal, heavy future. Live, Ghösh put on a multi-media show rap beats, hardcore techno, and jungle. together during the pandemic, in the featuring horror movie face paint illuhomes of the group’s three members. You just want to wiggle and throw your minated by black light, complex dance “I like to think that all the hot, nonbinary body around to release the energy. It ravers are going to casually overthrow moves, and Fairbrother playing guitar or “We recorded some vocals in Symphony’s made sense to us.” the government in the most iconic platkeyboards. basement and did some mixing at Kevin’s form shoes anyone’s ever seen, while the The group’s new EP, ALIEN NATION, re- studio and his apartment,” Fairbrother “I don’t consider myself a musician as much angry ghost of colonized nations will take explains. “The songs start with me mak- as I consider myself a performer,” Spell leased by Get Better Records on October the power back in a way that’s spooky ing a beat with a rough arrangement. says. “Setting up the stage in different ways 1, kicks off with “I Wanna Rock.” It has the and totally epic.”💣
NEW NOISE 13
Sounds for Uncertainty
CAN’T SWIM INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHRIS LOPORTO BY ANNETTE SCHAEFER
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here may not be a more fitting title for an album released in 2021 than Can’t Swim’s upcoming record, Change of Plans, released on Oct 22 via Pure Noise Records. Recording an album through a year of uncertainty, the band found themselves in a place that felt like both a blessing and a curse. 2020 put many aspects of their career on hold, but also gave them space to create something new.
was getting quite bored without touring and whatever else, so I definitely didn’t look at it as a struggle. I looked at it as an opportunity and a blessing to be able to make something in that time.” The timing of it all worked out in more ways than one. Giving them the time they needed to make the best record they could, and opening the opportunity to work with producer Will Putney to take their goals even farther.
But the circumstances around Change For Can’t Swim, it’s always been about channeling the harder mo- of Plans really brought that core element of the band into perspective for ments into lyrics and chords, and LoPorto. ultimately a body of work, to take pride in. Serving as an outlet and as “With COVID and having all that time a tangible product of that process. off from something that I really desperately loved, touring and being “I wouldn’t know what I would write around the guys, that was kind of about if everything in my life went stripped away,” LoPorto describes. according to plan,” LoPorto says. “Not necessarily saying that you have to “The only thing I really had was the songs. The only thing I really had was have bad things happen to you in life to make good art, but like maybe, may- the writing. I think that’s pretty evident in how the record came out.” 💣 be you do [laughs].” PHOTO Nia Garza
“We planned to release [the album] months ago, but we didn’t want to put “I think a lot of the themes are there, but it out and not be able to tour on it,” Will was just really good at pushing the vocalist Chris LoPorto says. “It was both- envelope,” LoPorto says. “Definitely themes we’ve explored in our previous ersome, but I’m happy that we waited as albums, but I just think Will was able to long as we did, so the album could kind intensify all of the things that we do.” of live in a place where we were excited and confident that everybody that For the members of Can’t Swim, it was wanted to hear it would get a chance enlightening to get Putney’s third party to hear it.” perspective and think beyond what the already knew they could do musically. While nobody enjoys putting their plans on hold, for LoPorto the experience of putting all of his energy into simply cre- “Listening back to it, I can certainly hear it. Like kind of like ‘oh maybe I ating was worth the wait. would’ve done this,’” LoPorto explains. “To be honest, I was very excited to be “I’m very, very happy that I let Will kind creative in a time like that,” LoPorto ex- of steer this ship, because I think it made a way more exciting album than presses. “I’ve been looking forward to it anything we’ve ever done.” for a long time to make this album, and I
JOHN T
he two Johns in JOHN— drummer and lead vocalist John Newton and guitarist John Healy— met while studying at London Metropolitan University in the U.K. After they graduated, they decided to collaborate musically and see what happened.
“We spent about a year rehearsing behind closed doors, before playing our first show in 2014,” Newton says. “There’s a reality to the time-based commitments of being in a band. Juggling finance, relationships, and mental health is all part of the parcel. We’ve both become very open as people in order to make sure we can support each other as best we can whilst on the road. We both have fantastic partners who are incredibly supportive of us.” Brace Yourself/Pets Care Records released the duo’s third album, Nocturnal Manoeuvres, on October 8. Like their previous efforts, the songs on the album are a bracing blend of rhythm and noise, with Healy’s imaginative hooks and feedback-drenched chords complimenting Newton’s intricate rhythms and compelling vocals. The poetic lyrics Newton writes describe the difficulties modern life creates in relationships. He also touches on aspects of the world’s ongoing political crises.
14 NEW NOISE
INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER/VOCALIST JOHN NEWTON BY J. POET “To be honest, pretty much everything has a political edge to it,” Newton says. “Going to the shop to buy bread has political implications, but we’re not interested in making direct, hard-edged, political statements through music or art. I’m more interested in laying out something with multiplicity, for people to interpret, explore, and hopefully get excited about. “That said, it certainly doesn’t mean that our songs don’t reference social or political experiences. Throughout the writing of the album, we were often talking about the laborious demands of contemporary life—how work and capital has invaded almost every element of the day and night. Even sleep has become a precious commodity. Nocturnal Manoeuvres suggests the unseen activities that many undertake, whilst masked by darkness.” “We’ve always considered our albums as documents of a time, and Nocturnal Manoeuvres is no different,” Newton continues. “We had three songs written prior to the world shutting down in 2020. We picked up writing again as soon as we could, following the cancellation of our live plans. It’s certainly not a direct comment on the dilemmas of a worldwide pandemic, but it does consider some of the introspection attached to the
changes of daily routines. This is always something that I wanted our music to unpick—shining a light on traditions that are often left unquestioned, because they’re so mundane.” The British press often says JOHN is part of the rebirth of the punk ethos, citing songs that are mostly two-minute bursts of intense energy, harking back to punk’s early days. It’s not a characterization
Newton agrees with. “Of course, there are formal similarities to bands past and present—no one lives in a vacuum,” he explains. “We’d rather see people writing about the ideas and feelings that run through our records. It’s perpetually surprising how much press jumps for the easy ‘For Fans Of’ approach, without reaching for any idiosyncratic depth whatsoever.” 💣
PHOTO Charlotte Chanler
Expanding Blackness
GHOST BATH INTERVIEW WITH FRONTMAN DENNIS MIKULA BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER
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title planned for this release changed, it still host Bath fans have been holding their breath waiting for Self Loather, represents the final installment in a trilogy. out now via Nuclear Blast. The album brings more depressive, suicidal, “Initially, I just wanted to be a suicidal, oneman black metal project, but then things self-loathing post-black metal, but with a took off and gained more traction,” Mikula few new twists. says. “The biggest difference on this record is that the entire band contributed to it. I wasn’t “Since we did Moonlover, this one was going to be Sunloather, but I changed it to Self the only one writing all the music,” says Loather because I think it ended up fitting frontman Dennis Mikula. “Previously, I’ve never had lyrics in any Ghost Bath tracks, with the themes of the record better,” he continues. “Obviously, it’s about self-hate and now I wrote some lyrics; I did a mid-low and isolation, and it was always supposed vocal part and pitched that down. It turned to be the heaviest album, so I kind of went out a little more heavy, a bit like traditional with it. The themes on this one are definitely black metal, even though I still wouldn’t more dread and hatred. I thought, ‘OK, call it a traditional black metal record. I think it still sounds like Ghost Bath, though, what do I hate more than the sun,’ and it would be myself, so that’s where the title and with everyone else’s contributions, it’s comes from.” definitely something different than I could have written on my own.” Now that the trilogy is officially wrapped Previously more of a solo project, and ini- up, however, don’t think for a second that Ghost Bath are getting ready to call it quits. tially meant to be anonymous, a stance that landed the band in some controversy when they failed to correct reports of hailing “It was cool making a trilogy because you have everything planned out and know from China, the band are now morphing what direction you want to take each into a slightly different entity, one that is more of a collaborative project and a for- record,” Mikula says. “But now, it’s like everything has sort of opened up, because ward-facing effort. And although the initial
GLASSING INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/VOCALIST DUSTIN COFFMAN AND GUITARIST CORY BRIM BY CALEB R. NEWTON
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he Texas four-piece Glassing reflect a remarkable level of ambition on their new album, Twin Dream, out this November from Brutal Panda Records.
musical textures, Twin Dream often remains quite energetic, pushing into areas of freeing emotional exploration— even if it feels like you’re wringing out your insides in the process.
Twin Dream could be broadly described as “The whole theme of the record, the title post-metal, but that’s just a starting point. Twin Dream, and the way that the heavier songs interweave with the slower, more Within this album, Glassing also venture through black metal, post-rock, and ambi- peaceful songs— the ebb and flow was definitely supposed to be this extreme ent, uniting the wide-ranging mixture with a current of cathartically impactful force. contrast between the two,” bassist and vocalist Dustin Coffman explains. Even while showcasing this expansive flow of
we’re done with the trilogy, and now we can go in so many different directions. Right now, we’re kind of just throwing ideas out there, but we’re going to start working on something pretty soon.”
This is all a pretty impressive trajectory, given that Ghost Bath were originally meant to be an anonymous side project for Mikula.
No longer hiding in the shadows and now fully in the light (but not too much light—he still loathes the sun, after all), Mikula and the band are pushing through into new, uncharted territory. 💣 PHOTO Austin Scherzberg
“For whatever reason, if we’re doing a track, it’s difficult for us to write anything in between, like heavy or subdued, just because we like to embrace that dynamic fully, you know? Like if you’re going to go heavy, then make it as rough and aggressive and brutal as possible. Otherwise, it’s like, why even bother? Same thing goes with the chill aspect. It’s like, if this doesn’t feel like some sort of drugged up fever dream or something, then what exactly is the point?” Twin Dream proves monumentally intense, but also strikingly surreal, with shifting tides of sound poised to sweep bystanders into the depths of the band’s world. At times, this album is devastatingly ferocious, but Glassing stick to startlingly poignant songwriting. Moving through the album is exhilarating, as even while taking in the weighty, cosmic burdens suggested by the music, unpredictability tends to define the journey. Via the striking, often lush textures swirling within Twin Dream, and the smooth, Zen-like connections between the sprawling components, the album is a rush. “Maybe one tiny element to the music is that we’re trying to be provocative a little bit— something that may evoke some sort of feeling, instead of it just being focused on technicality, or just a riff being a riff,” guitarist Cory Brim shares. “A lot of my sounds are texture-based and not necessarily just riffing, and so, to me, it kind of comes from a place where I’m trying to evoke some sort of feeling from the sounds and not just like trying to be badass or whatever.” Brim is attached to the alternately com-
PHOTO Elan Mendoza
“I quit my last band and went back to school, and I just started to do Ghost Bath on the side, for fun, but then it took off,” he says of the brief flirtation the group had with anonymity. “When it started gaining traction, I realized the anonymous thing wasn’t going to work out because I didn’t want to hide myself. I wanted to play shows and talk to people at the merch stand, so we got rid of that early on.”
manding and entrancing textural palette that defines the guitar parts across Twin Dream. “I think we shine by trying to sound good, if not be the most fast and technical band in the world,” the guitarist shares. “We were going to go to Europe before COVID, and I was more interested in making sure I didn’t loose my pedalboard than I was my guitar or our merch. I downsized my pedalboard to where I could fit nine pedals on a single pedalboard that I could carry with me, and that would fit the technical specifications of the airline, so I could carry it on. I like to say that my pedals are like my paint, like my paint brush is the guitar, and I’m very particular about the type of paint that I use.” With its wall-of-sound-style bulk, Twin Dream ends up feeling stately, looming like an ominous vortex offering respite—which is exactly what Glassing found while crafting the album. “We were pretty worried about things, you know, like everyone else was at that time,” Coffman says, discussing the period of creating the album. “And we had this studio time, and it was like, we would go into the studio, and even though the outside world was chaos and this mess of whatever was going on, and our personal lives were messes, we could go to the studio, and time kind of stood still for us there. It was really therapeutic just to create and not to have to hassle with, well, is this the coolest thing that we could do? Or, what else can we do to really perfect this? Which is usually how we go about things. Sometimes it’s better to just pull the trigger.” 💣
NEW NOISE 15
Fast and Fun
GRIM DEEDS INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MASTERMIND DUSTIN UMBERGER BY JOSHUA MARANHAS
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plus, like, black metal, as you probably rim Deeds, known in daily life as know, it doesn’t have a lot of humor in Dustin Umberger, has released his it. So, I thought it’d be funny to have the 20th album, Only The Beast III, out now on OUTLOUD Records. Following Um- corpse paint.” berger’s ascent and descent takes imagination, a whiteboard, some yarn or dry “It’s my point of view, but it’s a very extreme version of it,” he adds. “I like to erase marker, and a dark desire to take a make people feel comfortable and have trip in Grim Deeds’ world. Don’t worry, it normal conversations with people. [But] lightens up once Grim Deeds strikes the the songs I’m putting out [contain], like, first chord. Umberger says he celebrates these extreme emotions that I would never at the altar of punk and metal. bring up in casual conversation. My close friends know that that’s part of who I am, “I’d say my instincts are still pretty much rooted in Screeching Weasel, The Queers, but I try to just lay it on as thick as possible in the songs because that’s the outlet that Mr. T Experience, traditional pop punk. I I have for that.” really love one-and-a-half-minute songs Only the Beast III then went to Sandviken, a warrior can live out their destiny. that still feel complete and are catchy, Sweden, where Cederick Forsberg perUmberger is playing pop punk in corpse basic enough where you can relate to it. I formed on the album, recorded it, and “I think the essential Grim Deeds song is like the idea that you can bring more peo- paint while striking black metal poses. It’s something that’s, like, short and catchy did the mix and mastering. Grim Deeds’ underworld, but it takes a ple into the conversation, and they don’t and has some kind of, like, introspective global effort on our planet earth to pull it “My friend in Sweden, he’s just, like, a get as intimidated by the musical aspect lyrics, often pretty dark,” Umberger of it. Metal is so flashy and so profession- all together. The pseudo-greatest-hits-al- phenomenal musician, really rare talent.” says. “But I try to offset that negativity al-sounding that it can be intimidating, bum cover is drawn in mange-style by Umberger says. “I’ve been able to main- with catchy melodies and things to try and I was intimidated by it for a long time.” Jeff Sorley of Asplenia Studios in the U.S. tain this, like, illusion of being on every to bring it to a more relatable level, you Umberger also worked with John Kokkon- continent because I collaborate with know, ‘cause if it was all just dark and depressing, it wouldn’t be very fun to West Coast-based Umberger is wildly cre- akis from Athens, Greece to choose which people in other countries, but it’s so easy songs to include and how sequence them, to do online.” listen to.” ative, and while Grim Deeds is dark, the in order to best create the theme. music is light in the darkness. On the track “Life is a Nightmare,” UmTrying to put Grim Deeds in context berger croons: “Life is a nightmare come “The first time I played live was wearing “It was almost like a concept album,” Um- leaves a person dazed, staring into the berger says. “I just followed his instructions, void. Embrace the vortex; fight the fight; true.” With Grim Deeds, however, Umthe makeup ’cause it was a Halloween and it turned out great. I thought it would berger makes his dreams come true. It show,” Umberger says. “A lot of the songs breathe deep in other worlds—take it all reads like good manga, ups and downs, I sing are pretty, like, dark, depressing, be cool to include him as a collaborator back to this world, and walk away from dark versus light, and in the end, all sides but, like, catchy. So, I wanted a charac- because he’s been such a big part of, like, the whiteboard. It’s art. It tells a familiar the whole experience for me.” are left to lick their wounds. 💣 ter to match the feeling of the songs. And story, a story of a fucked-up world where
PACK RAT
PHOTO Ripley Freedom
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST PATRICK MCEACHNIE BY JANELLE JONES
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atrick McEachnie, drummer of Chain Whip and drummer/vocalist of Corner Boys, ventures into solo-album territory with Glad to Be Forgotten, where he plays guitar, bass, synths, drums, and sings. A frantic and urgent fast-paced 10-song punk record—set to be released December 15 on Drunken Sailor Records—it’s a triumphant solo debut.
About that cool, overarching, urgent feel, Vancouver, BC-based McEachnie says, “My favorite music to listen to has that sense of urgency, that haste to it. I think I’m a patient person, but when it comes to music, I need some sort of urgency. If I try and write something a little more relaxing or slow, by the end, it ends up sounding urgent and hasty.” McEachnie has been a drummer since the age of 12, but also is an experienced vocalist. He has lent his vocals to records before—still, this solo project was totally new and different. He bought his first guitar just before the COVID lockdowns last year and also started dabbling in recording.
16 NEW NOISE
His goal at first was to “learn the entire first Ramones record and do home demos.” “I had bought a home recorder and wanted to learn how to use the recorder, so I kinda learned how to play guitar to teach myself how to use the recorder,” he explains. “It went hand-in-hand. Before you know it, you’ve got a handful of songs.” And even though he has been in bands before, putting out these songs with just himself playing everything was nerve-wracking. “As a drummer, it’s easy to hide behind other people. Physically, I’m behind other people in my band.” He confesses, holds for Pack Rat at this point, but he is still working on new material. “When I posted Pack Rat for the first time on social media, I was actually shaking ’cause I was like, ‘I did everything; I did all “I have a handful ready for the next reof this.’ I had no idea how it was going to cord,” he says. “I’m not sure what’s going land. Luckily, it seems to be going okay. to happen yet. It might be an LP; it might be a seven-inch; it might become a difPeople are excited for the record, and ferent record.” that makes me really stoked.” McEachnie doesn’t know what the future
Interestingly, he says, “I never wanted
it to be a super exclusively solo project. I wanna play guitar with other people. The thing is, nobody wants to be in a band with somebody who’s just started to play guitar, so I feel like I had to do this first to prove I could do it—to open the door to collaborate with other people. So, I would love to collaborate more with other people, but whenever I’m here alone by myself with down time, I’m gonna do more of this.” 💣
Fast and Powerful
TEETH INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST EROL ULUG BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER
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alifornia-based death metal band TEETH are straightforward about their aim—to play chaotic, heavy death metal and have fun doing it. Their new record, Finite, out November 26 via Translation Loss, delivers on that mission of straightforward, but also maddeningly chaotic, brutality.
down.’ We weren’t planning on doing another record this quickly, but it was kind of a matter of circumstance. It was definitely part circumstance, part the only thing the band could do.” Those already familiar with TEETH, in addition to loving their harsh and rhythmic sound, might remember the cover of The Curse of Entropy for its terror-inspiring, psychedelic cover. Finite goes a little less hard with the artwork when it comes to chaos, for a very practical reason.
