New Noise Magazine Issue #45

In stores and online at fatwreck.com

DEBUT FAT ALBUM out APRIL 12!

info and pre-order at fatwreck.com

BRAND NEW 7” out MARCH 15!

ISSUE 45

6 7 8 9 10 17 23 24 26 28 30 32

FEAR OF A QUEER PLANET SCENE NOT HEARD NO EARBUDS WIRED BOOKING THE NEW WHAT NEXT ASTRONOID A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH SWMRS HEALTH IAN MACKAYE LA DISPUTE THE COATHANGERS

34 36 40

THE SPECIALS MASKED INTRUDER TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET

44 46 48 50 52 54 55 58 60 62 66 70 71 72

DUST BOLT LE BUTCHERETTES LEMONHEADS MILLENCOLIN PEDRO THE LION AMERICAN FOOTBALL THE FLESH EATERS CANE HILL POTTY MOUTH INCITE CHILDREN OF BODOM ROTTING CHRIST PKEW PKEW PKEW ALALOG CAVE

MASKED INTRUDER COVER ART BY DONNY PHILLIPS TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET COVER ART BY CHRIS SHARY TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO BY BARBARA GEORGES BAND - GORILLA BISCUITS

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE JOYS AND HEARTACHES THAT LIE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD OF ALTERNATIVE MUSIC‌

I

t’s the first New Noise of 2019, and the birth of a new year is an occasion traditionally marked by big-picture reflection.

Allow me to reflect.

In the summer of 2015, I was brainstorming ideas for a column.

I was also struggling to feel valid as a non-binary transmasculine cockroach alien in a flesh suit. I had been volunteering at SMYRC, a queer and trans youth resource center in Portland, for almost a year, and though I loved the people I worked with and the work itself, I still mostly felt like an interloper. The rational part of my brain knew that a medicalized binary identity wasn’t required to be trans, that being in a partnership often undermined for its perceived heteronormativity didn’t cancel out my queerness, and that being too anxious to correct people when they misgendered me didn’t make me a worthless coward— and that once all the humans were dead, I could let my antennae down and reign over the irradiated wasteland of the future as the Outer Gods intended.

The less rational part of my brain was in a constant tailspin.

I lost quite a bit of sleep scouring the internet for insight on issues like passing privilege, invisibilization, healthy masculinity, restorative justice, and being a responsible member of a community that I didn’t neatly fit into. Fortunately, many queer and trans people report finding unprecedented support, validation, and siblinghood

6 NEW NOISE

and speak their truth—in precisely the way I wouldn’t. They were also the first person to do exactly that, among the plurality of voices that discussing their own status as a exist online, but if there were sup- person who exists between worlds, portive voices to be found during who rarely fits comfortably into my search, I couldn’t hear them any culture or subculture’s proover the guttural death rattle of scribed boxes. Thus, L Henderson nuance and the pained screech- became the patron saint of Fear ing of weaponized trauma. Tasked Of A Queer Planet. with sifting through innumerable conflicting dogmas all demanding A year later, my friend and copurity, I did the only sensible thing worker Sean Gonzalez—whose and tumblred backward into a column, Scene Not Heard, abuts framework that ContraPoints’ Na- mine in print—asked to “turn the talie Wynn calls “masochistic epis- tables� by featuring me in my own temology: whatever hurts is true.� column. It seemed hypocritical to ask others to stand up and testify My exoskeletal worldview is pretty if I refused to do the same, but my sturdy, but the human skin on top responses were painfully politic of it is comparably thin, and the and circumspect, because I was onslaught of dehumanizing, bad- still paralyzed by self-doubt and faith yelling—despite the presence terrified of being cannibalized. of other, more empathetic takes— broke my baby-tran brain. I’d lay I suppose this is something of a awake, compulsively engaging do-over. with conflicting critiques, tearing myself apart trying to singlehand- You see, for the last three-plus edly resolve the problematics of years, I’ve gotten to boost the human subjectivity. What’s more, I signals of an array of queer, trans, felt ill at the prospect of inflicting and non-binary folks working in this kind of well-intentioned harm DIY music. They bared their souls on anyone else. So, I resolved to about serious shit, got hella weird, stay mostly silent, to lurk and try to and spoke truth to power in equal learn, and to act as a conduit for measure. They explored the conthose who were resilient enough to tours of their contradictions and face the firing squad. sent up flares of hope for those who feel lost or alone. Some even In September of 2015, we pub- undertook the labor of encourlished the first installment of Fear aging my efforts or pushing back Of A Queer Planet in Issue 20. The against my bullshit when they saw supremely talented musician and room for improvement. I’m so comedian L Henderson was instru- grateful to each and every one of mental in helping me synthesize my them for participating in this little rat’s nest of thoughts and feelings experiment. about queer community and representation into a tangible space But I still feel like shit. I’m still persewhere the whole alphabet soup verating instead of sleeping, I still could challenge bullshit narratives feel personally disconnected from

METAMORPHOSIS

even the notion of the queer community, and I’m still afraid to admit it. I hope some good has been accomplished with this column, but for me, it’s become an albatross, a monument to character defects I’m finally working to overcome, and, occasionally, an outlet for the kind of discourse that spun me down this path in the first place.

Suppressing my personhood to “serve the community� is not serving anyone, and I need to reassess. So, after this issue, Fear Of A Queer Planet is on indefinite hiatus.

If there’s one thing social justice and activist circles do seem to agree on, it’s that taking a step back from the work to address your burnout is part of the work itself. You need to put on your own oxygen mask before you help the people next to you, because if you die, you’re no good to anyone.

Regardless, I feel more than a little guilty ending this now, when each new day brings some fresh gay hell. Every pinprick of light has value when the darkness is working overtime to swallow us whole, so I am ridiculously thankful to all of you for reading, participating in, and—god, I hope—enjoying this column. Unfortunately, it’s time for me to scuttle out from under the fridge and learn to endure the unflattering fluorescent light of being an actual person.

If I don’t get crushed under someone’s bootheel, I hope to see you all back here in the future. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NOT

D R A E H

BY SEAN GONZALEZ

Featuring Music Producer MICHAEL BEINHORN

a few years, I went off on my own, and the rest is history. It was an organic progression with nothing planned out. I just let it unfold.�

Any advice for bands looking to book studios? “Make sure the facility feels like a good, relaxed place to work where nothing will interfere with your work. Environment is everything for creative people—often, more important than how pricey the recording equipment is.�

Finally, what if an individual is looking to create their own studio? “Spend your money wisely. Only purchase the equipment you need for the specific type of application you will be performing. If you’re recording a lot of electronic music, you probably don’t need a lot of external mic pres. This sounds ridiculously obvious, but I’ve seen people make this mistake numerous times—especially blowing their budgets on things they don’t need and will never use.�

THE FOCUS FROM THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CREATE THE BEST ALBUMS TO TAKE AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE JOBS THAT KEEP THE INDUSTRY RUNNING. GO BEYOND THE MUSIC AND MEET THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP YOUR FAVORITE BANDS IN THE PUBLIC EYE... ritically-acclaimed producer Michael Beinhorn has been sprinkling magic and his production knowledge into the music industry since 1979. His decadent and rich career includes work with artists like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, Soundgarden, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Soul Asylum, The Bronx—the list goes on. Beinhorn’s prestigious and important influence on sound over the last 30-plus years is beginning to go more in-depth on pre-production services.

C

Why pre-production services? “I knew it was time to do this when I realized that pre-production was gradually becoming a process of

the past. Fewer people were do- Pre-production services include ing it anymore because it was so items such as song analysis, song time-intensive, and that time fac- repair, project analysis, and live tor often made it less worth the rehearsal. This is an important prowhile of whoever was producing. cess that is fading out more and As a result of this, many records more today. The one-on-one work started to be released that felt is beneficial to artists’ growth in the sloppy and unfinished. The songs record process. often sounded like they weren’t well-thought-out or structured— How did Beinhorn first step into the all of which would have been less production world? likely if the artists had more time to work with an objective outsid- “Record production was never a er prior to making their recording. career goal that I worked toward I reflected on this and recalled so achieving—I kind of fell into it. I many great records I and others joined a band when I was 18; we have made over the years that began producing our own recordbenefited immensely from having ings, and after a while, we started a proper foundation, and I real- having guest artists on our albums, ized this was an idea whose time some of whom subsequently asked had come.� us to produce their records. After

“Also, there are two things that people never think about when they are creating a studio, and those are cabling and power. You can have the best recording equipment in the world, but if it’s being powered poorly—with dirty, unstable, unconditioned power, usually city power that is shared with other houses, apartments, or businesses—it won’t sound as good as it ideally should. Fluctuating, dirty power affects computer operation and induces jitter, and since virtually everyone records music with a computer, it’s easy to imagine how this might affect your recordings. If your cabling is low-quality—and the lengths are too long—you may have similar issues. You can get a lot of mileage just by sticking to those guidelines.�

People like Michael Beinhorn are a godsend to the music industry.

Their ability to home in on sounds, structures, and dynamics of artist involvement with music is a key factor in creating a consistent line of fantastic records. Take a dive through Beinhorn’s catalog to see how important the work of pre-production is in creating iconic music. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

7

NO EARBUDS! INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER JAMIE COLETTA BY JOHN SILVA

A

t the beginning of 2018, SideOneDummy Records unexpectedly laid off most of their staff and dropped many bands from their roster. This came as a shock to employees, bands, and fans alike. The label, largely thanks to the work of its Director of Marketing, Jamie Coletta, had established itself as more than just a roster of artists: it was a community. What hurt the most for everyone involved was feeling like that community was yanked out from under them.

“When all of that ended, it was hard!�

Coletta says. “Obviously, surface level, it’s hard because we all lost our jobs. But when you look at what else we lost, it was like these people and their decisions, they took the ground from underneath not just us and our jobs and our finances and our job security but also all these other people who were kind of rooted in what this became—and it was heartbreaking!�

When Coletta was let go from SideOne, she received an overwhelming outpouring of love and support from many participants in the DIY scene. “It was definitely shocking in a good way, but it threw me off,� she says of the reaction people had to the news. “I had to keep putting my phone down, because every time I looked, it was so much! In the most humbling way possible, it was really incredible, but it was also, like, shocking for me, because you just don’t realize that you affect as many people as you do until something like that happens.�

Instead of pursuing a job at another record label, Coletta set out to find a new home for the community she had worked so hard to establish. “I was trying to figure out what I was gonna do when I started realizing and really started think-

PHOTO BY ERICA LAUREN

ing about building my own thing and sort of just standing on my own like this. I was trying to think of: ‘How can I provide a home for what we all just lost?’� Coletta says. “It might take some time to get my scene back, but I want it!�

In early January, about one year after she was let go from SideOneDummy, Coletta announced her new project: No Earbuds! What is No Earbuds!? The answer is still a little vague—and that’s very much intentional. “I purposely created it to not be super defined from the beginning,� Coletta says. “I didn’t wanna come out and be like, ‘This is a media company’ or ‘This is a promotions company.’ I didn’t really wanna label it. I almost don’t even wanna label it as a company. I kind of just want it to exist.�

Coletta has been freelancing her marketing and PR skills for the past year, and as of right now, No Earbuds! functions as a way for her to sell that same skillset.

However, she wants it to eventually become bigger than just her. “It’s important to me that it stays pretty loose,� she explains, “because for right now, it is sort of operating as the extension of what I already do, but what it’s capable of is entirely up to everybody else.�

Perhaps No Earbuds! will help facilitate the rebuilding of what was lost last year—or perhaps the community Coletta helped build at SideOne was never really lost. At the end of the day, SideOneDummy is just a record label, and a community like the one Coletta helped create is something that transcends those arbitrary boundaries. No Earbuds! may become the vessel, like SideOneDummy before it, but it’s the individual people, like Coletta, who make DIY so special and powerful. đ&#x;’Ł

FIVE BANDS NO EARBUDS! SAYS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON IN 2019 1) DIVA SWEETLY 2) BENOIT 3) DEREK TED 4) LILITH 5) SLEEPY DOG 8 NEW NOISE

ART BY SARAH SCHMIDT

!

THIS JOB COULD BE YOUR LIFE Interview with

By Joshua Maranhas

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

W

hen a band like Night Birds play who you need to worry is going to take live, with so much raw power advantage and rip you off?� and fury, there’s one word to describe it: passion. “Now, I’m not saying everyone who owns a club is a shady mechanic, and I myself Brian Gorsegner has it. He brings it to the charge a fee for my services, so I’m not stage, and he shares it with the punk fans. suggesting everyone—or anyone, for that It can be argued that WIRED Booking matter—work for free,� he notes, “but I helps him share his passion for the punk think there’s a really great middle ground rock community too. of ‘pro punk’ types with DIY ethos who are the best at this stuff and do it for a living.� “The DIY network that’s been built in the punk scene over the past however-ma- Gorsegner books bands. He currently ny years is a really incredible thing,� has a tight 10-band roster of really deGorsegner says. “You meet all these serving music from Modern Life Is War to people who put in a ton of work just for PEARS to Bad Cop / Bad Cop. He gives his the love of punk and the bands. If your best effort to what he does. “I like booking car broke down, imagine having the and being thoughtful and strategic about option to take it to someone who didn’t it,� he says. “I like working with bands who care about getting all of your money I’m friends with [and] who have a similar but just wanted the opportunity to work vision with all of this stuff as I do. Sure, it on it, just because they loved putting in can be difficult and challenging at times, a new transmission! Wouldn’t that be a but that’s any job, I suppose. I find it to be better option than taking it to someone really rewarding overall.�

WIRED Booking is not just business to Gorsegner: these are his friends and bands he’s really into helping achieve mutual success. “I’ve been playing in bands myself since 1998, and I did all of my bands’ booking until Night Birds got our first agent, maybe around 2014 or so,� he explains. “So, in those 16 years, I played in a lot of bands and went on a lot of tours, and I was always the one setting that shit up. Through doing all of that, I made a bunch of friends, and now, I’m fortunate enough to work with some of them doing their booking. I’m pretty sure I booked some of the first-ever outof-town gigs for Modern Life Is War when they were starting, and now, here we are 15 or 16 years later, and I’m handling their booking duties. So, it all kind of comes full circle.�

The circle began in New Jersey almost 20 years ago. It’s do-it-yourself, and Gorsegner does what he does because

he loves it. “I was booking tours for my own bands and booking shows in various VFW halls and whatnot around New Jersey in the early 2000s,� he says. “I wouldn’t really say it has blown up, but I turned it into my full-time job a bit over a year ago now.�

Retrospectively, as a punk in Jersey back in what some consider “the day,�

Gorsegner concludes, “It was tough getting shows when I was a teenager and just figuring out how this stuff worked, but if you were genuinely into it and you just kept showing up at shows and making friends and being supportive, people would generally be supportive in return.�

Looking toward the future of punk rock and WIRED Booking, he adds, “It’s much easier now. [It] would be cool if WIRED just continues to grow and I can work with more badass bands that I dig. I’d love to never have a boss again.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

9

THE NEWEST NOISE FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE! PHOTO BY TYLER HALLET

PHOTO BY ALEX CHARILAOU

ABJECTS London

ANEURYSM Boston

Abjects met in London but come from all over the world: vocalist and guitarist Noemi from Spain, drummer Alice from Italy, and bassist Yuki from Japan. “In Never Give Up, we want to spread a message of unity and hope,â€? Noemi notes. “We believe in culturally inclusive environments where people can thrive as human beings and interesting exchanges of ideas can happen. We are all different, and we are all one.â€? That sense of openness is prevalent throughout Never Give Up, and the trio never shy away from speaking truth to power. They see big, pervasive problems and believe one path forward is making small changes in their own lives. This solution-oriented approach would be meaningless if Abjects’ angular, aggressive garage punk weren’t amazing, but, of course, it is. The band seem to be as open-minded musically as they are personally. However, that sense of unity and adventure never bogs down this delightfully punchy release. Abjects are many things, but an abject failure is not one of them. Never Give Up is a wonderful success story.đ&#x;’Ł

The world is a serious place, and there’s a lot to get worked up about. That’s why Satan invented loud music, but aggression comes in all shapes, sizes, and sounds—and when it bursts, it’s often beautiful. Take Awareness, the latest batch of belligerent, boisterous noise rock from Aneurysm. It’s a record embroiled in some real shit—politics, death, racism—yet it revels in how not seriously the band take themselves. Indeed, vocalist Mike McGee laughs at how his first contributions to the band were thanks to a few slugs of whiskey and an open GarageBand app—that’s some good inspiration. McGee really appreciates laughing shit off, and that sense of humor shines throughout Awareness. “A lot of the subject matter on the album is pure social commentary,â€? he says, “if your idea of commentary is scribbling a few lines of garbage after a few hours of people watching at the DMV, any waiting room, or even a courtroom in an economically depressed mill town. I love watching people snap over minor bullshit while in their cars too.â€? The absurdity of life is rife with inspiration, and Aneurysm are all about yelling—and laughing—into the void.đ&#x;’Ł

Never Give Up | Feb. 15 | Yippee Ki Yay Records RIYL: Optimism. Giving a shit. United nations—literally.

Awareness | Feb. 1 | Tor Johnson Records RIYL: People watching. Laughter of the damned. “Lighten up, Francis.�

PHOTO BY TOBY METZGER

DEAD SWORDS Jersey City, New Jersey

Enders | March 8 | Human Blood Records RIYL: Existentialism. Duality. Warmth.

It’s easy to say an album is “one of the best in recent years,â€? but Enders deserves specificity: it is one of the most compelling. Drenched in emotion, beauty, and texture, the debut LP from Dead Swords is clearly haunted by loss and the human condition. Co-created by The Gaslight Anthem guitarist Alex Rosamilia, Enders is like a musical seven-layer dip, and its different styles all coalesce into something remarkably cohesive and delightful. Sonically, Dead Swords are like an experiment in which Deftones wrote a doom metal record with My Bloody Valentine and The Cure. There’s an elegance in the metallic shoegaze sound that is amplified the more you dig into the songs, which are as pretty as they are overwhelming. However, that sense of devastation is assuaged by a silver lining of hope, and Rosamilia admits that is wholly intentional. “Figuring out where you go, if anywhere at all, is just a bottomless pool of inspiration for me,â€? he says. “Not to be morose, but I had recently lost the last of my grandparents, and my mind was flooded with thoughts of existential crisis.â€? Luckily, Enders is endlessly cathartic. đ&#x;’Ł

10 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY SHANG WHALEY

DEVIL MASTER Philadelphia

DIVA SWEETLY North Carolina

ELIZABETH COLOUR WHEEL Boston

Satan Spits on Children of Light | March 1 | Relapse Records RIYL: Spiritual liberation. Partying. Stagediving into the abyss.

In the Living Room | Jan. 18 | Seal Mountain Records RIYL: Comfort. Chosen family. Nostalgia.

Nocebo | March 15 | The Flenser RIYL: Anxiety. Medical terminology. Mind over matter.

There has been a certain dour seriousness attributed to Satan throughout history, one that makes sense given the grave consequences of giving up one’s soul. However—and I swear this is not a recommendation to sell your soul to Lucifer—one group of grimy punks have a markedly different perspective. Perhaps the devil really is in the details. Devil Master conjure up a captivating, furious, and unique witches’ brew of sounds on their debut LP, Satan Spits on Children of Light—imagine if Tribulation’s gothic blackened arena rock were raised on a steady diet of hardcore punk and PBR. Devil Master’s grip on what it means to fully embrace all the wonder, terror, and fun of the black arts results in a truly breathtaking first impression. “No musical trend owns the occult or any specific aesthetic or sound,â€? guitarist Darkest Prince notes. “That is what makes us tick: smashing the conventional clock!â€? That sense of adventure and freedom is Devil Master’s very musical essence, and this delightfully dirty satanic keg party has room for so many more souls to come join. Hail! đ&#x;’Ł

One of the reasons why nostalgia is so sweet is the fact that our brains tend to smooth out the rough edges of our memories.

When thinking back to a favorite childhood meal, an old friend, or a grandparent’s house, our neurons fire off a bunch of signals in the dopamine pathway. This positive feedback mechanism hints at what makes the gloriously ’90s-influenced guitar pop of Diva Sweetly so endearing. In the Living Room doesn’t shy away from life’s harshest realities. In fact, the record centers on the members’ growing pains over the past few years, but Diva Sweetly have become immensely comfortable with each other through their collective hardships, despite being split between two cities. The fact that the album was literally demoed in their parents’ living rooms is reflected in the brash, buoyant, hooky comfort food it serves up. “There was this indescribable feeling of love and friendship we felt recording this album that I imagined very clearly as a home within itself,� vocalist and synth player Karly Hartzman notes.

That mutual ease and love just ooze out of In the Living Room, a guaranteed sugar high for any grunge pop or synth rock fan.đ&#x;’Ł

Pessimists are formed, not born; it takes years of negative experiences to learn to expect the worst. Hope doesn’t just slip away; it gets sucked out of you over time. That existential despair informs the delightfully uplifting Nocebo, named for the flipside of the placebo effect. The term refers to the detrimental effects a negative expectation of treatment or prognosis can have on one’s health. If it sounds dire, it is, but Elizabeth Colour Wheel are a vessel of musical catharsis— think shoegaze influenced by black metal, ’90s noise rock, and an experimental refusal to sand off the sharp edges.

Nocebo is far from haphazard, but it leans into every sonic left turn with aplomb. “I believe will is more powerful than the strongest body in this world,â€? vocalist Lane Shi states. “Everyone’s mind works differently, even in this band. That’s why we need all these different options and different resources to aid us. This album is personally an unstoppable journey for philosophical exploration, as well as a way to reconcile ourselves within.â€? Despite Nocebo’s foundation of apparent hopelessness, there’s nothing but optimism for the collective creative will of Elizabeth Colour Wheel. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JKORN

GOOD SAINT NATHANAEL Kansas City, Missouri

Hide No Truth | Feb. 1 | High Endurance Records RIYL: Decision matrices. Healing. Revolutionary resolution.

