New Noise Magazine Issue #52

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 41

ISSUE 52

4 6 10 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 42

MERRIMENT PETER BESTE THE NEW WHAT NEXT ADULT WARBRINGER DISBELIEF BRIAN FALLON ROTTING OUT DOOL WINTERFYLLETH HAVOK FAKE NAMES BOSTON MANOR THE SPITS THE HOMELESS GOSPEL CHOIR ALICE BAG CANDLEMASS

44

ABYSMAL DAWN

46 50 52 54 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER TESTAMENT ALESTORM THE SUICIDE MACHINES ENSLAVED SAM RUSSO GAYTHEIST DAYS N' DAZE KATATONIA EXISTENTIAL JANITOR CROWD SHOTS ANALOG CAVE

..

ABYSMAL DAWN COVER ART BY PAR OLOFSSON TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO BY VINCE SADONIS

To Get Away With Murder, It’s Always Best to Have a Friend

BY JOHN B. MOORE

W

hen Joe Steinhardt – the founder of Don Giovanni Records – first started work on his new graphic novel, Merriment, he wasn’t thinking about who would illustrate it. But after showing it to his longtime friend and Screaming Females guitarist Marissa Paternoster, it became pretty obvious that the two should be working together on the project.

think of anyone better to bring the words to life than Marissa.�

The story, told over 128 pages, follows Mack, who realizes that she may never be able to afford to live in New York City again, and is having a hard time adjusting to life in New Jersey. Add to that a mother who won’t let her forget that it’s hard for anyone to be happy these days. Oh, and she also thinks she might have committed a murder, and the FBI may be on to her.

when the majority of the words had been written, but Steinhardt admits she was the first person he thought of approaching to illustrate the story, once he realized it wasn’t actually a screenplay he was working on.

The two go way back. Paternoster is a visual artist, and her band has put out records on Don Giovanni since 2007. Steinhardt and Paternoster also play music together as Modern Hut. After the vision for the graphic novel came into clearer focus, they set up a Kickstarter to fund the project.

“Marissa is one of my closest friends “I actually started writing it as a screenand I originally showed her what I play, but through the writing process was working on simply to get feed- and feedback process, it started to back, and through that process make more sense as a graphic novel, “The Kickstarter was a super-long it led to her illustrating the book,� especially with Marissa's illustration pre-order to raise the funds for Steinhardt says. “We share a dark work,� Steinhardt explains. the supplies and time we will need sense of humor and bleak worlto finish it,� Steinhardt says. “It is dview that informed the story in Paternoster was brought into the a slow, and I mean slow process, the first place, so I couldn't really process relatively late in the game, much slower than either of us real-

4 NEW NOISE

ly envisioned, to bring this idea to fruition. We have a solid workflow sorted out, though, and the coronavirus has given us some time to focus on finishing it. That said, once it is finished, we will do a traditional release process, including taking orders, and should have it distributed to stores and hopefully be able to do some book touring with it. But between the slow speed of finishing the illustration and production work, and the nearterm uncertainty about touring and manufacturing, when that will be is anyone’s guess.�

Regardless, Steinhardt says the book will get finished. In the meantime, you can pre-order it through Kickstarter, either in paperback, or a limited edition signed hardcover copy, which is limited to 200 copies. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 5

6 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW BY MATTHEW HUTCHISON

W

hen Peter Beste graduated from college, he embarked on a trip to Norway. With no funding or publishing deal, he was intent on documenting the notorious black metal scene there. That trip, and the resulting book True Norwegian Black Metal, was the beginning of a storied photography career. Beste has since documented Houston’s gangster rap scene with Houston Rap, and returned to the metal world for his most recent book, Defenders of the Faith: The Heavy Metal Photography of Peter Beste, in which he turns his focus to the ‘battle vests’ worn by metal fans.

Beste’s curiosity about subculture ties his work together, and his roots in photography circle back to that same idea. As a teenager living outside Houston in the mid ’90s, he frequented local punk and hardcore shows, and started borrowing his mom’s camera to take pictures.

“The instinct came to me in those early days in high school, before I had any instruction or knew the names of any other photographers,” Beste says. “I always did it for memory and documentary’s sake.”

NEW NOISE 7

True Norwegian Black Metal, his first major project, took root after he introduced the idea to members of Enslaved and Gorgoroth after a show in the United States. They offered him time and introductions if he made it out to Norway. There, what’s often seen as a reclusive and mysterious scene opened up to Beste. “I always had a sort of punk rock approach to it,� he says. “These are just guys like anybody else, and at the end of the day, they probably want to promote their music. At least most of them. So, it’s not like I’m wedging my way into something that there’s no benefit for them.�

Beste’s documentary work is almost obsessive, and he commits years at a time to passion projects. He took close to a dozen trips over eight years when working on True Norwegian Black Metal. This investment gives him a notable ability to dig beyond the commonly known exteriors of the communities he documents.

Beste’s latest project, Defenders of the Faith, sees his focus turn away from the people, at least initially, to focus on their artifacts - specifically their patch-covered ‘battle-vests.’ Released last year by Sacred Bones Records, Defenders of the Faith captures the almost religious intensity of metal fandom, showing the vests, the people they belong to, and featuring stories alongside those photos. Limited editions feature battle-vest starter kits and 7� records featuring music from Aura Noir and Black Magic.