“This album is considerably more adventurous than the previous record, The Curse Of Entropy. It’s definitely more dynamic, maybe arguably our most dynamic. It’s not just hitting you hard and fast,” explains PHOTO Brandon Mavaddat vocalist Erog Ulug. “The reason we did “With that record’s album art, it visually represents the intensity and the resisthis EP was because it was kind of the only So, death metal logo mishaps aside, thing to do—we had plans to tour in 2020, tance of the album, but this one is a bit what’s next for TEETH after this surmore inward and subtle, a little more but of course, lockdown happened. prise album drop? introspective, so we wanted a cover that didn’t assault so much,” Ulug says. “But “And at this point, we were a lot more there’s also the sheer practical side of “We’re already working on new songs, solidified with our lineup and had been it— one misstep with the last record was, and we’re all in our 30s and have jobs, playing music together for a while,” Ulug we didn’t consider where to put the logo. so we don’t have huge plans of touring continues. “So, we were like, ‘OK, live our balls off, but we definitely want to Now, it’s much more front-and-center.” shows are off the table; let’s just hunker
get out there again,” says Ulug. “But the big goal is just to make more albums and write more music. We really do this because we just love making the music for its own sake. And that’s really the thing that keeps us going.” 💣
TUNIC INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST DAVID SCHELLENBERG BY CALEB R. NEWTON
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Punishing” and “the sound of a bird dying”—those are among the ways in which Tunic guitarist and vocalist David Schellenberg is proud to describe the Winnipeg, Canada-based noise rock project, whose new album, Quitter, was released this October from Artoffact Records. The propulsive album often proves scorching, with every element of the volatile mixture sounding poised for maximized impact. Seriously: the physicality of this record is profoundly intense, and amid the searing onslaught that Tunic pack into Quitter, they also reflect emotional turmoil. The songs are confrontational yet startlingly poignant, and the dynamics feel sculpted to allow an accessible grasp of the album’s jolting nature.
“Tunic is really just a vessel for all the anger that I have towards myself, or my situation that I’m in,” Schellenberg explains. “There are a bunch of darker side things of me, battling lifelong depression and anxiety, and having to deal with all that. And then a battle with alcoholism, and just other addictions, and things like that. So, it definitely brings me some sort of peace of mind to yell about things that I was really, really
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angry about. And so, it is therapy—it is the cheapest therapy to just be able to get that out of my system.” The sounds of Tunic match the themes that Schellenberg and the band—which at this point also include drummer Daniel Unger—explore. The experience of Quitter could be compared to the feeling of sprinting down the beach as a torrential thunderstorm rolls in and jarring waves crash into the shore. While it’s unsettling, it’s also exhilarating. Across its runtime, Quitter seems to capture the sound of an uneasily relieving expression of existential anxiety, and the sounds are formidable enough that rather than a story told from a distance; it’s a (brief) foray into the actual experience of it.
PHOTO Adam Kelly
this woman when I was having a cigarette outside, back when I smoked, that was like—yeah, the band sounded like a bird dying. And I was like, that rocks. That’s a great way to describe my band. I loved it.”
“I use the word ‘punishing’ for Tunic all Quitter is emerging the same year that the time,” Schellenberg says. “I want Tunic to be punishing on the listener. Tunic released Exhaling, another Artoffact Records release that compiled That’s why the records are short. That’s past material with new songs. Writing, why our sets are short. It’s not something Schellenberg shares, is critical. to be enjoyed at length. It’s supposed to be fast, and short, and powerful. Someone once described Tunic as the sound “I can’t stop writing, I guess,” he posits. “It’s just something that I have to do. It doesn’t of a bird dying, in a negative way. And have to be good. But it is one of those things I was like, no, that’s awesome. We were where I have to be creative every day.” in like Iowa or something, and I heard
Genre expectations and related concerns won’t be deciding the future of Tunic. “I’m kind of ready to grow as a songwriter and as a band,” Schellenberg shares. “I would like to make some more, broader [music]. I just turned 30, and so it’s just one of those things where I’m just like—I don’t really care anymore. That sort of self-consciousness about trying to write a cool punk song or whatever like that—I don’t really care. Tunic is going to be whatever it’s going to be. I don’t need it to fit into a box, really.” 💣
Fast and Free
THE BOTS INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST MIKAIAH LEI BY J. POET
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ikaiah Lei, frontman of The Bots, put out a self-released album with his brother, drummer Anaiah Lei, when he was 15 years old and Anaiah was 12. Before they made their second album, 2014’s Pink Palms, they’d already played festivals in the U.S. and Europe, accumulating rave reviews.
“As a young man, growing up with all those perks, it would have been easy to overindulge,” Lei says. “Luckily, I had my friends and family to keep me grounded. Musically, it was a blessing to be surrounded by so many pros at such a young age. It really informed my musical understanding and ability.”
performer wasn’t consciously thought out.
da, and my new drummer, Alex Vincent,” “Like many aspiring guitar players, I Lei says. “I demo my songs on a little picked up a few power chords from Tascam eight-track recorder, so I don’t get carried away by an infinite amount of tracks and options. When we record them, the songs need to be catchy, or memorable in some way. They have to have heart or make you feel something. Not every song needs to be a pop song to be great. If you write it with true love and passion for the craft, it will show.”
“We recorded [2 Seater] live in-studio, usually tracking drums and guitar, or drums and bass, together,” Lei continues. “Alex plays a lot of instruments, so we do overdubs—either one at a time or together—depending on the Lei’s music combines aspects of punk, instruments we’re playing. We recorded during the pandemic, but only had blues, folk, and indie rock, with hints four people in the studio—myself, Alex, of electronica, to create the energetic Adrian, and Aaron, the engineer. We all pop sound of 2 Seater. Big Indie Records tested and wore masks. We got to try a released the album on September 8. bunch of new stuff I’ve never done in a studio before. We played a majority of Now 28, Lei wrote the songs between the the songs without cymbals and played a ages of 19 and 22, as he was becoming a couple of tunes with chopsticks instead seasoned pro and a young man. of drumsticks.” “The older songs were revisited in the studio with my producer, Adrian Quesa- Lei says his growth as a guitarist and
ZULU INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ANAIAH LEI BY M. REED
punk songs and tried my best to emulate that sound,” he says. “I slowly figured out what style of music I wanted to make, and tried finding my voice, which is hard to do when going through puberty. I got to a point where I started playing local clubs and bar gigs. In the summer of 2011, I got invited to join the Vans Warped Tour, and things just progressed naturally from there. Eventually, I want to be able to make whatever kind of music I want and not find myself limited or restricted by genre or style.”💣
PHOTO Camille Bagnani
In the summer of 2021, Zulu revealed through social media that they would be selling shirts with the phrase “Abolish White Hardcore” printed on the back. The backlash against this design was nearly nonexistent. In fact, news of the design generated a substantial amount of encouraging press and interest in the band, with the griping of a few trolls only serving to fan the flames of the positive response.
“We literally just made a shirt that our guitarist thought was a good idea,” Lei reflects. “And it means literally what it means. It’s pretty obvious. We’re not saying anything about kicking out white people at a hardcore shows.” There is obviously a desire for a more inclusive scene, and it’s clear that Zulu are fast becoming one of the vehicles through which that goal can be realized. 💣
Z
I’m going to write lyrics, I’m going to do it ulu is a powerviolence band out very straightforward. That’s just what I do.” of L.A. power fronted by Anaiah Lei. Signed to Baltimore’s Flatspot It goes without saying that Zulu are a Records, the band are known for their special band. But as unique as they are, sharp and direct commentary on issues their origins could not be more humble. of race in America, as well as some incredibly engaging samples and excerpts—lifted from the speeches of Mal- “I’ve always wanted to sing in a band, to some degree,” Lei explains. “So, I started colm X, as well as elegant performances Zulu with the intention of fronting it and by Carl Weathers and Buju Banton—all being the singer.” of which are pulled from Lei’s personal library and slotted into tracks for emLei, who also plays drums in the straightphasis. Zulu also have a strong sense of edge hardcore band DARE, adds, for furgroove, which is rarely something that ther clarity: “I literally just wanted to be you can say about a band that plays in a band where I didn’t just play drums.” powerviolence. Speaking about his lyrics as they pertain to issues of race, Lei is characteristically unambiguous in his description. He explains that the lyrics are a reflection of his personality.
“What I’m talking about is already very obvious and stuff that people should already know about,” he says. “I’m not, like, abstract or poetic in my regular life. So, if
Lei may downplay the significance of his band, but it’s clear that Zulu represent something of note within a genre that is dominated by people who are almost uniformly white. If their fast and steady rise in popularity wasn’t evidence of this enough, then the response to a recent controversial merch design should be enough to iron out any doubts.
PHOTO Nick Santana
NEW NOISE 19
INTERVIEW WITH MANifesto BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER PHOTO Filipe Paulo
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elf-described as “five tones— it still comes up like a novel lifts, so they sound very similar While the band could definitely apgrown-up gays from To- concept, simply because of the to the originals. There are a few peal to anyone who loves the songs ronto covering songs origi- clarity of delivery the band bring to changes, and I think we’re getting they cover, they hold a special nated by girl groups,” MANifest are their covers. braver as we go along, and taking place in the queer cannon, not only basically what happens when you more risks, but for the most part, due to their identities, but because get nostalgic and put on Spice Girls “It’s just been received so well,” he they sound true to the originals.” of the connotation that comes from while you clean your house, if you continues. “We’ve had nothing but flipping the songs. added a massive amount of talent positive reviews so far on the vid- And through this kind of connecto that equation. eos, and we haven’t heard anything tion with the songs, the band are “We definitely appeal to the LGBTQ negative. It’s just been a steady able to reach queer folks and community, since we’re a group of “The band is very much something momentum of wonderful.” nostalgic millennials aching for gay guys singing girl-group songs,” that you didn’t realize was missing says Dionisio. some girly realness. until you’re in it, and then it’s like, The band appeals to anyone who ‘Why haven’t I been doing this my misses the ’90s heyday of girl groups “I think for the most part, that’s how “We haven’t changed any of the lyrwhole life?’” explains band founder and everything they represented. we’re hoping to get the fan base ics to these songs, so we are singing Kelly Clipperton. “To sing songs to keep growing, because we’ll get songs to men that are traditionally written by men, for women, the way “I think the largest demographic people who are like, ‘Oh, there’s sung by women,” adds Icarus. “Men they sound, it’s just awesome.” now that we are reaching are a new cover,’ when it comes to don’t usually sing pop love ballads people who would appreciate this, their favorite song, and then they to each other in public culture, so While the concept is simple— com- who are nostalgic,” says Twaine of can just sort of sing along in the there’s something about that that is bine the classic nostalgia of girl the group. “For the most part, the car and see the aspects we’ve unexpected, and at the same time groups with queer covers and sultry majority of the songs are straight updated.” familiar.”💣💣💣
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releases that they finally put out an actual vinyl record. “I think that’s when I decided to just run with it and make it a real label.” As for what advice he would give people just starting out in bands and/or releasing records, he says, “Don’t wait around for somebody else to put out your record. Definitely do it yourself. Coming from a label’s perspective, and I’ve seen band’s self-release their own stuff, it makes me more inclined to want to work with them when I see they’ve gone through the motions themselves.” And, as a label that has in the past been prone to “bite off more than we could chew,” he recommends, “Keep it conservative. Don’t over-press. You can always repress and get more.” He goes on, “Start low, you can always get more if you need it.” Likewise, when Dead Broke Rekerds was going overboard and doing too much, he says sometimes they were putting out 25 to 30 releases a year. He reflects, “Once I stopped touring because of the pandemic and I was home, we made a conscious decision to scale it down and just try and do around one release a month. Just do half of what we were doing so we could pay more attention to the releases we were doing.” As for the bands, they do end up working with, there is certain criteria they look for. “If I’m doing an LP or album for a band,” he explains, “I’d like to know they’re going to play shows and put the work in and at least make an attempt.” He is known to bring bands he’s working with on tour with his own bands and do some shows. But he acknowledges some of the standards have changed this past year, with the inability of bands to be able to tour and play out. One major criterium, though, is they will absolutely not work with bands that have “any racist, sexist, transphobic [leanings]. Any band like that is automatically off the table.”
INTERVIEW WITH LABEL OWNER MIKE BRUNO BY JANELLE JONES ead Broke Rekerds was started about 20 years ago and is still going strong. Founded by Mike Bruno—of Iron Chic and Adult Magic fame—as a way to release his and his friends’ bands’ music, the label has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Over the years, this Long Island, New York-based label has released ma-
22 NEW NOISE
terial from such bands as the aforementioned Iron Chic, Fifteen, Samiam, Street Eaters, Moving Targets, The Criminals, Toys That Kill, and Horace Pinker, to name a few. When asked if at the beginning he had any prior experience putting out records, Bruno laughs, “No, no absolutely not. We released my old band’s demo.
We just wrote it on the demo CDR. We did a bunch of CDRs and tapes just to do friends’ bands and my own band, stuff like that.” He explains, “I just kind of learned through our own mistakes, and a lot of advice from friends that ran labels and people who helped us out early on. That really made a big difference.” It wasn’t until he had done about 15
In that vein, he says more and more they are looking to put out records that aren’t “all straight white men. That’s definitely a conscious decision these days, where we’re trying to work with more bands that are different than that.” And looking forward to what is coming down the pike, Bruno says there are a number of records set for release in 2022, including a reissue of The Soviettes LP1, as well as an Iron Chic/Ways Away split seven-inch and a Dimber LP, entitled Always Up to You. 💣💣💣
H T G R IP E W IT “M Y B IG G E S O N LI N E WA S LI V E V ID E O S R O U LD E IT H E T H AT YO U C KED O T H AT LO O F IN D A V ID E ND D ID N ’T S O U G R E AT B U T E AT OUNDED GR GOOD, OR S .” LO O K G O O D B U T D ID N ’T
INTERVIEW WITH OWNER/OPERATOR STEVEN GRISE BY SEAN MCLENNAN
“COMI NG UP LISTEN ING TO RADIO PUNK WITH MY DAD, FINDIN G HARDCORE WAS LIKE THE MISSIN G INGRE DIENT I NEVER EVEN KNEW I WAS LOOKI NG FOR,” REFLECTS STEVE N GRISE, THE ONE-M AN MEDIA OPERATION BASED OUT OF SOUTH ERN CALIFO RNIA, OTHER WISE KNOW N AS 197 MEDIA . GRISE DISCO VERED HIS LOVE FOR HARDCORE MUSIC AT A YOUNG AGE AND HAS HELD IT CLOSE EVER SINCE.
“I believe it was somewhere around and a This City Is Burning live label sixth or seventh grade,” he says. “I showcase DVD, which eventually led had some new friends I made that to Hate5six and other live videos invited me to my first gig at Showcase online. Specifically, a Xibalba set Theater (RIP) in Corona, California. from This Is Hardcore Fest. At the time, I remember being infatuated with the chaos, intensity, and “For the longest time, my biggest gripe straight up anger in it.” with live videos online was that you could either find a video that looked Years later, Grise gained more great but didn’t sound good, or inspiration to feed into what would sounded great but didn’t look good,” ultimately become his own media Grise says. “That Xibalba set was endeavor. Witnessing the singer of the video that made me say, ‘Woah, his old band, Gabe Ochoa, record- so you can find a way to make the ing bands live when they would go two happen in hardcore.’ This was on tour, is what Grise links his initial also the video that introduced me to inspiration for filming live music to. Hate5six and everything Sunny was doing around that time.” On top of that, he recalls absorbing In love with the idea of preserving inspiration from old Hellfest DVDs live gigs, Grise utilized his GoPro
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little brother out to the gig and he got to go on stage and do guest vocals during an Inside Out cover from One Step Closer,” Grise says. “It was such a rad moment seeing him just go for it and turning over to my left to see Angel visibly proud and happy for him. Having that documented forever is just one of the many moments that keeps fueling the fire.” Having had the opportunity to film plenty of hardcore heavy hitters such as Madball, The Acacia Strain, Terror, Knocked Loose, Jesus Piece, Xibalba, and many more, Grise acknowledges that every show has its own moments of magic—even more so since shows have returned after the pandemic.
and Flip HD cam earlier on to begin carrying out his mission. Then, around 2015, he upgraded and branded himself as 197 Media. Balancing his day job and running 197 has required Grise to adopt a concrete workflow, but working remotely since the pandemic has been a great way for him to ensure “I think it just comes from the excitement of gigs being back concert promptness. finally,” he says. “The energy and He reveals that the moments he’s atmosphere of the live show will able to capture on video outweigh always be something you can’t just the stressors of being a one-man replicate on an album. Whether operation. Grise references a show it be a certain moment during he recently filmed at Chain Re- the gig or song, it’s just something action for Terror’s tour with Drain, that you can never seem to get from the studio recording alone. One Step Closer, and Dare. Somehow it always finds a way to “Angel, the singer of Dare, brought his be even better live.”💣💣💣
PHOTO Robin Laananen
PHOTO Bradley Hale
THE COATHANGERS AND L.A. WITCH INTERVIEW WITH JULIA KUGEL-MONTOYA OF THE COATHANGERS, ELLIE ENGLISH AND SADE SANCHEZ OF L.A. WITCH BY DOUGLAS MENAGH
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he Coathangers and L.A. Witch are work with The Coathangers,” says Ellie no strangers to joining forces. Both English, also of L.A. Witch. “I love them groups have toured with each oth- as people and as a band.” er and are label mates on Suicide Squeeze. They’ve now teamed up on Recording took place separately. One Way or the Highway, a double sin- This is partly why they chose to regle featuring The Coathangers’ cover cord covers instead of an original of Blondie’s “One Way or Another” and song together. L.A. Witch’s version of The Gun Club’s “Ghost on the Highway.” What’s unique “Since our band members live in three about this release is how complemen- different states, the idea of writing a tary these covers are to the original new song was too difficult logistically,” songs and each other. says Kugel-Montoya. “It was cool to still feel so connected, even with such “We wanted to do something fun while distance between us.” we were in isolation and not touring,” says Julia Kugel-Montoya of The For The Coathangers, their connection Coathangers. “Through a chat with to Blondie’s music inspired their song David [Dickenson] of Suicide Squeeze, choice. As Kugel-Montoya explains: we decided to combine forces and pay homage to our heroes.” “Our last show was [February] 2020 during NY Fashion Week, where we “They asked if we wanted to do a performed Blondie covers at the split and cover a Gun Club song,” Coach runway show, with Debbie HarSade Sanchez of L.A. Witch says. “Of ry herself joining us for a life-changing course, being a huge fan of The Gun rendition of ‘Dreaming.’ Recording it Club and of The Coathangers, and felt like a reliving of a highlight of our being label family, it just made so career as a band. Something positive much sense to do it.” during a very dark time.”
“Can’t wait for the next one!” says Sanchez. “Growing up loving punk rock music and being from L.A., The Gun Club was a huge influence on me,” Sanchez says. “It has been so fun to work with our la“Also, the first time I saw The Coathang- bel mates LA Witch on this seven-inch!” says Kugel-Montoya. “We share a ers play, they covered ‘Sex Beat,’ and mutual respect and appreciation for I remember that’s when I fell in love each other’s music. Feels awesome with them.” to pay homage to our label Suicide Squeeze, our label mates, and of “It’s challenging to do a cover and make it your own thing,” adds Sanchez. course, Blondie and Debbie Harry for being pioneers of cool.” 💣💣💣 “You wanna do the original justice, you know? We approached the song in so many different ways, like tried to slow it down or play the rhythm differently. We even tried it with a drum machine. I like covers where the band makes it sound like their version of the song. For example, when the Jesus and Mary Chain covered Bo Diddley’s ‘Who Do You Love?’ or when Joan Jett did ‘Crimson and Clover’ by Tommy James & The Shondells.”
“I definitely have always been down to
“I sure hope we can work with The
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As for L.A. Witch, Sanchez attributes
the decision to cover The Gun Club from that band’s early influences on their sound.
Both groups seem open to making music together again at some point.