Nate Allen certainly earns the crown for the most emotionally and spiritually devastating record in recent memory. Hide No Truth embodies the notion of a performer bearing their soul on record, and like the best of its kind, it miraculously straddles the line between too personal and too damn relatable. Even for those with no religious baggage, Good Saint Nathanael seeks a different path for anyone who refuses to abandon the lessons of their upbringing but can’t untangle them from past trauma. Sure, Hide No Truth is a spiritual journey, but it’s more about Allen chasing the best version of himself. He calls this the Third Path: “Often, people with complicated trauma, religious or otherwise, process life in two ways: they either completely reject the thing that hurt them—punks are especially good at this—or try to bury the pain, which I believe is a timebomb,â€? he says. “I believe there is a third option where past trauma can be worked out without having to completely reject all your foundational beliefs or the people you care about.â€? Hide No Truth promotes personal and spiritual healing that will appeal to anyone in need of forgiveness—especially from themself. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

JR SLAYER Los Angeles

You Found Me | Feb. 1 | Self-released RIYL: Creative explosions. Mercurial moods. Self-actualization.

When an artist is known for bands like The Blood Brothers and Head Wound City, there’s a certain expectation of a dense, aggressive sound. Cody Votolato’s first venture with solo act JR Slayer, 2017’s Time Out, Crystal Heart, felt like a bridge between that bombastic noise and something a little calmer and more measured, but You Found Me feels like the truest expression of Votolato’s creative whims—at least, for now. Like anyone, Votolato is inspired by different styles of music that can change at a moment’s notice. Humans are fickle, you know? The mesmerizing, stripped-down pop of You Found Me came from a true wellspring of inspiration; the songs literally came out of Votolato so quickly, he didn’t know what to do. “This album was a real first for me,â€? he notes. “I’ve never been a part of something like this. It’s the most visceral experience I’ve ever had. Each song just came easily and on their own.â€? While that urgency could spell doom for many, it resulted in a beautiful connective tissue on this lovely little record. There’s a freedom of expression here that captures something truly ineffable. đ&#x;’Ł

LOS HUAYCOS Oakland, California

Savage Monstrosities | Feb. 8 | Tankcrimes RIYL: Collages. PMA. Marching in the street, then grinding the curb.

Everything about Savage Monstrosities executes a perfect—if unexpected—balancing act. “I think we all try to embrace the dichotomy of chaotic noise and technical precision,â€? drummer Ryan Brundage says. “Thematically and lyrically, I feel that it’s similar as well, walking the line between light and dark.â€? He’s spot-on. Los Huaycos’ new record is steeped in a sort of florid psychedelic aggression, what Tankcrimes calls “Peruvian skate rock thrash,â€? like if The Mars Volta were more beer-soaked hardcore and a tad less hallucinogenic prog. Savage Monstrosities is an album imbued equally with the surreal and the somber: Los Huaycos are raging against the destruction of Earth and the devaluation of human and animal life, but the quartet—who include former members of Asmereir, Metamorphosis, and Experimental Dental School—never get bogged down in self-seriousness. These 11 tracks are protest music for people who care as much about having a good time in the pit as they do about ensuring that we stay alive long enough to keep enjoying each other and the world around us—hopefully without continuing to fuck it up. đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 11

PHOTO BY JAMIE ROBILLARD

PHOTO BY KEVIN GOSSETT

N0V3L Vancouver, British Columbia

OSSUARIUM Portland, Oregon

Any band who branch from Gang Of Four or DEVO’s sonic tree get an extra vote of confidence, but N0V3L offer up a different, more novel approach on their self-titled debut EP. Sure, the music has that perfect mix of shimmering guitars, dancefloor-ready percussion, and shouts of sadness—not to mention a saxa-ma-phone!—but there’s much more method to the madness here. Vocalist and guitarist Jon sums it up well, explaining, “As one objective, N0V3L hold up a mirror to the world. Sometimes, that may mean exploring sociopolitical topics and, at others, the intimate and personal.â€? The idea of post-punk bands exploring the political and personal is far from new, but the Canadian group’s progressive mindset and lyrical honesty give these eight songs a real humble, earnest nature that shines. Plus, NOV3L’s style is far from just post-punk: new wave, funk, disco, and shoegaze all coalesce to form a haunting background for their particular brand of smart musical mania.đ&#x;’Ł

Triumphant, elegiac, and beautifully horrifying, Living Tomb conjures up one of childhood’s most unexpectedly glorious sources of nightmare fuel: “Night on Bald Mountainâ€? from “Fantasia.â€? The classic animated tale of a demon calling hordes of the undead to take over a small town is the perfect accompaniment to what Ossuarium conjure on their exultant debut. Rife with mournful doom, progressive wistfulness, and the foulest death metal imaginable—oh, Dark Lord, that fucking tone slaps—Ossuarium’s sound is an ode to the dark side of life and the afterlife. There is a growing horde of death and doom bands, but few dare to balance pensive writing with this much fetid rottenness. Thematically, Living Tomb is even more thoughtful. “I try to focus on what’s more terrifying than death and gore to me,â€? drummer Ryan Koger states. “A lot of these themes are more real: social anxiety, the quest for enlightenment, temptation, and failure.â€? Of course, it’s all taken to a death metal extreme and filtered through 20 layers of dirt, so those who yearn for the best death-doom in recent memory should lend their undead ears to Ossuarium.đ&#x;’Ł

NOV3L | Feb. 15 | Flemish Eye Records RIYL: Funhouse mirrors. Dancing in the acid rain. Blunt personalities.

Living Tomb | Feb. 1 | 20 Buck Spin RIYL: Catacombs. Nightmare fuel. Disney’s horror collection.

PHOTO BY FLORIAN RENAULT

PULCHRA MORTE United States

Divina Autem Et Aniles | Feb. 1 | Ceremonial Records RIYL: Realism. Seeing the coffin as half full. Sympathy-crying.

There’s something so magical about how ’90s death and doom captured existential loneliness and longing in musical form. One need not be a sympathetic crier to appreciate the sound of grown adults getting teary-eyed as their guitars gently weep, and that aesthetic is expertly channeled by this new supergroup. Featuring members of Wolvhammer, Eulogy, and Withered, Pulchra Morte evoke an era when death and doom were the perfect expression of life and loss, but their first statement surpasses many of the old greats. Divina Autem Et Aniles was written during a period of immense loss and is imbued with a sense of great despair, but it stops short of languishing in pessimism. The band’s name translates to “beautiful death,â€? and vocalist Jason Barron says that is their mission statement. “I was trying to put a point across that there is plenty of beauty that comes with the agony that everyone suffers,â€? he explains. “I had a horrible year or two. At some point in time, you see light. The shit ends, a new path begins—but eventually, everything ends. Embrace that truth.â€? That lantern at the end of the dank tunnel forges a breathtaking musical path forward for Pulchra Morte.đ&#x;’Ł

12 NEW NOISE

QUENTIN SAUVÉ Laval, France

Whatever It Takes | Feb. 1 | Skeletal Lightning, Ideal Crash, Ugly And Proud, & I.Corrupt.Records RIYL: Affirming mantras. Reignited passions. Self-love.

Everyone feels wrecked at times, whether emotionally, creatively, or even personally. Some call it depression, but there are moments when life just feels—empty. How does one move past that to find inspiration and something resembling happiness? Quentin SauvĂŠ, best known as the bassist for French melodic hardcore juggernauts Birds In Row, felt all these things and more, especially after a severe bout of tinnitus. Whatever It Takes was his creative drug, so to speak, imbued with the sense of hope and fortitude that is infectious and addictive. At its core, the album is efficient acoustic indie folk, but one listen to SauvÊ’s emotional wrecking ball reveals a much deeper meaning. “There is hope, light, and love in this album,â€? he notes, “and that’s pretty new to me. I’m aware of my darkness now, and I’m taking the first step toward healing by writing it down. While I still have this in my heart, while I still have the passion, I have to find the strength to keep on doing it. I have to try to do whatever it takes; otherwise, I know I will always regret it.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY NICK HANCOCK

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA DAO

TOTALED The bowels of Hell

WANDER Oakland, California

NBC’s “The Good Placeâ€? has made philosophy cool again. The enigmatic band Totaled exist in an entirely different world: the Really Fucking Bad Place. Their brand of apocalyptic music mirrors their philosophy. Lament is dense and disturbing, the songs demented and tormented, yet there’s a thread of grit and a drive to embrace that gloom. “Happiness exists within the mind of the individual,â€? Totaled state. “The people this album is speaking to are those who dwell in hopeless darkness. Your darkness has the power to either destroy or move mountains for you. To harness your power, you have to seek answers from the shadows that haunt you. Show them respect and gratitude, and they will help you.â€? This exceptionally grim existentialism is married to the truly spectacular brand of blackened death metal Profound Lore seems particularly adept at finding, but Totaled offer up much more than a murky horror show. There’s a power and something adjacent to brightness in the melodic underpinning of Lament that is equally horrifying and beautiful—with arms open to the darkness, it creates a sort of light that permeates to great effect. đ&#x;’Ł

Post-rock—even the best of the best, and March certainly fits that bill—needs to carefully connect complex musical arrangements to tell a story without words. That emphasis on cinematic songwriting is why Wander’s eloquent instrumental style will win over fans interested in lush, life-affirming music. Immersed in a multilingual soundscape drawing from both the familiar and the bold—math rock, metal, shoegaze, and dreampop—March is a record brimming with nostalgia and hope. It’s also as dense and tasty as a layer cake, a delightful pun within a pun.

Drummer Ryan David Francisco explains, “March is about facing a difficult situation, overcoming it, and moving forward. March falls in the spring season; during this season, flowers bloom, which symbolizes renewal, rebirth, life. March 1 also happens to land on my birthday.â€? For those looking to explore new horizons in post-rock, ones that swell up and latch on for good, Wander breathe new life into an old staple.đ&#x;’Ł

Lament | March 29 | Profound Lore RIYL: Ugly beauty. Profound horror. Digging deeper.

March | March 1 | Headless Queen Records RIYL: Double entendre. Spring showers. Fortitude.

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

YERÛŠELEM France

The Sublime | Feb. 8 | Debemur Morti Productions RIYL: Subliminal messages. Surrealism. Ghosts.

YOUNG CULTURE Albany, New York

(this is) heaven | Jan. 18 | Equal Vision Records RIYL: Perseverance. Making lemons into lemonade. BeyoncÊ’s Lemonade.

Music often feels haunted, whether by personal demons or a sense of sonic terror. However, “That’s what this whole EP is about: taking a dark situation and turning it into something beaurarely does the songwriting itself feel possessed by an otherworldly entity. YERÛŠELEM, the new tiful,â€? Young Culture vocalist Alex Magnan shares. “These songs were written during arguably band from members of French black metal masterminds Blut Aus Nord, have developed a the most difficult year of my life, and songwriting is my therapy. (this is) heaven, because I was sound haunted by more ghosts than Hill House. “It’s all about feeling and intuition. We simply able to take these terrible things and turn them into my favorite thing we’ve ever done.â€? That have let the album whisper his own title, and The Sublime instantly became an obvious choice,â€? rousing mindset isn’t the only reason (this is) heaven will be one of the most joyous and buoyant vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Vindsval states. “It’s a pure relief to be guided by the magic of releases of the year, but Magnan’s inspirational and honest approach certainly elevated these inspiration without attempting to understand, without attempting to control everything. This five fantastic songs. Young Culture’s take on pop punk is also aspirational musically. Taking cues process is comfortable and surprising. It is as if music, words, and ideas came straight from from hip hop and pop, there’s a power in the dynamic songwriting that levels up in conjunction elsewhere for you. This is the essence of YERÛŠELEM.â€? Without hearing the music, one may doubt with Magnan’s surprisingly heavy tales of pushing through the darkness. Young Culture’s short, the veracity of his words, but The Sublime is drenched in texture and aura. This blend of atmo- heavenly EP does feel like a tease, but that purgatorial feeling makes the wait for an eventual spheric and industrial is absorbing, like looking into the face of a great-great grandparent long full-length that much more worthwhile.đ&#x;’Ł dead. The Sublime is also surprisingly uncanny fun—if you’re prepared for what lies beyond.đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 13

PANORAMA - OUT 3.22 LADISPUTE.ORG - EPITAPH.COM

BRICK BY BRICK

PHOTO BY JIM WERTMAN

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MIKE VALENTE BY HUTCH he blue-collar mentality and ethos of Brick By Brick is emblematic of their home, Troy, New York.

The city has bred its children hardened and determined. To deal and vent, the four members of Brick By Brick get together to construct some of the most brutal metal and hardcore. That DIY and egoless paradigm drives Brick By Brick through a scathing sixth album, Hive Mentality, out Feb. 22 through Upstate Records.

T

The band’s frontman, the formidable Ray Mazzola of Full Blown Chaos, attained the Brick By Brick mic in 2014. Releasing an album every two years since, their momentum seems to be building. Guitarist and founding member Mike Valente concedes, “Ray definitely fits the mold better. We have fun. The momentum is there because we enjoy hanging out with each other and writing tunes. We’ve made a lot of headway because we have a unit that is on the same page.�

Hive Mentality shows Brick By Brick at their peak with crisp musicianship and devastating riffs and breakdowns, always keeping a proper pace and a punishing tempo.

They take the working-class approach of

churning out belligerent music to vent their blatant ire for the nonsense in this world, but Hive Mentality embraces a family vibe that runs deeper thanks to the guest vocals.

The condemning title track features Jessica Pimentel of Alekhine’s Gun delivering a disdainful rant about the apathy festering in contemporary youth tethered to technology. Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain comes on to strengthen the vocal attack on an old one redone, “In the Ruins,� and, finally, there’s the magnificent collabo that is “Bar Is Open.� Tony Foresta of Municipal Waste and Iron Reagan arrives with his signature larynx to bless the party ode.

sociable anymore. Technology is the babysitMedia in Albany, New York. The mastering was done by heavy music guru Alan Douch- ter. There are experiences to have and be made. They are missing out on life lessons es of West West Side Music. Valente relays that you can’t learn from a smartphone.� his pleasure with Bourdeau’s work. “We “Tony was asked because the song was writ- were excited to work with Jason,� he says. ten based on my influence of Iron Reagan “He pushed us when we needed it and made No longer content to keep it Upstate, Brick and DRI at the time,� Valente explains. “I’ve suggestions. Ultimately, the mix was his baby, By Brick have plans to spread their sincerity known Tony for a few years, and we have and he definitely had input on the mastering and ferocity in 2019. Valente excitedly shares never played together, so now that he’s on side of things. He added that extra push that them, listing, “Well, Europe with Madball, Iron this album, we have a few shows with Iron Reagan, Death Before Dishonor, Born From was needed without being a dick about it.�

Reagan in Europe and in New York City in Pain, Slope, and Ironed Out: Rebellion Fest! the spring. It’s his style; it’s his song!�

Can’t wait! Trying for Japan and trying to not With all the technologies homogenizing get fired from my job. Also, we will be on Black American culture, it seems rather obvious To help Brick By Brick create this monstrous to what Hive Mentality’s title is referring. N’ Blue Bowl in May at Brooklyn Bazaar.â€? tribute to isolation and enmity, the cata- Valente’s optimism that coming generastrophic rage and fury was captured and tions will break this cycle is absent. “I think “Waiting for Slayer to ask us to come out with produced by Jason Bourdeau at Overit our future is fucked,â€? he states. “Kids are not them too!â€? he laughs. “I wish‌â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

BLOODSHOT BILL INTERVIEW BY J POET

loodshot Bill is always on the move.

fun, so I played a show, and that was fun. It’s still fun, so I keep on doing it.�

Since launching his career as a one-man band 20 years ago, he’s put out more than 35 LPs, EPs, and singles. His untamed take on rockabilly—a sound he describes as “wild, greasy, hillbilly music�—has made him a headliner in his native Canada and throughout Europe. With his slicked-back hair, vintage wardrobe, and vocals that combine growls, yelps, hiccups, and a keening falsetto, he sounds like he just stepped into the present from the Sun Records studio in 1957.

In the studio, Bill is just as uncontained as he is onstage. The music on Come Get Your Love Right Now comes at the listener like an avalanche, an irresistible wave of guitars, vocals, and percussion that impresses with its energy. While his sound echoes the primal sound of early rock, Bill says he doesn’t put much conscious thought into his style or singing.

B

His new album, Come Get Your Love Right Now, will be released on Goner Records on Feb. 15 and will introduce him to American listeners.

Until recently, Bill’s played more than 250 gigs a year. He’s only slowing down now to spend more time with his wife and children. “I play for a living, so I’m out there working constantly,â€? he says from his home in MontrĂŠal. “I just don’t hop in the car for three months at a time anymore. I like to be with my kids as much as I can, but I still drive when I have to, and fly if it’s too far to drive.â€?

Bill played in bands as a teenager, first on drums before moving over quickly to guitar.

Then, inspiration struck. “I had drums, guitars, amps, and microphones laying around my basement. One day, I sat down and tried being a one-man band,� he says. “It was

16 NEW NOISE

“I try to capture the sound of my favorite albums,� he says. “Nothing bores me more than super clean records, where you can hear every little noise separately in its own compartment, like it was recorded in a freakin’ hospital. I like it when things bleed together. I love rockabilly because it’s really exciting music with a lotta different moods. To me, it’s the best music ever. It’s probably bigger up here in Canada than it is currently in Memphis. It’s still underground, but almost every town has some kinda small scene going.�

Recording at home, on his own, has allowed Bill to put out his music on his own schedule. “Whenever I get a song, I record it right away,â€? he says. “They add up! I will usually write and arrange it all at once in my head, then record it ASAP. I don’t sit around with a pad and paper all day, but it’s the kinda thing that doesn’t really shut off. You can get something in your head at any time, day or night.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER THOMPSON

N

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST BRETT BOLAND BY BRIAN O’NEILL

obody could accuse Astronoid of hiding their true intentions.

As if their atmospheric inclinations were not obvious enough with three guitars shimmering like light through wispy summer clouds and breathy harmonies, there is the name of the band’s debut album, Air, which spelled it all out in three simple letters.

The 2016 release became an underground classic. This critical reception led to high-profile opening slots with the likes of Ghost Bath, Zeal & Ardor, and Periphery and Animals As Leaders, as well as a run of northeastern theaters with Ghost.

Most bands won’t admit to feeling pressure when following up a breakthrough album. Astronoid not only admit it, they used it to their benefit. “The whole album

outdo Air in every way. What that meant to me was writing more complicated riffs and faster drum parts and just being ballsto-the-wall.�

The album’s lead single, “I Dream in Lines,� is complemented by a video that takes the same influences visually. “It’s Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ video if David Lynch did it,� Boland chortles. “I think that, with Air, people may have missed the cool little progressive things that we were doing because it was going by so fast,� he continues. “I don’t think that this record is slow, but it has no blast beats. When I was writing these songs, I wanted the vocals to be the primary thing. Having that more progressive nature was something I could pull from to make the music more interesting while wrapping it around the vocals.�

“It was very strange,� vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter Brett Boland remembers. “I think people really latched onto the emotional elements of it. We felt like we were doing something special, but when that was reflected back by the community, it was really cool.�

Boland calls their sound “Dream Thrash,� a perfect description for the furiously empyrean soundscapes the New England band create. It’s difficult to catalog the sound without invoking the same characteristics used by the likes of My Bloody Valentine and older psychedelia, though these were never an inspiration. “I didn’t hear My Bloody Valentine until after our first EP, [November, in 2012],�

Boland sheepishly concedes. “I didn’t even know what shoegaze was! I think it’s the ethereal aspect that we’re drawing from, bands like Slowdive who have a reverb-y, radiating atmosphere that I like. When I listen to older music, I never got into the psychedelic stuff.�

oxymoronic even, but it’s exactly what Boland was going for. “I would say the stuff I listened to most leading up to this album was tons of old Genesis and Peter Gabriel,� he explains. “He’s a fun one; he does tons of weird shit while still having catchy, memorable songs.�

PHOTO BY ALYSON COLETTA

is pretty much about the pressure of writing the album,� Boland says of their self-titled sophomore release. “I was trying to write stuff that was better and faster and cooler than Air; I wanted to

Astronoid—released Feb. 1 via Blood Music—embraces the progressive elements of the band while simultaneously feeling more stripped-down and accessible.

This may seem contradictory,

Guitarist Mike DeMellia amicably left Astronoid after recording the album, leaving Boland, guitarist Casey Aylward, bassist Daniel Schwartz, and drummer Matt St. Jean to soldier on as a four-piece. There is no plan to replace him. “It’s a challenge we’re up for,� the vocalist says. “I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat in terms of our live show. We didn’t really want to replace him just because we don’t want to put anyone new into what we have.

We have a great dynamic, and none of us want to ruin it.�

Based on how Astronoid keep rising to every challenge, that doesn’t even seem possible. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 17

CRIMINAL HYGIENE

PHOTO BY CARA ROBBINS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST MICHAEL FIORE BY J POET

lthough they’ve known each other Heroinâ€? and “Young & Obsceneâ€? is a solid for decades, the three members of slice of R&B. Criminal Hygiene didn’t start playing music together until 2013. “We’ve been “Reggae is my guilty pleasure. I listen to a lot on and off the road for what seems like a of reggae and reggae-influenced bands, so long time,â€? vocalist and guitarist Michael â€˜â€ŚHeroin’ may be a little nod to The Clash,â€?

Fiore says, stopping off at a bar in Los Angeles Fiore says. “I wrote ‘Young & Obscene’ in on his way home from delivering pizzas all day. high school and made seven or eight demos “No, I’m not a millionaire musician,� he adds of it over the years. While I was writing, I was with a laugh. “I’ve been trying to get home for thinking about a Faces-style band, with Rod a while, but traffic is backed up to a standstill.� Stewart singing it. I still want him to do a version of it—it might be better than ours—but I The band’s second album, Run It Again, is still haven’t met him.� a 10-track blast of pure rock ’n’ roll energy.