As for what’s next, Beste is currently planning an expanded edition of Houston Rap for release later in 2020.

He is also going through his ’90s photo collection and considering publishing his work from that era, in which he saw acts like Earth Crisis, Texas is the Reason, and a host of vegan hardcore bands. Ultimately, his inspiration is the same as what first drew him to Norway’s black metal scene.

“I have a real sensitive feel for when “It’s a fascinating world, and I thought it’s too much, in any situation,â€? he ex- it should be documented,â€? Beste says. plains. “They’re ultimately trusting me, “That’s my main motivation when revealing their world to me, and let- choosing these things, if it’s worthy of ting me show it to the outside world.â€? being remembered.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

8 NEW NOISE

www.rockabilia.com

For more than 30 years, Rockabilia has offered retail customers the largest selection of officially licensed 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

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

PHOTO BY JOSH VEGA

CONSTRICT

Hometown: Los Angeles, California Album: No Eden EP out now via Flatspot Records RIYL: Snakes. Middle seats. Sheer Terror.

PHOTO BY EBRU YILDIZ

ACTIVITY

Everything about No Eden is meant to suffocate the listener and squeeze out every ounce of life from the listener. Their very apropos name means that Constrict are the anacondas of the metallic hardcore world – massive, heavy, and more than a little scary. They also want to snap your neck, but that is very good in this case, as No Eden’s very short and sweet runtime features some delightful death metal riffs, and a pace that no snake could keep up with. Wisely, the record’s themes are no less terrifying, as vocalist Anthonie Gonazalez notes.

Hometown: New York, New York Album: Unmask Whoever out now via Western Vinyl RIYL: Mysteries. The Unmasking. Happy Accidents.

“I wanted to play on the idea that maybe humanity deserves to suffer. It needs to be driven into insanity into chaos, because it needs a reset. What I wanted to say with this record is each of us has the capability of committing violent acts on each other, and it is our re“I've been in bands where it’s a fight to have it not be a train wreck when everyone sponsibility to admit we are the cause of all our suffering. We are pointing the barrel in our plays together, and this one just never was,â€? Activity vocalist Travis Johnson reflects. direction and pulling the trigger.â€? đ&#x;’Ł “[Activity] always felt tight, and I guess, though we've never really talked about it, that we each just internally recognized what everyone was good at and got to where we could play off of those things, sense each other's instincts. I only realized that later, Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand maybe when we were listening to the songs in the studio.â€?

Album: Living Room, out now via Shifting Sounds That feeling of accidental purpose just pours out of the speakers while spinning RIYL: Love Songs. Dreams. Traveling.

Unmask Whoever. While the title may give off Scooby Doo vibes, there’s something “Some might say I’m partial to being a much more intense and serious at play here. It’s like a masterful crime thriller, unbit dramatic and sensitive, so my subject raveling layer after layer of intrigue and suspense – if your favorite mystery binge matter is usually dark,â€? vocalist Sam were brought to life in the form of an experimental indie band, that is. The key Vercoe states. “My wife would like me difference, Unmask Whoever grows more addictive with each successive spin. This to write her a nice love song, but so is glorious stuff here. far I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that. Certainly loss, regret, and One of those interesting surprises is a song that references the best C.S. Lewis story, navigating life are core themes that The Great Divorce (sorry if you disagree), as Johnson recalls: underpin the album, but also the hope of getting to a point where people feel “I never really think, ‘I need to write a song about this thing or that thing.’ I just sit at ease with who they are and their down to write and see what comes out, and see what it could mean after a line or surroundings.â€? two, then go deeper into that. At the time, we were working on ‘Calls Your Name,’ and had been reading that Lewis book and talking about it, and in it, all of these people With apologies to Mrs. Vercoe, thank God this record isn’t weighed down by trite love are moving farther and farther away from each other with no contact. They want to songs – those are less appetizing than a cooked rat. Instead, Living Room, is imbued be left completely alone. Napoleon is in one of those houses, muttering bitterly to with a glorious duality. Its songs regale with tales of various harsh realities, while himself constantly. So, it just kind of came out as I sat down to write. I do think it’s a the psychedelic noisy post-punk revels in grimy yet transcendent dream worlds. In really terrifying, and also beautiful book. We can collapse in on ourselves and allow theme and music, Living Room is grungy, with a distinct haunted tone. Swallow The resentment to rot us from within. It’s very easy to do, and very easy to do without Rat imbue the record with delightful Sonic Youth vibes, and should please anyone realizing we’re doing it. And a lot of times, we’d prefer the miserable satisfaction of looking for something different. đ&#x;’Ł that resentment to doing some painful but liberating turning around.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

SWALLOW THE RAT

10 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY ADAM DEGROSS

FEARING

Hometown: Oakland, California Album: Shadow out now via Funeral Party RIYL: Computer Programming. Acceptance. Empathy.

TONER

Hometown: Oakland, California Album: Silk Road, out now via Smoking Room RIYL: Colors. Couples. Expressionist Art.