Coathangers again,” says English. “I’m sure we will,”
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
November 5th
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Welcome Home November 19th Featuring “Sick” VRSTY.NYC
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T H E B R O W N I N G O F F I C I A L . C O M
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PHOTO Addrian Jafaritabar
C
en more “We hope to op to the idea people’s minds ours can be that music like ny realm.” accessible in a
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST MATT KING BY CALEB R. NEWTON
hristfucker—the latest “We wanted to create an album that similar directions on Christfucker, “No preconceived ideas go into the full-length album from sounded like it came straight from from the walloping torrents of writing,” King explains. “We simply the Texas-based heavy Hell,” vocalist and guitarist Matt sound found on “The Sixth Circle” spark a joint and let it ride. It’s just music crew Portrayal of Guilt—is King explains. “I think we accom- to the hypnotically repetitious, a coincidence that this record has explosive. Like getting psychologi- plished that with Christfucker.” otherworldly blasts that help close more of a black metal influence.” cally torn apart while in a violently “Possession,” the album’s final track gripping trance and losing any Portrayal of Guilt have explicitly and lead single. Meanwhile, King’s recent personal meaningful sense of nearby physi- tied themselves to horror themes interests in music have varied. cal reality—and it then happening in the past. For a pair of singles off With menacingly contorted rhythms again, and again, and again on a their earlier 2021 release, We Are throughout the journey, Christfucker “I always go through phases, but loop, the record gallops onward Always Alone, the group put out a sounds centered on psychological currently I’ve been listening to a while the band unfurl their crushing joint music video that was essential- torment rather than something lot of this incredible band called ly a short horror movie, showing the purely physical and further off. The Drahla from the U.K.,” he shares. vision of cataclysmic destruction. work—and eventual defeat—of a album is laden with suffocating “They’re very reminiscent of Sonic Pinning the album within a particular serial killer operating in a junkyard. atmosphere and raw ferocity to the Youth in my opinion. The songwritgenre is intriguingly difficult. Viewed point that escaping the shadowy ing is very unique. That and most one way, Christfucker blends the sear- “The influence a good horror movie aggressors suggested by the mael- recently Dawn of Humans, Dystoing viciousness of black metal with the score has on our band plays into our strom seems impossible. pia, The Mob.” pummeling onslaughts of hardcore, sound as a whole,” King says. “What unifying the demolishing storm of inspires me most are the scores to The band base their work on a rig- Ultimately, the experiences associsound with the incinerating emotion these movies. Not just horror, but all orous writing schedule, King shares. ated with the music of Portrayal of of piercing screamo. There’s a thrill genres. I think within horror movies, Guilt—from live shows to fans’ conrunning through the album, as though you’ll find more compelling sounds “It comes easily sometimes, but not nections with the songs—sit promiit delivers jolts of adrenaline while that can trigger you to feel some- every time,” he says, discussing the nently in the band’s perspective. stumbling through a hellscape. It’s thing, such as anxiety or fear, based creative process behind Portrayal confident and direct—it never feels on what’s happening on screen. The of Guilt. “We’ve been disciplined “We hope to open more people’s particularly unsure of itself. Instead, it best example of this would be a enough to write in every window of minds to the idea that music like embraces the devastation, which the ‘jump scare.’” free time we get, so with that comes ours can be accessible in any realm,” sheer sonic magnitude of Christfucker a lot of practice and new material.” King explains. “We’re anxious to get Portrayal of Guilt certainly head The music itself leads the way. makes clear is here to stay anyway. back on tour this October.” 💣
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PHOTO Alan Snodgrass
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST BRENNA RED AND BASSIST SEAN VIELE BY JOHN B. MOORE
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ike many bands, 2020 was shap- The result is Noise Noise Noise, a ing up to be a big year for The brilliant, 10-song, ska-soaked, Last Gang. They had seen au- pop-adjacent punk album that diences since debuting 2018’s draws in influence from The Clash Keep Them Counting continuing to and Rancid, while chiseling the grow; they had almost completely band’s own name onto the statues booked a new tour—one of their of their influences. largest yet—and had plans to finally record their sophomore “Personally, I had just quit drinking effort for Fat Wreck Chords. And in January,” Viele says. “So, I used the time to get myself back in then the world shut down. good mental and physical health, “It was extremely difficult to have which I’d neglected for many the rug pulled out from under years up until that point. I started us, mainly because we had most riding my bike and working out, of our 2020 tours booked, and as well as hiking.” we wanted to get this album recorded as well. This, we By late July of 2020, the band finalthought, was going to be our ly arrived at Maple Sound Studios, year,” says bassist Sean Viele. both excited to get these songs “In the end, we salvaged on wax and uncertain of when what we could and it would eventually be released. made the best They worked with their label boss of what was Fat Mike, as well as Cameron Webb out of our and Yotam Ben Horin of Useless ID. control.” “Mike’s head works a million miles a minute,” says vocalist and guitarist Brenna Red. “I could see the wheels spinning so fast as he adapted and evolved the songs we wrote. I made sure I had a recorder on constantly, so I didn’t forget any bits. Plus, all these chords I’ve never used before in songwriting he was throwing at me. At some point, I was like, ‘Whoa whoa whoa, slow down; I’ll have to cheat on those and have Ken do the hard stuff!’”
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With the album out now, the band are set to finally get back on the road. They’ve already had a number shows since being vaccinated, and Viele admits to not being that worried about getting back to the crowds … at first. “I wasn’t back in June,” he says. “We’re all vaccinated, and at the time, things seemed like they were getting back to normal, and I felt a good deal of protection from the vaccine. Now, with the Delta variant spreading, I think we’re all a little more cautious. The shows have been great, though. There is a lot of energy from the crowds, and people seem happy to be back out and going to shows.” The band are off the road in October, then embarking on a November tour of the States with Teenage Bottlerocket and working on some other tour dates for 2022. They have also booked a European tour in the summer of 2022. “We wanna continue to grow as a band and as humans in this ever-changing world,” Red says. “It’s a scary place. The idea of bringing positivity into so much uncertainty, to bring joy into people’s lives, if even for just a 45-minute set, is true beauty. It’s what drives us to pile into a van and drive thousands of miles to share these songs.” 💣
BURNING TONGUE
REBREATHER
FRAYLE
LaMACCHIA
PRISONER’S CINEMA
THE LINE, IT’S WIDTH, & THE WARDRONE
SKIN & SORROW
THUNDERHEADS
Blackened Metal, Hardcore, Punk. RIYL Craft to Dwid Hellion to G.I.S.M. Crushing nihilism that nod to the shadowy side of hardcore punk
Doom, Sludge, Metal, Prog. RIYL Part Chimp, Unsane, Melvins. Rebreather creates punishing, and teneacious music that seethes and breathes.
Heavy, Witch, Doom. Haunting, hypnotic mix of crushing Sleep-style doom and cooing ethereal vocals à la Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser.
Egnimatic layered & moody Rock. RIYL: Liars, Doves, Autolux, Radiohead. Debut by guitarist & vocalist John LaMacchia from Candiria)
BUY
@AqualambRecords
PHOTOGRAPHY Raz Azraai
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST DANI MILLER BY THOMAS PIZZOLA
N
ew York City trash punkers Surfbort have released a new album, Keep On Truckin’, as part of a partnership between legendary producer and composer Linda Perry and Soundcloud/Repost.
The new album, which comes three years after their ferocious debut, Friendship Music, is another vicious slab of trashy punk rock that doesn’t skimp on empathy or social commentary.
incredible producer like Linda Perry behind the project, it’s a treat to put out another record.” Keep On Truckin’ contains more of their catchy, high-octane punk rock, but also has time for songs that take the foot off the gas pedal and allow for a little more introspection. That might seem like a new wrinkle in their sound, but according to Miller, it’s always been there.
“We just followed our hearts with the Friendship Music attracted instant sound,” Miller says. “We will always buzz from not just punk audiences—it have a fucked-up, weirdo sound, but also garnered praise from members yes, for some songs, we got more of Blondie, a signing to Julien Casa- vulnerable than normal, and Linda blancas’ Cult Records, a campaign turned it into a punk symphony! I think with Gucci, a part in the hit movie having a mix of harder songs and popSound of Metal, not to mention the pier singalongs is always our style.” partnership with Linda Perry. The big question is: when they sat down Another thing that hasn’t changed, to write album number two, did they was Miller’s approach to the lyrics. feel any pressure? She still writes with a lot of empathy “No, not really. We didn’t feel any and heart. pressure to follow up, but really the need for us as artists [is] to express “Life is so freakin’ crazy that it can ourselves,” says lead singer Dani feel like a joke sometimes, or unlivMiller. “We write songs almost every able,” Miller says. “So, we wanted to day, and to be able to show them to acknowledge that you can feel alone the world and connect with people, and like it’s the end of the world, and on top of everything have an but just know it’s important to stick
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around and make it to the magical good times as well.”
More important is how they actually felt about playing shows again. It’s been a long time for most bands. Would they be rusty? How would the fans respond?
Magical times such as the band being featured briefly in the Academy Award-nominated film, Sound Of Metal, which features Riz Ahmed as In the case of Surbort, there would be a heavy metal drummer losing his no need to worry about any of those hearing. The scene in question shows issues. Miller and guitarist Alex Kilgore hanging at their merch table, doing “They were incredible, all good vibes, and everyone had a blast,” Miller typical merch table shenanigans. says. “I think everyone was so grateful “I knew in the moment of filming I was for music. It was insanely fun. The air a part of something special,” Miller was sparkly and calming, and everysays. “I never wait to hear of the one was moshing with a smile on their status of someone or something to face. It felt like a show in Berlin. And collaborate on art with them. I always yes, going into it, I was insanely nerjust go off instinct; if I vibe with some- vous; I felt like I forgot how to boogie one, I appreciate their art, whether in the apocalypse, but after the first it’s recognized or not. But being in an show back, I was hooked. If you push Oscar-nominated film was a super through the nerves, good things hapcool surprise, nonetheless. Also, fun pen. I feel like I can play a ton now, fact: Riz came over every week to which is the plan!” study [Surfbort drummer] Sean [Powell] because he is a sober drummer, Surfbort have a killer new album out, and a lot of the clothes the charac- and the world is opening back up, ters are wearing in the movie are his.” which means they can spread their mutant music far and wide. In fact, With the world opening up, Surfbort that’s what they plan to do. Accordhave started to play shows again. ing to Miller: Recently, they went on a quick jaunt out west, playing Fort Collins, Col- “Worldwide Surfbort party! Keep on orado, and Los Angeles. There are truckin’!” 💣💣💣 more dates to follow in November.
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INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JUSTICE TRIPP BY DEREK NIELSEN
“
I did an interview, fucking, like, 15 years ago about Trapped Under Ice, and somebody asked me what is hardcore to me,” Angel Du$t singer and songwriter Justice Tripp reminisces. “I said, ‘It’s being the most relentlessly yourself you can be.’ You know what I mean? Like, the most painful version of yourself.”
punk band gear up to release their fourth LP, YAK: A Collection of Truck Songs, released on October 21 via Roadrunner records, Tripp reflects on his younger years, when he was the brooding frontman for Trapped Under Ice.
shorts and I had my shirt off, and was doing whatever that wasn’t comfortable for some people. But I did it!” Face it—if you look at a photo of yourself as a late teen or early 20-something, and you don’t cringe a little bit, you weren’t having fun.
that’s a problem!” Tripp says. “That would be faking it. I can’t do that. That’s painful. It’s gonna be cringy; it’s gonna be embarrassing to watch, you know? Again, that’s a part of who I am, and these things are going to influence what I do. But that’s not who I am.”
“That’s what I was when we’re doing Trapped Under Ice,” he Angel Du$t were formed by says. “People didn’t like it! I “If I was still the dude from Tripp in 2013 and include As the Baltimore hardcore was wearing big baggy jeans Trapped Under Ice circa 2007, several members from their
PHOTOGRAPHY Joe Calixto
PHOTO Mitra Mehvar
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ences to come to the surface. Most noticeably, this time around, the prominent influence of Britpop and Scottish jangle pop bands like Suede, Orange Juice, and Blur is heard. “I’m not trying to make a Blur record; I just love Blur so I’m sure that comes out,” Tripp says. “Graham Coxon’s my favorite guitar player. There were things that I referenced, like Orange Juice, that Rob [Schnapf, producer] really understood, like what they were using and their influences, stuff like that.” Tripp gets excited at the prospect of utilizing those inspirations. The omnipresent, acoustic guitar evokes old Violent Femmes vibes and adds
friends and fellow Baltimoreans, Turnstile. The band’s positive vibes and upbeat songs seemed to occupy a vibrant liminal space between old-school, hardcore skate-punk-and-indie-driven acts like The Violent Femmes and Elvis Costello. The band dropped Pretty Buff in 2019, an album largely defined by love, good vibes, and sunshine—an all-round summer record. Tripp attributes the tonal shift to his relocation from Baltimore to Los Angeles, California.
a scrappy energy to the songs: a nostalgic throwback to being kids and forming a band with whatever instruments were lying around. It didn’t matter how talented or marketable you were—having fun and being yourself were the only prerequisites. “That’s my shit!” Tripp exclaims. “I love that shit. People keep saying we’re folk, which is crazy. They hear an acoustic guitar, and, like, oh, it must be folk! No, it’s just an acoustic guitar. Every Angel Du$t recording ever has an acoustic guitar. Either it got turned down so low you couldn’t hear it, or the producer engineer at the time was like, ‘Hey, like this just doesn’t sound good.’”💣💣💣
table or something, and somebody be like, ‘Oh, this song really touched me. My dog died.’ And I’m like, that’s crazy, because that song’s about being in love or something. It’s not about my dog at all.”
Immediately after recording Pretty Buff, Tripp was hit with pneumonia and was bedridden for almost a month. It was during this time that he would demo the majority of what would end up on YAK. The new album marks a change of seasons for Angel Du$t. Whereas Pretty Buff was a ripened cor“It’s funny, everybody thinks nucopia of kinetic energy, YAK Pretty Buff is like exclusively immerses itself in minor keys, about my dog, when it’s not,” 12-string guitars, and padded Tripp says. “There’s a song drum kits—a light rain, brown about my dog on the record. leaves kind of vibe. I don’t understand why everybody thinks it’s exclusively This tighter and more restrained about my dog! I’ll be chatting production on display allows with somebody at the merch Angel Du$t’s more subtle influ-
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PHOTOGRAPHY Alan Snodgrass
INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST BRIAN RITCHIE BY J. POET
F
orty years ago, Gordon Gano, and jazz spaces were more in line a recent high school grad- with the kind of music we were uate, showed a few songs playing.” he’d written to a couple of musicians he’d met—bass player The band got signed by Slash Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor Records and went on to internaDeLorenzo. The trio clicked, ad- tional fame. In the last 40 years, opted the name Violent Femmes, they’ve released 10 studio albums, and played their indefinable mix five live sets, 19 singles, and four of punk, folk, jazz, and country compilations. This year marks the in coffee houses, jazz and folk 30th anniversary of the band’s clubs, and street corners, busking fifth album, Why Do Birds Sing? It’s for tips. James Honeyman-Scott, being reissued on CD and LP, with Me Once,’ a song we got onto The We’d just listen to Gordon play guitarist of The Pretenders, heard a full album of bonus tracks, out Crow [movie] soundtrack. After a them; then we’d go. We didn’t put them playing for the people lined by Craft Recordings in November. few sessions, we decided to stay much thought into it. We’re not up to get into a Pretenders show. with the trio format. Then we craftsmen. We’re more like feral He brought Chrissie Hynde out to “I buy a lot of reissues,” Ritchie says. looked for a producer and found folkies, or jazz musicians who hear them and she invited them to “So, I understand the interest. Since Michael Beinhorn [Red Hot Chili happen to be playing rock music.” open that night’s concert. I buy them, why not sell ours? Peppers, Soundgarden]. Ritchie says the album’s success Some people ask if the title is a “Our music didn’t fit into a catego- reference to the Frankie Lymon hit, He understood our stripped-down had a lot to do with being in the ry,” bass player Ritchie says. “We ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love?’ It’s ac- sound and improvisational way right place at the right time. played acoustic instruments and tually an English translation of the of making music. We rehearsed blended too many genres. Clubs title of a German book Gordon the songs, probably more for his “It was the peak of the alt-rock wouldn’t book us, so we played was reading. We always struggled benefit, with Victor playing a two- wave,” he explains. “Nirvana had on the streets. Getting invited with album titles, so we thought inch tape box with brushes. The just happened, and Lollapalooza by Hynde to open a show was that was a good question to ask, original takes were just the three was big, the apex of a certain kind unexpected. When we went on akin to, ‘Why do musicians make of us in a room. A lot of the songs of music, although we were elder stage that night, the audience was music?’ The answer is different for were the first complete takes. Mi- statesmen at that point. Green booing. By the end of our set, half different people; there’s no one chael added some overdubbed Day was reinventing punk, and we of them were still booing, but half answer to the question.” keys, but mostly, we aimed for a got in on their coattails. Our music isn’t timely. People tell us they liswere cheering, so we thought we’d live trio feel.” tened to our music in high school, made progress. Ritchie says the pre-production process took some time. “Some arrangements we’d been but we hear that from 20-yearThat gig led to resentment, fear, playing since our first gigs. ‘Girl olds and 60-year-olds.” jealousy, and further ostracism “We were thinking of expanding Trouble’ was our most popular from the other punk and rock the lineup with a percussionist,” he song when we started gigging. Violent Femmes originally came bands, but it gave us confidence. explains. “We did some rehearsals ‘Life Is a Scream’ is also an old together through a series of fortuWe played house parties, and folk with Michael Blair, who played song. Gordon brought in some nate coincidences. and jazz clubs. The Milwaukee with Tom Waits and Lou Reed. We new ones—‘American Music,’ ‘He “I was sitting at the bar in an Irish rock clubs wouldn’t book us. Folk got good results, including ‘Color Likes Me,’ ‘Lack of Knowledge.’ pub, drinking Guinness,” Ritchie
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says. “Victor was next to me, and ‘Blister in the Sun.’ Victor came up The current tour celebrating the we started talking about jazz— with that drum part that everyone reissue is going well. Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, Albert still claps along with on the spot. Ayler. I was a bass player and We started playing gigs without “It was weird, coming out of himusic journalist. I’d reviewed a any rehearsals. The first time in bernation,” Ritchie says. “It was band he was in and said he was public was of one of Gordon’s a bit of a culture shock to be in the best part of the band. We solo gigs. We were accomplished a crowded airport, with people started talking and decided to professionals and played along. you knew were ticking time bombs. collaborate. It was a lot of fun and grew from This is our 40th anniversary, which is insane if you think about it. We there.” After playing as a rhythm section in a few bands, we met Gordon. We were the first people he’d played with, ever. We had great fun from the moment me met. The first song we played together was
play the hits from the early days, but incorporate material from the entire catalog. This is a package tour—four bands—with Flogging Molly sharing top billing. We’re all vaxxed and stay masked until we go on stage. Last night, we played 90 minutes, ‘cause some of the Mollys got COVID. Hopefully they’ll be back soon. Fans have to present a vax certificate to get in. Some people wear masks; some don’t. This band has been an adventure. We’ve seen a lot of odd stuff we never anticipated, but we just plowed through it.” 💣💣💣
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INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST
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KEITH BUCKLEY BY JAM ES
ALVARE Z
PHOTOGRAPHY Alyson Coletta
shit, everything would work out so On “Desperate Pleasures,” however, much better. At least it would be a Buckley now says, “Look on the positive start toward a new, amaz- bright side. There’s nowhere but up ing journey into progress and social from a canyon in hell.” justice. I was going to animal rights protests when I was 15. I was reading “I don’t know how to say this without books on social democracy when I sounding so desperately out of was 16. It’s not something that the touch,” Buckley shares. “I just think hardcore scene hasn’t dealt with that this all has happened for reabefore. I feel like the people in the sons beyond our understanding. hardcore scene are so kind and The pandemic and what it’s done considerate, the kind of people I’d to our culture, what it did to us as love to see actually in charge of shit.” individuals, it’s forced us to take a look at ourselves and realize we are Sadly, we’re stuck on “Planet Shit,” on a fucking journey. I really felt like as ETID’s raging new single reiter- I was at rock bottom. The only hope ates. Over the past year, the band I could find was, like, ‘Alright, let’s have released five different jams start moving up then.’ This is where off Radical every few months to the story goes, because I’ve seen hold themselves and their rabid fan movies, ya know? This is the part base over until the coast was clear in Frozen where Elsa gets reunited to tour again. with Anna.”