It will be released by Dangerbird Records “[Bassist] Michael [Hiller] and I have been on March 1 and should cement the band’s writing for years, so you can trace the songs reputation for sharp songwriting and on the album back for years, while some smoking musicianship. “We did all the basic are newer,� he adds. “We just recorded a rhythm tracks live: guitar, bass, and drums in grab bag of the best songs we had. The 10 one room, with a scratch vocal,� Fiore tracks on the record are picked from 21 or explains. “Our live shows are still a little 22 tracks we recorded, and I don’t know how bit reckless at times, and we wanted to many demos.� capture that in the studio.� “Alex Newport had a big impact on the sound Despite all the skate punk and gutter punk of the album,� Fiore says of their producer, tags that have been hung on the band, who has worked with acts such as Death Criminal Hygiene’s music is straightfor- Cab For Cutie, Frank Turner, and Bloc Party. ward rock, though hints of reggae show up “He’d listen to a track and say, ‘It’s good, but in the arrangement of “Private Screening what can you do to make it great?’ That

A

made all the difference. He encouraged us to try a few things—some mandolin and keyboards, 100 different guitar pedals for different effects, and a lot more tinkering with the tones, tempo, and structure. We’d mapped out what tempo we’d play the songs in, but he’d suggest slowing something down just a little bit. I never thought one less BPM could make such a difference, but it did.�

Run It Again is a bit longer than the band’s 17-song self-titled debut from 2013 and a lot more focused. “The first one was done fast, no editing, maybe two takes on each song,�

Fiore recalls. “We did more takes this time and picked the best ones. Instead of being in a garage with whiskey, 12-packs, and

cigarettes, we were in a studio with a real producer. We consciously wanted to cut out a bit of the fat and up the energy.�

As soon as the album is released, Criminal Hygiene are going to quit their day jobs and start touring. “I can’t say too much about that right now,â€? Fiore concludes. “A lot of people are working on making that happen, but we should hit the road sometime in March. We like the rowdy energy of a live show. Sometimes we blow it, and sometimes we play our best shows in some little town, with a small audience. Every night’s different, and that’s what keeps it interesting. I don’t want to be a puppet playing the same fucking show over and over.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

DEAD WITCHES INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER/DRUMMER MARK GREENING BY HUTCH Studios in Greening’s childhood home of Dorset—the same studio that birthed several monumental albums by Electric Wizard.

PHOTO BY VIKI CRANDON

hose familiar with Mark Greening’s rĂŠsumÊ—banging drums during the formative and defining years of Electric Wizard, Ramesses, and With The Dead—might associate him with a vision of typical doom metal occult and horror imagery. But those expecting the mise-en-scène of Greening emerging from an ocean of nude, gyrating bodies adjacent to a Marshall stack supplying a nefarious soundtrack, while summoning dark forces from the ninth circle of Hell, will be disappointed. Instead, Greening recounts his activities in an exhausted voice, “I’m just sort of chilling out. Just been at work, just got home—just chilling out. Not really doing much. Usual sort of

T

18 NEW NOISE

thing. Everyday sort of life.�

He catches himself and laughs, “Nothing very rock ’n’ roll, really. Not a great deal.

No wild parties or orgies. Just chilling out.�

Greening resigns, comfortably, to the solace of human reality: no one can go back in time. More importantly, he doesn’t want to go back. He isn’t trying to rehash anything or pander to nostalgia with his return to Chuckalumba. He simply wants the best sound for Dead Witches. “The intention to go there is to achieve a sound, not to recreate or exceed other things I have done,� he confirms. “At the end of the day, I am just doing what I do, what I want to do, what I want to create, and it’s nice to see John. Sometimes, it’s worrying, but you have just put yourself in the now and continue what you’re there to do. The past is in the past.�

lineup, with Oliver and Soozi, everyone was more involved in the songwriting, and we wrote everything together, all of us putting our ideas into it. Soozi and Oliver have become a big part of the band.�

The new incarnation of Dead Witches, resurrected and emboldened, having manifested a devastating record, are poised to impress fans. Greening hasn’t cemented too many plans, wanting to test people’s reactions. “There are no plans to take over the world,� he says, “just see where the new album will take us—where the band will lead us to.�

However, plans do include a third album, as a new song has already been written, and the band feel relief in finally gaining some momentum. “Obviously, after the first album came out, it was a nightmare with what happened to Greg. It was probably gonna be that the band was over,�

Greening says, giving full credit to Hill’s enthusiasm and the addition of Chameleone. “Now, we’ve got a full structure, already writing new material. We definitely want to do a third album, see where this album will take us.�

Conversely, the songwriting experience was fresh, bathed in the new dynamic From his home in the coastal English town of Bournemouth, Greening’s talk of work, of two recent recruits: guitarist Oliver drinking, hangovers, sore throats, and “Irongiant� Hill, who replaced the late Greg Elk in 2017, and vocalist Soozi Chamore drinking creates a natural, relaxed meleone, who replaced original vocalist atmosphere. The mundane vibe belies Virginia Monti, rounding out the lineup the tenacity and bite of the impending release of Dead Witches’ sophomore LP, of Greening, Hill, and bassist Carl Geary.

Greening felt rushed with Dead Witches’ The Last Exorcism, via Heavy Psych Sounds first LP, 2017’s Ouija, and was determined “Hopefully, once the album comes out, we on Feb. 22, exactly six months after their can get off of our asses and play some not to repeat that mistake. “This is more first day in the studio. The recording was good shows,â€? Greening quips.đ&#x;’Ł thought-out,â€? he says. “With the new done with John Stephens at Chuckalumba

THE END OF THE OCEAN INTERVIEW WITH TARA MAYER AND TRISH CHISHOLM

BY JOSHUA MARANHAS all me Tara. Like Ishmael, the narrator in Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick,� Tara Mayer has a story to tell.

C

Columbus, Ohio’s The End Of The Ocean were met with high expectations after a strong full-length release, 2011’s Pacific•Atlantic, followed by an equally touted EP, 2012’s In Excelsis. They continued to tour, but personal turmoil and musical differences began creeping in, hindering their abilities to write and make new music. According to a band statement, “Things fell apart.â€?

After all their promise got caught in the wind, which never made it to their sails, the high expectations drifted away, but they’ve battled back.

They’ve battled back big. The End Of The Ocean take a new musical expedition on -aire, out Jan. 18 on Equal Vision Records.

Mayer, the band’s keyboardist, elaborates on the process of bringing the ship back from the abyss. “When we did our first full-length, Pacific•Atlantic, we definitely had all the songs laid out and ready to go,â€? she says. “We definitely knew the order we wanted them in, but it wasn’t until we were in the studio that we decided any kind of theme. It went toward a nautical concept.

We’re more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-yourpants kind of band. We tried in the past to be extremely intentional with the writing process and naming the songs; it just doesn’t work with our personalities. We just let the spirit of what we create tell us what it wants to be and what it wants to say. I’m huge believer that there’s a lot of stuff going on in our subconscious constantly. Whenever a song comes together and it’s not what we expected but we’re really proud of it, I think it’s just coming from these little fingerprints of our experiences. It just gets turned into music naturally.�

Mayer joined the band in time to record Pacific•Atlantic back in 2011, but when The End Of The Ocean set sail “On the Long Road Homeâ€?—the opening track from Pacific•Atlantic— did she know that it was the beginning of a great voyage through time, mind, and spirit? Probably not. Now, the band have begun to shed the nautical theme and leave the music more open to interpretation.

Guitarist Trish Chisholm says -aire is both chill and super intense, full of both anger and hopefulness. “I don’t think there’s a set emotion,� Chisholm says. “It just really depends on what we were feeling in the moment—at least, for me, when I write. I think it’s cool, because we let people feel what

PHOTO BY BEE GATS

they want to feel. I play a song, and I feel different each time. I think it’s cool because we don’t have lyrics, [so] people can just take it as it is.�

Unlike Captain Ahab who lost his ship and his life to the whale, to the sea, The End Of The Ocean didn’t fall victim to their inner turmoil. The newly-formed lineup, with the addition of Chisholm on the latest album, are a well-oiled machine. Make no mistake: As a band, The End Of The Ocean have been out to sea in a flood of emotions, but they returned with a tighter-running ship. They survived the great white whale of life’s challenges.

Recorded with producer Mike Watts at VuDu Studios in Port Jefferson, New York, -aire pulled the best out of The End Of The Ocean and got them back to port after nearly seven years. “I don’t know if we fully felt the catharsis of the music while we were writing and recording it. I think it’s been the few “It’s still a process,â€? Mayer says. “I feel that way about our old songs too. I remember times we’ve been able to play the new songs live that we find the real catharsis,â€? what was going on when we wrote this and how I felt at different times playing it. It’s a Mayer says. “Being able to listen to it living, breathing thing. It’s definitely still a and perform it and practice it, that’s the process.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł real healing right there.â€?

NEW NOISE

19

MIKE KROL INTERVIEW BY J POET

ike Krol is driving home from work.

While he navigates the rush-hour traffic of Los Angeles, he considers his place in the rock ’n’ roll continuum.

M

myself, my friends, and family this is what I was going to be doing now. Of all the aspiring musicians I know, I was the first one to be picked up, so I couldn’t let them down. That changed my mind about how I approached this record. I learned a lot, and I’m more positive and optimistic now, because I know what to expect. I think this record is better and has more to offer people.�

“When I finished the tour I did to support my last album, [Turkey, in 2015], I didn’t have a place to live. I was kinda broke, and I’d ended The album in question is Krol’s fourth full-length, a relationship,â€? Krol says. “I thought I’d be a Power Chords, released by Merge on Jan. 25. It full-time musician and touring and making lives up to its title with 11 tracks full of aggressive records would be my job. ‘Everyone will buy the record, and things are going to be great.’ punk riffing and confessional lyrics. The outstanding melodies imbed themselves in your I was a bit naĂŻve. It made me stop and think brain after a single listen, the way all good pop that maybe tryna be a rock star isn’t what I tunes should. Krol’s vocals are just as compelwant to do. Maybe I shouldn’t have pursued ling, although they’re inaudible at times. this so hard. I don’t know why, but I thought that a 16-minute-long album of short songs by a guy no one had ever heard of would “I’ve always been a little unsure of my voice,â€? Krol catch on quicker. It did the best it could have, explains. “I’m not a trained singer; my vocals are just part of the songwriting process. At the but I didn’t know how the industry works. Dues beginning, I was making home recordings still had to be paid, and I’d have to play a lot and didn’t know what I was doing. I’d distort of shows and win fans slowly.â€? my vocals to make them cooler or hide them so you can’t tell I’m singing out of key. After the “I never considered stopping, because I’d first two albums, [2011’s] I Hate Jazz and [2013’s] made such a public statement about the record label of my dreams, [Merge Records], Trust Fund, it became my sound. It seemed right to me, so I kept using that technique. It helps the putting out the album,â€? he continues. “I’d told

rowing up in the ’70s, listening to the likes of The Stooges and Ramones, helped elevate one former outcast to the musician he is today.

G

Dan O’Mahony and the rest of Shiners Club have been hardcore punk rock fans since they were young. The band consist of O’Mahony on lead vocals, John Coyle on guitar, Colin Buis on bass, and Doug MacKinnon on drums. Throughout the years, the members played in other punk bands such as No For An Answer, Outspoken, Slapshot, and Mean Season.

PHOTO BY BRIAN GUIDO

music jell and adds to the effect of the lyrics. If I recorded the vocals up front, like a singer-songwriter, I don’t think it would work as well.�

Krol cut most of Power Chords at Quad Studios in Nashville with producer Mike McCarthy, known for his work with Spoon and ‌And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. He played the drums and almost all of the guitar parts, then invited a few friends—including bassist and guitarist Sean Lango, vocalist Allison Crutchfield, guitarist and Farfisa player Elliott Kozel, and guitarist John Schmersal—to help tweak the arrangements, slowly adding vocals over a two-year period. “I wanted the sounds to be bigger but maintain the lo-fi energy and

SHINERS CLUB INTERVIEW WITH DAN O’MAHONY

BY NATALYA DAOUD

Shiners Club formed in Southern California in the middle of 2017. “As soon as we got the first practice together and the four guys together, we kind of felt like we had some lightning in the bottle, and we just ran with it,� O’Mahony says.

20 NEW NOISE

Onstage, Krol captures the album’s intense energy with the help of his band. “When I tour, all I do is sing. I have two guitars, a bass player, and drummer,â€? he says. “I never had to play guitar and sing at the same time when I was doing home recording, so I never learned how to do it. Playing and singing at the same time doesn’t click, which is unusual. I started as a drummer, and my hands and feet can do a lot of different things at the same time, but not when I’m playing live.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł our instruments—from the moment you drop the needle, I feel like you’re involved in the record.â€?

Shiners Club infuse emotion and soul-captivating instrumentals into the album. “Immediate� is the word that O’Mahony uses to describe their sound.

While recording, Shiners Club quickly laid down song after song. Can’t Have Nice Things was recorded in three sessions within one year. “We work at an incredibly fast pace, and I don’t know how to reconcile that,� O’Mahony says. “We take time off, then we sit down and bam, we grind out five or six new ones right off the bat. Then, we take some more time off, we come back and do it again.�

They are working on another album that will most likely be titled Wires in the Ladder, O’Mahony says, but they do not know what label it will be released on. The band already have three of those songs done, four ready to be released, and two they are finishing up. There is no word on a release date.

Their first LP, Can’t Have Nice Things, came out in December 2018 through Indecision Records and illustrates a heavier and more in-depth side of the band’s members. “I think if it sounded like any of our other bands, it wouldn’t last,� O’Mahony says. “I don’t think we’d be doing it.�

Now that they are older and the music industry has changed, the members wanted a new musical approach. “I got to a point in life where enough was wrong and there was enough difficulty or enough black behind the eye sockets that singing about anything other than that, doing anything other than PHOTO BY GREG JACOBS turning the dial on that, would have been false. It wouldn’t have been genuine,�

O’Mahony says. “So, it was time to scream Can’t Have Nice Things demonstrates that. rather than yell, if that makes any sense.� “The record isn’t a thing that sits there and

technique,� he notes. “It took a while, and the lyrics come a lot slower than the music. That’s the hardest part for me. I can write riffs all day, but it takes a long time to get the words together.�

gains speed,� O’Mahony explains. “It may start with a slower song, but the effect of

In the meantime, Shiners Club will be touring in Southern California, and they plan to perform in Cuba sometime in 2019. “Everybody has sort of raised their game to the next level in this band. Like, what I expected out of putting these four guys together and what I’ve got are two very different things,â€? O’Mahony says. “I mean, I feel like it’s the most interesting band I’ve ever been in, and I don’t know that I thought that the day of the first phone call.â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

DOWNFALL OF GAIA INTERVIEW WITH FRONTMAN DOMINIK GONCALVESÂ DOS REIS BY THOMAS PIZZOLA

e all have a limited number of again extended their sonic palette, building years on this planet. As we age, on their core black metal sound with prowe learn that our time is short gressive elements. The songs take the listener and we better make the most of it. German on an emotional journey. Moments of utter progressive black metallers Downfall Of Gaia savagery are followed by moments of utter take on the question of mortality on their fifth beauty. This is essential to their songcraft. album, Ethic of Radical Finitude, out Feb. 8 through Metal Blade Records. The band have “I think it’s absolutely necessary to have all never been ones to shy away from tackling of these ups and downs included if it’s not a big issues, and with this album, they get right classic three- or four-minute song, otherwise to the heart of the matter. you are in danger of just repeating yourself for 10 minutes, which may get a bit boring at “Ethic [of Radical Finitude] is telling a story some point,� Goncalves dos Reis says. “I know about discontented minds and the nev- there are also people who are into this, but rest of the band’s members live in Germany. to make it to the U.S. this time around too. er-ending pursuit for more,� vocalist and gui- it’s definitely nothing that would be satisfying tarist Dominik Goncalves dos Reis says. “The for anyone from the four of us. Overall, it’s a “We wanted to record in the studios of our “We really would love to tour the States again in fall or winter 2019, but so far, nothing is choice, studios that would work out the best time we have is limited, limited by death, but completely different intensity, and I would say confirmed,� Goncalves dos Reis says. “We are for the overall sound,� Goncalves dos Reis even if death itself has a bad reputation, it’s that songs like these are more like a journey trying, but unfortunately, it became pretty explains. “So, Mike recorded drums in New the only thing that makes the time you have with different stops on your way. I guess you tough for a band of our size to tour North Jersey, while the rest of us were doing their worthy, since without it, everything would be can’t have one without the other.� stuff in Berlin. This worked out pretty good. America. Fingers crossed!� forever and absolutely nothing would have any value. No one would try to use their given The band also enlisted a bevy of guest per- For mix and master, we had the pleasure to Ethic of Radical Finitude is another giant step time; no one would ever be on the hunt formers to help them enhance their vision, work together with V. Santura of Triptykon forward for a band who have constantly [and] Dark Fortress, which was an awesome for their special place. It simply would be including former guitarist Peter Wolff, former pushed themselves to explore new dimenmeaningless.� drummer Johannes Stoltenburg, Nikita Kam- experience since his work gave the overall sions in their overall sound. The album’s sound a whole new dynamic. It was exactly prad of Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and Kadnar’s ambitious sonic footprint matches its weighty what we were looking for!�

In order to meet the demands of their weighty Black Table bandmate Mers Sumida. subject matter. It’s quite the journey—one subject matter, the band—who also include that makes great use of the listener’s finite Downfall Of Gaia plan to stay busy touring guitarist Marco Mazzola, bassist Anton Lisovoj, Downfall Of Gaia are a truly international time on this planet.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł Europe after the album’s release and hope and drummer Michael Kadnar—have once band. Kadnar lives in New York City, while the

W

WHILE SHE SLEEPS INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST AARAN MCKENZIE

BY CALEB R NEWTON

e’ve all heard the saying, “Nothing is as it seems�—but that’s where life gets enriching. British heavy band While She Sleeps prove as much on their newest album, So What?, which will be released March 1 on Spinefarm Records and subtly but substantively subverts expectations of what a band with their background sound like. The high-profile outfit didn’t consciously abandon their metalcore roots, they simply followed the path life took them on, thereby maintaining the meaningful core of their music while presenting fresh material packed with fitting new dynamics.

W

“We love heavy music, and While She Sleeps will never stray from that,� bassist Aaran McKenzie asserts. “Being onstage is as much a stress reliever to us as yoga is to a guru. This is what we live for. This is our passion. As we release our fourth full-length, we can’t wait to break more boundaries and start to make bigger waves than ever before.�

Still, times change. “Not confining ourselves to particular styles from the early days has led us to be able to open new doors with each release without it ever sounding like a radical change,� McKenzie notes.

Our lives get formed on the jagged edges between where we have been and where

we’re going—and a fan of conscious heavy music like While She Sleeps’ shouldn’t be too surprised to find that reflected in the band’s music. “This was the toughest record we’ve made because of circumstances surrounding us as people at the time,� McKenzie explains, “but we have learned that adversity can create strength, and I think this album is a result of that. As the saying goes, ‘Pain can be a catalyst for great art,’ and that was quite the case with us.�

Rather than seeking to monetize that pain, While She Sleeps simply continue to find that, on their own journey toward honesty with themselves and the world around them, they find others working toward the same goal. “We obviously believe it’s our best work yet, because if it wasn’t, then we are doing something wrong. But we have been through every step of its creation, so we are in a little too deep to truly not give a biased viewpoint,�

McKenzie notes of So What? “I think the only way to gain some fresh perspective on it is to hear the feedback from the fans and almost hear it through their viewpoint. To be honest, that’s the part of this journey we look forward to the most.�

book by its cover,’ that there’s so much more entire ethos and relationship we have with within than meets the eye,â€? McKenzie explains. our fans,â€? McKenzie adds, speaking on behalf of himself and his bandmates, vocalist Law- “It’s the music that’s the most important thing and how it makes people feel. The rest is just rence “Lozâ€? Taylor, guitarists Sean Long and smoke and mirrors. We feel this message can Mat Welsh, and drummer Adam Savage. also resonate on a basic human level. Don’t judge anyone by how they present themTogether, they’ve brought their multilayered catalysts to life via their latest music’s presen- selves to you, for deep within them, they are “We have been lucky enough to gain a follow- tation—even down to the album title, So What?, wildly complex and beautiful.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł which serves as something of a rallying cry. ing by simply being true to ourselves, and I think that honesty resonates throughout the “It’s basically our own term for ‘don’t judge a

NEW NOISE

21

ROSETTA INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MATTHEW WEED

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

nown for their combination of drone, acoustic ambiance, and an entire symphony of sounds, Philadelphia’s Rosetta are preparing to unleash the 12� vinyl version of their new EP, Sower of Wind, on Feb. 22 via Pelagic Records.

K

Describing themselves as the perfect band for fans of Godflesh, Isis, and Russian Circles, Rosetta really hit the nail on the head with these comparisons. Although there are definitely some elements of the dark and the industrial, they mostly paint a musical soundscape.

that for a long time. We flirted with it on a few occasions, like the film score we did [for Justin Jackson’s documentary ‘Rosetta: Audio/Visual’] in 2015, but never got this far from our original sound.�

mapped to seasons or, equally, to cardinal directions, times of day, or stages of life.

There are many four-part cycles in nature, almost everywhere you look. We wanted to abstract away from the more convoluted arc of the previous record and structure this one in a more elemental way, just like the sounds in it.�

As an instrumental record, rather than lyrical themes, the EP offers emotional themes as the listener traverses through the music. “It doesn’t have super-specific themes, more just general moods of contemplation,

disquiet, hope, and perseverance,� Weed says. “There’s the cyclic element too, which can be an existential sense of nothing being new but also a positive sense where death is connected to rebirth. We wanted it to sound minimal but not blank, dark but not nihilistic.