“It’s a feature, not a bug!â€? Since the advent of computer programming, that’s been the Do you remember a decade ago going to the store to buy printer ink cartridges? standard excuse for any flaws in code. For those of us who feel mentally or physically broken, Remember how damn expensive those micro-batches of color were? Yet, if you had a it can also be a mantra of acceptance – one that is much more easily repeated than believed. decent printer, they produced wonderful, vibrant color printouts of whatever you had Coming to terms with that feature, and no longer calling it a bug, is immensely challenging, but on your computer. The way they worked was by pairing batches of colors inside the carit can also help us own our “inadequaciesâ€? rather than be owned by them. Fearing face that tridges to create unique color palettes. While the lovely musical choices that comprise fear of personal failure head-on, through stirring dark post-punk that reveals more with each Silk Road aren’t the result of a computer printer, they were completed in batches, which listen. Vocalist James Adam Rogers pours his soul out on Shadow, a resplendent record of ach- clearly resulted in such a wonderfully varied output. ing pain and power, of coming to grips with the unfairness of life. “The songs on this album are undoubtedly melancholy and dramatic,â€? Rogers recalls. “Reading each song’s lyrics as prose “My approach to this record was a bit different than usual,â€? band mastermind Samuelito makes them seem like a cry for help, but it really is me coming to terms with borderline per- Cruz notes. “All the songs were all written in couples at different periods. So, when I sonality disorder, and seeing depression and anxiety as a feature rather than my entire being.â€? would start writing the next two or three, I would try to stray from the last ones I wrote and channel a different influence through each track.â€? “I honestly try to start each new song with an idea of what I’ll write about,â€? Rogers continues. “I pick scenes from movies I enjoy, or try to think of alien abduction stories, but no matter I’ve never come across such a colorful record that oozes personality this pleasantly. where it starts, it always ends on hopelessness and despair, because that’s what my brain Dream punk of the highest order is the name of the game here, and Cruz and friends focuses on. I would feel comfortable calling it a cry for help if I was willing to accept help have released the perfect Summer drive record – just keep your windows up for the given, but it’s just me coming to terms with it, accepting it, and trying to make what I can time being. đ&#x;’Ł from it. Having said all that, I recognize that these are not unique feelings, the majority of people in my life are heavily depressed and treat it in their own ways. I choose to focus on it, write about it, and feel it heavily while we perform.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY WOMBATFIRE PHOTO BY LINDA ONTIVEROS- RUGGLES

HOLEHOG

Hometown: Sacramento, California Album: Radiation Blues out now via Addicted to Chaos Records RIYL: Bubbles. Friends. Fast-Paced Punk.

MOON DESTROYS

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Album: Maiden Voyage EP out now via Brutal Panda RIYL: Dreams. Great Films. Beauty.

One of the key attributes of dreams is their ability, no matter how short, to stick with you, but what lingers isn’t the images or sounds but the feeling you’re left to wrestle When you’ve named your newest venture after going all-out, you better fucking deliver. with. In the waking world, every aspect of our nighttime adventures is abstract – details Holehog laughs at any challenge, as Radiation Blues is about as aggressively full-on as are blurred, faces are familiar yet fearsome. It is within this other dream dimension any hardcore punk record I’ve ever heard. Formed from Sacramento punk royalty (DCOI!, that Maiden Voyage sets sail. Given that the duo’s past work includes Torche and Royal Brain Rash, Monster Squad, Ssyndrom), Holehog revel in two seemingly disparate mindsets: Thunder, it’s not surprising that these riffs are fuzzy and massive. What’s most impressive furiously screaming about the absolute shit state of the world, and imploring listeners to is how utterly immersive this short first excursion is. It’s not hazy and smoky in the way fucking do something about it. Hardcore punk has rarely been this positive and inspiration- that only the best stoner metal is, nor is it angular like most prog would be. Instead, it exists, and it’s awesome, though it’s hard to define. That was very intentional, as guitarist al, and that’s clearly the band’s intention, as vocalist Jason Ruggles explains: Juan Montoya notes: “I've created my own bubble in the world in which I live and have complete control of. I guess I just want to share my experiences and shine my light through our music, and in- “Most songs develop from visions, either from a dream or that enthusiasm one gets after spire listeners to do the same. So, this project didn't have a specific theme we wanted to a great movie. I close my eyes, take a deep breath while holding the guitar, and put talk really. I just wanted to live my best life with my friends, and we would find the words.â€? myself in a state of mind where I can let go of familiar sensations and get lost in my mind and my visions, all while consumed with the music. It runs through me as I forget about That ability and desire to live one’s best life requires an ability to see the world as it is this world and take myself to an unfamiliar place. In this instance, it was that galactic journey.â€? đ&#x;’Ł and how you want it to be – Radiation Blues revels in that duality. đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 11

PHOTO BY ADAM DEGROSS

PHOTO BY ELLE SCHNEIDER

PHOTO BY VOID REVELATIONS

DISHEVELED CUSS

HELFRO

There’s something amazing about hearing other cultures’ curse words – even if they don’t register as naughty to our American ears, they carry a certain verve and pleasure all their own. Like how ‘bollocks’ sounds much more endearing than ‘shit,’ Disheveled Cuss uses the same alphabet but speaks a much different language than Nick Reinhart’s more renowned act, Tera Melos. Both absolutely feature fuckloads of dexterous fretwork courtesy of Reinhart, but there’s an elegance and comfort that’s immediately arresting the second Disheveled Cuss starts up. While Melos traffic in mathy prog rock, Disheveled lean hard into ’90s alternative. Think Pixies or Teenage Fanclub, and you’re halfway there (living on a prayer!). Of course, it’s fun as hell, too.