“I FEEL LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THE HARDCORE SCENE ARE SO KIND AND CONSIDERATE, THE KIND OF PEOPLE I’D LOVE TO SEE ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF SHIT.”
A
ppropriately enough, every- of the album’s opening track, where thing about Every Time I Die’s he channels unparalleled levels of new album, out now on Epitaph, rage, screaming: “Spare only the is radical. The vibrant cover ones I love. Slay the rest.” art, the insane new songs, and the “It’s something I felt before the panabsolutely visceral performances demic hit,” he says, before pausing. captured all live up to the album “Man, I just feel like if people in the title, Radical. Even the chaotic world hardcore scene were in charge of that ETID’s ninth full- length record is arriving in is a radical place, amidst radical times.
“There becomes, like, an unspoken “It was a radical change for me,” pact,” Buckley explains. “Look guys, Buckley shares. “Low Teens was so we need to tour; we can’t give fucking serious and severe and sad you the whole record now, but we and hard for me to play because I promise we’re still here, still thinking get fully absorbed in the memory of about touring, still proud of these writing it and what was going on in songs. It’s not like, ‘Here’s a little my life. It made shows themselves a teaser;’ it’s more of a respectful of- different experience for me. There fering. ‘Thanks for sticking it out with was a lot of gloom, and I didn’t want us; here’s some songs that we can to live like that anymore. I wrote play until we get back out on tour.’” about that stuff, and they’re our songs, so obviously we’ll play them, So, is this record a raging beast but I don’t need to go back there or a quirky good time? It’s kind of emotionally. Everything worked out; both, actually. Low Teens, ETID’s life is fucking beautiful. I need to previous magnum opus, was easily look forward now, and that was a the darkest album of the band’s radical shift for me in perspective. career. Buckley famously said “the Because I have never, ever, not bottom is not the lowest we get” on looked back, and I swear to God, its closing track “Map Change.” Now I’m just not looking back now, and in post-Trump, COVID America, so- it’s made life so much better for me.” ciety has deteriorated to the same lows Buckley sang about back then. Radical stuff indeed. 💣💣💣
“We recorded in February of 2020,” Buckley recalls. “As soon as we got out of the studio in March, the pandemic shut everything down, and we went straight into lockdown.” From the opening screams of “Dark Distance” to the metaphor-free bluntness of “Planet Shit,” the schizo guitar barrage of “AWOL,” and the unexpected tenderness of “Thing With Feathers” and “People Verses,” Radical is the perfect embodiment of the collective anger and exhaustion that came to a head in America during the Trump era and has only been exacerbated by the global pandemic. “I wrote that song [“Dark Distance”] obviously way before I knew there’d be a pandemic. It became very relevant, I’ll say that,” Buckley says
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PHOTOGRAPHY Alan Snodgrass
WN DO CK LO BE ATDOWN
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to take a step back and re-evaluate current situations. A blessing disguised as a curse, isolation became the normal, day-to-day routine and allowed Bullet to sit down and grind out the best album in their career thus far.
ly in the metal scene, was abruptly put on the back burner. The return of live shows has been a long time coming, and no one is as ready to get back to it as the explosive Bullet for My Valentine crew.
“We’re in a really, really good place. It’s a super negative time, but we got it done,” Paget says with a sigh of relief. “We’ve never been so prepared to record an album. We just can’t wait to release it and get out there and start touring again. That’s what we really miss, playing live on stage to fans and to people around the world.”
“It just really pushed us to write harder, to write better,” explains Paget. “There’s so many songs that came up, so it was great to have lots of choices. There’s no sort of fillers, anywhere. Being in lockdown really benefited the writing of the record, especially pre-production, because it just gave us so much more time to concentrate on the music and the structure.” “It’s always a challenge working around other member’s projects It’s been two decades of anything and bands,” Telfian says. “Hence, and everything happening for most of the shows we have played Bullet: three million albums sold, so far have been in Richmond, just three gold albums, and coming out of simplicity. We do want to off another arena tour, yet none branch out and play more places of that could hold a torch to what in the states, and we would also we have all been through the last really like to do a European, U.K. year and a half. Live music, a safe and Japan tour.” 💣💣💣 haven of total inclusivity, especial-
INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MICHAEL “PADGE” PAGET BY WOODY WOODWORTH
E
ven the most tenured, highly The band’s seventh LP, Bullet for recognized bands in the mu- My Valentine, is set for release on sic scene have their doubts. November 5 via Spinefarm, and That’s what a global pandemic will is their heaviest album to date, do. The constant thoughts of what which is really saying something. is going to happen with everything Put together in about five weeks that has been built up until this with Carl Brown, who helped point, an unfettered disassociation produce 2015’s Venom and 2018’ creeping around, never truly going Gravity, the record is a poignant away. After a year and a half of return to true metal. fighting the ins and outs of doubt and uncertainty, forced to sit on “It’s just awesome to be back in the sidelines to wait and see what the metal domain again,” shares happens, things have finally started Paget. “I think Bullet really sits well to take a turn for the positive. in the metal domain, and for me, it’s great. [We] started writing in One of those positives is the re- 2019, and right from the [start], it surgence of metal legends Bullet was heavy metal. It just felt natural for My Valentine, after an over- and right, so we just went with that 20-year presence that has been and made it as heavy as we could.” nothing short of excellent. The pandemic has taken a toll “To be honest, man, I thought it was on all of us. Mental and physical all over,” admits guitarist Michael exhaustion are now commonplace “Padge” Paget. “I thought that was in so many lives. But the indefiit. That’s the end of the band, the nite “down time” also opened up end of live music.” something deep, a hidden instinct
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PHOTOGRAPHY Rob McKenney
PHOTOGRAPHY Marcos Hermes
TERROR WITH A TWIST
INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST BEN SAVAGE BY NICHOLAS SENIOR
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espite their historical associ- through the storyline until the ending ation with gory imagery, I’ve song, which is the finale.” always viewed Tennessee’s finest, Whitechapel, through the lens “It came out about like that, because of psychological thrillers. There’s the [vocalist] Phil [Bozeman] wanted to fear, there’s the terror, but there’s write it as a story. We wrote all the also the twist. music first, and then we sequenced it how we would like to hear it musically. No record plays on that notion quite Then we sent it to Phil, and Phil wrote as perfectly as their latest, Kin, out the story from beginning to end. The October 29 via Metal Blade. It’s a first song he wrote was, ‘I Will Find masterclass in suspenseful songwrit- You.’ Second song was ‘Lost Boys,’ and ing, where listeners are incapable so on. He wrote it as a story, storyline, of figuring out how the next song will which is cool. We’ve honestly never sound or where the album’s going. done that before.” Every song is different yet equally powerful. Their eighth outing is a con- That explains why the music and lyrics cept record of the highest order and feel like perfectly-designed puzzle a wonderful evolution of The Valley’s pieces—the highs and lows matching progressive tendencies. up with the band’s most progressive and (no joke) heaviest material to How important was the sequencing date. Whitechapel have come a for the album? long way from their Jack the Ripper beginnings—Kin is a moving, pensive “Oh, it was very important,” guitarist record that reflects on the versions of Ben Savage answers. “Actually, the ourselves we could have been, as well record’s written as a linear story, as the decisions that make us who we whereas The Valley was short stories. It are. In some ways, it’s a very spiritual didn’t follow a linear storyline. It was record, but not in the Western tradijust, ‘Here’s a story of this event; here’s tional sense. Savage concurs: a story of that event.’ True events, based on true events. Kin is a story “Yeah it’s about these different roads from beginning to end. Once you you could have taken. If I would have press play on song one, it carries you done this in life, my life would have
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been a hell of a lot different. People upside down for a surprise, or stand keeping you in check. It all comes up far away from it to reveal other asto you, at the end of the day, making pects. It’s a gorgeous piece. that choice. It’s crazy to think about. You have the key. That goes to Bud- “I came up with that basic image,” he dhism, too. Buddhism is all about explains. “It was cool that Jill could how it’s all you at the end of the day. bring it out in the album artwork. She It’s all in your head.” could make it look more devilish, with the spiky horns and stuff. She did a “It’s a basic, bare-bones version great job. It took her a long time, like of it that filters through my head, a month for eight hours a day, to do.” but I kind of want to apply that to our songwriting, too,” he continues. That’s a long time ... “Have a beginning that leads you into this world and has a climax at “I sat beside her the whole time, so I felt a certain point, has different shades, every cuss word and every frustrated evil entities, and calming entities dot. If I had to tell her something was or sounds. All that stuff, it’s in there. not right, oh, man. You don’t want to I didn’t even bring that up to the be a fly on the wall for that.” 💣💣💣 band, but those dramatic feelings have an impression on you.” Influences like those resulted in Kin becoming a uniquely personal piece of art that offered Savage some unexpected quality time with his wife. Savage came up with the idea, and his wife Jillian put paint to canvas. The album art utilizes pointillism—yes, the work came about dot by pain-staking dot—to convey many of the themes. Turn the cover
“...It’s all you at the end of the day. It’s all in your head.”
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FRANK CARTER
& T H E R AT T L ES N A K ES INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST DEAN RICHARDSON BY CALEB R. NEWTON
T
he exhilarating, anthemic punk of Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes gets right to the point on the project’s new album, Sticky, which is an October release from AWAL Recordings. Turning on the album feels like suddenly standing in a musical wind tunnel. It’s ferocious and pushes ahead at a resounding pace, like a sudden yet welcome shock wave throwing bystanders off-balance.
PHOTO Jenny Brough
Guitarist and band co-founder Dean Richardson ties the group’s energy on Sticky to their interest in performing live.
The angles of the music sometimes suggest an undercurrent of desperation, but Richardson and Carter find freeing abandon amid the haze.
“As for inspiration, honestly, I think it’s the sound of a band in prison,” Richardson says. “We were put here to play live, and it’s no surprise when you take that away from us our music got 30 BPM faster and so intense.” Richardson produced Sticky, and he says that he dialed into experiences of the band’s live energy when sculpting the album. “Live energy is really where Rattlesnakes is most at home,” he observes. “Finding that on [the] record has actually been quite a journey. Take a sweaty venue or even an arena full of 10,000 people and you have so much energy. Particles colliding and emotions flying. On stage, we soak that in, and the rest is so natural to us. Then take those same people, put them in a studio, and it’s just so quiet. I produced this record, so I really did want to capture some of that energy, as I think if we can, then it’ll come across even better on stage. I think we got the closest so far.” While the songs across Sticky pack a punch—seriously: they’re physically
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“For this record, a lot of it was made in the same room at the same time,” Richardson explains. “In the past, I would write riffs and music, then bring them to Frank, who would see where they fit in his lyrical world. But as we were off tour, we went away to cabins and studios, and I would sit and write while Frank wrote his lyrics. Either way, the goal is always to find a fit. If we can’t make the music and lyrics work, we won’t force it. It has to feel natural.”
intense—the record also feels just about instantly catchy. The album connects aggression to exhilarating energy, lending a sense of welcomingly unsettling catharsis to the band’s journey. It’s free-wheeling, but not un-grounded—on Sticky, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes share pointed melodies while pushing relentlessly ahead, and the band invite listeners along for the ride, however bumpy. The furor is intriguing, like the musical equivalent of a party suddenly popping up in an area of town observers might not otherwise expect to find such a thing. “We never really set an agenda up front,” Richardson says, discussing the band’s creative endeavors.
“We make a bunch of music, find the songs in the walls, and let the theme or style find us. It’s probably not the safest way to make music, as it can lead us down all sorts of rabbit holes, but it’s definitely the only way me and [frontman] Frank [Carter] can work. It allows us to be free of any worries throughout. Asking questions about what you’re making whilst you’re in the middle of it runs the risk of shutting you down. It’s much better to just chase the inspiration, and then stand on top of a pile of songs and look down and see what you made at that point.”
“Intentional is a funny word for Rattlesnakes,” Richardson explains. “I think if you are making anything that could be deemed emotional, it’s really dangerous to have any intention beyond expressing your emotions. It’s really important to us that we believe in what we’re playing and saying. So really, our records are just a snapshot of where we are at that point in time. They don’t really reference what came before, intentionally, and they don’t really point to the next record. I think it’s clear you can hear the links between it all, as it’s the same people making it, but our only goal is to put something down that feels real to us in that time.”
“Before the pandemic, I would have said making music was my favorite thing to do in life,” Richardson adds. “But I really miss shows. I think it is a really cathartic process for us, though. As to why we come back, who knows? But For Sticky, the band’s attachment I definitely don’t look forward to to the songwriting process turned the day I don’t want to come back into an especially personal effort. and make another.” 💣💣💣
PHOTOGRAPHY Alan Snodgrass
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PHOTO Derek Tobias
T
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST BUZZ OSBORNE BY MARIKA ZORZI
he Melvins are back with their most ambitious project yet: Five Legged Dog, a 36-song, newly recorded acoustic album featuring a career-spanning collection of
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songs—from 1987’s Gluey Porch “More is more,” vocalist and Treatments to 2017’s A Walk With guitar player Buzz Osborne Love & Death, the entire range of says. “It seemed like a good the legendary band’s catalogue idea. No one has ever done is represented. The album is out anything close to this, and I felt now via Ipecac Recordings. it was time for us to do it.”
band’s overflowing discography, including a cover of Redd Kross’ “Charlie,” “Outside Chance,” a Turtles cover from the Slithering Slaughter single, and new interpretations of The Rolling Stones’ “Sway,” Brainiac’s “Flypaper,” and Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talking.” “Some of the covers I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and some we’ve already played live, like Sway, Charlie, and Halo of Flies,” Osborne says. “I’ll think of an idea for a cover song, and a lot of times, it’ll take a lot of time before we can do it. It was nice to be able to do this—I think these came out really well.” “Music is timeless,” he continues. “A Jimi Hendrix song is just as relevant today as it was then. The same with The Who, Sex Pistols, or so many bands. The longevity of music goes beyond anything we can imagine.” 💣💣💣 The Melvins are one of modern music’s most influential bands. Having formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the group were founded by Osborne (with stalwart drummer Dale Crover joining the following year) and has been credited for merging the worlds of punk rock and heavy music into what became known as grunge. Over the band’s nearly 40-year history, they’ve released over 30 original albums, numerous live full-lengths, and far too many singles and rarities to count. In 2021, this acoustic retrospective finds The Melvins unstuck in time. “I’m not a person who likes to look backwards,” Osborne explains. “I don’t find songs of ours, or albums, to be precious, they’re just suggestions of how things were then. I would record all of them differently now, everything. I’m not a ‘good ol’ days’ kind of guy.”
good songs, give them a good representation acoustically, and make it work,” he continues. “I think that it is showcasing how much power these songs had, and perhaps some people didn’t notice it. We spent a lot of time focusing on the vocals, because we knew they’d stand out more.” The band recorded and mixed Five Legged Dog with Toshi Kasai at the Sound of Sirens Studios in Los Angeles. “Every day during the session, I would come into the studio with songs I had decided on the night before,” Osborne recalls. “They would be songs I figured we’d be able to tackle acoustically. Then I would show Dale and Steven the arrangement, and we’d get to recording. By the end of the day, generally, we had two or three songs done.”
Five Legged Dog also features “[With this album], we were try- acoustic versions of several ing to take what were already rarities from the influential
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PHOTO Kevin Spaghetti
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST DYLAN WALKER BY NICHOLAS SENIOR
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PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Spaghetti
lot of this soul searching is common for those of us in our late twenties or older, who came of age during the horrors and after-effects of 9/11, who tried to get jobs and homes after the economic/housing crash, and who see the bleak future staring down at us. It’s a recipe for introspection. Walker agrees: “The older I get, and the more society shifts, I’m just like, ‘Holy shit. I’m living, like, the most fucking privileged life I possibly could.’ Recognizing our privilege is a good thing. That’s an awakening.” That all comes to this notion that to grow, you have to keep pushing yourself, keep finding the uncomfortable and learning from it. So, how has the band’s growth changed how Walker views his role in it, or changed his creative outlook and output? “I want to say it hasn’t changed, but I would say any little detail that comes into your periphery affects your performance one way or another,” he says. “Everything influences. At the end of the day, nothing drastic changes. You’d be a fucking fool to play this kind of music and be concerned about what others are thinking of it because it appeals to such a small sliver of society at large.” To Walker’s point, all the work Full Of Hell put into their collaborative albums with The Body and Merzbow have clearly seeped into the band’s gloriously toxic stew of influences. That emphasis on letting their individual interests fit into Full Of Hell’s musical extremity is the engine that keeps the band running:
O
ver the years, East Coast collective Full Of Hell have mastered the art of extremity. Grind, death, hardcore, noise, jazz, ambient, dub, and industrial all coalesce into the band’s latest and greatest statement of intent: Garden of Burning Apparitions, out now via Relapse Records. Few bands find ways to take a lovely message and make it as beautifully ugly as this, but much of the record’s themes can be summed up fairly succinctly: have empathy for those around you and try to be less of an asshole.