I think it ultimately has a hopeful feeling to it.

I’d want people to have a thoughtful, meditative experience and come away feeling restored by having spent time with it.�

Check out Sower of Wind for some instrumental, minimalistic, brooding goodness, and look out for Rosetta on tour in South America in March. đ&#x;’Ł

The band have always focused on a simple, minimalistic, industrial-drone sound, but never have they engaged in such an experiment as Sower of Wind. By cutting out vocals and drums, they were able to highlight new elements in their music.

Although they kept some components from their previous records, they were also able to focus more on the mood of the music. “In some ways, Sower of Wind was inspired by the previous album, [2017’s] Utopioid,� Similar to their last album, the EP was intentionally broken into several different guitarist Matthew Weed says. “It shares a similar, four-part cyclic structure, and sections, each with a specific theme: “East,� some of the soundscapes were built on “South,� “West,� and “North.� This time, howlittle details from inside the Utopioid tracks. ever, they simplified things.

It sounds wildly different, though, being a no-drums [and] no-vocals drone record. “It’s much like the Utopioid structure,� Weed We had wanted to do something weird like explains. “Each of the four parts could be

HISS FROM THE MOAT INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER JAMES PAYNE BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

t has been years since Italian blackened death metal greats Hiss From The Moat released a record.

Now, they are back and bolder than ever with The Harrier, out Feb. 22 on M-Theory Audio. Founded by drummer James Payne, formerly of Vital Remains and Hour Of Penance, Hiss From The Moat are a classic group who didn’t put out enough music, and this new record is a long time coming.

I

“The band had quite a few stops in the last years, mainly because of the difficulty of

finding the right final member to complete to write the new album. This process took a the band and the commitments some of us while to happen.� had going on—like, for instance, [bassist] Carlo [Cremascoli] with Tasters or me with The new record takes things in a new Hour Of Penance first and Vital Remains af- direction compared to 2013’s Misanthropy. ter,� Payne explains. “At one point, I felt like I “We started from the rhythmical sessions to really wanted to invest my time and energy give the dynamics of each song and of the in something that was artistically mine and whole album, then worked on the notes of that I could design with the musicians I’ve each riff in order to keep our personality always had the best feeling playing with, and sound in the music but also have a lot which were Hiss From The Moat, so I decid- more choices in writing the songs,� Payne ed to quit playing for other bands, and me says. “I think this album is an evolution and [guitarist Giacomo] ‘Jack’ [Poli] started of Misanthropy with more variations and consciousness in writing the songs without losing the band’s personality. Definitely a PHOTO BY IZCHEZ VOMUTE more mature album than the previous one.�

Hiss From The Moat recorded The Harrier at SPVN Studio in Milan with Stefano Santi, a producer Payne knows from touring with Vital Remains in support of Belphegor. Santi was the sound engineer on that tour, and Payne realized he had the right ear for the sound the band wanted to capture. “We didn’t want to have one of those super-edited and plastic productions that are very popular in metal bands nowadays,� he explains. “We wanted to keep a more natural sound and not cut our natural expression and energy of the recording performances, and Stefano is a great person to work with because he puts himself in the band’s shoes and tries to get the best out of what they want, and that’s what happened. We spent a lot of

22 NEW NOISE

time tuning the drums, finding the right sounds for the bass and guitars, and edited our performance as little as possible. We didn’t want to sound like perfect robots, and I think the result is great, because you can listen to the album, but you can also feel it.�

The album’s lyrical themes are very relevant for 2019, focusing on the dangers of control and blindly following a leader. “The lyrics are a mix of extracts from sacred texts compared to political themes that show how some of these religions have basically used the same way of controlling people as Nazism or other forms of dictatorship did,�

Payne says. “It’s a pretty strong message, but it’s meant to make people realize that what, on one side, has been taught as the right, moral thing to follow has used the same strategies as any form of dictatorship.

Of course, we are completely against both forms of control. We do not support political ideas or forms of religion based on fear; we just want to put out there exactly how it’s been written and how fucked things are.�

Strong political messages and brutal reality aside, Hiss From The Moat are happy that they were able to create something to be proud of after their long absence.

Payne is excited “to have finally created something personal that gave us the chance to express ourselves after many years. The feeling of hearing the final product of a bunch of ideas and energy that we had to deliver is the greatest thing of all when you create art, I think. We can’t wait to support the release with live shows to bring our message in front of as many people as possible. We have a lot to share, and hopefully, people will feel like part of what we are creating.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

A PALE HORSE NAMED death

Digging Into the Darkness To Find the Light PHOTO BY SANDI RYAN GOLIGHTLY

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST SAL ABRUSCATO BY NICHOLAS SENIOR ocalist and guitarist Sal Abruscato is no stranger to dark, resonant rock.

His time spent drumming in gothic metal mainstays Type O Negative and Life Of Agony cemented his ability to craft sonic and thematic darkness. His latest venture, A Pale Horse Named Death, only elevates the melodrama. Both in their sound and what they say, the New York City band highlight human struggle through some of the most impassioned hard rock since Alice In Chains.

V

When the World Becomes Undone, released Jan. 18 via Long Branch Records, is the group’s third release and their most empowered yet. It’s equal parts haunting and hopeful, and there’s a sense of frustration in humanity’s inability to avoid falling into the same traps again and again.

Yet, through the deepest darkness, Abruscato aims to elevate his listeners to a better place.

Fans often forget that there are people behind the music they love, and it sounds like a lot of life happened to Abruscato in the five years between 2013’s Lay My Soul To Waste and When the World Becomes Undone. “I think you need to let life happen to write a great record, and certainly, I

had a lot of rough things happen in life and with my family,� Abruscato explains. “I think that obviously gets put into the music, and it becomes striking and affects people deeply. I have three kids and a special needs daughter, and things are complicated. [My daughter] had surgery again right after Christmas, corneal transplants for a second time. She’s in a wheelchair. We’re definitely strong parents; we don’t cry or look for sympathy from anyone. We just have a complicated schedule, and we make it work because we love our kids. I have no regrets taking so long, because it allowed me to focus on my family, and it poured into the record.�

to invoke that painful feeling for my wife, my daughter, and myself, [but] the phrase can have a bigger meaning about the world around us or something more personal. You don’t have to know that story to feel connected to the lyrics.�

I have a hard time, I suppress a lot of stuff, and then explode.�

The reason classics endure is that the same verse or four-stanza poem can mean something completely different to each individual; art often speaks to the heart and soul rather than to the brain. Every spin of this record unravels something new and unexpected, like a musical onion—which, appropriately, will inspire a few tears when listeners cut into it.

A person alone with their thoughts can be a dangerous thing, as Abruscato notes. It’s important to dig into the darkness to find that light. “This is therapy for me too,� he states. “[Depression is] a lifetime battle for many people, myself included. I don’t claim to be Dr. Phil, but I know that dark spot in the mind; it’s an ugly place, and you have to try to avoid that pitfall in the mind, what it can do to you and where it can take you. The mind is very powerful. You have to talk about it and get it out there as a form of therapy.�

There’s a lot of great subtext on “We don’t want you to hear it once the album. Abruscato’s thematic and hear it all,â€? Abruscato says. “I density is renowned, and this record want to pull you back in and pull you takes that to a different, special into the darkest corners of your mind. level. “It’s a very personal record,â€? That’s what can help people heal or he mentions, “but I like to write lyrics not hurt themselves. If we can make where they are subliminal and easy someone have a helpful moment for the listener to adapt to their life or an epiphany or a meaning that situation.â€? helps them solve something—I just want to do good, at the end of the “An example that’s fairly subliminal, day. [The music and message] sound in the title track, there is a line in very doom-and-gloom, but what there: ‘The world is disappearing I’m trying to put across is almost a from her eyes,’â€? he notes. “That was therapeutic ventilation for people to directly from a conversation my wife let it out, even if it means screaming was having when my daughter’s and crying. I don’t want people to corneas were rejecting. [‌] I wanted hold it in. I’m guilty of it myself, where

It leads back to the idea that monsters in movies are never as scary when they appear onscreen as they are in the viewer’s imagination.

Darkness is only scary if one doesn’t know what it holds. Abruscato hopes this album can shine a light on listeners’ personal shadows. When the World Becomes Undone is a sort of musical lighthouse, offering up a safe haven, an outpost for despair— all in the hope that the other side is brighter and more connected. This is a wonderfully insightful, delightful record for those who strive to recognize the world’s bleak condition and press ahead anyway.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 23

swm 24 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY GREG JACOBS PHOTO BY ALYSON COLETTA

mrs “

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALISTS/GUITARISTS COLE BECKER AND MAX BECKER BY CAMERON CARR

album, Berkeley’s On Fire, out Feb. little curated sound within that.�

15 via Fueled By Ramen, which ventures into territory far beyond Berkeley’s On Fire makes that apthe classic punk the group started parent quickly. The opener is a skitwith. Becker, his brother, fellow tering, post-punky title track with a vocalist and guitarist Max Becker, guitar riff that calls to mind early and drummer Joey Armstrong, son punk innovators like The Clash of Green Day frontman Billie Joe before a trap beat ushers in halfArmstrong, began playing shows rapped vocals. From there, the under the name Emily’s Army at album tours through powerful pop Bay Area punk venues like the icon- rock on “Too Much Coffee,� playic 924 Gilman Street but struggled list-baiting chill electro on “IKEA He’s talking about SWMRS’ am- to separate themselves from the Date,� and crosses over into heavibition to create something new Green Day connection. ly-processed genres like breakbeat within the rock world and the result and dub on “Lose Lose Lose.� of that effort: the band’s second It was only after regrouping under the name SWMRS with Seb Mueller “We wanted it to seem more like a on bass that the band started to playlist that you could put on shuffind their own place. Their debut fle,� Max says. full-length as SWMRS, 2016’s Drive North, carried over a fair bit of It’s an accurate description, exthe performative punk energy plaining the diversity of the music but married it to pop sensibilities, and how the album’s different with radio-ready pro- songs are able to fit side by side. duction and jum- The pairing of mildly-strummed bo-sized hooks acoustic guitar with hard electronenlarging the ic drums and booming riffs can be sound. Berkeley’s unexpected, but the music is deOn Fire takes fined more by SWMRS’ approach that progression to songwriting than the union of a step further as traditional rock instrumentation the band look with electronic and processed to reinvigorate sounds. At its heart, Berkeley’s On rock music with Fire is driven by chewy pop hooks diverse influences delivered with an awareness of the that acknowledge the power of punk rock’s energy. playlist-driven culture they came “Drive North was us learning that of age within. we could do that and we could ex“We were having all these conver- press real feelings and real music sations about, ‘How do you create with electronic samples,� Cole says. something new when it feels like “[Berkeley’s On Fire] was us really everything has already been skillfully administering that craft.� done?’� Max explains. “‘How do you find the sound of 2018, 2019?’ Almost immediately after recordWhat we realized is we had to draw ing Drive North, SWMRS dove into from that listening experience of writing the songs that would come listening to all these things and to make up their second album. As the way to create something new the group demoed the material, it is essentially picking and choosing became clear they were pulling from all these different things of from a wider range of musical what you like and making your own experiences, but it wasn’t until pro-

he thing is, we never really had punk cred,� admits Cole Becker, co-frontman of the Oakland rock band SWMRS. “We were playing punk shows, but everybody always was judging us like, ‘Oh, that’s just Green Day, blah blah blah.’ So, we never really cared about what anybody thought, and that kind of worked to our advantage.�

T

PHOTO BY ALYSON COLETTA

ducer Rich Costey intervened that the band fully understood what they were working toward. “We all listen to music from all over the map, more so than people probably did 30 years ago. With that, there’s a wider base to draw from,�

Max says. “We knew we were doing that, but we didn’t really know what it was called, and then, Rich brought in this concept of meta-modernism or post-postmodernism.�

The group have previously worked with producers including Billie Joe Armstrong—who Max recalls valued raw takes over perfection—and Zac Carper of FIDLAR, who offered “the introduction to semi-experimental things,� Max says. Costey provided a new experience, defining their eclectic borrowing as meta-modernism and encouraging the band to capture original sounds, often by bringing in influences from multiple eras to form something new rather than attempting to redress old genres.

Max and Cole reference everything from Stevie Wonder to Le Tigre to Brockhampton to Culture Abuse while describing their musical inspirations. Given that the brothers and Armstrong have played music together since early childhood— Cole estimates age 4—the members’ distinctly individual music tastes are rivaled by their shared musical experiences, which they credit for giving them an understanding of each other that allows for the experimentation on Berkeley’s On Fire. “So many of the moments in which music is so integral and so important were moments that we all shared together,â€? Cole says. “We’ve never played with any other people. We just know each other so well as musicians that there’s so much trust once we get into a practice space.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

25

INTERVIEW WITH FRONTMAN JAKE DUZSIK BY CALEB R NEWTON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEN ROSENSTEIN

26 NEW NOISE

H

EALTH’s Feb. 8 Loma Vista Recordings release, VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR, emerges more as an immersive sonic experience than an easily-digested collection of songs. The Los Angeles band contort their way through a dark and heavy electrified rock fantasy in which there’s no telling what’s around the bend, as drastically heavy electronic music production seeps through the cracks of somewhat traditional rock instrumentation.

“What we’re most inspired by is other music, including other bands who we look up to and are just really into,� HEALTH’s vocalist and guitarist Jake Duzsik explains, “but when we end up processing those inspirations from this eclectic mix of music that we love and it comes out

from our band, it ends up usually culture like metal and industrial sounding, maybe, non-genre- music, and I think that all of that based—like, hard to put in a box.� kind of coalesced into our own interests,� Duzsik explains. Those The band feel that the territory fans came around through means they tread has remained too like HEALTH touring with Nine Inch unexplored until now, making Nails and the band crafting a full their expedition all the more soundtrack for Rockstar Games’ enriching for themselves as long- “Max Payne 3,� a video game fotime music fans and anyone else cusing on the eponymous characwho’s along for the journey. ter’s transformation into and work as a vigilante.

Long interested in trends ranging from classic punk rock to “The idea that someone would modern underground electronic listen to the songs you wrote and music scenes, HEALTH operate be interested in them and possiless alone and more right along- bly moved or care about them is side their fellow fans. They prove definitely meaningful to us,� he so immersed in a love of music adds, framing his band’s overall that their complicated tracks take. “So, we definitely always almost become a collaborative think about who we’re writing experience, offering yet another the music for, whether that be avenue of uniqueness for the our existing fans or people who curious modern listener. might hear it for the first time.� “We started noticing that we were making more and more fans who were into dark, heavy music and cinematic things like sci-fi and action movies and video games and overall heavy elements of

key to your identity. As a lifelong music fan who’s probably, to my own detriment, dedicated my life to it, that’s very appealing, because that’s how I found myself as a person, through my music tastes.

I don’t think there are many avenues in music culture where that is nearly as true outside of heavy music culture. There are fans of heavy music who listen to all kinds of different things, but the one thing that connects all of it is they almost always really fucking care.�

Listening to “all kinds of different things,â€? as some heavy music fans dedicate themselves to, can certainly prepare the listener for the HEALTH experience, which Duzsik says definitely includes intense live performances no matter how produced their tracks are. They used to perform “fucking crazyâ€? sets as short as nine minutes, he For the dedicated heavy music explains, attaching the band yet listener who’s only just now again to the boundary-jumping hearing of the hard-to-catego- heavy music fan. rize HEALTH, Duzsik has praise, offering, “That’s one thing that’s VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR and a amazing about heavy music: music fan outside of the mainthey’re real fans. The music isn’t stream who “really fucking caresâ€? a lifestyle accessory, it’s like a might be the perfect match, because the album can be complicated—but the payoff for that dedication is rewarding.đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

27

INTERVIEW BY MARIKA ZORZI

28 NEW NOISE

N

o, absolutely not, we’ll never play again.�

“PUNK MUSIC WAS DEFINITIVELY A STATEMENT OF SOMETHING. WHEN YOU GOT INTO PUNK, YOU WERE SAYING, ‘I SECEDE FROM THE NATION, FROM THE MASS MEDIA. 'I WANT TO BE THE OTHER.’�

many of them. So, one would think, ‘Get out before the bottom falls out,’ but I feel like I have a responsibility, because those people trusted me with their music and the agreement was that as long as there are people in the world who are interested in hearing it, make it available in some format. That’s the deal. So, I decided I have a custodial responsibility now. I have to take custody of this stuff, and part of that is not to speculate. Not to gamble.�

Ian MacKaye has no doubts about a future reunion of Minor Threat. The legendary D.C. hardcore punk band broke up in 1983. From that moment, many fans wondered if they would ever see Minor Threat play again. In November of 2018, a picture of the band members sitting on the porch of the famous Dischord House in Arlington, Virginia—recreating the cover of their final, posthumous EP, Salad Days, from 1985—caused a sensaFor both his attitude and his approach, tion on the internet. “We’re just friends,� freaks. They were music freaks, they the scene happen,� he explains. “We MacKaye has always been a point of MacKaye says. “We’ve taken that picture were political freaks, they were sexual approach things very differently, and I reference in the punk scene—even if this a few times over the years. It’s just that freaks, they were drug freaks, whatever feel like, now, what’s most important is notoriety often puts him under unwant[bassist] Brian [Baker] posted it on they were. I never used drugs in my life, I that we keep together those people over ed spotlights. “I feel totally free to do Instagram, and that made everybody never drank, but I felt an affinity for the there [at the Dischord office]. They make what I want to do, but I am aware of the get excited. Then, people start talking freaks because I felt like a freak. I said, all the money. I pay them to run that fact—like with that fucking photo—that about it, using the word reunion, but no. ‘Well, we’re different freaks, but we’re shop, because as long as they’re there, there’s this weird, unhealthy interest in my That band belongs to the time it belongs, freaks,’ and that was super important for it’s like the heart is beating. We keep persona. It’s too much, and it’s weird,� he and the band broke up because we had me. When Fugazi started touring and we making the records, and people are still admits. “If I go see a band, if I dance, then reached a point where we didn’t agree went overseas and first came to Europe interested. It’s smaller, but I feel like a I hear about it. That doesn’t make me feel about what we wanted to do musically.� in 1988, making those connections with folk label. We are evidence of something good. I’m self-conscious and have to kind people—how interesting was that? To that actually happened, something that of keep myself in a certain way. I don’t As the vocalist of Minor Threat and vo- be in a place you could never imagine was real and had a lasting effect. We’re have that sort of freedom. Occasionally, calist and guitarist of Fugazi, MacKaye being and finding people in the world not just walking away because there’s I’ll be doing something, and then, I’ll hear has always been known for standing who didn’t accept the status quo.� no more money. We’re not washing our about it later on that I was at a store. The behind his decisions and strong words. “I hands of it. We’re still in it.� other day, my sister mentioned, ‘Oh, I want to respect that band. It was what it MacKaye is also the cofounder and heard you were snacking on granola at was, and it’s not some fucking 50-year- co-owner, alongside Jeff Nelson, of the “If the label represents the community the co-op [on] the street.’ I was like, ‘Really?’ old dude trying to recreate something historic punk label Dischord Records, a and if the community is made of humans It was just weird, ’cause I don’t really do it that can’t be recreated,� he confesses. label with a different approach to the and humans die, then eventually, the that often, but the one time I did it, some“Every lyric I ever wrote, I stand behind. music business. “Dischord has always community dies, and then, the label dies, body saw me, and it got reported. Then I There’s nothing ironic about it. I can re- been a documentary label. We weren’t and that’s fine,� he continues. “There was think, ‘Oh well.’� member deliberately not putting Ronald putting out records to make a scene; we a period when we were selling many Reagan’s name in any song because I were seeing the scene and documenting records. We sold four million records “Conversely, I’ll go to a show, and they’ll didn’t want it to be dated. I was singing it. We didn’t put the record out to make over the years, but now, we don’t sell so say, ‘Come on in,’ or I’ll go to a restaurant about being a kid, and I thought that was and people will say, ‘Here’s a cup of tea.’ universal. Because it was really about I’m treated very well,� he notes. “So, I PHOTO BY MARIKA ZORZI the transition from being a child in your think it goes both ways, but for the most nuclear family or your biological family part, living in Washington, I’m invisible. to your new family, which is tribal quite I guarantee if we went downtown right often, through punk or whatever form. now, we could walk around all day and When I was writing those songs, I was nobody would say a word. I think, mostly, thinking for real from my heart about they don’t have any idea who I am.� those experiences, and I was thinking, ‘This is not specific to 1981 or 1980. This This notoriety followed MacKaye to is something that people go through.’ I the first public appearance of the new didn’t want to ruin it by talking about band he has formed with Amy Farina of something that was nailed down to those The Evens and Joe Lally of Fugazi, when particular years.� they played a benefit for a local church in Washington D.C. in November 2018.

For MacKaye, punk has always gone far The band still don’t have a name, but beyond the musical genre. “We were they’ve been playing together for three self-selected. We were a commune in years, practicing four days a week in the our own right. We were all connectbasement of Dischord House. “Being me ed,� he explains. “I think of music as a is sometimes problematic,� he confesses. currency, something that people can “It is a little weird, because I can’t just do connect through, and punk music was a little show. It always just turns into a definitively a statement of something. fucking circus. That’s a problem for me, When you got into punk, you were saying, and it has kind of put me off playing ‘I secede from the nation, from the mass shows. I don’t really like all the attention, media. I want to be the other.’ So, you because you can’t grow something.� self-identify as somebody in opposition.