If you know, you know. Any batch of Icelandic extreme metal that is mighty enough to make it to American audiences is going to be a glorious batch of frostbitten fury. Helfro are somehow no different and impressively unique. Their brand of black/death is heavy on the atmosphere, but this way too purposefully frenetic to be atmospheric. Instead, the raging cauldron of dissonant riffs and masterful work behind the drum kit melds into an addictive musical substance that will grab hold of your ears, your mind, and most likely your soul if you aren’t careful. Aw, when shit is this good, just relish that sweet, extreme metal dopamine rush. Interestingly, their musical drug plays into the themes of the record beautifully.

Hometown: Los Angeles, California Album: Disheveled Cuss out May 8 via Sargent House RIYL: Cognitive Dissonance. British Swear Words. Art Projects.

Hometown: Reykjavík, Iceland Album: Helfro out now via Season of Mist Records RIYL: Contrast. Dopamine. Cacophony.

“I’d just wanted to make a band like this for a long time,â€? Reinhart notes. “These types of “I wanted to talk about addiction and the emotional experiences that accompany songs had been hinted at in Tera Melos for a long time. I love playing Tera Melos music addiction,â€? drummer and vocalist Ragnar says. “It started out very matter-of-fact, – there’s just this magical, freak show quality to creating and performing it, but I don’t revolving around substance abuse, but in the process of writing the lyrics, the whole really care to listen to that sort of thing all that much. I think whatever the Disheveled idea expanded, and it became more about how one can become addicted to negative Cuss sound is, it’s just a big part of my personality that I haven’t exactly been able to thoughts, sadness, and hopelessness. Some of the lyrics also explicitly deal with loss and ever express musically, and it’s really nice to finally have the opportunity to do so.â€? loneliness.â€? đ&#x;’Ł “I was real curious to make a record of my songs without all the flashy stuff, like weird sounds, or insane drum fills, or subversive musical concepts,â€? he states. “I had never really done that before. This band isn’t supposed to be an art project. It’s funny, because I would describe it to my friends as my ‘normal’ rock band, and at one point someone was like, ‘Yeah, you should stop calling it that.’â€?đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JULIA SULLIVAN

NITE

Hometown: San Francisco, California Album: Darkness Silence Mirror Flame out now via Creator-Destructor Records RIYL: Pyromania. Cleansing. Phantom of the Opera.

I recently watched the Phantom of the Opera play for the first time, and underneath the classic love triangle at the center of the drama lies a very pernicious darkness. What’s most striking is how entrancing the music of the night can be, its meaning certainly subjective to each individual’s soul. NITE specialize in a rather glorious version of dark music, one that is equal parts familiar, fresh, and fucking fantastic. Their retro-styled heavy metal will bring listeners back to that date when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famed play first debuted in 1986 – when extreme metal wasn’t clearly defined, so you could play dark and melodic and wild, and no one cared about genre labels. NITE is all of those things, but it’s most obviously the musical equivalent of two devil horns in the air. It’s music that speaks to and warms the soul. “This album and NITE as a whole is our attempt to honor the music that shaped us, while delivering honest songs about our own struggles and strife,â€? guitarist and vocalist Van Labrakis says. “Our own paths. The underlying theme of this album is fire, as a poetic way to express struggle, perseverance, hope, and belief in one’s own strength. đ&#x;’Ł

12 NEW NOISE

IRIST

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Album: Order of the Mind out now via Nuclear Blast RIYL: Captain Planet. Good Instincts. The It Factor.

You know those people who just have “itâ€? – whether it’s a magnetism that makes people like them, the ability to always outsmart you, or even a seemingly natural athletic ability. Irist is comprised of five folks who are all individually impressive but came together to become something even greater than the sum of their parts. That goes for their collective musical influences, too. Bits of Gojira, Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Sepultura seep into Irist’s musical melting pot, but somehow Order of the Mind pulls off the rare trick of understanding why their influences were amazing, and channeling that rather than simply sounding like them. The name of the game here is thunderous, off-kilter riffing, and a progressive rhythmic bend, but what stands out more than anything is a continuous yet shape-shifting groove that penetrates the soul. It’s clear that Irist compose using the feel of the music more than simply writing interesting intellectual compositions. Guitarist Pablo Davila echoes that mindset: “Our priority is always to create a specific mood rather than to focus on technicality or staying true to a genre or tradition. We relied a lot on instincts and abstract ideas at the beginning of the writing sessions for this album.â€? It’s clear that Irist are destined to be mentioned among their favorite artists in due time. đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY DAN RAWE

PHOTO BY CHRIS MCARTHUR

NOBRO

WVRM

Asking about the story of a band’s name is the lamest fucking question ever (and I promise I didn’t do that here), but every once in a while, that story speaks to the heart of why a band is so awesome. NOBRO is – you guessed it – a band absent any bros, and this quartet of Canadians kick as much as their currently more famous loud rock bros, METZ. However, there’s a cohesion and sense of play that highlights how impressively these play off each other’s strengths. Rock records are rarely this brash, fun, and carefree.