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Vocalist Dylan Walker is not a really love my life,” he continues. “I traditionally religious man, but feel so blessed, but at the same his journey has taken him to sur- time, I’m having a crisis with my prising places: purpose and scaring the shit out of myself thinking too deeply on my “I didn’t grow up religious at all. I impermanence, and how I really was a pretty confirmed atheist all can’t even fathom how I could exist my life. I’m not anything now, as I beyond this little blip in time. It’s a get older. I think with the band, I great thing that I exist for this mialways felt like it was best if I was nuscule grain of sand in time. But going to write, to be honest. And I’m afraid of not existing. I’m afraid so, it’s always been my journey as of just disappearing. I don’t know.” a human being, trying to figure out what the fuck anything means.” We’re all seeking that warm, comforting hand on our shoulder that “I’m married. I got a place to live. I says, “it’s all going to be okay.” A
“Spencer’s been on a huge noise rock kick lately, and I can’t stop listening to Tony Molina. Some of the guys have been really into jazz lately, and all of us are obsessed with dub. I think the branching out is good for us. It keeps it fresh when we come back to Full of Hell stuff because we want Full of Hell to be extreme, always. Because that’s just the most fun to play.” Full Of Hell became Full Of Hell after their collaborative albums. They almost needed other people to push their extremity further. Walker agrees:
“[Working on those albums] was a total gift to our lives in general. I’m really proud, every day, of how I feel like we’re part of a really cool community of bands, and it fosters creativity. It fosters a good code of ethics, I guess, too? It’s not cool to make money choices instead of choices that are good for your art or good for your friends. The collectiveness is everything, I think.” The story of Full of Hell is this: If you’re in hell, create your own heaven, right? “I think thematically,” Walker concurs. “I think it’s definitely a lament of the lack of empathy in humanity, but definitely, on a personal level as a human being, I definitely believe in that connectivity. Yeah. It’s important.” 💣💣💣
FULL OF HELL AND FRIENDS COLLABS
Full of Hell/Health | Full of Health | 2020 Electronic controlled chaos of the highest order. Is this good for your health? No, but the only negative here is we only have one song. Full of Hell/The Body | Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light | 2017 The rare sequel that improves on the first. Their latest collaboration reveals an unexpected brightness and beauty amidst the distorted noise. It’s clear the bands’ comfort with each other resulted in pushing each other’s boundaries into this sublime effort. Full of Hell are at their peak because of The Body’s influence. Full of Hell/The Body | One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache | 2016 Did Full Of Hell need to make their sound harsher? No, but this first effort with sludge/noise legends The Body showcases the power of fearless songwriting. Full of Hell/Merzbow | Self-titled | 2014 A dream come true for Walker and company— an album that makes a whole lot more sense with hindsight. This dream sounds like a waking nightmare, as Merzbow’s deft hands make for a mountain of sound. A huge turning point for the band.
SPLITS
Full Of Hell/Intensive Care | 2018 A truly stunning display of grinding death metal, this short seven-inch features two bands who take different routes to similar ends. Nails/Full Of Hell | 2016 The most pure expression of Full Of Hell’s death metal influence—a massive treat. Full Of Hell/Psywarfare | 2014 Excellent split with Dwid from Integrity’s alter ego. Full of sonic venom. Full Of Hell/The Guilt Of... | 2012 Arguably the first taste of Full Of Hell’s experimental side. The seeds of greatness in future releases are in this seven-inch. Full of Hell/Calm the Fire | 2012 Nothing calm about this one – 79 seconds of grindcore bliss and vinegar. Full of Hell/Code Orange Kids | 2012 My first experience with the band—a fascinating look at two future titans of heavy music who, just a decade ago, started with similar influences and penchants for metallic hardcore destruction. Full of Hell/Goldust | 2011 Their first split shows its age, though the emphasis on death/doom is an unexpected joy.
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PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Swiechowska
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CAL GRAHAM, GUITARIST CHARLIE “CHUBBY” MANNING-WALKER, GUITARIST LUKE YOUNGER, DRUMMER NICK SARNELLA, AND BASSIST TOM ELLIS BY LISA ROOT
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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME UK22?
tions,” muses drummer Nick Sarnella. Their first EP, Deconstructive Surgery, “came out of nowhere,” says Graham. Guitarist Charlie “Chubby” Manning-Walker’s other band, Chubby and the Gang, had just finished their first LP and had a bit of time so after just two practices, Deconstructive Surgery was recorded, “simple as that with just myself, Charlie and Nick, with Jonah (Falco, drummer of Fucked Up).”
doing some music for a while,” says guitarist Luke Younger. “I always thought he’d be a good front man after seeing him do “Anarchy In The UK” at karaoke in the Boston Arms a few years ago. Christmas 2019 I was out on a work do and bumped into Cal and Charlie in a pub who told me about their idea for the band and asked if I wanted to get involved. I believe that’s the evening The Chisel got its name. For whatever reason I missed the boat on playing on Deconstructive Surgery but joined the band as second guitarist shortly after the record came out.”
The culmination of camaraderie from members of last decade’s NWOBHC, a global pandemic, the rise of right-wing politics on both sides of the ocean, and an ever-widening gap of the haves and have nots has made the temperature just right for a band like The Chisel to come out of lockdown swinging with “Chisel’s a funny one cos it all comes a vicious auditory beatdown of an together so smoothly,” says Charlie. album, Retaliation, due out this No- “I like not overthinking things. People these days over-egg the pudding. I It’s the intuitive rhythm section Charvember on La Vida Es Un Mus. think the benefit of this time was we lie and drummer Nick Sarnella have cemented the past 15 years in mul“Of course I’m polite, I’m British!” jokes had the time to just focus on writin.” tiple bands (“too many,” says Charvocalist Cal Graham. Despite songs that detail just what kind of torment Despite having a brand new Chubby lie) like Crown Court, Arms Race, you’ll encounter if you cross these & the Gang album out and plans for Abolition, and Violent Reaction that ‘lads’ the wrong way or on the wrong touring, the idea of doing another allowed for the band and first EP to day, the Chisel boys are all politely band with best mates was a natural come together so quickly. surprised at the response that the decision. “Charlie and I have been mates since first three EPs, all released during “Music is something we’ve all collec- I was 15 and he was 16,” explains Nick. lockdown, have garnered.
“We have been playing in bands our entire lives… and with The Chisel we were just starting another punk band, nothing was supposed to ever get any ‘real’ traction because it never really has in the past, in a commercial sense,” says Graham. “But then, with Not The Only One especially, people just seemed to click onto it.” “I thought our circle of mates and maybe some of the people we know from overseas through doing bands would probably fuck with it, but it has definitely exceeded expecta-
tively been doing for so long. I love “The Chisel came about just like all of it. And I don’t love many things. I see those projects did really, pretty much making music as a cathartic experi- as an excuse to hang out.” ence. Makes this life easier for me,” says Charlie. “If I stopped making “They’ve always played in bands tomusic, I’d go bat shit. It’s a perfect gether and have this dynamic where excuse to see my friends and get on Charlie will come into the room just the piss.” jam a riff, and then Nick will start just playing along, and a song is literally The formation, and the name, of the written in less time than the song acband was casually decided over tually lasts,” laughs Cal. “The longest pints at the pub. thing we have to work out is a bridge. That’s normally the only thing.” “Cal, I’d known from gigs, and we had been talking loosely about The other not-so-secret added
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ingredient to The Chisel sound is first time has given them a different Jonah Falco, whose influence and lease of life.” friendship has helped shaped the sound of The Chisel and Chubby & “It was pretty funny as our first show the Gang. was supposed to happen in March 2020 with Muro and that fell apart “He definitely has an influence on as I was having my first practice what we do, but he’s also one of with the band a couple of weeks our best friends. A lot of our songs beforehand,” laughs bassist, Tom wouldn’t be what they were without Ellis. “We ended up not playing his input, and I think the same goes a show for another 16 months. In for Chubby & the Gang,” explains the end I think it ended up being a Cal. “It helps that he’s a good friend positive, if frustrating, experience as well, because it’d be very hard to as going to practice every week was tell one of us not to do something the one thing that kept us together or to do something different if you and focused during the lockdowns. weren’t one of our friends.” I feel without all that happening we probably would have been The timing of the band’s formation, nowhere near as prolific as it might right before the world shut down to seem from the outside.” COVID, wasn’t a deterrent to their plans, but instead allowed them to The members of the band all manfurther develop their sound. aged to bring their own influences into this sound, a simple but potent “I think having a bit of detachment formula based in ‘70s and ‘80s from gigs and touring allowed us to punk, hardcore, and Oi! really focus on the record as a body of songs that function in the way a “We’re trying to use all our influences good album should,” says Luke. “A together, which I think in the long run lot of the tracks have multiple gui- is gonna work. But, in the short run, tar parts and layers of feedback you’ve got a lot of skinheads being to make it sound really dense and like, “oh it’s not proper Oi!” or you’ve textured. They were sort of built got hardcore kids being like, “oh, it is piece by piece in the studio, so trying just Oi!” laughs Cal. “What we’re tryto play some of them live for the ing to do is just do punk music. At the
“P EO PL E TA LK AB OU T PU NK LIK E IT ’S SO ME NA RR OW LA NE TH AT HA S NO CR EATI VE MO VE ME NT IN IT. BO LL OC KS . TH OS E PE OP LE DO N’ T KN OW W HAT PU NK IS .” 54 NEW NOISE
PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Swiechowska
THE SOUND OF THE CHISEL IS A SUM OF ITS PARTS. CHARLIE, LUKE, AND NICK EXPLAIN WHAT SOME OF THAT MAGIC IS. CHARLIE: Cal’s vocals give me goosebumps. He brings a perspective to the table not many people in music have. Luke has an understanding of sound way above my head. I really consider him a very special musician. He does stuff I don’t understand, but love. Ellis has such an understanding of music and what makes good music. Invaluable. Thunderous bass. Nick. Well, me and Nick been doing it so, so long together that we can read each other. Makes jamming so much more easy. He’s genuinely one of the best punk drummers I know. Man was built for it. LUKE: Cal is the conceptual vision. I love his lyrics and he’s as good onstage as I imagined him to be. Charlie is a great songwriter and great to work with in terms of wanting to push the songs in the studio to be as big as they can sound. Nick is the best drummer I’ve ever played with. Ellis provides the solid backbone every good band needs along with additional industry expertise. NICK:
Everyone pitches in. Massive shoutout to our end of the day, that’s all we really It’s that spontaneous, furious energy I mean everything you hear about sixth member, Luca. Luca is our permanent wanna focus on. We’re from the Oi! that was captured on these initial Oi! culture and that, it’s all very live fill in when Charlie can’t be there. Without scene, but we’re also from the hard- EPs and is fully realized with the new real. And it is just like having a fight him we wouldn’t be able to do quite as much core scene, and the UK82 stuff plays album, Retaliation. for the sake of having a fight someon a live level, so he deserves his props. a huge influence. But in general, we times. And sometimes that’s okay. just wanna play punk music. We’re “With Deconstructive Surgery the whole You know? As long as everyone’s on not shying away from being political, thought process behind it was to board. If someone deserves it, they I understand it’s not necessarily in make something aggressive as fuck deserve it. That’s it. But I don’t sup- album closes on a touching sentithe ‘essence’ of Oi! But we couldn’t both musically and lyrically. It’s all port people just beating people up mental note with “Will I Ever See You give a shit about that.” life experiences, but (Deconstructive for no reason. It’s more if you fuck Again,” written to eulogize a member Surgery) in particular, was based on with us, then we’ll see what happens.” of the extended family. Charlie puts it more succinctly: a very violent time in my life,” says Cal. “People talk about punk like it’s some Most of the band hail from various “I lost a dear friend over lockdown,” narrow lane that has no creative The forthcoming album’s title, Retal- parts of London, but the lyrics are explains Charlie. “Simone from the movement in it. Bollocks. Those peo- iation, is a direct initiation into the colored by Cal’s upbringing in the Royal Hounds. The night I heard it, I stayed up all night walking around ple don’t know what punk is. I want themes of the album. The frustrating seaside town of Blackpool. wrote it in 20 minutes. I was trying to this record to show what depth and lack of progress in the past 50 years diversity a band can do.” of punk’s existence is distilled into “Blackpool’s one of the most de- cope with loss.” these songs, tackling the struggle of prived area of the UK. Highest unThe depth, texture, and cohesiveness the working poor, police brutality, employment, one of the highest sui- Now that the world is taking its tentais truly impressive, especially for politicians, and even the local bully. cide rates in the UK. British seaside tive steps to opening up, the band is such a relatively new project. It also extolls the joys of a good resorts aren’t as desirable as they anxious to knock some things off the old-fashioned rumble. used to be. When it was expensive bucket list, like Blackpool’s Rebellion “It’s great how broad this band feels to go abroad for the British working Festival, and some shows in the US. to me as even though we’re obvi- “It’s very much something that was class, these towns developed. Then ously rooted in punk, collectively highly prevalent in my youth and in the ‘80s, when it became a lot “We are doing UK and Europe for two we have a lot of different influences not in a good way. But as I’ve got cheaper to fly, all these places kind weeks in January. Then we’re doing and listen to all sorts of music,” says older... I’m in my mid-30s now so at of died out, but the people who lived East Coast and West Coast in May. I Luke. “I love that we can simultane- a point where my priorities shift a and worked in these places were still think East Coast is gonna be a few ously be influenced by a Drill video little bit. But in terms of just it being, there. Seasonal work creates a lot of dates with Warthog and Quarantine. I think West Coast we are doing by on a visual level and something like ‘Oh yeah, well I wanna fight’ it’s in a shit within and it’s an endless cycle.” ourselves but will be playing a show the production on a Jesus and Mary more positive spin,” laughs Cal. “I’ll Chain record for the sound, even happily fight anyone, but I’m not a The bulk of the album is a nonstop or two with our mates, Section H8. though the tune itself we’re working bully so that person would have to furious blast of singalong anthems, So it should be quite good. That’s on might be a fairly straight UK 82 / have wronged me in some way or but the last two tracks show a more gonna be... It’ll be crazy,” laughs Cal. Oi! style number.” been a bit of a cunt to deserve it. emotional side of the band. The “I’m looking forward to it.” 💣💣💣
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e c a f o t e c a f
PHOTOGRAPHY Vince Sadonis
INTERVIEW WITH TREVOR KEITH BY JOSHUA MARANHAS
S
outhern California’s Face to Face is a working-class band. They make music, they make records, and they go on tour. Each release, a tiny time capsule, a way to hold on to the ever-changing, growing and evolving ethos of punk rock. No Way Out But Through is their latest effort, out now on FAT Wreck Chords. “Effort” is an important descriptor, not just a throwaway word. 30 years into a career that continues to inspire, Face to Face doesn’t overlook the small things, they write them down and record them into history. The nuance takes great effort, attention to life’s details and looks easy when accomplished by such a talented core. Before COVID locked down California Trevor Keith and Scott Shiflett grabbed a little Airbnb outside Los Angeles and went to work writing. Keith sets the opening scene:
ed to get into a different place where I could just be in solitude and work on nothing but writing. I was checking Airbnb and I found this... It’s funny, you can’t really call it a cabin. It was more like a kid’s fort. They call it ‘glamping’. It wasn’t expensive. I’m surprised that they even had running water and electricity, but it barely did. And so, I was able to pick that up pretty cheap. Luckily, it was in the hills above Malibu, so, not far from where Scott lives. I was going to go there and just write alone, but I called Scott and said, “Dude, I’m right down the street from you. Why don’t we write together?” I brought my computer and we demoed up a bunch of stuff, and basically took a bunch of ideas that he and I had been kicking around for a couple years and formed them into more cohesive song ideas. That was pretty much the basis for the album. And then from there, the band got together “I was just really looking for a way in Orange County, and we reto get out of my house. I lived in hearsed in a rehearsal studio for Las Vegas at the time, and I want- a couple of weeks, just playing.”
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There was talk of traveling to Canada to work with Siegfried Meier, Keith says, “He wanted us to go to Toronto to work in his place, but nobody really wanted to go spend a month in Toronto. We all wanted to be close to our homes. So, he found Cameron Webb’s spot in Orange County. And about two days into the recording, they were starting to shut down airports and talk about lockdowns for COVID. So, I mean, we knew COVID was this thing that was kind of looming, but we didn’t get far into the recording.” Keith retreated to his home studio and did some vocals and guitar while waiting to reunite as a band. He details the wait and resuming, it has some stops and starts. “We met up again once the restrictions lightened up with a buddy of ours, Davey Warsop, who plays in the band Sharp Shock. He has a place called Strong Studios, Long Beach. We headed down
there and did all the lead vocals for the album and some guitar overdubs and whatnot. And then, the rest of it was mixed by Sieg in Toronto. And so, everything was really done remote, so much other stuff was, during the COVID lockdown. We were doing Zoom calls with Sieg, and he found this really great software that allowed me to hear the audio in the same high-quality resolution that he was. So, we were using the Zoom video, but then we had a separate program running for the audio. Which is kind of a trip, but it worked really well.” Keith and Face to Face dug the mix and mastering of the record, but it made it to the Blasting Room for one more listen. Ultimately, Jason Livermore gave the album a remix and remaster. “He’s like, ‘I think that’s a great record.’ He really loved the songs, and he felt like he wanted to get more out of the mastering. And he’s like, ‘Just let me have a shot
of the next thing, because that’s the only way I think I’m going to get what I’m not hearing out of the mixes that I want to hear.’ Of course, we were a little bit conflicted because we love Jason. He’s incredibly skilled and has made tons of amazing records, Protection also being in that group. But we’d already done all this work. So we were like, ‘Yeah, dude, just try it,’ and his mixes were so good that at the end of the day, at the 11th hour, he went ahead and did a remix of the album and mastered it. That was the final product.” They’re on and off the road, pausing for a minute, but they’ll be out on tour shortly and into next year. They’ve been going for thirty years, Keith is still inspired to grab a guitar and go. He says, “I have found that as I get older, everything gets harder. It’s harder to go up and down the stairs. So sure, travel can take a little bit more of a physical toll than it used to. But not even to the extent that it would discourage me from wanting to do it. I mean, it’s a minor complaint. Yeah, sometimes I like taking naps now. That would be the biggest difference, because long air flights and running around and doing all that stuff, it can take a little bit more of a toll. It’s funny. I just did a solo acoustic tour with Russ from Good Riddance, and we jumped in a rental car and basically it was a tour of California. That’s like every show in California for two straight weeks. And, he and I are right around the same age, and we did just fine. We moved around in our rental car, and stayed in hotel rooms together and hung out, and played shows, and it was fucking awesome. At whatever level we’re doing it at, whether I jumped on a tour bus, or I’m getting on a plane going to Europe, or even just in a rental car and staying in hotels with my buddy and we’re playing acoustic shows or whatever, it’s great at every level and fun.”
a song from Trevor Keith, Scott “My catalog’s probably something Shiflett, Dennis Hill and Danny like almost 200 songs at this point. Thompson is worth a thousand There’s only so many chords and images. In closing, Keith reflects there’s only so many things to sing on their nuances, it’s not a sunset about, so you have to constantly — his final image is like an open find new ways to reinvent yourself. road. There’s a lot behind the But, I feel No Way Out But Through band and a lot in front of them. was a great snapshot in time of It’s a quick Polaroid, maybe a me, personally, and of all of us little blurred by motion or speed as individuals in this band. We’re at which they move, with a sharp not a political band, but I like to focus in the foreground, in the write more about aspects of sopresent, what’s right in front of ciety, and personal growth, and them, with a light on the horizon. change, and looking inward to
be a better person outward. That’s been a common theme in my writing since the beginning. So, this new record is consistent with that, but it also shows perspective and wisdom of someone who’s a little older. So, my internal struggles now are slightly different than they were when I was 20. And I think this record reflects that lyrically, and then musically, I think. It’s a great sonic and musical representation of us as the people who we are at this moment.” 💣💣💣
Punk rock is so simple, but it’s so complex. Face to Face has a way of spotlighting the small things that hold people together, they’re little details and they’re held like photos — each word in
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YOUR CLOCKS BACK AND ENJOY AN EXTRA HOUR OF DARKNESS WITH THESE HEAVY DELIGHTS DAYLIGHT SAVINGS DOOM : SET
PHOTO James Rexroad
“Silence/Motion is definitely an extremely personal record,” Allison “Sunny” Faris of Blackwater Holylight says. “I was going through a lot during the time we were writing, on top of the pandemic and world shutting down. There were things happening in my life that truly put me in a lower spot than I’ve experienced, so the record mostly reflects that sorrow. I really needed to write to be able to cope and process my pain, and I’m so thankful I was able to do that, although it felt gut wrenchingly challenging to face and feel a lot of the time.” There’s a theme of processing vast personal trauma throughout Blackwater Holylight’s new album, Silence/Motion. Both lyrically and musically, it embodies the crushing emptiness, sorrow, strength, and rebuilding of recovering from personal devastation. “It is an ode to the juxtaposition of feeling paralyzingly blank, and like your entire life is moving through you simultaneously,” Faris continues. “The song ‘Silence/Motion’ is about a rape that I experienced as a teenager, so clearly this song and title are very important and personal to me. I think that there are so many different ways to undergo this awareness of feeling nothing and everything at the same time. I wanted to write something that was personal to my life but that people could find their own meaning in. I hope people are able to listen to this song and album
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Blackwater Holylight, as their name suggests, are all about contrasts. It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying, and beautiful all at once. Silence/Motion finds the band honing those contrasts, letting ideas, moods, and feelings fully develop from song to song.