You self-identify as a countercultural “I’m the guy you’re talking to. This is experson, somebody who wants to quesactly who I am,â€? MacKaye asserts. “I’m tion the world, question society, and not just a singer of this or this or the by identifying with that music, you find guitar player or bass player of that. I am other fellow travelers.â€? me. This is who I am. I have friends and family, but I think if you talked with me in It’s still vivid in his memory where it all any other situation, you would find that started. “My first punk show was Cramps, I’m pretty much the same. That’s who the Feb. 1, 1979,â€? he remembers. “When I fuck I am. That’s always who I am. It’s not walked in that room, it was full of all these Ian MacKaye in the basement of the Dischord House where Minor Threat and Fugazi used to play. a person, it’s me, Ian MacKaye.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 29

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JON STARS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JORDAN

G

rand Rapids is a vibrant city located just beneath the pinkie knuckle of the state of Michigan. It exists within the shadow of neighboring Midwestern major cities like Detroit and Chicago but continues to grow and develop a character of its own. Throughout their existence as a band, La Dispute have injected bits and pieces of the city into their music, acting as mediums for the region to tell its stories. Their fourth full-length, Panorama, due out March 22 on Epitaph Records, examines artifacts of grief and grieving within the context of the band’s experiences in Grand Rapids.

brings new life to the stories they tell. “The vast majority of what compelled me to write were experiences I had while living [in Grand Rapids] or experiences tied directly to there or experiences people had in proximity to there whilst living in West Michigan,” vocalist Jordan Dreyer explains.

DREYER BY YONG LOS igan itself, both the persona of the region and the music community the band grew up around. “The biggest recurring character in all of our records is the city itself and the state of Michigan. A major part of the band’s identity is being from Michigan and from the Great Lakes area,” Dreyer says. “It’s the bands that you play with more than anything that impact you. Even if it’s not a sonic aesthetic, they compel you to improve on your craft: when your friends write good music, it makes you want to make good music.”

La Dispute’s music is like an outof-body experience. Dreyer’s poetic lyricism and the band’s creative instrumentation complement one another seamlessly, creating entire worlds of unique images, characters, and lessons. Between Dreyer’s ability to sketch a scene with The first iterations of the band just his words and the band’s began while the group were splashes of color painting it, still in high school. Throughout La Dispute’s latest effort finds this time, members came and a balance between the cap- La Dispute’s music moves and went while La Dispute cut their tivating, emotive narration shakes with passion and emo- teeth within the Michigan muthey’ve become known for and tion. But the most important sic scene. It wasn’t until their an experimental edge that influence on the band is Mich- 2008 debut LP, Somewhere at

30 NEW NOISE

the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, that the band slowly began to feel like themselves. Record after record, La Dispute have reinvented their creative process, learning more about themselves and how they operate as musicians.

“There’s a certain recklessness in the first couple records we did where we were maybe less analytical with what we did and things kind of flowed organically,” Dreyer says. “We kind of tapped into an energy, and things are a bit more methodical now.”

La Dispute have always been intentional about the message and structure of their music, using experiences and stories to highlight the concepts in each record. While some experiences are personal, others are stories that have moved Dreyer in an emotional way. “I

like to tell stories, and I think it would be a bit disingenuous of me to tell stories that I lack the experience to directly relate to,� he explains.

The band’s ability to take real-world events and make them relatable in a way that impacts a large audience is no small feat, but according to Dreyer, incorporating stories that aren’t his own has stirred

works of art that not only tell a fantastic and ethereal turn, almeaningful story but are also lowing the band to experiment rooted deeply the members’ with new ways of creating an personal lives. engaging piece of art, but this fresh process and perspective Panorama takes a snapshot of a didn’t come without its chalspecific area in Grand Rapids lenges. From restarting the proand chronicles Dreyer’s experi- cess after months of progress to ences and observations as the working within the geographic area has changed. The record and time constraints of the focuses on how the gravity of members’ personal lives, La these changes is felt through- Dispute managed to persevere out the community, telling sto- through the hardships to create

you have those obstacles to work through.�

Over the years, La Dispute have consistently created emotionally engaging records that tackle serious subjects. The experiences and stories they use throughout their albums are valuable for the lessons that can be learned and for honoring those involved. At the end of the day, the nature of

“I LIKE TO TELL STORIES, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A BIT DISINGENUOUS OF ME TO TELL STORIES THAT I LACK THE EXPERIENCE TO DIRECTLY RELATE TO.� some hesitation. “I don’t know that I really ever sit down prior to writing a song about other people and think about the full ramifications of doing so,� he says. “That’s something that I feel occasionally guilty about, having not asked for permission from someone to tell their story.� But at the end of the day, Dreyer believes these stories are meant to be told. The lessons to be learned have a lot of merit in themselves, and when they are brought into the context of these records, La Dispute are able to piece together

ries of life, death, and grieving. “Specifically, Panorama is about loss and grief, about how long a process it can be—how, I guess, infinite a process it can be,� Dreyer says, “because to be totally honest, I imagine people don’t ever completely recover from a loss. There are always ways it affects you.�

something they’re proud of. In addition to these outside factors, they were also faced with the growing pains that come with writing new music. “For me, I think I’ve become increasingly critical of my own output, so I spend a lot of time writing and rewriting and writing and rewriting,� Dreyer reflects. “I had three-quarters of a notebook While the core concept is root- full of the same two sentences ed in real-life occurrences, the written in different ways over narrator skips through time and over again. It’s very neuand space across Panorama, rotic and probably not healthy, exploring these moments to but I think, in some ways, it’s their end. These events take a more fulfilling now, because

the band’s music has resonated with many in a way that is unique and personal. “The thing, for me, is that I still see people at our shows, and I still feel that human connection when we perform live and when I speak to people after shows,�

Dreyer says. “I get the sense that people who come up to me have found some courage in the fact that we chose to talk about something that they may otherwise feel uncomfortable speaking about.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 31

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAM EVANS

Runnin’ With the Devil INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER/ VOCALIST STEPHANIE LUKE BY J POET he Coathangers infuse every our newborn, and on our next albums, note they play with an intense the music was going to kindergarten, energy that bristles with an- middle school, and high school. This ger, attitude, and snarky humor. On one we’re sending off to college.�

The Devil You Know, their forthcoming album for Suicide Squeeze Records, “The past couple of years have been due out on March 8, the Atlanta band hard on everybody,� Luke continues. capture the over-the-top energy of “The devil in the title is in reference their stage shows with 11 scorching to an ex-boyfriend, your telephone, or the internet or the government. new songs.

Maybe even yourself. Every song on “We took less than two weeks to record the album references one of the devils it, and we wrote all the songs in two we recognize. Everybody knows some weeks as well,� drummer and vocalist kind of devil; you just have to figure Stephanie Luke says. “We haven’t out who it is.� all enjoyed making an album this much since Suck My Shirt in 2014. I’m Luke says the band—whose lineup not a huge fan of recording. It’s a also includes vocalist and guitarist little tedious and I have ADD, but I’m Julia Kugel and bassist and vocalist fucking stoked on this one. Our first Meredith Franco—created the songs album, [2007’s The Coathangers], was in the studio, on the fly, with the help

T

of producer Nic Jodoin, who also helmed their last studio effort, Nosebleed Weekend, in 2016. “We usually go in and record the songs as fast as possible, to retain the loose, loud energy,�

Luke explains. “This time, Nic gave us an extra eye. On the songs where we wanted to push it a bit and be more original, he’d say, ‘What about this roll on the drum?’ or ‘this guitar sound?’ or ‘You’re going to do what?’ Sometimes, we’d like his suggestions; sometimes, we wouldn’t take his advice, but it’s great to be pushed. He cares about our music as much as we do. That’s a big compliment, because he’s such an amazing producer and musician.�

Lyrically, the songs on The Devil You Know take on the pressures of the modern world from a sharp, feminist perspective, something The Coathangers have always done, although the

32 NEW NOISE

vocals are often submerged in the mix and hard to understand. “We don’t want the vocals to sit on top of the music,â€? Luke says. “On record, the sound is tighter and more perfect, but we try to get the singing close to what you hear when we play live. Onstage, the voices are part of the song like another instrument, sometimes louder or softer, so that’s what we aim for.â€? “Like onstage, we play everything live in the studio, except for the vocals,â€? she notes. “If we need to beef something up or add another guitar part, we’ll do that, but we always record live and layer it up later to be as true to the live show as possible. We just want people to know it’s OK to be cheeky and smartass. It’s part of the punk aesthetic, being sarcastic and saying, ‘Fuck you all!’ but doing it in a tonguein-cheek way.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 33

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG JACOBS

PHOTO BY TONY BONACCI

34 NEW NOISE

T

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST LYNVAL GOLDING BY JANELLE JONES he Specials, in great ments.� Of this powerful trifecta, form, are back with Golding says, “All the songs fit a new album. Nat- together, and they ask questions,� urally steeped in as aforementioned, in a nonagsociopolitical relevancy, Encore— gressive, nonconfrontational way. out via Island Records on Feb. 1— “It was done deliberate, because is the English band’s first release obviously, we’re older guys in the in 38 years to feature founding band—we’re not 18, 20, shouting. vocalist Terry Hall, whose last Now, we say, ‘We can have a civil appearance was on 1981’s land- conversation without shouting.’� mark single, “Ghost Town.� A day prior to leaving for tour in Lon- He elaborates, “Can you imagdon, original member vocalist ine being called a ‘Black basand guitarist Lynval Golding of- tard’ and all the racism?! So, we fered some insight into this im- end up getting angry and ornery� pressive, essential record. “We’re and don’t get anywhere. “Let’s moving on from More Specials,� he sit down, being calm, and let’s says excitedly, citing the band’s talk about it. Let’s have a discus1980 sophomore full-length. sion.� He feels more things can be accomplished by just getting A 10-track album, Encore fea- these ideas out there and talking tures seven new songs alongside in a civil way. “I believe in that,� he two covers that are as pertinent affirms, “and that’s part of this now as ever: The Equals’ “Black record.�

Skin Blue Eyed Boys� from 1970 and The Valentines’ “Blam Blam In the end, he states, “I hope peoFever� from 1967, on which The ple listen to it and open their eyes.�

Specials add a few of their own lyrics that highlight the scourge When speaking of 2019 being the of mass school shootings.

40th anniversary of The Specials’ debut self-titled album, Golding Also included is a wonderful laughs, “1979 we made our first rendition of Golding and Hall’s record. What?! This is insane! It ’80s band Fun Boy Three’s tune cheers me up so much, because “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over [with Encore], we’ve secured the the Asylum),� shortened to “The legacy of The Specials. I feel good.�

Lunatics� for Encore. Mentioning He jokes, “I can put my feet up, that this song first came out when which is very difficult, because I so many bands were railing love going out.� against Maggie Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and that it seems Another recent milestone for the even more fitting today, Golding band was opening for The Rolling exclaims in astonishment that Stones in June of 2018. “That was “it’s incredible� how the political climate is even worse now. “It was my idea [to redo this song]. I live in America, so I see more of the politics that are happening here,� he explains. “We just thought, ‘Let’s sing this song very gentle.’ Let people listen to it, and you hear the way Terry did it. That’s the message we put across to people now: ‘Let’s sit down, and let’s talk gentle to each other.’�

Perhaps even more compelling are the album’s three spoken-word offerings: Golding’s “B.L.M.,� Hall’s “The Life and Times (of a Man Called Depression),� and guest vocalist and activist Saffiyah Khan’s “10 Command-

one of the highest to be on the stage with [them],� Golding shares.

Reflecting on it all, he says, “I’ve been so blessed. I’ve been blessed to work with [keyboardist and songwriter] Jerry Dammers, the first member of The Specials, a wonderful arranger. I’ve been blessed to work with the best lyricist, Terry Hall, and [keyboardist] Nikolaj [Torp Larsen]. God sent Nikolaj to us. I met him 10 years ago, and I’m like his dad.� He mentions that all the new songs on Encore were written and produced by himself, Hall, Larsen, and original bassist Horace Panter. “Couldn’t ask for a better bass player,� he gushes. “Never played a bad note.� “It’s been a wonderful journey,�

Golding concludes. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

“THAT’S THE MESSAGE WE PUT ACROSS TO PEOPLE NOW: ‘LET’S SIT DOWN, AND LET’S TALK GENTLE TO EACH OTHER.’�

FILM SPOTLIGHT

BY JANELLE JONES

“The Revelation of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry�

Released on Jan. 18 via MVD Entertainment Group, “The Revelation of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry� is an in-depth DVD documentary about Lee “Scratch� Perry, the hugely influential dub and reggae progenitor who started his recording career in the 1960s. The film focuses on the making of the 2010 album Revelation, released via Megawave Records. The disc features sessions from the Revelation recordings, along with an interview with Perry. This release also highlights his collaboration with Steve Marshall, who has worked with the artist as an instrumentalist, producer, and engineer and who directed this feature.

36 NEW NOISE

To understand Wisconsin’s Masked Intruder, it helps to be familiar with an old carnie slang term, since adopted by professional wrestlers:

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST INTRUDER BLUE AND OFFICER BRADFORD BY JOHN SILVA

K

ayfabe is the presentation of the fictional side of pro wrestling as real, from who wins or loses a match to the characters performers play anytime fans are watching. It’s the reason why, if two wrestlers are feuding, they will not break character by acting friendly toward one another when there are onlookers nearby, even if they’re close friends outside of the ring. Most fans understand that these events are not really real, but playing along is what makes wrestling fun.

Kayfabe is basically the highest form of method acting, and Masked Intruder do it well. They are probably perfectly normal people in real life—more or less—but whenever fans are around, they don’t break from their roles: four rambunctious hooligans trying to play in a pop punk band and pull off various crimes while their parole officer drinks himself oblivious. “Sometimes we’re onstage playing guitar, but sometimes, you know, we’re breaking into a house and using the kitchen to cook a nice

NEW NOISE 37

Officer Bradford’s Top Five Doughnuts “These are real hard to find, but you know the jelly-filled ones? They actually fill ’em with whiskey jelly. I don’t know how they do it—some kind of magic or science. But the doughnuts filled with whiskey, I’d have to say that is all five of my top five [doughnut flavors].â€? “And I do have to shout out Honeydip Donuts, an old-school shop [in Milwaukee]. It’s real good. But you gotta bring your own whiskey to put inside those doughnuts.â€?Â

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, everyone’s favorite drunk-off-his-ass parole officer made a dating profile using questions stolen straight from OkCupid! Take a look to see if Officer Bradford is a good match for you!

What I’m really looking for: Compliance

Special skills and talents: See dance moves

My ideal partner should be: My ride or die

The last TV show I binged: “Judge Judy�

The most private thing I’m willing to admit: My privates are very visible on the internet PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKI VITETTA

38 NEW NOISE

meal,� lead vocalist and guitarist Intruder Blue explains, in kayfabe, describing Masked Intruder in a nutshell.

Most of Masked Intruder’s songs revolve around their life of crime and the women they try to woo in the process. Unfortunately, the women they pursue typically aren’t interested in bank robbery as a date night. “Usually, they’re pretty offboard, I would say,� Blue admits. “Not cool with it. And I’m not sure exactly where the breakdown comes. If it’s nervousness, that’s very perceptible.

Or it could be the crime—maybe they don’t wanna do crime. Or it could be, you know, maybe they don’t even like the way we smell. It’s hard to know. If I knew why ladies didn’t wanna hang out with me, I wouldn’t have to write songs about it, you know what I mean?�

Although people joke that it’s important to keep a close eye on your wallet when the Intruders are around, these colorful characters aren’t really scary. They’re more like cartoon criminals: the kind who run around clutching little bags with dollar signs on them. The endearing nature of these punk rock crooks is part of what makes them so beloved by their fans. Each of the Intruders has their own little quirk. Take bassist and backup vocalist Intruder Yellow, the quiet giant who is rarely seen without cigarette in hand. “Yellow, as just a matter of historical fact, whenever we walk up to a place and it turns out to be a gathering of people who we know, he immediately turns tail and will not go in, ’cause he assumes it’s an intervention tryna get him to quit smoking,� Blue says of his nicotine-addicted comrade.

everything, you know? I’m kind of the puppet master holding the strings, if you ask me.�

Intruder Blue has a different story: “It’s sort of like he thinks he’s the boss, but who’s really the boss? It’s like one of those sitcoms where the husband is like, ‘I’m the boss,’ and then the wife is like, ‘I’m really the boss.’ You know what I mean?�

From a musical perspective, it’s equally unclear what Officer Bradford’s role is. He says that he tries to get involved “as little as possible,� going on to explain, “It’s part of them paying back to society to put out music like that. So, I kind of let them do their thing with that. That’s their job.�

Of course, Bradford owes nothing to society. “Oh no,� he says, “society owes me.�

Masked Intruder’s third album, III, comes out on March 1 via Pure Noise Records, and like the previous two, it is chock-full of shenanigans, crime sprees, and, of course, failed attempts to sway women—the fourth track, “Just So You Know,� features the line, “We can get the money / And we can get away / But you better kiss me now just in case.�

Both the title of the record and the album cover are meant to imply that III is a sequel. Indeed, when listening to the band’s three LPs in order, the third one very much feels like a continuation of the previous two. “That’s very deliberate,â€? Blue says. “In the way that ‘Evil Dead II’ was a sequel to ‘[The] Evil Dead,’ it’s supposed to be like a re-realization of it.â€? III is the first full-length the band will release on Pure Noise Records, and the label seems to have established a good working relationship with the four lawbreakers. “They were using some kind of weird word. It was like, ummm, ‘plausible durniamiliny’ or something?â€? Blue says. “They’re the sort of label that’s like, ‘Hey, we wanna let you do your thing, and we wanna help you do your thing, but technically, we don’t condone illegal activities or whatever,’ but they’ll still be like, ‘Oh, yeah, what do you mean you rob houses?!’ You know, they think it’s cool, but they don’t wanna say that officially.â€?Â

Just because Masked Intruder are playing real-life cartoon characters doesn’t mean they shy away from talking about serious issues. The band know when to be funny—and they can be gut-bustingly funny—but they also have a solid understanding of when to dial it back a bit. For example, when asked about the prison-industrial complex—an issue that, while very serious, certainly plays into Masked Intruder’s gimmick—the kayfabe is peeled back to reveal a surprisingly thoughtful and compassionate answer. “Is there a need for prison reform? Yes, of course there is.

Obviously, there is. If you’re gonna do something If this caricature of a band prove anything, it’s so serious as take people and lock ’em away that a life without a little mischief is just‌ boring. for a whole bunch of time, that’s such a serious “I trust people who are mischievous more than dothing that you should constantly be considering gooder-type people, because sometimes people and reviewing that situation,â€? Blue says. He then who are real do-gooders, it seems like they’re goes on to explain that the food in prison isn’t full of shit or whatever,â€? Blue explains. “Even little very good unless you know how to order off the kids get that. It’s like playground wisdom. A kid who’s like a fuckin’, you know, tell-the-teacher“secret menu.â€? and-never-do-nothin’-wrong [type], like, what The four Intruders—Blue, Yellow, guitarist and the fuck’s wrong with you, kid?â€? backup vocalist Intruder Green, and drummer Intruder Red—are also accompanied by an Kayfabe aside, maybe the point—if there is one— oft-intoxicated policeman named Officer Brad- is that it’s OK to give yourself permission to be a ford. “A huge part of the profession is drinking little goofy and offbeat once in a while, and for on the job. I wouldn’t recommend trying to cop Masked Intruder, that usually means ordering sober,â€? Bradford says of his liquor-related habits. an “all the money in the register and no funny business,â€? Blue’s favorite secret-menu item from There are mixed messages about the power dy- In-N-Out Burger. namic between the Intruders and Officer Bradford. Who is really in control? Well, it depends Allegedly! đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł on who you ask. “I’m kinda always lurking in the shadows,â€? Bradford says. “I’m manipulating

PHOTO BY GREG JACOBS

NEW NOISE

39

TEENAGE

BOTTLER

40 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH

“THE DRUMBEAT GOES ‘KICK-KICK SNARE! KICK-KICK-KICK SNARE!’ THE WHOLE TWO KICK HITS AND THEN THREE KICK HITS BETWEEN THE SNARE: SHELLAC DOES IT ALL THE TIME, FUGAZI DOES IT ALL THE TIME, ALKALINE TRIO DOES IT ALL THE TIME. WE’RE LIKE, ‘WHY THE FUCK HAVEN’T WE EVER DONE THIS?’”

EROCKET CO-VOCALISTS/GUITARISTS RAY CARLISLE AND KODY TEMPLEMAN BY DEREK NIELSEN

I

“

t's hard to pick out my favorite song on this record, and it’s hard to pick out my least favorite song on this record, so that’s a pretty good sign that they all fucking rule!” Teenage Bottlerocket’s Ray Carlisle exclaims.

The animated co-vocalist and guitarist with the shark-tooth grin is stoked for people to hear his band’s new album, Stay Rad—out March 15 via Fat Wreck Chords—for a lot of reasons.

With song titles like “Death Kart,” “Night of the Knuckleheads,” and “Creature From the Black Metal Lagoon,” even a cursory glance at the tracklist should be enough to get fans psyched.

“One kid wrote, ‘If these songs are half as good as the song titles, this record’s gonna be a banger.’ I thought that was pretty fucking funny,” Carlisle laughs. “And there’s only one song on this record about girls!

We usually try to shoot for 50/50, and [of the] 50 percent of the songs that are about girls, we try to make half of those positive girl songs, and the other half are negative girl songs, which seem to be the easiest songs to write. That’s not the case with this record! The one song about a girl on this record, [bassist] Miguel [Chen] wrote it!

So, I guess that’s where me and [co-vocalist and guitarist] Kody [Templeman]’s heads are at right now. We’re cool with girls!”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

Lyrical content aside, Stay Rad is a new chapter for Teenage Bottlerocket in another way as well. The Wyoming punks released the covers record Stealing the Covers in 2017, but Stay Rad is their first proper release following the passing of Carlisle’s twin brother and the band’s drummer Brandon Carlisle in late 2015. Following his death, the band had to make a decision regarding the future of Teenage Bottlerocket.