Let’s do some math: four ladies + four of the best rock jams in the past decade equals what exactly? A good fucking time, that’s what. So how did that name come about?

You’ve heard about slam poetry, how about grind poetry? Behind the immediate outburst of sonic terror, WVRM slither into your cranium with some seriously thought-provoking audio violence. Their brand of Southern metal takes liberal doses of grind, sludge, and doom, but it’s the unexpected addition of unique instruments (violin, Chinese prayer bowl, cell, and Tibetan prayer bells) that lingers long after the distorted outbursts. WVRM rally against a society that has left behind the worker bees in favor of keeping each Queen Bee fat with honey. Colony Collapse beautifully reckons with a world gone mad, and is as insightful as it is filled to the brim with the best grind in years.

Vocalist Ian Nix reflects on the album’s themes:

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec Album: Sick Hustle out now via Dine Alone Records RIYL: Sarcasm. Being Genuine. Josie and the Pussycats.

Hometown: Greenville, South Carolina Album: Colony Collapse out now via Prosthetic Records RIYL: Iambic Pentameter. Rhyming Couplets. High RPM (riffs per minute).

“I know this is going to sound super fucking lame,â€? they laugh. “But do you know that famous quote, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world?’ Well, I wanted to be in “We’re all experiencing something one way or another within society and within our own the most badass, shredding riffs, punk, garage rock, all-female band ever, but there lives that also reflects what’s going on in society. I think we wanted to not only talk about weren’t any, so we decided to make one. When trying to find female guitar players, real things that are happening, but also how that shapes our own lives, relationships, there were so many guys that offered to fill the position, and all I kept saying again and and thoughts. We wanted to do our historical moment justice through art and from again was, ‘No, Bro.’ It was a joke‌ and now it’s our name.â€? đ&#x;’Ł every angle we could. It can’t just be straight-up political, it has to be poetic. It has to touch you in some way. It can’t just be angry and aggressive, it has to be about love, as well as loss. A commentary on everything the heart experiences in this current state of civilization.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

TRUE BODY

Hometown: Richmond, Virginia Album: Heavenly Rhythms for the Uninitiated out now via Funeral Party Records RIYL: Paranormal Activity. Shared Community. Religious Imagery.

The best music is a spiritual experience, a set of interconnected written and musical notes that smacks your soul around for good measure. There’s a transcendent nature to it that allows to speak to different people where they are and force them to reckon with their place in the world. These glorious records don’t have to wreck you. Instead, there can be a sense of shared community among those who connect with the sounds and syllables. Heavenly Rhythms for the Uninitiated is a fully-realized version of spiritual musical experience – a goth pop dance party that leans on traditional Christian imagery to tell soul-wrenching tales that really fuck me up. Yet, behind the despair and minor key moodiness belies a triumphant quality only the tippy top tunes of this style can attain. Interestingly, True Body’s latest body of work came in part due to seemingly paranormal events: “A lot of the songs seem to materialize outside of our control, as if our hands are being led,â€? vocalist Isabel Morena-RiaĂąo recalls. “There are multiple cases of songs being written in fits of amnesia or files appearing on our hard drives. In terms of writing, there is no set process due to how ceaselessly our lives revolve around music in general. It is how we communicate, so it doesn’t necessarily begin or end anywhere.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JOSH BOOKHALTER

WARES

Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Album: Survival out now via Mint Records RIYL: Equality. Anti-fascists. Revolution.

No one told me the anti-fascist revolution would feature such an enigmatic, soaring, and soothing score. Cassia Hardy and her band of self-described “Prairie Queersâ€? might seem like unexpected leaders of said revolt, but Survival is as impressive a rallying call as anything else you’re likely to see or hear. Echoes of Arthur Russell, Against Me!, and even Metallica highlight this gloriously unique take in indie rock. However, it’s Hardy’s personal yet universal story from the fear of the closet to the power of community that hits the hardest. Survival is a literal scream for equality and a place in a hostile world, but it’s also a call out to those who want to unite under a more inclusive way of things. Hardy’s words do more justice than mine will: “Talking or singing through past trauma, and unlearning harmful social norms, begins and ends in community,â€? she states. “Spending most of my life closeted built a lot of walls, preventing me from reaching out to people I knew could help me, or even love me. I wanted to talk about destroying those barriers in myself and in the world at large, meeting friends and lovers and comrades to build a network of mutual aid. That's the only way forward, to overcoming climate change, pandemics, and capitalism.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 13

FROM THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT

ADULT

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / SONGWRITER / PRODUCER NICOLA KUPERUS BY J POET

P

and chiming gongs give an ominous feel to “Don’t Reduce Me,� as Kuperus investigates the way advertising distills things down to their most simplistic forms. The thumping bass of “Have I Started at the End� gives the track an upbeat feel. This contrasts with lyrics that questions the self-imposed blindness of everyday perception.