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/BASSIST/GUITARIST ALLISON “SUNNY” FARIS BY MARIKA ZORZI and are able to find some healing for themselves somewhere in it.”
sure everyone had the space to express and try all of the ideas we were having, and I think you can hear the nurturing nature of this process on the album.”
“There are so many things happening all at once, with so many reasons to fight for and against each other,” Faris says. “I think the most important thing we can do is to reflect what our highest values are, and make decisions based off of those values. I value taking time and being gentle. I try my best to practice this with myself, relationships, and [the] world. When I’m feeling overwhelmed and like it’s all too much, I try to circle back to this philosophy, slow it all down and practice compassion.”
Considering the dark times in which it was created, Silence/Motion is the band’s most melodic album so far. “Despite being outrageously depressed, They recorded it as a four piece: Faris we still managed to laugh a lot and feel on vocals and guitar (on “Silence/Mo- free,” Faris admits. “Being with one antion,” “MDIII,” “Around You,” and “Every other was providing a sense of safety Corner”) and bass for the remainder, and belonging which was so crucial, Sarah McKenna on synths, Mikayla especially given the times. We all had “Writing this album was frankly life Mayhew on guitar (and bass when ideas out on the table and wanted to saving for me, and us as a band,” Faris Faris plays guitar), and Eliese Dorsay support all of them. It was really great concludes. “There were a lot of moon drums. The band’s second guitarist, to feel so collaborative in writing, and ments last year I really wanted to throw Erika Osterhout, was added after the it was an extra fun challenge to put all in the towel on my life and this project, recording, and will perform the songs the pieces together for the final prod- but having this outlet was a huge rewith them live. uct. Sarah was a total trooper and was minder of the importance of using art pregnant with her daughter the entire to reflect what you value and allow it to “As a band, we’ve always practiced being time we were writing, and was in the guide through the layers upon layers of vulnerable with each other, and we studio at nine months. We were all anx- unrest that the world is witnessing day wanted to celebrate that theme to the iously awaiting Daisy’s arrival, wonder- in and day out. A reminder that we’re fullest while writing Silence/Motion,” Faris ing if she would make her debut while all so individually important to this says. “We were all extraordinarily gentle recording, but in perfect timing, she planet, and that we have to show up with one another and wanted to make showed up a week after we finished.” now more than ever.” 💣💣💣
Insect Ark
PHOTO Michal Borke
INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MASTERMIND DANA SCHECHTER BY CHRIS HARRINGTON
cific effect in mind,” Schechter explains. “The insects are the sounds; they live inside me, and I am the vessel, their host.” “Whatever way it moves me is also the intention, in its purest form.” Over the years, Dana Schechter’s band, A sense of movement is the best way to Insect Ark, has nestled into forms of varying propulsion, sometimes direct, describe the experience of the new EP. Part of it is interaction with something sometimes hidden. With Future Fossils new. Part of it is continuous intuition, EP, released September 24 through Consouling Sounds, gravity is the illusion. something that has served Schechter well through her varying Insect Ark incarSound is more of a physical object than a nations. It was the Buchla 200 Synth that peripheral aura. It’s a time capsule, and was her partner on the latest. Which she one that has no beginning, and no end. utilized as part of a guest composer residency at the Elektronmusikstudion EMS in “The sounds themselves largely defined Stockholm in 2018. the direction,” Schechter says. “The process was new to me and definitely informed the final result. I intentionally did “This record was very different than not develop the music into ‘songs,’ want- others I’ve made,” she relays. “The processes were entirely new to me. For ing to re-explore composition in a much the EMS tracks (Side A) the synth sounds more abstract way. It took a conscious effort to resist adding more layers, chords, were collected as raw audio files, and then compiled as basic sketches. Until and melody.” very recently, they sat untouched. Once they were alive again I warped and reThe resulting construction pulses as if pitched, then further edited the pieces heading towards some direction, but into their final shape, with the addition there is no pure cosmos there, simply an of some extra tracks as finishing touchunknown. You can hear Zen. “I’m not after building tracks with a spe- es. The sonic quality of the Buchla 200
KAYO DOT
tracks has a specific character. I collected throbs, scratches, howls, beeps, and warbles.”
different, the two sections overlap and blend, creating a rich garden out of the grey horizon.
As compositions, there is the darkness that is familiar, but there is newfound stillness too (check out “Anopsian Volta”). The willingness to explore is what has always made Insect Ark a dynamic project, a working document. There is never anything static. Side A contains three abstract pieces recorded solely by Schechter at EMS, and Side B is one long, live noise set with collaborator Ashley Spungin. While
“The unifying factor is their departure from a sense of normalcy,” Schechter explains. “I think some listeners have been surprised, based on certain associations of the ‘normal’ duo band format. I’ve always been interested in abstraction, noise, texture, and this detour felt healthy. I feel the four tracks are related, even though on a piece-by-piece basis, they don’t resemblance each other.”💣
INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST TOBY DRIVER BY CHRIS HARRINGTON
K
ayo Dot’s latest offering, the self-cleansing Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike, owes a certain gratitude to the past, but it’s a recording whose freewill-laden scorches seems bent on defying those narrow avenues. It’s very high in the clouds in regards to style. It sounds like an opportunity.
albums again, but really not being able to, because here I was now listening to them with mature ears and seeing all their flaws a little too apparently. But I know that the aesthetic has so much potential, and when it’s done well, it hits so hard.” And Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike does so definitely, an album with sections of grandeur, intricacy, and straight classics. Even more so that the typical Kayo Dot fare, which obviously is never typical, Moss goes further, it feels truer in an honest way. There are reasons for that.
“The pandemic forced a hard left turn,” band founder Toby Driver explains. “I was suddenly isolated and living in Connecticut away from all my colleagues. The album took the direction that it PHOTO Toby Driver did because during this isolation I had time to listen to a lot of albums, and I sphere. He speaks to absolution. And spent some time revisiting European “I didn’t expect any sort of live concert “At risk of sounding very old, the situation happening for this music, so goth metal records that I loved in high musical influences primarily consist- he’s direct about it. I really just went hog wild with self-in- ed of ’90s European gothic metal, like school, being that I was in Connecticut dulgence,” Driver laughs. “We’ve had again, where I grew up.” Tiamat, My Dying Bride, King Diamond, “This one is just gothic metal, and a a great response for the singles so and some American gothgaze, name- little bit prog,” he says. “In contrast far, and to be honest, I’ve noticed to Kayo Dot’s entire body of work, The record’s echoing plasticity (check ly Lycia; and also other European over my career that I always get the out “Get Out of the Tower” and “Void in non-metal depressive bands like Pia- which always has had some kind of forbest responses when I make something ward-thinking musical statement to Virgo”) hits the regions where memory is no Magic, Tim Hecker, and Prurient in that is fully self-indulgent with zero make, this one does not. It’s really just reshaped towards positivity (even if it’s some of the production too.” compromise.” me being back in Connecticut and rethrough negativity). In other words, it’s membering what I liked in high school. nostalgic, though not for the reasons of The truth is, it’s a walk down memory When “Spectrum of One Colour” lane. And Driver succeeds as making And therefore, working on this record pure nostalgia. As Driver explains, it’s reaches its zenith, that’s where you a reaction to something not quite pure this a real impression even for a com- with my high school friends from my can hear those notions Driver speaks high school band!” anymore, but rather, over-pure, in the plete stranger to the experience. But of. There is heritage to the music, as grandest sense. then again, people who write about this there is freedom. It feels huge, almost music, people who listen to this music, Yeah, the ’80s, the ’90s, they were better. “I was having a weird experi- completely familiar, the seeds of Driv- there is something universal there. Listen to this record and drift back in ers’ initial inspiration. time.💣 ence of wanting to connect with those Driver nails it beyond his own personal
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KHEMMIS INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST BEN HUTCHERSON BY NICHOLAS SENIOR
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with this period of complete suicidal ideation. I lost all interest in being alive and was really consumed with the idea of dying. Between my amazing wife and fantastic [professional help], I got help when I needed it. I got the right medication and the right therapy. What had changed for me was, I think that the point, sort of late spring, early summer of 2020, a lot of people were really finding themselves needing to find things to hold onto, to latch onto. So, a lot of people were starting to dip down. I was coming out of the absolute ass bottom of my emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being.”
hemmis have mastered their multi-layered “doomed heavy metal” on their latest batch of auditory excellence. The Colorado-based act’s record, Deceiver, out November 19 via Nuclear Blast, is a reflection on what it means to be doomed by our ancestors and history, revealing a new level of metallic heaviness the group only hinted at in the past. While every new record is hailed as a modern doom classic, Deceiver takes things to a whole new level, with a greater emphasis on disparate influences (John Prine, death metal, Metallica), while also leaving behind their previous emphasis on fantasy-tinged metaphors.
PHOTO Jason Sinn
as well as a lingering depression about my chronic pain issues. Is it selfish to take care of yourself to better care for others and the world around you?
“The word ‘selfish,” Hutcherson says. “This is “Rather than trying to find that comfort a word that I have been unpacking for my food, if you will,” he continues, “I felt more therapist for a long time. Because whenevmotivated to create across the board more er we say someone is being selfish, we use than I ever have. I had this newfound joy. it in a strictly pejorative sense. But the idea And this newfound dedication to joy. To of caring for oneself is essential to being creating it, finding it, and sharing it. At that something other than a martyr. You talked point, we didn’t know when anyone would about people burning out in your field. I ever be able to see anyone else ever again. was a professor for 10 years, and I burned [I was driven by this idea:] ‘What can I put out. I had this martyr complex. I was like, into this rotten, miserable world that’s going ‘I’m going to save the world through teachto make things hurt a little bit less?’ Because ing. I’m going to change these kids’ lives.’ literally, everyone is suffering.” “Starting about halfway through 2019, I And that’s a big part of why I wound up in started spiraling into the worst depressive such a dark place, is because that’s not episode of my life. I knew that I had expe- Yeah. The record really resonated with sustainable. That’s no way to live your life in me and my current sense of imposter syn- a meaningful way, if you are only living to rienced depression before, but this episode drome (hello professionals in our thirties) lasted seven or eight months. It culminated literally sacrifice yourself for others.” From the start, Deceiver pushes the weight of human experience to the forefront, resulting in an album that’s as lyrically and musically powerful as any heavy record released since Yob’s heyday. All of this came about during a very harrowing time for guitarist and vocalist Ben Hutcherson, who found a new sense of purpose leading up to this record:
Lucifer T
he rock ‘n’ roll heathens in Lucifer have a killer new album out on October 29. Led by German songstress Johanna Platow Andersson, and featuring her husband, Swedish rock and death metal icon Nicke Andersson [Entombed, The Hellacopters, Death Breath], Lucifer IV will be released on Century Media Records.
The band have successfully transitioned from the hypnotic doom of their 2015 debut, into a nigh-perfect amalgamation of hard rock meets retro pop rock, perfectly exemplified on the new record. Although the pandemic provided time for the couple to write new music, the grim reality of the outside world didn’t directly influence their songs, since thankfully, they live a relatively secluded life when not on tour. “The horror for me is every day when I open my laptop,” Platow shares. “Of course, there’s a darker and gloomier mindset regarding the pandemic, and the climate crisis, and all that, but I don’t think that really fed into the album. That kind of darkness, both Nicke and I have always sort of incorporated that into our music. Obviously we have a thing for creepy things, you know? The previous album [2020’s Lucifer III] was just as dark or as light as the new one. Of course, when you have a cover like the new album [featuring a crucified Platow, under blood red lighting] you get, like, a darker association. The visuals always feed into perception somehow.”
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“It’s romanticized,” he adds. “At every level in our society: in religion, popular film, literature, and discursively, but it’s not sustainable. The best way to share love and joy is to feel love and joy. It’s those epiphanies of realizing you don’t have to find more suffering, because suffering is everywhere. You suffer from the moment you’re born until the moment you die. I wholeheartedly believe that that is the nature of existence. That is unchangeable. So, what do we do with that? We spend our entire lives trying to control the future. Trying to place bets and hedge our bets about the future. In doing so, we miss out on the only thing we can control, which is right now. I try to keep that centered every day, that idea that this moment is literally all we have. The lyrics for this album try to emphasize that everyone’s past is filled with horror and pain, but right now is all you have. Right now, your obligation is to yourself and to your fellow man.” 💣
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JOHANNA PLATOW ANDERSSON AND GUITARIST/DRUMMER NICKE ANDERSSON BY JAMES ALVAREZ From the ominous first notes of album opener, “Archangel of Death,” to the toe-tapping ode to decapitation, “Bring Me His Head,” Lucifer IV is a masterclass in songwriting, and features some absolutely swingin’ performances.
“When we write and make a demo, it’s pretty much finished,” Andersson says of his and Johanna’s effective, dynamic duo writing process. “Usually for me, when I write songs for my 40 other bands, it’s not riff-based, I just sit with a guitar, and everything comes at the same time. If I play anything on guitar, I hear the drums immediately. I guess one of the perks of playing more than one instrument is that maybe you can see the whole picture easier and quicker. With Lucifer, I have to push the vocals and phrasings aside, because that’s Johanna’s job.”
PHOTO Alan Snodgrass
song where the riff was sung, so I sat down with a crappy keyboard and made a demo, and handed it to Nicke so he could transform this keyboard melody into a guitar.”
Platow’s illustrious voice and knack for mel- “In this case, it is more about the riffing, I odies led the singer to dip her toes into the guess, than it is with stuff I write for other riff department on the song “Mausoleum,” bands,” Andersson says. “In the beginning it was a little bit difficult to just push [vocal resulting in one of the catchiest tunes amidst melodies] aside. Of course, I write ‘this is the an album full of ridiculously catchy tunes. verse,’ ‘this is the pre-chorus,’ but sometimes when Johanna gets it, I still send her stuff “‘Mausoleum’ is the only song on the album I wrote on my own,” she reveals. “I had this even though we live in the same house. thing on my songwriting to do list, where LuFor example, on the Lucifer II album, the cifer didn’t really have a song where you do first song we wrote was ‘Dreamer.’ I had a this simple trick, you sing the riff, kind of like [Black Sabbath’s] ‘Iron Man.’ A lot of bands completely different idea of where the verse would be, and then when she finished the song, use that, and it can be super stupid, or it can I was like, ‘Oh, one could do that,’ and that’s be so simple it’s really good. So, I wanted a
really cool. Because that’s not how I would do it, but that doesn’t mean it not good or better.” “The production is a little bit different this time also,” Platow says of Lucifer IV’s brooding yet groovy sound. “This time it was not only recorded at Nicke’s studio but also at our guitarist Linus’ [Björklund] studio as well.” “And he has a better live room for drums,” Andersson adds. “So, they’re a little bigger sounding, which is fun. Maybe that’s where the darkness is too?” With infectious, soon to be classics like “Wild Hearses” and “Crucifix (I Burn For You),” Lucifer IV is easily the most pristine collection of morbid, graveyard rock jams you’ll hear … until the next Lucifer album that is. 💣
MONOLORD INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER ESBEN WILLIAMS BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER
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ometimes when a band reaches a certain, prolific level, the pressure to be the loudest, the heaviest, the riffiest, and the most of the most becomes almost unbearable. Luckily, for Monolord, one of the world’s biggest daoom bands, they know who they are and what they’re trying to do with their music, and they made a record without worrying about genre distinctions or the pressure of previous works. The result is glorious.
descriptor, hard-rocking record, but not necessarily what you’d expect from Monolord. It’s a bit darker and heavier than their past work in places, but it’s also fun and catchy, more rock ‘n’ roll and less complete doom and riff destruction, like some of their past efforts. Even the album cover image, a seemingly dead rabbit surrounded by flowers, is both surreal and dark but also, somehow, fun.
“It’s always been an ongoing process with our music, from day one,” says drummer Esben Williams. “We haven’t really separated one album from the next, so when it was time to work on this one, we just did what we usually do. There’s a Tetris-building period of time where we basically jut work with a bunch of ideas until they distill into an album. We’ve worked with the material and kept our ears open, but we aren’t trying to go for a predefined sound.”
“The cover artwork is interesting; I actually didn’t like it at first,” Williams admits. “I liked the photo, but I didn’t think it fit the music, but then it lingered. After a time, I thought it really fit, and now I think it’s the best one yet. I like the contrast of the colors and the cute bunny, but the bunny is dead. And I like the contrast of the atypical vibe of the artwork in contrast to the music you play. You can’t immediately see what genre or what sound this is, and for me, I think that elevated things, and defined the vibe of the record.”
And the result of that process, Your Time To Shine, out now via Relapse Records, is a fun, heavy, and, for lack of a less cheesy
Truly, that aforementioned vibe is really what carries the record. Nothing about it is typical of a heavy doom band, but
at the same time, they aren’t breaking new ground or exploring new waters in a way that won’t resonate with folks. It still feels like good, fun, heavy rock with a lot of interesting elements going on. Usually, when a band says they made a record free of genre constraints, it either means they went head-on experimental, or the album is uninspired. In this case, neither are true. It really is just an album not confined by its genre.
MORTIFERUM INTERVIEW BY SEAN MCLENNAN
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ust five years into making music together, Olympia, Washington’s Mortiferum have made big waves in the extreme metal underground with their colossal, doom-drenched brand of death metal. On their 2019 Profound Lore debut, Disgorged From Psychotic Depths, Mortiferum demonstrated a deluge of dismal riffage played atop a thundering pulse, all contributing to an enveloping atmosphere of dread and decay.
With touring out of the picture, the members of Mortiferum searched for further inspiration, practicing their respective instruments, reading, listening to music, and watching movies. Once the band felt comfortable enough meeting together to rehearse, “it was immediately time for writing and arranging.”