NEW NOISE 41

“Right away, I wanted to keep the band going, but I think it took a while longer for everybody else to come to that conclusion, ya know?� Carlisle says. “I told everyone, ‘Hey, I lost my brother. I don’t wanna lose my band too,’ and I think that really struck a chord with everybody. This is what Brandon would have wanted.�

After making the decision keep the band going, Carlisle chose Canadian drummer Darren Chewka of Old Wives to sit in behind the kit, but the transition was a difficult one. Most noticeably absent from the new record is Brandon’s snotty, Ramones-esque “1, 2, 3, 4!� count off.

“We definitely had him under the microscope when he was tracking these drums,� Carlisle explains. “If he did something I didn’t like, I said, ‘Nope! That ain’t working!’ If he did something we were stoked on, we’d just shut the fuck up. So, I think, at the end, Chewka thought, ‘They only opened their mouths whenever I sucked. Is any of this stuff good? Fuck, did I suck?’ Then, we sent him the record, and he was like, ‘Awww, I didn’t suck!’�

The whole two kick hits and then three kick hits between the snare: Shellac does it all the time, Fugazi does it all the time, Alkaline Trio does it all the time.

We’re like, ‘Why the fuck haven’t we ever done this?’� Carlisle laughs. “[Chewka] couldn’t do what Brandon would have done on this record, and Brandon couldn’t do what Chewka did on this record. Chewka has a little bit more finesse in his playing. There are some drum fills on the song ‘Death Kart’ that,

“Earlier, I was talking about Brandon yelling at me for suggesting a drum part, but the thing is, that’s a positive memory too,�

Carlisle reflects. “If Brandon was still alive, he would have just played drums on the best Teenage Bottlerocket record, ya know? That’s the vibe at this point.

Maybe I’ll go play the record at his grave, but it’s not the easiest place for me to chill. I love my brother, so there ya go.�

“We had it great with Brandon, and right from the get-go with Chewka—it wasn’t great,�

Carlisle reflects on this period. “Chewka had big fucking shoes to fill; Brandon was one of a kind as far as technique goes. It took the entirety of Warped Tour 2016 for us to jell as a band with him. But that’s sort of expected, ya know? We’ve played ‘Skate or Die’ two-thousand times with Brandon, then we play it for the two-thousand-and-first time with Chewka—and we all look at each other like, ‘This is fucking weird.’ It took a while for it not to be weird.�

Carlisle wrote and sang “Little Kid,� the penultimate track on Stay Rad, as an ode to his twin brother. While the lyrics in the verse explore memories of their childhood, the only words in the chorus are: “Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!� It’s a catchy refrain fans have heard Teenage Bottlerocket sing before, but within the context of a song meant to encapsulate 15 years of being in the band and over twice that long being twins, it resonates with intense sincerity and poignancy.

Stay Rad was recorded at The Blasting Room Studios in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the dynamic in the studio was obviously different this time around. “There was no way I could say, ‘Hey, Brandon, you should play this on the drums instead.’ I’d catch a fucking drumstick to the eye,� Carlisle recalls. “There was one time recording with Brandon, I told him he needed to space out the kick drum hits between the snare drum hits more, and he was like, ‘You stupid motherfucker!’ and freaked Having a new drummer has the fuck out on me, and I’m like, allowed the band to explore ‘Ahhh!’ I came back 10 minutes new musical terrain. The song later, and he was playing it the “Everything to Me,� written by Carlisle about his teenage son way I suggested.�

Milo, utilizes a standard punk Working to assimilate Chewka drum pattern that, until now, into Teenage Bottlerocket was has been absent from Teenage difficult, but doing their covers Bottlerocket’s sound. record helped the band get on the same page before record- “The drumbeat goes ‘kick-kick snare! Kick-kick-kick snare!’ ing Stay Rad.

42 NEW NOISE

realm as well. “After he passed, I realized Brandon was one of the main guys in the band who was always hanging out with people who came to see us,� he expresses. “He was really good at remembering people’s names and being cool to people. I always have that in mind now. There are a lot of people who like our band because he was cool to people. I try to remember to go out of my way to be cool and keep that spirit alive.�

if Brandon would have done it, they would have been overly aggressive and taken over the chorus. Chewka manages to fit them in a real smooth way where they’re badass and don’t take over the song. It’s just pros and cons to both the drummers, man.�

Templeman notes that Brandon’s legacy with Teenage Bottlerocket extends into the live

“It hasn’t been that long since he passed, and anybody who’s been through a loss like this can explain, or not explain, that it doesn’t get easier,â€? Carlisle pauses for a moment before going on, “but one thing I’ll do is I’ll remember something totally funny that me and Brandon did—and I’ll tell Milo the story. I’ll be like, ‘Once upon a time, me and Brandon got beat up by a kid in front of Western Memorial Elementary School in West Texas because we made fun of his scooter.’ And Milo is like, ‘Wait. What?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, he kicked our ass!’ And we’ll laugh about it or whatever, ya know? Just keep the rad alive.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST LENNY “BRUCE” BREUSS

BY HUTCH

44 NEW NOISE

D

ust Bolt returned with their fourth album in seven years, Trapped in Chaos, on Jan. 18 via Napalm Records. Trapped in Chaos displays dark storytelling that examines the curse of life. The German troupe’s vocalist and guitarist, Lenny “Bruce� Breuss, unleashes opaque tales culled from the band’s growth and absorption of experiences over the past two years.

The pessimistic tint of Trapped in Chaos’ lyrics channels the turbulence of modern global calamities and tragedies. These themes reflect like a black pool, and Bruce’s new lens is a self-admitted tunnel to the origin of melancholy music. “I like the idea of looking back to blues music. That’s where it all started and where rock music comes from,� he explains. “The blues musicians told stories. They told their own interpretation and experience of different stories in the form of songs. It’s quite the same for me. Trapped in Chaos is about the idea of being thrown into life, which is a state of chaos.

Suddenly, we’re in the middle of our 20s and things aren’t as easy as they have been before. I know a lot of listeners feel that. Those nine songs are our stories and thoughts of being trapped in this chaos called life.�

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL THORN

So, when you choose to live for the fullest, you got to somehow stumble upon the idea of death.

But the somehow ‘funny’ thing is that you can also choose to be dead while living—emotionally dead. Often, we lose sight of our dreams and passions in order to choose conformity. That might make living easier on the first sight, but is it really living?�

Despite coming from the homeland of Teutonic Thrash, Dust Bolt proudly deliver what they call “Toxic Waltz 2.0.� The band tout the classic sound of Bay Area thrash, but with no disrespect to their homeland’s forefathers. “Honestly, I’m not that much into the German metal,� Bruce admits. “I do love Kreator—or, at least, their earlier stuff—and Sodom of course, musically speaking.

Apart from that, we’ve always been more into the American thrash bands. I got my roots in punk music, and I really love the hardcore-punk-influenced thrash such as Excel, Cro-Mags, and so on. You don’t find that in Germany that often.�

Dust Bolt’s intensity will undoubtedly whip fans into a frenzied mosh with finger-pointing and horned fists, but the question arises if they are relating to the bleak and foreboding message or just the fiercely-honed metallic energy. “Well, I don’t know, to Dust Bolt resume their vicious be honest,â€? Bruce replies, “and catalog by eschewing the comi- actually, I really don’t care. As cally exhausted tropes of thrash: long as something moves you, it there are no zombies or nuclear is for a good reason. Everybody disasters. The punishment of age has [their] own background and colors their version of ripping, [their] own feelings while listentaut thrash, moving quickly with ing to music, and to see people riffs and bombastic rhythms. The sing along, mosh, stagedive, inspiration stems from a daily dance, and move is something barrage of bad news. “We’ve really beautiful. Because music never really been into fictional is a beautiful thing, and people stuff,â€? Bruce says. “So, the cur- need music.â€? rent time and current society definitely has an impact on how Finally, for those noting the frontyou experience life these days. I man’s similar name to American think metal music is a good way comedian and iconoclast Lenny to get through and shout it all out, Bruce, it’s half coincidence, half what’s in your head.â€? intentional, though they share a rebellious nature. “I do love my There are myriad death refer- Lenny Bruce books. My real name ences in the song titles and lyrics: is Lenny Breuss, but as Americans “Dead Inside,â€? “Dying in the arms couldn’t pronounce it different of a soulless womb,â€? “I shall freeze than ‘Lenny Bruce,’ I thought, in hell,â€? “dying inside,â€? plus many ‘Well, that’s funny.’ So, I take the more. Bruce attributes the con- challenge of being Lenny Bruce stant shadow of death to it being II,â€? he laughs.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł “the only alternative to life, isn’t it?

NEW NOISE 45

“FOR ME, IT’S MUCH MORE THAN THAT. I’M WEARING THIS TO HEAL MYSELF�

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

INTERVIEW WITH FRONTWOMAN TERESA SUĂ REZ COSĂ?O BY JOHN SILVA

W

hen Teresa Suårez Cosío—known to fans as Teri Gender Bender—takes the stage, people pay attention. Whether her band Le Butcherettes are headlining the show or opening for another act, whether concert attendees came to see Le Butcherettes or one of the other bands on the bill, when she walks out, the audience’s anticipation becomes so thick, it feels like smoke. Maybe they’ve seen Le Butcherettes before, or maybe they’ve just heard rumors, murmurs throughout the crowd of the various onstage antics for which Cosío is known. Because when Teresa Suårez Cosío takes the stage, she becomes possessed by Teri Gender Bender, and there’s no predicting what she will do.

ing stuff, because I’m a very angry person. I’m trying to let go, but it’s very hard to let go.�

CosĂ­o explains that the “characterâ€? she plays during live shows is, in some ways, a reflection of what she’s actually feeling, but she’s able to leave most of it on the stage. “I realize that when I’m not on tour or if I’m at home for bits of time or if I’m not exercising—I get the Gender Bender,â€? she laughs. “I do have some of those traits. I’m very histrionic, and it helps me to just get all of that out of my system while playing music, and then, I can try to be as normal as possible, my best self, when I’m in a social family-gathering situation.â€?

want to be connected to my grandmother. Or when I was wearing the apron with the blood on it, I wanted to just release myself of feeling like a mutilated woman. It was metaphoric.�

verse, verse, verse; there’s no chorus,�

CosĂ­o says. “I don’t want to alienate anyone. I want someone from 90 to 5 years old to be able to finish the record like a movie. So, we had to make the structure of it simple—verse, chorus, verse, bridge, and chorus—and keep it to that.â€?

Longtime fans of Le Butcherettes will notice a big change in the credits of Of course, they are still Le Butcherettes, the Guadalajara band’s new album. and CosĂ­o found little ways to work her Their past three records were pro- experimental stylings into the album. duced by Omar RodrĂ­guez-LĂłpez of “It was really fun for me, because now At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta that we had the beautiful, polished fame, while bi/MENTAL—out Feb. 1 structure that Jerry gave to the songs, on Rise Records—is the band’s first I was still able to create atonal refertime working with Talking Heads ences or effects in the background here and there—which I love doing,â€? guitarist Jerry Harrison. That change in producer comes through on bi/ she says.

MENTAL, which feels more accessible compared to the avant-garde songs The final product is a record that It seems that even Teri Gender Bender on previous albums. It is no secret that blends interesting and familiar, commay have softened since her days of RodrĂ­guez-LĂłpez likes to experiment fortable and uncomfortable, polished When she’s not performing, the way wearing a bloody apron onstage. “It sonically, as does CosĂ­o, but Harrison and messy, rock and so, so much roll. was my plea of ‘This is how I’m feeling. I CosĂ­o presents herself is the complete brought out a more straightforward Like The Beatles, of whom CosĂ­o is feel like I’m a torn-up mess. I feel like a rock sound that will help Le Butcher- a big fan, Le Butcherettes’ biggest opposite: she is warm, kind, and strength is their ability to be creative, loves to laugh. But deep inside, her piece of meat,’â€? she recalls. “What I’m ettes appeal to a broader audience alter-ego may not be quite as fictional wearing or what I’m doing now comes without disenfranchising fans of their weird, and original but still catchy and enjoyable. At live shows, Le Butcherfrom a whole different symbolism of previous work. as fans are led to believe. “I hope it’s ettes have never had a problem caphonoring my roots, my grandmother.â€? a character,â€? she admits, “because I’m telling you, if it weren’t for this outlet “Jerry helped make the songs more ac- tivating everyone, and when people listen to bi/MENTAL, they will be just as of me being able to express myself, I “They’re not exactly costumes,â€? she cessible, because when I turned in the don’t know if I would be that same way adds. “For me, it’s much more than demos, they were a lot weirder. One riveted.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł at home, banging the doors or break- that. I’m wearing this to heal myself. I of them was a demo where it was just

46 NEW NOISE

The manifesTaTion of pure

OUT

doom meTal!

2/22 ! CANDLEMASS - The Door To Doom

Available as LTD Digipak, LTD Vinyl, Download & Stream!

The pioneers of GERMAN DARK ROCK are back!

Death Metal is Pink!

For fans of Rammstein

3/1

! SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION - Humans are broken Available as CD, Download & Stream!

OUT

OUT

The Female Reincarnation of Bolt Thrower and Legion Of The Damned!

NOW ! OOMPH! - Ritual Available as Jewel Case CD, LTD Digipak CD, LTD Vinyl, Download & Stream!

Symphonic Metal at it’s best!

OUT

For fans of Nightwish, Within Temptation 2/22 ! VISIONS OF ATLANTIS -The Deep & The Dark - Live @ Symphonic Metal Nights Available as CD, Download & Stream!

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE WITH OVER 30.000 ITEMS – SPECIAL EDITIONS, CDS, VINYL, DVDS, MERCHANDISE: WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM!

PHOTO BY MICHAEL VAN COLLENBURG

INTERVIEW WITH FRONTMAN EVAN DANDO BY LISA ROOT en years after Varshons, The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando returned on Feb. 8 via Fire Records with another collection of eclectic covers entitled—you guessed it—Varshons II. “I’m going for the Underachiever of the Century award,�

Dando laughs. “It was one thing [composer] Jon Brion said, ‘Everyone should stop making records for 10 years.’ And I did. I put in the effort for 10 years. I think there’s something cool about not putting stuff out. I really like making music, though. I feel like I do my own thing.�

T

Dando has indeed made music on his own terms. The first Varshons was created due, in part, to an impulse-buy of a Mark Dagley painting. Budgeting it into an album as the cover art assuaged his buyer’s remorse. “I think I’m actually the real deal, as weird as that sounds,� Dando states. “I’m really proud of my career.

I am myself. No one else is like me.�

Between writing or recording or touring, Dando escapes to Australia. “I’m in the coolest place in the world right now,� he says. “It’s called Hibernian House; it’s very artsy and awesome.�

Founded in 1913, it’s five levels of art spaces for creatives of all sorts, hidden in plain sight in Sydney. “And then there’s me, annoying everybody,� Dando interjects. “Australia is a very special place for me. They’re very frank here, to the point,� he says,

48 NEW NOISE

then launches into his best Brisbane accent: “‘Goin’ dawn ta surfah’s paradise.’ Melbourne is more English.

It’s more tasty, more pungent, more pungent vowel sounds. I’m such a wannabe Australian; it’s ridiculous.�

Most of the album was recorded with Matthew Cullen at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, New York. “I love Matthew,� Dando says. “He’s friends with my girlfriend, Marciana Jones, and Nina Violet, my girlfriend’s sister,� both of whom are part of this current iteration of The Lemonheads. “Marciana sings the harmonies, and Nina plays bass,� he adds, “but Nina can do anything. If we had this difficult part, we’d be like, ‘Hey, Nina!’�

Paul Westerberg, and Nick Cave to obscure cult favorites like The Bevis Frond and The Eyes, to offbeat choices like Florida Georgia Line and Eagles. “I wanted to find ones in the pocket, though, not songs that were etched on some scroll or tabula rasa, but awesome songs that are a little obscure,� Dando says. “I wouldn’t want to do, like, [The Stooges’] ‘Search and Destroy.’ I did what came naturally and tried to keep it in my range.�

The first Varshons was based on mixtapes that Dando and Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes traded over the years. Haynes produced that effort, and the combination of the two bizarre characters resulted Without an expensive painting to in a mix of psychedelia, a GG Allin justify purchasing or Haynes laying Though his song choices are steeped murder ballad, touching songs from down the law, the process for Var- in harmonic storytelling, there are the likes of Wire and Leonard Co- shons II was more an exercise in stav- some heroes he’s reticent to touch. hen, and lots of personality clashes. ing off destructive boredom. “It was “The Velvet Underground or The Stoog“There was no ‘I’m not doing this fucking a dark patch, actually. I was going es, the sacred things. I would’ve liked song,’� Dando says. “Gibby was like, through a rough time,� Dando shares. to do ‘Hospital’ by Modern Lovers, but ‘You’re doing this.’ He had an opinion “There was a snowstorm. Kinda have they’re another one that’s too—too about everything. Then, he was like, to have something to do. It really something,� he hesitates, “too sacred. ‘Don’t sing it like that, either.’ We got in helps me.� Dando hints at the pro- The Stooges, Velvet Underground, and all these arguments. It was really fun. cess being less than ideal, though Modern Lovers are too untouchable.

He’s really opinionated, and so am I.â€? the final product is anything but. “I Black Sabbath too. Untouchables.â€? wouldn’t get out of bed and shit. We Varshons II also features cover art by were late getting to the session. We Lest fans think that getting more LemMark Dagley, but it was ultimately missed the first three days, me and onheads means waiting another decreated as an excuse to tour. “I really my girlfriend. Really bad. Anyway, cade for a new batch of covers, Danlike playing shows. It’s an excuse to here’s to professionalism in the do says he’s writing original songs go out,â€? Dando explains. “We have future,â€? he laughs. The album was and plans to put out a full-length. the European tour coming up, and I recorded in a relatively short time “Yeah, I’m gonna do a real one,â€? he get to play the old stomping grounds. span. “Twelve days or so,â€? he notes. assures. “I’ve been saying this now for It’s so awesome to be able to go “I wish we had more time—but then five years or so—you know, ‘It’s comin’ to a place like Zurich. I’ve been to again, you can’t get that. You just go this fall!’—but I’m definitely doing it every big city in Europe. It’s a good crazier. So, you just do it quickly-ish.â€? soon. It’s time.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł composite view of stuff; it’s a really good way to see things. The casual Songs on the album range from observer sees more.â€? obvious influences like John Prine,

NEW NOISE

49

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER FREDRIK LARZON BY GEN HANDLEY rebro, Sweden, is known founded by Bad Religion guitarist have been honing that sound, for its bustling universi- Brett Gurewitz, and the label that making them instantly recognizable ty, the ancient Ă–rebro has released most of their dis- when they come on the radio.

Castle, and its well-known water cography. Larzon says SOS was an park—the largest in Northern Eu- easy album to make. “Yeah, it went Larzon says their nearly three derope. One thing it is not known for really smooth,â€? he says. “We re- cades together can be credited to is a thriving punk scene, but for corded pretty much all the instru- a great deal of respect and love some magical reason, in October ments in our own studio in Ă–rebro, within the band, whose full lineup 1992, the stars aligned in the pic- so it was nice and laidback to do it includes Larzon, Färm, guitarist Erik turesque Swedish city and one of there ourselves.â€?

Ohlsson, and vocalist and bassist the scene’s most celebrated and Nikola Sarcevic. “It’s both hard beendearing punk bands were born: “[Guitarist] Mathias [Färm] took lieve but, at the same time, natural Millencolin. care of the technical side of that for us in a way, as we’ve been the recording, as he’s very experi- same guys all these years,â€? he says.

Drummer Fredrik Larzon laughs. enced and great working in our “We have a great atmosphere in the studio,â€? he continues. “The vocals, band as well as lots of respect for “Yeah, I guess it’s not the typical mixing, and some other parts each other. I guess you could say birthplace for such a band, but Mil- were done at Fascination Street that we’re a little bit like family. Of lencolin started out with three guys Studios just outside of Ă–rebro by course, we’ve been through a lot, skating all the time and hearing all Jens Bogren, who we worked with both good and bad, but it’s made this cool music in skate videos back on [2015’s] True Brew as well. The us stronger. We’re proud of that, in the late ’80s and early ’90s—these setup was great, if you ask me.â€? and we still have a great time playgreat bands like Bad Religion, ing together.â€?

Descendents, Operation Ivy, and SOS continues in the catchy, meNOFX,â€? he recalls from his home in lodic tradition of the skate punk SOS radiates a range of emotions, MalmĂś. “We all played somewhat the band have become seasoned the result of the range of influtypical Swedish punk music in dif- experts in while introducing ences on its 12 catchy songs. “This ferent bands before, but when we new sonic elements and styles, new album’s got seriousness and found out about all this music in creating an album that’s more our perception of what’s going on these videos, decisions were made mature-sounding and progressive. around the world as well as perto start a band sounding like those Even though Millencolin have sonal reflections of personal life,â€? bands. The first years, we tried to evolved since their first album, Tiny Larzon explains. “It felt important sound like the bands that we were Tunes, in 1994—rereleased as Same for us to write about it this time, influenced by, but then, we evolved Old Tunes in 1998—one can still hear since you can’t really deny what’s into our own sound.â€? the original influences that Larzon happening politically around mentions, especially in songs like us—the climate and just the basic On Feb. 15, Millencolin released “Trumpets & Poutine,â€? on which the thing of how we treat each other. their ninth album, SOS, via Epitaph force of Bad Religion is strong. For There is also a positivity there to try Records—a label serendipitously almost 30 years, the Nordic band to make things better.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

Ă–

50 NEW NOISE

PROMOTE YOUR BAND with custom printing 144

100

CUSTOM T-SHIRTS

DIE-CUT STICKERS

Regularly $5.19

4.68

Regularly $96

86

$

$

Each

Sell For $15 = $11 in Profit!