The idea of a divide between perception and reality is an interesting one, especially

erception is/as/of Deception contains tations,� Kuperus continues. “Everything is some of the most personal songs that on hold, with a constant fear of how we will the Detroit duo known as ADULT. - Nicola deal with a family member or friend getting Kuperus, keyboard player, singer, songwriter, sick. One moment we are confident and producer and Adam Lee Miller, keyboard feel secure. The next, we’re having a total player songwriter, producer - has ever created. existential crisis.�

The album was recorded in their basement studio, over an intense five-month period. They “We were working with the theme of perpainted the walls black, retreating from the ception and what it means to us. What did world, to focus on the music. it mean to writers such as Aldous Huxley, philosophers such as Merleau-Ponty, critics “The world is at a tipping point,� Kuperus of art and literature like Goethe, and artists says. “We’re surrounded by cultural dead like Cocteau? What did perception mean ends and political ignorance. We’re on the to them, and what does it mean in the conprecipice of a cultural pandemic.� text of deception? How much wool is getting pulled over our eyes?�

At a time when much of the country is confined to their homes, retreating into The music on Perception/Deception coma basement studio to make music almost bines propulsive dance beats, heavily seems presentient. processed vocals and slabs of avant-garde noise, that magnify lyrics exploring the ways “The virus intensifies the daily struggle and technology shapes modern life, and not forces us to constantly readjust our expec- always for the good. Growling synthesizers

when our President seems unable to separate the two. One of the album’s songs, “Total Total Damage,â€? could be his theme song. “Yes, undoubtedly,â€? Kuperus says. “It’s almost so ‘right on’ that I felt like we should have left it off the record. It’s too true and terrifying. I mean, I like to stir it up, make people wake up, pay attention, think about the choices they are making, but this is just too‌ I don’t know. It is total, total damage.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

I’M GLAD IT’S YOU INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST / SINGER KELLEY BADER BY RENALDO MATADEEN

I

’m Glad It’s You haven’t had an easy time over the last couple of years. In July 2017, rather than celebrating how much their debut album, The Things I Never Say, was resonating with fans on the road, an accident shook the band up forever.

While the band members walked away with minor injuries, their videographer and mentor Chris Avis didn’t. And what makes Every Sun, Every Moon - the band’s sophomore effort, once more on 6131 Records - even more impactful, is that guitarist and vocalist Kelley Bader was the one behind the wheel. The result, a eulogy of sorts, is a haunting novel of blame, optimism, and self-discovery, which teaches us to let go and let fate run its course. “The entire album revolves around the loss of Chris Avis and the subsequent period of grieving,� says Bader. “At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, writing it was one of the most difficult things I’ve done. I ignored a lot of the heavy lifting of the healing process until I began writing the album, which effectively reintroduced me to the experience all over again, only with a lot of amended expectations and a deadline.�

But make no mistake, the band doesn’t drape their songs in a morose bed. Sure, you can find something for fans of Balance and Composure in the grittier sections, but there are also catchy, anthemic jams for fans of Jimmy Eat World, Say Anything, Oso

14 NEW NOISE

Oso and Joyce Manor, on tracks such as “Death Is Close.� In fact, there’s an overarching Britpop theme that adds a unique fizz to the record, despite the dark lyrical content.

as he knows how many lives his friend touched. Of course, the songwriter admits it hits a bit harder these days, but he has learned to lean towards the light. It’s why he can’t wait to sing, scream, and pay homage to his brother when it’s safe again.

It’s interesting how tragedy often encourages creative risk, and Bader believes this part of the creative process ties into what we “I think about him and his work a lot during these harbor deep beneath the surface.

COVID-19 days,� Bader says. “Without people “I thought the contradiction of the musical tone paired with lyrics about mortality and trauma would describe what it feels like trying to hide your trauma in order to stay composed and function in the world,� he says. “It’s sort of like wearing a mask every day.�

This is why, ultimately, Bader has crafted a concept album tied heavily to mortality and how we cover up when we face it head on. It’s as personal and narrow as he’s ever been in terms of narrative as well.

As for the album’s title, it’s simply part of trying to understand his role in the grand scheme of life. “The title is attempting to convey a sense of eternity, of always remembering and carrying that memory further,� Bader explains. “It’s also a way of accepting the duality of existing, of living in a universe filled with darkness and light, joy and grief, and loss and life.�

And from the lyrics, you can tell death is a ghost that won’t ever go away, but it’s something Bader is coping with better, especially

PHOTO BY MCKENZIE MELCHER

like him documenting live shows, we’d all be less connected to each other and even ourselves.

I think it will be a relief to play these songs live.