When it comes to how this new record will be received, Williams just wants listeners to go into the experience with no expectations. “I hope people will just listen to it with an open mind and not think of the genre or label. I hope they listen to it and just think, ‘I’m putting on the new Monolord record.’ It doesn’t matter what genre or label it is filed under in the record store. It’s a new album by us, and I hope they like it.” 💣 PHOTO Josefine Larsson
human extinction, contagion, and divine punishment,” they say. With so much negativity surrounding the pandemic, the members of Mortiferum refused to let the situation affect their creativity and productivity. The proof is evident in the band’s latest Profound Lore full-length.
more intricate in certain ways. But that said, there’s a few parts that are overtly simplistic and dirge-y. We wanted to do a shitload of guitar layering, solos, pinches, and we wanted the drums to be even “Preserved in Torment feels like a step forward musically, lly, and creatively,” they more pummeling than the last album.” say. “Tonally, the production triumphs over anything we’ve done in the past. ComposiTo Mortiferum, the title of the new album tionally, the songwriting and musicianship mirrors the perpetual state of agony the As inspiration fed into creation, “the dread is more elaborate, more diverse, and overworld seems to be continuously frozen in. and fear of what felt like mankind’s sociall, just a bit better. But most of all, it’s a etal collapse with not only the pandemic, “With every passing day, humanity feels testament to our ambitions as a band, and but all the events of that year, definitely more and more on the verge of collapse. never giving up on ourselves, despite the fueled strong writing sessions.” The songs are about death, apocalypse, world turning to complete shit.” 💣
Fast forward two years and one crippling pandemic later, Mortiferum are ready “We forced ourselves to be creative,” they to unleash their devastating follow-up, say. Preserved In Torment, without having had the opportunity to tour on their first record. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, the band feel lucky to have created some“When the pandemic first began, we were thing as concrete as Preserved In Torment. in the middle of a U.S. tour, and it abruptly ended in Mexico City. There was so much Mortiferum’s hyper-focus on writing fear and uncertainty,” say the band certainly paid off, as Preserved In Torment members, collectively. “Obviously we were represents six of the band’s most abyssal, terrified for humanity, but we couldn’t stop intricate, and cohesive songs to date. The thinking about what it meant for the band.” album is packed full of memorable riffs, impressive guitar layering, detailed per“The touring we had planned for 2020 was cussion, hard-hitting tempo changes, and all in support of the first album, and it felt one meaty bass tone. truly discouraging to have all of it cancelled when the album felt so new to us,” “In this band, we want every single riff they continue. “When it became clear that to be memorable,” the band say. “The touring wasn’t going to happen anytime dreadfulness and decrepitude of soon, we knew the next best thing to do was doomed death metal is essential, but write another album.” we also wanted this album to be a bit
PHOTO Shang Whaley
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PHOTO Shervin Lainez
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS INTERVIEW WITH JOHN FLANSBURGH BY JOSHUA MARANHAS
W
ake up early, or any time, on a Saturday or any day; put on a pot of coffee, and pour a cup, or drink the pot. Then grab BOOK. It’s a two-part thing—audio and visuals. The bundle comes in a CD/book set, or on 180-gram vinyl for full audiophile experience. Hell, it’s on eight-track and tape too! There’s choices, but the goal is this: crank the tracks; then crack the pages for an immersive experience from They Might Be Giants.
The visual art that the band were creating inspired generations to reject ignorance. Never an antithesis to pop music of the music video era, They Might Be Giants were running “perpendicular.” They’ve been early adopters of a lot of technology, including music streaming around the turn of the century. In 2021, they’re still trying to do their own thing and inspiring masses.
“In a way, it’s like having more artwork accompanying an album,” says John Flansburgh, one of the two gigantic Johns who created They Might Be Giants in 1982, along with John Linnell. “It’s a little bit of a cultural Trojan horse. I feel like the artwork is beautiful and cool unto itself, but it elevates the whole experience, and it just means people are going to be more involved in listening, and that’s “I think the idea is to just kind of cela very exciting possibility for us.” ebrate the album and give people a different kind of musical experience,” They Might Be Giants added a visual Flansburgh says. “We’re of a generalanguage to their music at a time tion that really enjoyed a lot of music when the late ’80s were pushing with album covers sitting in our laps as the door open to the ’90s. Their we listened to the music. And there’s video-making was some of the most something about the way sound interesting work on MTV, back when washes over you when you are not also MTV still had music on their channel. doing something else. This is for active
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listening. And I guess the great thing about BOOK is that it really promotes by having a whole accompanying book. It really invites a deeper dive into the sounds of the album.”
Flansburgh says. “You don’t want to just repeat yourself. And it’s hard, and it gets harder to write simply. There’s a little bit of almost contrary motion as you evolve as a songwriter.”
This from the duo who brought Dial- Once BOOK was recorded, the band A-Song to the world via an ad in the set out to make the recording a Village Voice. An answering machine complete thought by making a physwas stationed in Flansburgh’s home ical book to accompany the music. studio. Callers, one at a time, could Flansburgh explains how the project phone up the band and hear whatev- evolved to its completion. er inspiring bit of music they might be working on at the time. The creativity “The photographs were all selected for this record, born in the wig district to compliment the vibes of the songs. of Manhattan, Flansburgh says, hap- And so, it was a music first project, pens at any time. Morning, noon and in that sense. It just seemed like the natural way to do it. And we were night, he’s working on music. working with Brian Karlsson’s pho“Sometimes the night turns into the tography. Basically, he gave us acmorning,” he says. “Sometimes the cess to a couple of years of his work. He’s a street photographer, and he’s morning turns into the night.” very, very active. So, there was a huge A lot has changed since They Might range of photographs that we could Be Giants brought Flood to the world cull the illustrations in the book from.” in the 1990s. Some things never change—the care for the craft that “Hopefully it’ll just get people just digmakes their work so profound and ging into the songs that much more,” Flansburgh concludes. “It’s kind of a somehow so simple. psychedelic experience. I mean, in “Songwriting is the kind of craft where some ways having lived through the you’re both simultaneously trying album era, I feel like there’s just a great to hold on to the power of working reward to having related visual stimuli simply, but as you write more songs, in your hands. And I think that’s what you want to kind of add a level of this will provide. It’s not going to be a sophistication to what you’re doing,” monolithic experience.” 💣💣💣
PHOTO Kane Hibberd
plots, each provide a window into the sprawling multiverse that the band has created. All the strange and irregular scenarios depicted happen in a place called the Illuma Sphere, a realm of pure imagination that breaks through to our world at juncture points, resulting in the band being led on fantastic misadventures. Whether it be the guys in the band meeting their doppelgangers in a practice space, summoning a cyborg warrior to stop a meteorite from crashing into Earth, or being trapped in a children’s television program, the structure and substance of the band’s videos are not only diverting, and narratively significant, but are intended to be commentary on the nature of the music industry itself.
12 FOOT NINJA INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST STEVIC MACKAY BY M. REED
T
he Australian heavy fusion band Twelve Foot Ninja are maybe best known for their outlandish music videos, but if band leader and guitarist Stevic MacKay had his way, they’d be known for something else: their depth.
“I don’t want to prescribe necessarily what people get out of it, and I’m happy for them to just enjoy the music,” MacKay says. “It doesn’t have to be deep and meaningful. But for those who do want meaning, I want it to be almost bottomless, and they can keep going down forever. We’ll meet them every step of the way.”
“We’re reacting to the whole rock star thing, which I think the biggest load of baloney,” MacKay states. Elaborating further, he says, “I just can’t stand music videos. I think that it’s just so pretentious to try and present yourself as this demigod when your guitar’s not even plugged in, you know? It’s a total farce.” While MacKay isn’t a fan of the rock star mindset, he’s not spare with his praise for those he does admire. He sees overlap between his work with the band and that of Dan Harmon’s deeply post-modern commentary on art and society embedded in Community and Rick and Morty, but also sees parallels, somewhat surprisingly, with his work and the original run of the British sitcom, The Office. As MacKay explains, he is always attempting to cultivate a sense of misdirection and a layering of conflicting moods. He cites specifically the way that David Brent’s story is concluded as an inspiration for him. This is because Brent’s neurosis and narcissism are driven by a desire for human connection and love, and his ultimate downfall is as satisfying to witness as it is painful to endure, as it is impossible not to see yourself in this lowly individual.
The process of fleshing out the concept behind Twelve Foot Ninja has taken over a decade, and—as of the release of their third LP, Vengeance—includes a video game, graphic novels, and even an epic fantasy novel, all detailing the contours of universe in which an “Ricky Gervais, and people with enormous martial arts master by his talent, are people I look up the name of Kiyoshi travels between to. Their talent is kind of like that worlds and does battle with an ul- thing in boxing where you’re wavtimate evil. ing your left hand to get the other guy to look, and then you throw Everything that Twelve Foot Ninja a right hook that they didn’t see do fits into this grander narrative, coming. I love that kind of stuff. as MacKay explains, even the That’s really been what I try to do band’s music videos. With their with Twelve Foot Ninja,” MacKay absurdist logic and inscrutable concludes. 💣💣💣
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PHOTO Patrick Houdek
INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER LUKE MCNEILL BY ANNETTE SCHAEFER
A
lot can happen in seven whole new light. Being able “[Toby] thought our albums were punk sound and give it a bit of a years. Growing families, to enjoy time as friends that good and let Fat listen to them be- twist, adding in the “bells and new places to call home, had been separated brought a fore, and they’ve passed on a few,” whistles” and giving themselves and even a global pandemic. livelier element to the record- McNeill explains. “I guess [Fat] the freedom to break away from a Despite all the expected and ing process. Mike or somebody at Fat heard it more formulaic sound. even unexpected life changes, and really liked it, and Toby let us “I feel like it gets further and furThe Copyrights pulled together “It wasn’t just another slog record- know that they were interested.” ther from the pop punk blueprint to create their first album since ing it, you know, it’s not like going 2014, Alone in a Dome. While the through the motions,” McNeill ex- The Copyrights had previously each album that we do,” McNeill band were seemingly on an ex- presses. “I kind of forgot how tight released a 2014 EP, No Knocks, with describes. “As I get older, and as tended break, this latest release of a unit we were, and recording Fat Wreck Chords, but earlier this I get more bored, or jaded, or has been in the making for near- [the album] was fun. Maybe if we year, they announced they would whatever you want to call it, with ly half of that time. did it a year after our last album be releasing their upcoming al- just the regular standard structure of a song. I’d definitely say it might not have been as fun, and bum with the label in October. “This album we recorded almost spontaneous, and energetic as it this one got a little bit weirder three years ago at this point, turned out.” “If COVID hadn’t have happened, than that.” so it wasn’t as long of a break,” we probably wouldn’t have been drummer Luke McNeill explains. Being in a position to take their able to put it out on Fat,” McNeill After years of working on the “It’s kind of been in the can for a time on the record proved ben- says. “We probably would’ve hur- album and the worldwide halt couple of years. Just COVID hap- eficial to the band in other ways. ried it up and put it out on Red of COVID, McNeill says the band pened, and we didn’t know what to The Copyrights have released a Scare just to get it out and be able are ready to let this album out do with it.” large part of their discography to tour on it. That was kind of a into the world at last. through Red Scare Records with nice benefit. I guess we’d waited With time apart and distance be- Toby Jeg, formerly of Fat Wreck long enough and were actually “It’ll be more final when it finally tween them, and all of it ampli- Chords. According to McNeill, stubborn enough that we got a gets out. I guess it’s kind of like a kid being born,” McNeill says. fied by lockdowns and COVID releasing a full-length record full-length on Fat.” “We’re just proud to get it out and concerns, the members were with Fat Wreck Chords had been able to see their time together something of a long-held dream With Alone in a Dome, the band hopefully everybody’s going to while creating the album in a for the band. aimed to take their signature pop dig it.” 💣💣💣
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INTERVIEW BY DOUGLAS MENAGH
PHOTO Mason Rose
G
uitarist and singer-songwriter Emma Ruth Rundle has composed a wide range of diverse music, with rich guitar textures and a powerful voice. Some Heavy Ocean is a rock record with elements of folk. On Dark Horses features hard rock with calming atmospheric sounds. Rundle also collaborated with Thou on May Our Chambers Be Full. On her newest album, Engine of Hell, out through Sargent House, Rundle focuses on piano and vocals, creating a powerful immediacy with a stripped-down sound.
“It was a matter of choosing the takes that had the most emotional and correct, in that sense, delivery,” she says. “That’s why I kind of qualified it as a punk element, because it’s, I think, throwing away a lot of the perfections I’ve strived for in the past.” “It was stressful,” Rundle confesses. “I wondered halfway through if it was overly ambitious to do what I was doing, especially not having practiced any of the songs on a tour where you have years of songs that you get to know. This was really the first time anyone was hearing it was when I was playing it for [engineer/co-producer] Sonny [DiPerri] live in studio as we were tracking.”
Rundle credits working extensively with guitar and on collaborative endeavors with inspiring her to go in a creative different direction on Engine of Hell.
The recording process itself was solitary.
“Things sort of lined up for me to make Engine of Hell now,” says Rundle. “I had come off the back of doing the full band record On Dark Horses, where I toured with a band for several years. Then I did the Thou ‘collab,’ and that was a huge sounding album. Four guitars—a guitar extravaganza—and abrasive, and had that metal crossover there. It just seemed like the perfect time to swing in the opposite direction and just strip it all away.” “I think that I’ve been more wellknown for electric guitar and lots of effects,” Rundle continues. “I had, for a long time, wanted to do a record like this that just stripped away all of the effects, at its core just songs delivered in a very visceral, close way.” On Engine of Hell, Rundle reunites with the piano, which in turn reconnected her with her history. “Getting to reconnect with the piano, it’s just what I’ve wanted to do for so long,” Rundle says. “With guitar, I reached a point, especially after those last albums and tours, that I had explored all realms of guitar. I’ve done ambient work on guitar, I’ve done rock stuff, metal stuff, and some folk stuff on earlier records like Some Heavy Ocean. I was really yearning to reconnect with piano.”
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“We were at this place in coastal California,” Rundle says. “It was just silent. I actually got spooked a couple times recording just thinking someone was standing behind me. I was so used to being around bands and other people.” When it comes to releasing this album, Emma Ruth Rundle has freed herself of any expectations.
“Piano became my main instrument at on Rundle’s vocals and shifting focus a young age,” she says. “I played up to piano and vocals also underscores through my teenage years. I actually the album’s poetic lyricism. had a scholarship to go to a music school in L.A. for piano, and it was the “I sing a lot different on this record,” main focus before guitar sort of took Rundle says. “I sing in falsetto a lot, and center stage. The piano with the song- I haven’t done that on any other album. writing really reconnected me to my I wanted the lyrics to take more center youth and to the music that I was listen- stage on this record. I spent a lot of ing to at that time, to my life experiences time writing lyrics on this album, and I from that time, and emotional weight of do feel that it is more of a poetic explothat era, and it just opened up a portal. It ration, with the focus on that aspect of was a time machine for me.” it, maybe more so than the other ones.” Paring down the instrumentation on this record helps to put an emphasis
Rundle recorded Engine of Hell live in the studio.
“You have to release your expectations of other people,” she says. “I think what I set out to do was deliver something that was a representation of a specific mental state, and a very honest and clear picture of what that feels like. I guess I would hope that it could touch someone, but, you know, it’s out of my hands.”💣
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A R T I S T I C
F R E E
S P A C E
PHOTO Scott Evans
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST SCOTT EVANS AND GUITARIST JON HOWELL BY CALEB R. NEWTON
F
. ormidable, subtly majestic surges of ensnaring energy define Piecework, the new, full-length album from Oakland, California’s long-running post-metal group Kowloon Walled City.
The record—out this October from Neurot Recordings and Gilead Media—proves immensely weighty in terms of both its physicality and the starkly compelling nature of its compositions. There’s an intricately crafted, personal perspective that looms at its center, as Piecework sounds massive, yet it’s not overwhelming. Instead, the album settles on (metaphorically or literally) looking out across an expanse, as though pondering existential limits and becoming, in a perhaps surprising way, at peace. There are moments of profound stillness on the album, at least in terms of the glacial, doomy music with which Kowloon Walled City work.
evant audience in the writing, and we hope everyone else likes it. When [vocalist/guitarist] Scott [Evans] and I are sitting in a room, or when we’re all at a band practice, and we’ve written these big, beautiful chords that kind of go well together, and sound beautiful to us—whether that invokes any other feeling, like an actual feeling, like sadness or something like that, I don’t think that that’s top of mind for us. We’re just like: this is beautiful.” The compositional breadth contained within Piecework and the bulky tones with which Kowloon Walled City perform suggest comparisons to natural environments, as though they’re soundtracking a trek through a dusty plain. While the distant horizon and the omens that it brings stay prominent within the Kowloon Walled City sound on Piecework, the band also appear focused within this metaphorical environment on the immediate path ahead. The crashing rhythms are poignant, summoning freeing feelings of open-ended awareness.