Alstyle 1301 / Black / Single-Color Print Single Print Location

3×3" White Vinyl / Full Color / Full Bleed

250

500

FULL COLOR STICKERS

FULL COLOR FLYERS

Regularly $87

Regularly $82

78

$

74

$

4×6" 100lb Gloss Text / Double Sided

3×2" White Vinyl / Full Color / Full Bleed

500

ONE

Great for Merch Booths & Backdrops!

ROLL STICKERS

6×4΄ VINYL BANNER

Regularly $136

Regularly $72

122

$

65

$

3" Circle White Vinyl / One-Color

Gloss Vinyl / Full Color / Full Bleed

Save 10% CALL 877.246.3132

Use Promo Code at Checkout

MERCH4BANDS

10% off your order. Expires 3/31/2019. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Maximum discount amount $100.

Valid on retail pricing, only. Discount does not apply toward taxes or shipping costs. Single-Use Code. Prices shown with promo code applied. Pricing shown above is for reference and is subject to change.

CLICK JAKPRINTS.COM

PHOTO BY RYAN RUSSELL PHOTO BY BRYCE_MATA

D

INTERVIEW WITH DAVID BAZAN BY BEN SAILER

avid Bazan sounds more at peace with himself and his music than, perhaps, ever before.

As the central creative visionary behind beloved Seattle emo outfit Pedro The Lion, as well as a prolific solo artist, his output from the late 1990s to the current era has long carried the weight of a heavy heart. However, newfound positivity and personal growth have done nothing to dull the emotional impact of his music, something that’s immediately evident on Phoenix—the first fulllength album from Pedro The Lion since 2004’s Achilles Heel— which was released on Jan. 18 via Polyvinyl Records.

Bazan took a circuitous route back to Pedro The Lion, one that began with a stop at his grandparent’s house in his hometown of Phoenix while on tour in 2016. As a roadworn musician, he was feeling

52 NEW NOISE

disconnected from his surroundings. While he had hoped staying in a familiar place would calm his nervous energy, those feelings instead followed him en route to his next stop in San Diego. Then, they inspired him to write.

In the past, Bazan’s insistence on writing and arranging on his own had made retaining other members difficult.

However, once he gave himself permission to gravitate back to his former songwriting process, everything clicked into place. What had “I just had the idea to process all once contributed to the end of the difficult feelings that I was hav- the band now set the stage for ing about that place through an their return. album project and, hopefully, put some of them to bed,� he explains. This doesn’t mean Bazan is running a dictatorship, however. As When Bazan penned the first he’s quick to point out, drummer notes for what would emerge as Sean Lane and guitarist Erik Phoenix, he quickly sensed that Walters made important consomething about them was differ- tributions that helped bring the ent from the music he had been songs to life. releasing under his own name since the 2006 EP Fewer Moving “They’re such careful and thoughtParts. Rather than sounding like ful interpreters of what I’m bringanother solo record, they had the ing to them that it becomes theirs distinct sensibilities of Pedro The just as soon as we’re playing it in Lion. This was because he found the room,� Bazan says. himself writing all of the parts, something he hadn’t done since Seeking the inspiration to write the band broke up in early 2006.

Phoenix led Bazan to wander the

city’s streets in the early morning hours, capturing thoughts that would prove to be the metaphorical seeds for songs later on. The result of that soul-searching is a record that closes the distance between despairing isolation and the hope for human connection, tinging tales of loneliness with hints of optimism.

While Bazan is working through his own difficult emotions on Phoenix, it feels as though he’s inviting listeners to come along for the journey, suggesting the album’s narrative will continue on Pedro The Lion records yet to come. Time will tell where the story goes, but for now, it appears Bazan has found his way back home, both as a person and a musician. “I’m a way more trustworthy partner to myself now than I was before having completed it,â€? he says. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ATIBA JEFFERSON

I

INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER STEVE LAMOS BY SAMANTHA SPOTO

nfluential Midwest emo legends American Football are officially ditching their status as a reunion band with their third full-length, LP3, their second since reuniting after a 14-year hiatus. Due out March 22 via Polyvinyl Record Co., the album features appearances by Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, and Land Of Talk’s Elizabeth Powell.

While the initial reunion in 2014 came as somewhat of a surprise to Steve Lamos, the band’s drummer, he admits that the new album was intentional. “We’ve realized this isn’t a reunion thing. It’s a band, and we’re taking it one record at a time,� Lamos says.

With no strict pressures in place this go-around, American Football were able to spend more time and effort on production.

54 NEW NOISE

They recorded a demo in their old Midwest stomping grounds before rerecording the entirety of LP3 with Jason Cupp—a familiar friend from LP2—at ARC Studios in Omaha, Nebraska.

nearly as long for new music from this college-born, part-time dad band—My Bloody Valentine’s inter-record hiatus lasted over two decades—it’s difficult to say what the future holds for a group who are spread across The result is a billowing and con- three different states and have versational eight-song release, begun to move away from their rich with instrumental intricacies emo, post-rock roots. inspired by shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine. The U.K. rock American Football’s members band saw tremendous success all have families and careers after reuniting, and American outside of music that demand Football are following in their their day-to-day attention. footsteps—both in their sound Lead vocalist and guitarist Mike and fan appeal.

Kinsella and his brother, bassist Nate Kinsella, are stay-at-home “From my perspective, it seems parents in Illinois; guitarist Steve like we are taking a positive Holmes is the vice president of step toward growth, so I’m really a payroll company; and Lamos proud of the record in that sense,� teaches English, writing, and Lamos shares. “It’s a deliberate rhetoric at the University of Colattempt to say, ‘This is what we orado Boulder. want to be moving forward.’� “This is the perfect thing for me While fans didn’t need to wait at my age. When this happens,

we make a concerted effort to make it enjoyable and get the most out of it,� Lamos says. “In my 20s, I was addicted to this sort of lifestyle. Having it come back at this age, I appreciate it for what it is, but I don’t think we harbor any illusions.� “Essentially, three things need to happen,� he shares. “We need to have a good time, within reason; there needs to be some sort of interest; and it has to be worthwhile enough in terms of time, effort, money, and the pressures we put on our spouses when we’re away.�

So far, the band have managed the balance seamlessly. Fans can catch American Football touring in support of LP3 this spring and summer, including a hometown release show at The Metro in Chicago on March 30 to kickstart their exciting return to the scene.đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

Desjardins admits to being lucky to have worked with so ockabilly-tinged Los This lineup initially got back point in time, it could all just many solid musicians over the Angeles punks The together in 2006 at the behest suddenly end,â€? Desjardins says. years who “gotâ€? him, but there Flesh Eaters—one of of Mudhoney, who were curat- “When you go in and record a was always something special the pioneering Southern Cal- ing a U.K. festival. “Everything super-sounding album, I think about the particular lineup of ifornia punk bands of the late miraculously worked out with everyone’s attitude is much The Flesh Eaters who went into ’70s—have long been a favorite schedules and money, so we more of trying to preserve a the studio to record I Used To of other musicians. So much did that as well as three warm- legacy and continue as long Be Pretty. “I’ve generally been so that many have taken turns up shows in California,â€? Desjar- as the group seems viable. Of able to work quickly with most playing in the group, backing dins says. “We tried to schedule course, this last bit was some- lineups in the past, but the Minup founder and vocalist Chris a few more shows in 2007 and thing that’s only occurred to me ute To Pray‌ lineup here is truly Desjardins.

2008, but schedules kept falling in retrospect. About halfway uncanny. We really do have apart. I didn’t revisit the idea through our last eight shows a some kind of unusual chemistry Although The Flesh Eaters have again until 2014, when I found year ago, I said to myself, ‘We going on,� he says. “I’m a big been playing shows occasion- myself unemployed for the first are sounding so tight and so believer in Jungian concepts ally over the past few decades time in 15 years. Once again, good, and yet, so unlike how we of synchronicity and intuition, and even recorded new music everyone’s schedules worked originally did in 1981 when we and we most certainly have as recently as 2004, Desjardins out, and, most importantly, ev- first did this. We have to get in that in spades.� has pulled together a classic eryone was very enthusiastic, so the studio and document this lineup of the band, last heard we did five shows in January of for posterity.’�

Desjardins confesses to being on 1981’s A Minute To Pray, A 2015. Then, we did eight shows prone to anxiety attacks, so he Second To Die, for a brand- a year ago, also in January, all It didn’t take too much convinc- finds it very prudent not to get new LP. The lineup includes up and down the West Coast.� ing to get everyone onboard. “I too far ahead of himself with Dave Alvin on guitar and Bill was adamant about not letting grandiose plans, but he says Bateman on drums, both Like the tours, getting the too much water flow under the Yep Roc does have an option from The Blasters; John Doe on group—who are all still play- bridge, getting in to record the for another album down the bass and DJ Bonebrake on ing in a number of different material while we were still line, which he hopes they get marimba and percussion, both outfits—to find time to record tight, thus eliminating days of to do. “I have plenty of ideas,� from X; and Steve Berlin of The was scheduling-kung-fu. “Of prior rehearsal,� he continues. he shares. “There’s also a Plugz, The Blasters, and Los course, just doing the occa- “Luckily, everyone was willing to 50/50 chance this lineup may Lobos on saxophones. sional mini-tour could be eas- try, and we did find a week we squeeze a few more live dates ier in some respects, but at any were all free in April to do the in during the second half of The new record, I Used To Be basic tracks.�

2019. We’ll see.�

Pretty, came out on Yep Roc Records on Jan. 18.

For fans of Desjardins’ work outside of The Flesh Eaters, he adds, “Julie Christensen and our guitar player Peter Andrus and I also have plans to try to record another Divine Horsemen album before the end of the year.â€?đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHRIS DESJARDINS BY JOHN B. MOORE

R

THE FLESH EATERS

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

NEW NOISE

55

INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER/BASSIST LEIF EDLING BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON andlemass formed in Stockholm in 1984 and, two years later, released the doom classic Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. The record was revolutionary for its juxtaposition of style and form, mixing classical technique with the shadowy underground. The vocalist on it, Johan Längquist, was merely a session musician, never actually part of the band. He took off after it was recorded and never really returned, until now.

C

The Door to Doom is out Feb. 22 via Napalm Records, and it feels like Längquist never left. “We actually recorded the album with Mats LevĂŠn,â€? bassist and founder Leif Edling says, “but during the recording, it was clear the major part of the band wanted to go in a different direction— back to basics. Johan did such an amazing job with the songs. I had no idea he could deliver in such a manner, but he came to the studio and was the King of Doom!â€?

The new record is large-sounding The Door to Doom’s third track, mate, a circular becoming for all with crusty out-pieces that call “Astorolus - The Great Octopus,â€? fea- that is existence. to mind Candlemass’ debut. An tures a solo by the doom godfather, intensity streams through each Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. The “The state our planet is in is a well of gallop and plunge; it sounds fresh, song has a Sabbathian progression constant inspiration,â€? Edling says. almost spontaneous. You can feel and is unique in its ability to pay “I like philosophy and reflections the earth underneath, the infinite homage and usher pure individu- upon big and small things: how our universe above. It’s quick and also ality, a dual trait that Candlemass mind works, how we are as humans, very calculated—something like have always excelled at. The solo the inhumanity of humanity—with a a novel, with fits of explosion and sneaks up on you, grabs hold, and dark twist, of course.â€? long layers of process. It was an before you know it, you’re swimming exhausting effort. “Black Trinityâ€? is the record’s most in 50 years of doom. visual performance. Längquist “It was indeed a year of fun and “I had this crazy idea about asking sings Edling’s vision like a dream pain,â€? Edling laughs. “It was ab- Tony if he would be into playing wrapped in a cloud of night. It’s solutely great to be in the studio something on the record,â€? Edling dark and also symbolic, achieving a again with C-mass, but since I’m explains. “The other guys thought I literary connection, pushing the instill burned out, it was also pretty was insane, but our manager, Ole strumentation into a theatric maze. difficult. The reason it took one Bang, sent Tony’s personal managyear to record was that some days er an email. After a couple of weeks, “Who are the three evil entities in [and] weeks, I couldn’t go to the we heard back from them with a that song?â€? Edling asks. “What are studio; I was too tired. Some weeks, positive answer. Incredible. You they doing and why? I liked the I could go there only once. It was a need to aim for the stars!â€? basic idea of something that is in labor of love but a tough one. I’m human—almost—disguise and is very satisfied with the result, no two That’s where The Door to Doom here among us, affecting our lives. ways about it. Next time, we have to reaches. It’s a celestial body of a Not in a good way.â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł plan it differently, though. We can’t record, with groove and nebulous spend another year in the studio. matter. Lights shine, nostalgia We’re not Def Leppard.â€? hums—it’s both human and inani-

PHOTO BY ANDERS PALSSON

56 NEW NOISE

NEW NOISE 57

PHOTO BY MASEN SMITH

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ELIJAH WITT BY NATASHA VAN DUSER ans of the New Orleans four-piece Cane Hill know the band by their aggressive sound and abrasive attitude, tying in old-school Metallica-like musicianship with contemporary metalcore moments. Their music is loud, snarky, in-your-face, and, most importantly, heavy. However, their latest EP, Kill the Sun, out Jan. 18 through Rise Records, is anything but. Instead, the group created six heavily acoustic tracks reminiscent of a ’90s “MTV Unplugged� set.

F

After playing an acoustic gig in the U.K. and realizing they didn’t have enough material that translated seamlessly into an unplugged set, Cane Hill reached out to their label and got the green light to create a softer EP intended to be an amalgam of revisited tracks and covers. “When we started writing everything, we realized we were creating new songs rapidly, like we had the ability to make so many different kinds of songs because we’d never done it before,� frontman Elijah Witt says. “So, we scrapped the whole idea of reimagining anything or doing any covers.�

Kill the Sun is a six-part journey through very low highs, very high lows, and everything in between.

Though it lacks any of the heavy

58 NEW NOISE

aggression found on 2016’s Smile or 2018’s Too Far Gone, there’s an overall darkness that encompasses the EP as the band explore a time when they fell deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs. “It slowly became much more conceptual than I think we ever expected,� Witt says, “because it is just a very straight-line story about us in early 2016 on through Warped Tour.�

The tracks flow through Cane Hill’s descent into hallucinogens, starting with the heavily electronic “86d - No Escort.� “This [was a] period of us not giving a shit about anybody, and it was the beginning of our experimentations with LSD and a lot of other drugs,� Witt notes. “[It was] us deciding to be as wild as possible and, honestly, looking back, as obnoxious as possible.�

The following tracks expand on Cane Hill’s experimentation and eventual reconciliation with a toxic lifestyle but also showcase the band’s extensive musicianship. “Empty� embraces Latin guitar influences, Witt sings in a range akin to Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley on “Kill the Sun,� and the entire record pulls heavily from the production stylings of The Weeknd’s iconic 2012 album, Trilogy. “[Guitarist]

James [Barnett] went through this period of sadness, and when he’s sad, he listens to super sexual pop, and that’s where all of that came from,� Witt says. “We just kind of tried to take modern pop and trap music, ’80s electropop, and then ’90s grunge and meld it all into one.�

Perhaps the most blatant track on Kill the Sun is “Acid Rain,� featuring a trippy music video directed

by Bullet For My Valentine’s tour photographer, Ryan Chang. “[The visuals are] very much the same kind of strangeness that you experience when you’re doing acid once or twice a week,� Witt explains. “Nothing really makes sense, you don’t really know where you are, and your brain is going on this, like, weird loop of not understanding what you’re supposed to be seeing and what you are seeing.�

The EP concludes with “Smoking Man,� which Witt cites as his realization that he needed to escape this lifestyle. “I can’t think of doing a hallucinogenic drug without getting physically terrified of it,� he says. “It got to the point where it was just too much.�

The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,� Jimi Hendrix’ “Purple Haze,� J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine,� and basically all of

Alice In Chains’ 1992 album, Dirt, embody a rock ’n’ roll that was brutally honest and shameless about the drugs that helped define their respective lifestyles and careers. It’s an honesty that feels somewhat lost in modern rock, but as Witt states, “That’s what makes good music to us: the honesty, the realness behind it.� “I could write a million songs about never backing down or doing your best or whatever other generic metalcore [trope] you could think of,� he continues, “but that’s so boring to me, and I don’t believe in myself, and I don’t think that if you try your best that things will go right, so it’s just much better for us to be able to perform and deliver and believe what we make is genuine, honest, and sincere.�

Cane Hill are touring the U.S. with Sevendust through February and into early March, and though they dropped Kill the Sun beforehand, they decided to put playing these darker, slower songs on hold until they can deliver the best possible performance.

And diehard Cane Hill fans, have no fear: Witt promises that the next record is going to be “a heavy-asfuck album.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

www.rockabilia.com

For more than 30 years, Rockabilia has offered retail customers the largest selection of officially liscensed band merchandise available in the world.

NOW OFFERING

WHOLESALE, DROPSHIP & FULFILLMENT SERVICES

to receive 10% off your first order, use code PCNEWNOISE @ checkout

(952) 556-1121

NEW NOISE 59

PHOTO BY SCOTT MURRY

“INSTEAD OF JUST STUDYING IT, POTTY MOUTH WAS A WAY FOR ME TO PARTICIPATE IN MUSIC IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.�

P

otty Mouth have wanted to share their new music with everyone for a few years.

They began with an EP, Sun Damage, in 2012, then a debut LP, Hell Bent, the following year. After releasing a self-titled EP full of hooks in 2015 and touring with the likes of Against Me! and Beach Slang, it was clear their appeal had reached far beyond the basements of Western Massachusetts. Then, the video single “Smash Hit� came out in 2016—a cheeky pop masterpiece directed by Jake Stark that teased a new LP. Potty Mouth were poised to destroy. “We’ve always gone on tour and said, ‘We’re releasing our new album—soon,’ and then, it’s been a couple of years,� vocalist and guitarist Abby Weems says.

While it may have taken longer than fans hoped, the band will finally self-release SNAFU on March 1 via Get Better Records.

When Potty Mouth began in 2011, Weems was in high school, and due to their early success, the words “prodigy� and “novelty� were prominent descriptors used to characterize them. With time, these words faded into the background, and Weems felt it. “I wrote ‘22’ on the night of my 22nd birthday,� she says of the new album’s lead single. “I was just a regular adult at that point.�

60 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST ABBY WEEMS AND BASSIST ALLY EINBINDER

BY SCOTT MURRY With lyrics like, “They say the magic’s gone and I’m all that’s left,� it is a song of growing pains, but “22� has a beat that stays with you. The single encapsulates the bittersweet challenge of making this album, but in the face of that challenge, Potty Mouth are rising.

SNAFU is a power-pop-punk record in the vein of early Green Day—contesting bitter feelings to endure with a blissed-out collection of fast tracks.

It’s a coming-of-age album for a band who will not stay down.

The record label dance can be an infuriating one in which creatives make sacrifices. The volatile process claims the souls and spirits of innumerable bands every year—but not Potty Mouth.

Weems is including a comic with pre-

orders of the album to expose this sour path and explain why SNAFU wasn’t around sooner. “It’s a fun way to tell our fans what has been going on,� she says.

Bassist Ally Einbinder agrees, “Merging the creative, there’s all this business with it that’s imparted on musicians.

Yes, we’re a business, but what’s the point of doing it if you can’t do what you love? Fans always like to connect with us personally, and instead of just brushing it under the rug or releasing some formal statement, this [comic] was a fun, easy way to poke fun at ourselves. It’s easier for us to laugh about it and not dwell on it.�

Elaborating on not letting their struggles end the band, Einbinder explains,

“I won a scholarship to grad school [at Smith College] but decided I didn’t want to go anymore. I was so scared of telling my professors, ’cause I looked up to them so much and thought they’d judge me for choosing music over a PhD. They have been nothing but supportive.

I was a Sociology, Gender Studies double-major, so I was very interested in music as a cultural practice. Instead of just studying it, Potty Mouth was a way for me to participate in music in a meaningful way.�

Potty Mouth is essentially Einbinder’s thesis statement.

In recent years, the band have relocated to Los Angeles where they can expand their rolodex of venues and bands to work with—such as opening for Third Eye Blind at The Roxy in January. However, Weems still reminisces fondly about Amherst, Massachusetts. “I’d run into J [Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.] all the time at the hot bar of Whole Foods,� she shares. “The Pixies met at UMass. Sonic Youth lived there for a while too.�

That’s a lot of independent musical prowess for one small hometown. Perhaps tenacity is in the roots of Amherst bands. One thing is for sure: everyone should keep an eye on Potty Mouth in 2019.đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

ichie Cavalera has been around heavy metal his entire life. After all, his famous stepfather, Max Cavalera, founded Sepultura, Soulfly, Nailbomb, Killer Be Killed, and Cavalera Conspiracy and just happens to be an all-around metal icon. For the last 15 years, the younger Cavalera has been forging his own path, fronting his own heavy juggernaut, Incite. The Phoenix-based quartet just dropped their fifth full-length album, Built To Destroy, via Minus Head Records on Jan. 25.

R

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST RICHIE CAVALERA BY TOM CRANDLE

Built To Destroy builds on, and even Cavalera claims he was never intim- improves upon, the winning formula idated to follow in such big footsteps of the band’s last couple of albums. and join the family business. “It was “It’s so much more fine-tuned. It’s just what I felt like I was meant to a grown-up Incite with better musido,� he recalls. “I was only, like, 10 or cianship and focus. I think it made 12 years old when I started jamming the songs sharper, heavier, and vibe onstage with Nailbomb, Sepultura, harder than previous work,� Cavalera and Soulfly. So, when I got old enough says. “This album, compared to the reto really take things on, I saw no other cent ones, displays the live feel that we path for my future than to rock out, have been wanting. It’s raw and full of work hard, and carry on the name.� energy. Old fans and new fans will love this album, that’s for sure.�

After some early personnel changes, the Incite lineup has really solidified Built To Destroy takes the thrash and over the last five years. “We know extreme metal traditionally associwhat to expect, we know what we ated with the Cavalera family and can do, and it’s just better in every fuses it with the groove of Pantera way. It took a lot of trial and error and Lamb Of God. As is often the to find people who are 100 percent case, hardship inspired much of committed to this crazy hard life- the music. “Dru handled most of the style,� he explains. “The guys now are writing, and I know he had a hard all on the same page, and we’re just year with girlfriends and friends, so rolling along trying to be the best he definitely was in a rough place. band we can be.�

I think the anger and shit really

poured out of him into the music on this album,� Cavalera observes.