I’ve heard the phrase ‘Chris would’ve wanted you to keep on’ for so long now, and it’s difficult when that’s inhibited. We’ve wanted to share this story for a long time, and being together with people, playing loudly and freely feels like the right way to share it.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

LESSONS FROM THE MASTERS

DITCHES

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER/GUITARIST JOHAN LONEGRAN

BY JOHN B. MOORE

B

uried among the long list of influences in the music of Stockholm-based four-piece Ditches is the ferocity and melody of The Marked Men. So, it seems only natural that the band would have The Marked Men co-founder Jeff Burke involved in their debut, self-titled LP.

relocating to Burke’s apartment to work on backing vocals. “Overall, everything went pretty smooth, and I think we have some precious memories and gained

some experience in the making,� Lonegran says. “Jeff is not only a really good musician, he’s also a great guy, and super fun to hang out with. I’d sure love to do it again.�

have pretty broad musical influences of our own, which, of course, finds its way into our song writing,� Lonegran says. “Everything from hardcore punk to indie pop, or 60’s doo-wop.�

Ditches combine equal measures of garage, power pop, and punk rock to come up with their sound, and despite having some obvious influences, their personal music collections are pretty disparate. “We all share the similar core influences, coming from the Swedish punk scene in one way or another. But I think we all also

For now, the band is not expecting to tour the U.S., but it’s always a possibility. “No plans at the moment, but we all would of course love to go on a U.S. tour,â€? Lonegran says. “It’s been in the back of our heads since we started the band. If there are any tour managers in the U.S. reading this, get in touch!â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

Along with producing, Burke also added some backing vocals on the album, which is out now on Drunken Sailor Records. “Well, there’s no question about it that we all really like what The Marked Men put out over the years,� says Lonegran. “So, when we recorded the 1000 Elephants EP, we reached out to Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan who, at the time, ran Cool Devices Studio, and asked them if they’d be interested in mixing and mastering the EP, which they did.

Since we’ve always been happy with the result, it seemed like the next natural thing for us to do. I think we started talking about it when we opened up for Radioactivity in Stockholm back in 2018, but it took a bit more than a year to make it happen.�

The band met up with Burke in New York for a couple of weeks last summer to work on the record. They spent three to four days in a Brooklyn studio before

PHOTO BY ELA STRAND

THE BOBBY LEES INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / SONGWRITER / GUITARIST SAM QUARTIN BY J POET

W

oodstock, in New York state, is noted for the legendary rock festival that bears its name, but it’s also the home of The Bobby Lees, a band that’s developed a unique fusion of blues and in-your-face rock. Most of the band – drummer Macky Bowman, lead

guitarist Nick Casa, and bass player Kendall Wood – graduated from high school last year. Bandleader Sam Quartin is a few years older. “I always wanted to have a band, but I was too scared to sing or play in front of any-

one,� Quartin says. “I couldn’t sing without crying. I thought I sucked too much to share what I’d written, so I left New York and moved up to Woodstock. Somebody told me to read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It suggested trying things and not judging yourself, so I started playing

around town and met Kendall, Macky, and Nick. A couple of months later, we recorded our first album, Beauty Pageant.�

Beauty Pageant is a bracing blast of punk infused blues, but it does nothing to prepare you for the intensity of Skin Suit, the band’s second outing. With the help of Jon Spencer from The Blues Explosion, they’ve crafted a blistering blues/rock hybrid of epic proportions. Quartin’s unruly vocals are supported by the band’s wall of noise and Spencer’s sonic explorations.

It’s hard to believe music this loud and intense was made by a quartet. “We recorded everything live,� she says. “The drums were isolated, but we could still see Macky. Nick, me, and Kendall were in one big room together. On a few songs, I recorded the vocals in a booth, and some songs we just used the live scratch track.

Jon got us to do stuff we wouldn’t have thought to do. I get intimidated when there’s too many choices, so it was amazing to have someone who knows what the fuck they’re doing when it comes to the technical shit. Vocally, he’d have me try stuff I don’t normally do.�

Quartin’s vocals have an impressive, somewhat disturbing sound, a visceral yelp of raw pain and anger. On many tracks, it seems as if she’s descending into chaos. “We tested the songs at shows to get a better feel for them, but vocally I try to not have anything planned,â€? she says. “I change things up every time I sing. I like music that sounds like it’s a matter of life or death when it’s playing. Like the person singing has no choice but to get it out.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

15

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

WARBRINGER INTERVIEW WITH SINGER JOHN KEVILL BY HUTCH

W

arbringer expected to be celebrating with their rabid fans pounding fists and headbanging across the country to bond over their sixth album, Weapons of Tomorrow, out on Napalm Records. But, in the quarantine times currently suffocating this country, things are, well, weird.

“It’s weird indeed,� says vocalist John Kevill. “Putting out an album while staying at home is very different from how we’ve done it every other time. We have no tour dates until the end of the year. It is a strange time indeed.�

However, different parameters create different opportunities. “Under quarantine, I have plenty of time to do every single interview or piece of press which comes my way, and that’s not a bad thing!

So, seeing as we can’t control these global events, we have to try to make the best of them.�

Warbringer has built a respected legacy over their twelve years as a band, but Kevill and company do not feel pressure to do anything but make the record they want to, instead of struggling to balance continuing their sound or expanding it with creativity. “We didn’t regard those two elements as oppositional,� Kevill says. “The way I see it, continuing our estab-

lished sound is how we expand creatively.