“We just write a heavy section or a big, beautiful section because we love how it sounds,” guitarist Jon Howell “We were trying to clean things up, shares. “We are the only sort of rel- make it a little clankier and more
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naked, and that was very challeng- Kowloon Walled City have sailed ing,” Evans explains, discussing the past a decade since their first reprocess of creating Piecework. “In lease, and in that time, Evans says the end, I think we kind of failed, but that he and the other members have it was an okay failing, you know? Like grown to particularly appreciate it’s OK to try things and then have it being a part of the band. not exactly work out and redirect a little bit. And that’s kind of what we “We all have come to a point in our did, but I think the spirit of that idea life where we realize we all really shows through, in that the songs are value this thing we get to do togetha little more spacious. Like they’re a er,” he explains. “I’ve really realized little less claustrophobic, sonically that being in this band and having and compositionally.” these people to make things with— it’s a gift. And I really value it.” Howell shares that the process of redirecting the creative process Howell points to how certain avenues strengthened the songs. of heavy music can facilitate such a personally adaptable experience. “In some instances, we wrote songs, and they were these big, clanky “There’s an Ian MacKaye line about songs,” the guitarist says. “And then, how the great thing about punk all of a sudden, you do step on it, rock is that it’s an artistic free and put a little gain in there, a little space, that under that umbrella, distortion in there, and you’re like, anything fits, and that means a lot okay, that’s actually a little better. to me personally,” he shares. “I’m Ultimately, I think it was very effec- really sort of fond of punk as a free tive to write in that way, to write so space, and within that, there’s so that the songs were kind of discern- much that you can do, because ible in this kind of clean, open sense, there’s no limitations. You could and then adding on distortion or toss out all the rules, you can do gain in ways that only serve to make whatever you want, you don’t have the song more interesting, or cooler.” to limit yourself in any way.” 💣💣💣
ishes—or like the best scene albums of 2006 with 100 times more sass. “Whenever you have this idea of this fucking hodgepodge of everything that you like, it could go really poorly and not work,” Sgarbossa says. “But we crafted something that was cohesive and nice and hit every point we wanted. It really easily could have been the worst thing you’ve ever heard, but somehow, it fucking works.” The Romance of Affliction finds SYSC in confessional mode, and while it was not an easy record for Sgarbossa, it was the record she needed to get off her chest: “I didn’t plan to write this record, lyrically. It was supposed to be a more grandiose fucking statement on healing and stuff, but I sat down to write lyrics. I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not really better than I was back when I made Correlations, I’ve just learned to cope.’ So, I changed the focus to thinking about how I’d been in the last two years and all I’d done, and it just turned into this big confession thing. I wanted to focus a lot on how all this shit has affected my love life and stuff like that because I’ve done shitty things, I’ve been an asshole.” “I kind of wanted this to be a big reflection of how I’ve been,” she continues. “It talks about drugs, talks about mental health, it talks about how I got diagnosed as bipolar within the last year. But yeah, I’ve also been a dick. Having two addicts in love is not fucking glamorous at all. It’s fucking terrible. Yeah, I’ve used people, I’ve used sex as a way to fill voids in my life, to make myself feel whole, but it doesn’t really do shit. I abuse drugs and alcohol to try and do the same thing.” PHOTO Jacki Vitetta
What I appreciated about this record is it’s still ongoing, but the knowledge that it’s still ongoing is more empowering and powerful, to me at least, as INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CONNIE SGARBOSSA BY NICHOLAS SENIOR a listener than that sort of transient, wenty-twenty-one may go down as Vocalist Connie Sgarbossa reflects “When we first started the band, it “Oh, it’s going to be okay” fairy tale. one of the best years for metalcore on how the album’s genesis came at was throwing everything we liked in a Sgarbossa agrees: since 2006 or ’07, and the latest from an important point for the band. blender and just making it work, no San Diego’s SeeYouSpaceCowboy “Yeah, it was a really interesting time matter what,” she adds. “No idea’s “That’s something that is very unapol(SYSC) is likely the best of the bunch. to put this record together because too weird; do whatever the fuck you ogetically me. There is no happy endBrimming with the band’s patented for us as a band, it’s us. We gain want. It was really just kind of back to ing for me. I didn’t write these songs sassiness, sprinkled with some of the best and lose members at a rapid pace, the way the band had started. I’m just and then check myself into rehab. screamo vocals around, and featuring but when COVID hit, and we had to like, ‘Whatever the fuck you want in Two weeks after I finished recording breakdowns that will destroy worlds readjust, our main songwriter had the music, that’s what’s going in.’ We the album, I almost died on my couch when we can attend shows without safety left the band. Old SpaceCowboy was wrote 30 songs for this album.” of an overdose. I had to get Narcan protocols, their sophomore album, The very much just written by one person twice. This is not a happy outcome. Romance of Affliction, out on November in terms of instruments. It wasn’t a Sgarbossa is being a bit coy, as It’s not a good [vibes] album. There’s 5 via Pure Noise Records, soothes this group process. But this one, we really this really is the most cohesive and no moral to the story, or happy endscene soul. It feels like a reminder of wanted to push the idea of a group clear-minded the band have ever ings, or lessons here. It’s literally, this what’s made the band so special so far process, and we brought back [bass- sounded. It’s like the best parts of the is just me, and also Tay. This is just our and enough genuine surprises to hint ist/vocalist] Taylor [Allen], who was ’00s Myspace-core sound infused with lives. This is the gritty, grimy shit, and that the best is still yet to come. the very first guitarist of the band.” emo, screamo, and indie rock flour- shittiness of our lives.” 💣💣💣
T
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PHOTO Alan Snodgrass
only halfway through laying down tracks for the album when COVID first reached the United States. While the rhythm section was nearly complete, the shutdown forced an extended break before they could return to the studio to finish what they started. If there was any silver lining to taking an unwanted break, that downtime gave the band space to go through the songs and give them an additional level of refinement. The results on Melodoria speak for themselves, delivering more of the massive melodies and thick riffs that have earned the band touring slots with Circa Survive and Chevelle, straddling the line between atmospheric post-hardcore and accessible modern rock. While it may not have been easy, the process of putting the record together in the middle of a disruptive worldwide crisis packed extra emotive punch for Flanagan as well.
“This record saved my mental health in a sense because the fact that I was able to be creative, and I was able to create something that I think is beautiful and substantial, was everything to me.” INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/VOCALIST BEN FLANAGAN BY BEN SAILER
A
ccording to bassist and and the long-running Dredg (Mark vocalist Ben Flanagan, Engles, guitar). the title of Black Map’s third full-length Melodoria (avail- “I’ve always been intrigued by this able February 16, 2022 via Minus idea that every song we’ve ever Head Records) alludes to the idea loved at one point didn’t exist,” of something rising from nothing. Flanagan says. “It didn’t even live; it was living in the void, you It’s a fitting, one-word mission know? And I loved the idea that statement for an album released something could be pulled out of during a global pandemic that nothing and made into something shut down most of the music in- beautiful.” dustry, reflecting the sense of perseverance that has kept the band The songwriting process for Mepushing forward since their days ladoria started unassumingly playing with The Trophy Fire (Fla- enough with some loose jamming nagan), Far (Chris Robyn, drums), on the road.
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“This record saved my mental health in a sense because the fact that I was able to be creative, and I was able to create something that I think is beautiful and substantial, was everything to me,” Flanagan says. “It wasn’t necessarily a distraction—I’d still think about COVID—but it gave me a sense of purpose and gave me an emotional outlet.” Now, the band is back on the road, headlining the storied Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and other dates across the U.S.
When we spoke back in January of “The first song we wrote for this re- 2021 about what the road ahead cord, we were on tour in February looked like and what it would take of 2018,” Flanagan says. “And we to reach this point, there was a meawere doing acoustic meet-and- sured caution to Flanagan’s words. greets with fans where we’d play a One thing he’s always been certain couple songs, which we love doing; about, though, is that his place is on we love that level of connectivity stage, and that’s where Black Map with fans, which we miss so much. will be for the foreseeable future. We’d always have acoustic guitars out, and Mark and I just started “I can’t imagine when I get back playing with this riff that turned on stage, the feeling I’m going to into our song ‘Madness.’ I remem- have,” Flanagan says. “I’ve never ber that was the first note written not played a rock show since I was for the new record.” 14 years old with my terrible, shitty bands I was in then, and I’ve never However, the path forward from gone two years without playing a there soon became murkier. rock show. I probably haven’t gone three months without playing one While the band began planning until now, so it’s going to be a pretty for Meladoria in 2019, they were special feeling.” 💣💣💣
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IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS
INTERVIEW WITH ADAM DARSKI, AKA NERGAL, AKA ME AND THAT MAN BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER
N
o other musician under the sun is as prolific as Adam Darski, better known as Behemoth’s Nergal, also of Me And That Man. In addition to pushing forward with his world-famous black metal pursuits, he also regularly releases music in collaboration with other artists under the Me And That Man moniker. His latest release, New Man New Songs Same Shit Vol. 2, is out November 19 via Napalm, and features collaborations with Gary Holt of Slayer and Exodus, Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, and more.
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While there were definitely some struggles to solidify guests for each track and get everything to come together while the world was in chaos, just like with his other releases as Me And That Man, things more than came together in regards to the amazing pairings on the record.
and the paperwork that must be done in order to get things moving. But it’s worth it because this approach to the project is vital.”
fucking four-and-a-half decades later, some of my biggest icons and idols are not only my colleagues, or friends, or people I know, but also people who have contributed on the records I wrote and curated.”
In addition to the work that it takes to put out a record like this, Nergal still finds himself “It’s a dream, but I also know nerding out over how much it didn’t come out of fucking fun it is to work with some nowhere,” he continues. “I “It’s a lot of work, trust me,” of his favorite musicians on earned it. And I was really Nergal says of the process it these projects, despite having lucky with all the factors takes to cobble together a re- major star status. that have made things poscord that is all collaboration sible, but still, sometimes it and connection. “You have to “I’m 44, and I started listen- feels impossible for me to reach out to and connect to ing to metal in the ’80s,” he be in this situation. It still everyone, and then it’s even explains. “I grew up listening makes me speechless. It more work when you think to and worshiping bands like feels like I’m dreaming but about all the bureaucracy Venom and Slayer. And now, I’m not. It’s beautiful.” 💣💣
BY HUTCH LIVE:
REISSUES: GHOUL
LIVE IN THE FLESH TANKCRIMES - OUT NOW
Summoned from Creepsylvania, the purveyors of war and savagery known as Ghoul release this live recording of their 2018 show at the Oakland Metro Operahouse. The new offering, Live In The Flesh, features sixteen tracks, including “Off With Their Heads,” “As Your Casket Closes,” “Wall Of Death,” and “Dungeon Bastards.” The sound pounds, full of depth and horror. Ghoul’s music, mixing GWAR, Municipal Waste, and Kreator, revels on stage when shared with a voracious audience. Not an ounce of ferocity is lost on this recording, though many pints of blood certainly were! 💣
EARTH CRISIS/ SNAPCASE/STRIFE
THE RETURN OF THE CALIFORNIA TAKEOVER WAR RECORDS - OUT NOV 19 Whether you’re an OGHC dude, reliving the glory of ’90s hardcore from your teens, or a young buck inspired to pay homage via Magnitude, Ekulu, and Ecostrike, basking in a twelve-song set from the founding fathers of U.S. metallic SXE vegan hardcore is going to have you moshing in the mirror. In 1996, Victory Records released The California Takeover…Live. Almost 25 years later, in February 2020, the same three bands– Earth Crisis (Syracuse, New York), Snapcase (Buffalo, New York), and Strife (Los Angeles, California)— reunited in in Los Angeles for The Return of The California Takeover. Each band represents classics that have matured with dignity and strength, and still echo with relevance. Earth Crisis open the record with “Forged in the Flames,” whose anthemic words boast this declaration of strength: “The weakness that surrounds is the evil that I forsake... I am the master of my fate, my destiny I control.” That is doubled with “Constrict,” and they close the LP with “To Ashes” and “Born From Pain.” Snapcase scream for individualism over Big Pharma on “Zombie Prescription.” While Earth Crisis came with intelligent militancy, Snapcase dealt with more abstract and existential quandaries, as exhibited on “Caboose.” They also belt out the timeless “Incarnation,” plus “Drain Me.” Strife bring the fast forward, no frills straight edge hardcore. Absolute monumental bangers “Force of Change” and “Stand as One” are coupled with “Waiting” and “Lift.” 💣
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SLAYER
SHOW NO MERCY / HAUNTING THE CHAPEL / LIVE UNDEAD / HELL AWAIT METAL BLADE - OUT NOW With a musical footprint equivalent to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Sphynx, or the Taj Mahal, Slayer’s impact is ubiquitous and unescapable. Their iconic thrash recordings have influence which can be traced to every metal band after them. They transcend the genre and permeate pop culture as well as invoke rabid following from dedicated fans. (see “All employees must carve SLAYER into their arms before returning to work” signs…). More impressive, even their earliest songs eschew any dated sound and still hammer down with a vibrant vitality today. Metal Blade now reissues the first four recordings, so elemental in extreme metal today. Show No Mercy (1983), Haunting the Chapel (1984), Live Undead (1985), and Hell Awaits (1985) all receive the (deserved) royal treatment. While Reign in Blood is often considered the best thrash album ever, many— if not most— true underground thrash fans will place Hell Awaits above that revered album. Revisiting the chronological improvement and gestation of Slayer’s Satanic sound is necessary and invigorating for any fan. Especially on bad ass multi-colored variants of vinyl! Handled with care by the original label that still thrives (40 years in…) and churns out independent metal today, these four reissues are impressive. 💣
SPLITS:
TRAPPIST/ CONNOISSEU
CROSS FADED TANKCRIMES OUT NOW
On Cross Faded, one of Trappist’s tracks is titled, “I Don’t Need Sobriety.” And that sentiment lingers on each of this split’s 15 tracks. Musically and personality wise, this is one the best and most enjoyable records of the year. Trappist return with their beer fueled powerviolence, while Connoisseur bring the weed with their tracks, cherishing the best of both worlds. Trappist dropped 2018’s Ancient Brewing Tactics on Relapse and it boasted such allusions as “Wolves in the Tap Room” and “Victims of Bomber Raids.” 2020 brough the flexi single, “Growler in the Yard.” I sense a pattern. Here, favorites like “Number of the Yeast,” “One Strain Away,” and especially “The One Thing that Still Holds Brew” shine (the latter a nod to Chain of Strength: “So many stouts, so many ales” the vocals recount, as they flip the script on the sell-out notion and the hardcore cliché of being betrayed). For what could be a tired gimmick, Trappist expertly execute killer hardcore and powerviolence. This is unsurprising, as they consist of members of Spazz and Despise You. And you remember that music can be fun. Hell, Cannibal Corpse or Autopsy haven’t changed their subject matter either.
COLLECTIONS:
SFA
87/88 TAPES STATE OF MIND RECORDINGS
In the era of New York Hardcore, SFA simultaneously repped New York Hate Core. Starting in 1985, SFA slung their own brand of NYHC, heavily based in grimy punk while having a catchy feel. Crisp, angry riffs coupled with pessimistic lyrics, a la Neglect, Carnivore, and Sheer Terror. State of Mind now combines their 1987 Demo and 1988’s Tanks a Lot, both self-released, never on vinyl. Vicious delivery with caustic, abrasive snarls, SFA stood out from other bands. Later, they would grow with Brendan Rafferty on vocals, and members such as Raeph Glicken (drums; Kill Your Idols, Cause For Alarm, Black Anvil) and Rachel Rosen (guitars; Indecision, Most Precious Blood, Wages Of Sin). But originally, Mike Bullshit spawned SFA and rocked on vocals. This collection holds many classic tracks, in their original, raw form. It includes 30 songs (24 studio and six live at CBGBs), as well as a 12-inch booklet with flyers and pictures, a 1988 lyric sheet, the band’s 1988 interview from Bullshit Monthly, and a current interview. 💣
FUCKED UP
EPICS IN MINUTES (+ DEMO) GET BETTER RECORDS OUT JANUARY 21, 2022
Oakland’s weed masters Connoisseur spit sludgy dark hardcore on their side of the split, as they did on 2015’s Stoner Justice and 2017’s Over the Edge (get it?). Here they offer heavy-ass down-tuned riffs, but never overstay the welcome, their side totaling just 11 minutes. It only takes the 49 seconds of “Stay High” to get their point across. That’s short enough for them to remember the main talking points: “Stay high. Smoke every day. Stay high. With your friends.”
LPs which are compilations are always tough, as you are essentially rebuying the music. If you’re a fan of the band (see: Rixe’s Collection, Syndrome 81’s Beton Nostalgia, or Night Birds’ Fresh Kills Vol I & II), you probably own each track on 7” from over the years, salivating and These two are the perfect pairing, like a hazy IPA dry hopped with mosaic, snatching the beloved band’s output, citra, galaxy and lupulin powder, as a spliff is sparked. 💣 two, three, four tracks at a time. And these are classic EPs by Fucked Up, including the best of their short fast years: “Baiting the Public,” “Litany,” “Police,” “Circling the Drain,” “Reset the Ride,” and “Dance of Death.” So, when Deranged Records put out a CD with compiled EPs and demos in 2003, you could have them all in one place, easily collected for your home or car CD player, without lugging various records to flip every two songs. But it was only released on CD. But now, Get Better Records satiates the vinyl purist’s need by releasing Epics in Minutes on LP. Remastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios for this 2022 release, these lo-fi catchy but raw punk hardcore songs are full of rock ’n’ roll infused danger, viciously serious, intelligent, and heady material, or simple punk rebellion— “I can’t stand the police in this fucking city”— or “We’re always suffering. And nothing ever works out” about the toiling of the working class on “Circling the Drain.”💣
EPs:
SPY EP
HABITUAL OFFENDER TO LIVE A LIE - OUT NOW The Bay Area’s SPY drop their second release. Feedback opens “Afraid of Everything” before the crushing hateful tune kicks in. Dark, ugly, heavy, sludgy, and amazingly danceable. The music is not so punky, more slow and plodding riffs, and rhythms weighing down like a burden, or scathing secret, like the weight of failure carrying into the next morning. Six songs in ten minutes, and dread, and suspicion, and misery drench each moment. Buy this and everything they do. They are playing a bunch of shows in the Northwest these days. RIYL: Boston Strangler, Creem, Warthog, Rat Cage, Rival Mob, Violent Reaction, Public Trust, Shipwrecked, Negative Approach, Necros, Ultra-Violent, SSD💣
NEW NOISE 79
BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON BECAUSE CASSETTES RULE HARD AND NEVER REALLY AGE, THE ANALOG CAVE IS HERE TO BRING YOU SOME OF THE BEST IN UNDERGROUND TAPES A ND COLLECTED VISION. A CASSETTE IS LIKE YOUR BEST FRIEND, YOUR MOST TRUSTED TRAVEL PARTNER, AND A SPECIMEN OF IMAGINATIVE FANTASY AND OTHERWORLDLY DIMENSION. POP ONE IN AND TRANSFORM. RIDE THE HIGHWAY ETERNAL.
DDROME
SUCCUMB
BEYOND THE THUNDERDDROME CRUEL NATURE RECORDS
XXI CALIGARI RECORDS
Ddrome is drummer Jamie Davis reacting and synthesizing against a wall of light and translucent drone. The drumming here is spatial and reflective, at once the foreground and background. It’s music that is halved and continuous. The cassette offers two compositions, each a solid 21 minutes. “Fearless And Feral Wins The Race” is circular yet linear, a feat achieved by free-jazz swing and beat and the honoring of dimensions yet unglued. “Stairdust” is more solitary, more celestial; there is fullness at every peak, every corner. It is cool music to listen to because it’s simultaneous, there are at least two brains working within one. You get something physical, real; jazz and the freedom it allows, and you get absolute repetition and simulation set against that freeness, achieving complete form. It’s peace within chaos. 💣
Succumb are a San Francisco death/grind quartet, who push those constructions to the max with abstraction and a high art approach to fusion, especially Cheri Musrasrik’s vocals, which absolutely heighten the group’s varied mechanisms. Succumb make their way through songs like dragging soldiers, slugging through the trenches. It’s grey music, with pummeling shards whipping over and over. There are nods to thrash that sprint out of the perpetual darkness, and breakouts, modes that give needed air to the claustrophobic alleyways scattered throughout. XXI is the band’s second release, and it’s a monster, something that can be played around the clock and still achieve a freshness that sprinkles around the ears. In a lot of ways, Succumb are completely postmodern, a deconstruction of everything extreme up to this point. 💣
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SHEER ZED
MORTUARY PUNISHMENT
DISCREET FREQUENCIES MACHARS ACTION REMIXED SELF-RELEASED
PRIDE.POWER.PUNISHMENT TRANSYLVANIAN RECORDINGS
Sheer Zed practices in many forms: electronics, Thai Lanna Buddhism. The sounds that spring forth on the latest package are muscle memory. The drifts where the space-time continuum flattens, is reversed in essence. You hear what your brain has already processed, and it feels like your shadow is melting and the future is dark. Sheer Zed writes of the importance of Kraftwerk, and you can hear it here, albeit transformed into one’s own inspiration of newness, of other-worldly-ness, an excellent attempt at hearing what one could believe, and seeing two places (or more) at once. Discreet Frequencies Machars Action Remixed is the sort of tape that will lift your brain over if you’ll allow it. It’s a trip, a hallucinatory sleigh ride across the peninsulas of yesteryear, in the future, where it’s already happened. It’s the perfect echo. 💣
Mortuary Punishment is Xibalba’s Bigg o))) crushing down. It’s the sound of devastation, but on hold, like watching something in slow motion. So there’s air in there, and that really makes the riffs and scorches stand out. Four songs done in their own way, at their own speed, with underground brushstrokes sweeping paths towards the outer layers, because there’s also space and celestial vibes, like darkness and stars, and the whole streets of life, and that’s where this album is birthed: cement, real life, hardness, and the softness that is required to put that hardness into a form that can translate. It’s the perfect length with bursts and punishing death/doom that never relents. The kid of cassette that is played in one day, 15 times, while you remark, “damn, that section is hard, and it’s like it’s brand new once again.” Yes, forever! 💣