That would be one hell of a band, though!� Cavalera enthuses.

Incite will be touring heavily to support Built To Destroy, including an extended run with Soulfly. According to Cavalera, it’s not all that different hitting the road with family. “We don’t treat them any differently. We want to kick their asses every night,� he jokes. “It’s cool, and we’re excited because it’s been five or six years since we last toured with them.�

Cavalera clearly has a great deal of respect for his family’s legacy, and he is not bothered by the constant questions about his clan. “Not at all.

It’s an honor to have people care about the music we make,â€? he concludes. “I just hope I can rock for 30 years and make 30 albums like the old man has.â€? .đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

The Cavalera family is full of musicians. In addition to his stepfather, there’s Cavalera’s famous drumming uncle, Iggor. His half-brothers, drummer Zyon and vocalist and guitarist Igor, also play metal in the band Lody Kong. Despite the common occupation, don’t expect an all-family heavy metal supergroup any time soon. “I think we’re all too busy with our own stuff now.

PHOTO BY JEREMY SAFFER

62 NEW NOISE

NEW NOISE 63

REISSUE THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO AND THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED

BY TOM CRANDLE

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST BOBBY “BLITZ� ELLSWORTH BY TOM CRANDLE

O

verkill

frontman

Bobby

“Blitz� Ellsworth is confident

that his band took their moniker from the MotĂśrhead song and album of the same name, even if the details are a little foggy. “I’m sure that’s where we got it, but I don’t remember exactly who suggested it or how we came up with it,â€? he reveals. “Overkill just seemed like such a badass name.â€?

Coast. Ellsworth says it never bothered them to be so far from the majority of their peers on the West Coast. “The Bay Area scene had their thing going on, and we had our own thing here,� he recalls. “I mean, we had the Ramones and the Dead Boys, which was different from what a band like the Dead Kennedys was doing in California.�

one might imagine. “I don’t wear a scarf or anything. I still ride my motorcycle. I mean, I don’t share a toothbrush, but I don’t freak out every time somebody sneezes on the bus,� he reports. “I don’t smoke cigarettes anymore. I think my voice has gotten better since I kicked the butts six years ago.�

Despite their punk roots, Overkill have never strayed very far from the thrash path. The result is a nearly unblemished, unflinchingly heavy discography. Ellsworth has a simple explanation for why the band never softened their sound to pursue commercial success. “We always knew what we were, and that was a bunch of headbangers,� he says. “I’m most proud that we kept going when things got really hard.�

While Overkill have a storied past, they are clearly living in the present. “People say to me all the time, ‘It’s not like in the good old days,’ but you have to adapt. If you don’t adapt, you die. I feel like we’ve been able to adapt,� Ellsworth opines.

The Wings of War somehow manages to sound like classic thrash while still feeling modern and propulsive. The riffs are sharp, and the pace is blistering. It will appeal to both old-schoolers and young headbangers.

While most first-wave thrash bands only make an album or two each decade, Overkill have obviously been much more productive. “I don’t want to speak to what other bands are doing, but for us, it just works to make a record about every two years,� Ellsworth says. “We came from the part of New Jersey where a lot of immigrants settled. We were always told to work hard and keep your mouth shut.�

Since the earliest days of the genre, Ellsworth, bassist D.D. Verni and a rotating cast of talented guitarists and drummers have been churning out some of the most recognizable thrash on the planet.

A big reason for that instant recognition is Ellsworth’s singular voice. Very few thrash singers can go up and get the high notes like Bobby Blitz.

Of course, the biggest story in thrash over the last year or so has been Slayer’s impending retirement. While Overkill’s end is far less imminent, it is something that Ellsworth has put some thought into. “I don’t want to die doing this,� he concludes. “Someday, I’d like to be able to kick back, have a cold one, and appreciate what we’ve done.�

Overkill are one of only a handful of major thrash bands from the East

Ellsworth doesn’t need to be nearly as protective of those powerful pipes as

The name would also prove to be prophetic. Overkill are one of the few bands who could match the late, great MotÜrhead in terms of longevity, consistency, and pure work ethic. The New Jersey thrash titans are set to unleash their 19th album, The Wings of War, on Nuclear Blast Records on Feb. 22. Lemmy would be proud.

64 NEW NOISE

đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

On Feb. 15, Megadeth reissued two crucial—though sometimes overlooked—entries in their impressive discography through BMG Music.

The World Needs a Hero was originally released in 2001. It was an important album for the Los Angeles band, because it showed the world that there was life after the departure of longtime guitarist Marty Friedman in 1999. It was also lauded as a return to thrash-form after Megadeth spent nearly a decade venturing into more commercial territory.

Songs like “Disconnect,� “Moto Psycho,� and “Return to Hangar� recalled the glory days of 1990’s Rust in Peace and 1992’s Countdown to Extinction.

The System Has Failed was first released in 2004, at an extremely tumultuous time in Megadeth’s storied history. Founding bassist David Ellefson had left the band in 2002 after 19 years, and main man Dave Mustaine suffered an arm injury the same year that put his ability to play guitar in serious jeopardy. Songs like “Blackmail the Universe,� “The Scorpion,� and “Shadow of Deth� erased any doubt about Mustaine’s ability to shred or Megadeth’s capacity to thrash.

The World Needs a Hero and The System Has Failed are available on CD—including live bonus tracks—for the first time in over five years and on vinyl for the first time ever in North America.

Remastering by Ted Jensen has both albums sounding better than ever. Don’t miss your chance to grab these classics!

NEW ALBUM “SO WHAT?” OUT MARCH 1st FEATURING THE SINGLES ANTI-SOCIAL HAUNT ME THE GUILTY PARTY PRE-ORDER NOW FROM WHILESHESLEEPS.COM

spinefarmrecords.com

NEW NOISE 65

REAL EMOTIONS

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST ALEXI LAIHO BY SEAN GONZALEZ hildren Of Bodom have I can’t complain.� That sentiment is “Hecate’s Nightmare� opens a been rolling through the packed into “This Road,� and it’s a crawling music box with the weavdifferent paths of the music cruising way to start the record. ing of different rhythmic and symindustry for 20-plus years. A bephonic orchestrations, reeling in yond-impressive accomplishment, Hexed boasts ’80s-movie synths the imagery of Gothic architecture the band are gearing up for their that fit right alongside the intel- and a demon wreaking havoc on 10th studio release, Hexed, due out ligent, visceral horror that ran those around. “It’s about Hecate, through Nuclear Blast Records on rampant throughout the decade. one of the goddesses of the UnMarch 8. The album champions the “Say Never Look Back� plays off derworld,� Laiho reveals. “Not sure progressive, melodic, synth-driv- this directly, with Laiho stating, “If how to explain this one, ’cause it’s en metal that the Espoo, Finland, you’re referring to the song title, a tricky subject, but I’m into witchgroup have become known for. that pretty much goes with the craft, and this one is sort of an Whether ripping through speedy lyrics, which are kind of a tongue- imaginary apology letter to her. So, riffs, embalming their harmonies in-cheek version of ‘Nightmare essentially, you’re calling yourself in gothic blackouts, or bursting on Elm Street.’� The song’s refrain ‘Hecate’s Nightmare.’� with melodious hooks, Children Of bounces off a pivoting guitar, with Bodom are masterful in their ap- the synths echoing the melody in Children Of Bodom make Hexed enjoyable by splattering a variety proach to creating records. the background. of tones onto the album. “Under Opening with a tear, “This Road� is The work of keyboardist Janne Wir- Grass and Clover� is lighter in a light shined on vocalist and gui- man has always been a prominent texture, utilizing a brighter key tarist Alexi Laiho’s journey through aspect of Children Of Bodom, but to spin jazz-inspired guitar licks the world. With two decades spent across Hexed, the vibrant pulse of throughout. “Soon Departed� is on the road, Laiho still has his sig- the synthy makes the songs that a headbanger with its constant nature shredded vocal tone, guitar much more memorable. The title bellow. After 10 albums, Laiho still prowess, and ability to punch track features a few mesmerizing approaches writing and recording with emotive screams. Of touring synth solos that showcase the tight with the same natural flow. “It’s for the last 20 years, he says, “It’s chemistry of Laiho and Wirman, pretty much the same process good—well, better than good, who have been playing off of each that it’s always been,� he explains. because 20 years ago, I wouldn’t other since the band’s 1997 debut, “Sometimes, it just flows—riffs and have thought we’d still be alive. So, Something Wild. melodies, plus other ideas, just

C

66 NEW NOISE

pour out of you—and sometimes, you hit the wall hard. I just block the rest of the world out of my mind, write what comes out naturally, and hope for the best. I don’t see any other way to write songs or anything else creative.�

The final track on Hexed is a rerecording of “Knuckleduster� from the band’s 2004 EP, Trashed, Lost & Strungout. Laiho and company gave the song new life with a fresh set of lyrics that feature the same gut-punching, vehement anger of the original release.

Children Of Bodom are a consistent and musically decadent band who have a vast catalog of incredible musicianship. Whether through iconic guitar breakdowns and solos, an incredible mix of melody, warring synths, speed-demon drums, or any other aspect of the COB sound, the quintet are still screaming their lungs out with the same passion they displayed on Something Wild. They are a once-in-a-generation talent in the world of extreme metal. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 67

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST/BASSIST MAXIMILIAN KLIMKO BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

H

eart of Lead, out Feb. 15 via Debemur Morti Productions, is a singularly visceral musical experience: a bold, daring, and beautiful first statement from the new Icelandic blackened progressive metal duo Kaleikr.

It’s a record steeped in pure psychological horror. Sure, the idea of an album that journeys from sadness to existential despair—and madness— doesn’t feel that unique. However, the horrifying devil is really in the details.

The ReykjavĂ­k band play with different

K A L E I K R 68 NEW NOISE

styles like a tyrannical toddler would play with an aisle full of dolls; black metal, death metal, progressive metal, and a chilling level of melodic atonality all coalesce into something wonderful and mystifying.

its engaging execution. On behalf of himself and his collaborator, drummer and percussionist Kjartan HarĂ°arson, vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and arranger Maximilian Klimko explains the mindset of Kaleikr.

There’s a mentally draining aspect to Heart of Lead. As the album continues deeper down its horrific rabbit hole, it has an almost bifurcating effect: the mind loves the insanity but becomes almost too enraptured in the scope of the psychological horror and begins to fragment. Klimko expands on the record’s themes.

The blood-red cherry on top is the “The [band’s] name means ‘chalice,’ fact that the production also changes but ‘vessel’ could also kind of work over the course of the album. The thematically,� he says. “Kaleikr is sound feels like it moves alternately the receptacle into which we pour “Delirium, frustration, and longing closer to or farther from the listener, ourselves. It is the vessel of our are some of the main themes of this creating a sense of sonic chaos and grievances—constructed, polished, album,� he shares. “The material confusion. The addition of wisely and put on display. Every time we does become darker as the record placed cello only cements the bizarre drain ourselves, we fill it in turn, progresses. This is meant to illustrate boisterousness of Heart of Lead. and every time, it becomes some- the paranoid descent into madness thing different, often soothing and as the mind starts to stretch and tear.�

As adventurous as the record is in other times frightening. That is the Humorously, the depth of the final theory, it’s even more excellent in fundamental concept of the band.� product was a revelation for the duo. “Once we decided to go through with writing and recording this album, we were working with a somewhat steady vision of what we wanted it to become,�

Klimko says. “We were then pleasantly surprised by what we had achieved in the end, as the end result was far more intense than we had imagined.�

The musical terror is insidious, but don’t be fooled: Heart of Lead is fucking electric. Sure, the sanity of the album’s central figure may never recover, but Kaleikr’s power is only beginning to grow. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 69

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST SAKIS TOLIS BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER force to be reckoned with, Greek black metal powerhouses Rotting Christ have not taken it easy during their career. With 13 studio albums under their belts and a legacy spanning over 30 years, many other bands would have slowed down, run out of steam or ideas, or simply called it quits by now.

A

like a puzzle. The Heretics is a great blend of everything we have done through the years taken to the next logical step.�

al scenes in Europe. We are very proud of this.�

Throughout the many years the band have been together, the metal scene has expe- Stay tuned in 2019 for what Tolis calls “a hell of a lot of toursâ€?; a new book about the band, rienced a lot of changes. Melodic black metal has fallen in and out of fashion, and “Non Serviam: The Official Story of Rotting Christ,â€? available via Cult Never Dies pubthe sounds, motifs, and trends within the genre have ebbed and flowed. Through it all, lishing; and of course, the brand-new record, The Heretics.đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł Rotting Christ have maintained their faith in their sound and in their scene. Much like the heretics they wrote these songs about, they have moved things forward.

The Heretics was recorded on the band’s home turf of Athens at guitarist George Emmanuel’s Pentagram Studio, where they were able to focus on production value and crafting the perfect record. Like 2013’s ΚιτΏ Τον ΔιίΟονι ΕιυτοĎ? and 2016’s Rituals before it, it was then Not Rotting Christ. mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at FasciOn their most recent record, The Heretics— nation Street Studios in Ă–rebro, Sweden. Also in “We are one of the last ‘analog’ generations on this planet, so right there, you can see how typical Rotting Christ fashion, the band took on out Feb. 15 via Season Of Mist—the band much and how rapidly things have changed big, philosophical lyrical themes. show no signs of slowing down, even if they for us in three decades,â€? Tolis says. “No matter, do take things in a slightly different direction. though; the spirit is alive and well, and the “The lyrical themes for The Heretics were inspired by quotes and statements from many notewor- flame of black metal has nothing to do with “We have the right to experiment in our writing technology. The newcomers will help us keep process. We have earned it,â€? founding vocal- thy, so-called ‘heretics’ throughout history,â€? Tolis that flame burning, and together, we’ll prove says. “The ones who particularly inspired these ist and guitarist Sakis Tolis explains. “The sort themes were writers, poets, philosophers, etc. that metal is alive and will never die. If you of experimentation I’m alluding to allowed us listen to black metal—and especially Greek to develop ideas further and capture inspira- whose ideas helped shape and move humanity metal, which has many dark diamonds—you forward against the resistance and oppression tion when it came to us instead of just focusing can tell that we have one of the strongest metof their local church and political systems.â€? on writing riffs and assembling them later

PHOTO BY ESTER SEGARRA

70 NEW NOISE

PKEW PKEW PKEW

Hangin’ Out After All These Years�: “We haven’t hung out in a long time / So let’s get hanging / Old friends committing new crimes / Let’s get drinking and singing.�

Other songs tell stories of the band’s life on the road. “The Polynesian� recounts an adventure they had while driving through Wisconsin: “We got two rooms at The Polynesian / It’s tropically-themed / It’s worth seeing / We got two rooms at The Polynesian / We’ll ride the waterslide first thing in the morning.�

Warne recounts that they never got to ride that elusive waterslide. Instead, they climbed a roller coaster on the side of the road. “That was probably one of my favorite things that I got to do,� he says. “We just climbed it and walked the track and found a cool spot to have beers.�

Tucked in amidst all the songs about drinking, skating, and hoping to come face to face with a wolf is the genuine honesty that makes Pkew Pkew Pkew so appealing. Optimal Lifestyles occasionally asks the question, “Are we getting too old for this?� but the conclusion seems to be that, well into adulthood, the band still don’t take themselves too seriously because they don’t have anything to prove.

PHOTO BY RACHEL BRIGHT

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST MIKE WARNE BY JOHN SILVA ’d say we spend most of our time being exhausted,� Pkew Pkew Pkew vocalist and guitarist Mike Warne says. “

I

For a band known to write songs about drinking, skateboarding, and general quarter-life recklessness, it probably comes as no surprise that touring can be a tiring endeavor for the Toronto fourpiece. “Pretty much whenever we go on tour, we all kind of start it and wanna, like, eat healthy for the whole tour and develop this kind of life thing that’ll be new,�

Warne adds, “and then, we end up getting drunk every day.�

Pkew Pkew Pkew are a blast, both to listen to and to see live. The fun they exude on their records is genuine, and their approach to playing music is having no expectations beyond a great time. “I mean, we try not to think about it too hard, but part of it comes from, like, how seriously can you take being in a band?â€? Warne asks. “And how big is the return? Like, if we’re going out and we’re not making tons of money, then basically, we’re gonna party.â€?Â

than their first, 2017’s + One. The songs are just as catchy and just as much fun, and though some of the band’s members aren’t in their 20s anymore, if the lyrics are any indication, they are just as rambunctious. “All the songs on the first record were basically just, like, things that happened to me,� Warne explains. “They’re all really personal but also not personal at all. Same with the next one: everything’s basically just a story from life.�

The band’s forthcoming second album, Optimal Lifestyles—out March 1 on Dine Alone Records—has the potential to be even more popular

The lyrics on Optimal Lifestyles are simple, and that’s what makes them so relatable. Take, for instance, the opening track, “Still

It’s hard not to love four dudes who just are here for the sheer fun of it. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

SKATE RATS!!!

Favorite skate video excerpt: “Rodney Mullen in ‘Round 2.’�

Favorite board company: “Baker right now, but definitely Shorty’s back in the day.� Favorite shoe company: “DVS.�

Best song for a park sesh: “Anything by Anti-Flag.�

Rails or ledges? “Ledges!�

NEW NOISE 71

ANALOG BECAUSE CASSETTES RULE HARD AND NEVER REALLY AGE, T HE 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.

SPOTE BREEZE: NOT ALOUD: HOT RECORD SOCIETE Oakland’s Spote Breeze makes down-tempo rap backed by experimental, Madvillain-like sequences. His poems are introspective, lulling you into wide-ranging stories, dreamlike but still direct. Not Aloud is his latest full-length, conjuring memories of tie-dyed walks and newer concrete realities. It’s a potent mix, a tape that is effortless and psychedelic, offering both dreams and street harshness. Hot Record Societe is out of Oakland and includes a plethora of artists and musicians who are daring like Spote Breeze. This is a great cassette for drifting out of the city, wandering the backroads into the desert, the sun going down and the beats drifting like memories that are everybody’s—a higher plane, a oneness and creativity factor that is everlasting. It’s a new rap for a new time.

Lit as shit.

72 NEW NOISE

VARIOUS ARTISTS: IDEOLOGICAL HORIZON: SUMMER ISLE NYREDOLK: DEMO: CALIGARI RECORDS Denmark’s NyreDolk are punk and black metal forged into one. Frightful, with punk’s endless drive, the duo’s debut demo is four songs made for continuous repeat. This is music with an un-mind, art with menace, energy that is bottled for the act of creative inspiration. It’s sparse yet completely full, a reminder that minimalism is the tunnel through which exploration filters at its own speed. NyreDolk do what many black-punk hybrid bands cannot: they find the sweet spot of the two forms and never take from either that which makes them special. They use the eccentricities of extreme music to drive their own pulse. On the closer, “Blottet for Empati,” doom is the harbinger that cloaks the song’s sinister essence, expanding and extracting into the outer waves, akin to coming down from a trip. It eases you, though you’re still in pain.

Toronto-based label Summer Isle puts out some of the sharpest underground noise and industrial music. Their sense of what’s “current” and “feeling true” is pretty accurate. Ideological Horizon is a compilation tape featuring 11 different artists, ranging from down-tempo grime to avant-techno, shrill noise, and negative-glitch. Highlights include E-Saggila’s “Thrill Divine,” something like baroque noise with ambient splatters and light shades of sunny shrapnel. Death Kneel’s “To Sustain Me Here” sounds like it was caught in some portal from Kubrick’s version of “A Clockwork Orange” and treated with materialism and text. Dogon Lock’s “Congregational Meeting” is empty and full, like a highway on some inverse corridor bending light and sound. It’s tingling. The whole tape is an excellent foray into some of the best underground music out there.

HIDDEN VALLEY LOGGING COMPANY: RESERVOIR: LILLERNE TAPE CLUB Vancouver, British Columbia’s Hidden Valley Logging Company are a visual experience.

Like all good electronic music, the group are able to suggest landscapes that devour the mind, all-encompassing, tunneling, like a breeze in the wind. Reservoir is the newest offering, lush in its grand scheme, with sparkles that twist the mind to places both dark and foggy. It’s a suggestive experience, a tape with sections that both relate and drive toward their own ends. The totality is filmic; one is treated to rawness and pristine, sparse techno, a mind that swims and runs through layers of nature and space but always remains rooted in nature and its reflection of the infinite. A Canadian project true and blue, Hidden Valley Logging Company are philosophical, pushing one to count on the good times to outweigh the bad ones. In its essence, it’s about life for this group: living is the experience that we all share, and Reservoir is aptly titled, for the tape offers an abundance of paths.

IS BA CK !

TH E„ QU EE N OF RO CK N‘ RO LL “ inc l. the Th e bra nd ne w stu dio alb um L“. sin gle „N O SO UL /N O CO NT RO CD / 2LP / DIGITAL

OUT MARCH 29 th !

F B .C O M / S U Z I Q U AT R O R O C K S T WI T T E R .C O M / S U Z I _Q U AT R O S U Z I Q U AT R O.C O M

FB.COM/STEAMHAMMEROFFICIAL | SPV.DE

FEATURING “BANG MY DRUM” & “BIG ASS LOVE” AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE MARCH 15 WWW.ANGELDUSTMONEY.COM