Instead of expanding into something else, we go further into ourselves, our own identity, and our own sound. This itself is evolution and development. I think this path of our sound only became clear following the last record, Woe to the Vanquished. Continuing in that same path pushes creative expansion, because we were doing things like melodic or black metal elements, as well as long epic or progressive songs. So, just continuing in our own direction and being ‘more ourselves’ is the path to our creative evolution.�

power Kills’ is about the power of modern weapons, ‘Crushed Beneath the Tracks’ is about replacing humans with machines in the workforce, ‘Glorious End’ is about what industrial weapons did to brave men 100 years ago (with implications for the future).� “But that’s just a few of them. ‘Defiance of Fate’ and ‘Unraveling’ are both two different sides of an intra-personal

struggle, the search for meaning. In one, the speaker triumphs, in the other, he loses. ‘Outer Reaches’ is a fictional sci-fi story about explorers on an exodus from Earth. ‘Notre Dame (King of Fools)’ goes into the themes of Victor Hugo’s famous novel, and then also muses on the burning of the cathedral and the loss it represents.â€? “I try to write albums with diverse and interesting subject matter,â€? Kevill concludes. “And I definitely try to write in such a way that whatever I write will be relevant at any time. I don’t hit present day themes ‘on the nose’ for this reason. I want to write an album that will last and remain good for a ton of listens.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

As far as the main songwriting, the core of the band remains steadfast. “Me, Carlos Cruz (drums), and Adam Carroll (guitars) do a lot of the songwriting, and all three of us have been there since forever ago,�

Kevill says. The writing of Weapons of Tomorrow, was also enhanced by new bassist, Chase Bryant, who Kevill credits with “(bringing) a lot more to the table in terms of writing bass lines.�

As outstanding fiction does, Kevill delves into the current world’s arsenals and extrapolates through his lyrics. He explores projected ramifications of our technology on each song. “You can draw a line through many of the songs that they somehow relate to ‘fear of the future’ as a theme,� he explains. “‘Fire-

NECK OF THE WOODS INTERVIEW WITH SINGER JEFF RADOMSKY AND GUITARIST DAVE CARR BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

V

ancouver-based heavy, progressive into the bleaker side of their creativity to band Neck of the Woods unveiled unleash an album they’re extremely proud of. their latest record, The Annex of Ire, out now via Pelagic Records. Channeling “The Annex of Ire is a much darker-sounda darker, heavier sound, the band tapped ing album than our previous work, but

that wasn’t on purpose,� explains Dave Carr, guitarist. “We’ve always written for ourselves, and these tunes just came out a little heavier. Ron, our ‘at-the-time newbassist-now-turned-guitarist,’ also had an impact on our sound. He brought some killer riffs to the table, and even though he was the new guy, he fell into our groove with relative ease.�

To match the darker sound, the band went the same route with their lyrics, bypassing a positive message to exorcize the demons that can be found in anger. “Lyrically, The Annex of Ire is a little less positive and uplifting than our previous release, The Passenger,� says Jeff Radomsky, vocalist. “This album focuses on experiencing, understanding, and processing anger and hate, with emphasis placed on self-awareness, and fostering positive relationships with both yourself and others.�

PHOTO BY SHIMON KARMEL

16 NEW NOISE

Neck of the Woods also took a different approach to writing and creating the album. “The writing process was different this time around,� says Carr. “The Passenger, for example, was mostly the five of us hashing out riffs in the jam space and putting songs together, then just doing

floor recordings as our pre-production.

With Annex, I did most of the pre-production at home, laying down riffs and then programming some basic drums for Jer [drums] to get an idea of where I was going with it. The advantage here was being able to constantly listen to an unfinished song.

If I only had two minutes of a new tune and wasn’t sure where to go with it, I would listen to it over and over until something came to me that felt right and would do the song justice. Once the song has some structure, you can send it off to the guys, so everyone knows what to expect next jam.

I’m sure many other bands have been doing it this way for some time, I just resisted the technology forever.�

The recording process was also a bit different this time around. They went to Jesse Gander of Rain City Recorders in order to capture a more raw, organic sound that really put the finishing touches on an album filled with different approaches.

Instead of using multiple amps and trying to layer their tone, they went for the “less is moreâ€? approach. The result is something different and a bit more polished, but definitely a record the band is proud to call their own. đ&#x;’Ł

SPIRITUAL DARKNESS

ORANSSI PAZUZU INTERVIEW WITH SINGER AND GUITARIST JUHO "JUN-HIS" VANHANEN BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

A

name synonymous with both mystery and greatness, Oranssi Pazuzu have been making music since 2007, and have always been ahead of the curve when it comes to psychedelic, experimental, black metal. Yet instead of thinking of themselves as trendsetters, the band just does what comes naturally.

“With this album, I think it was really interesting because we were able to do things a bit differently,� says vocalist and guitarist Juho “Jun-His� Vanhanen of their latest album, Mestarin kynsi, out now via Nuclear Blast. “Rather than going for the wall-of-sound approach, we really wanted to do something else, something a little more minimalistic.

There are so many people in the band, and we’ve gone for that approach in the past, but we wanted to change it up.�

As they broke ground on this recent record, Oranssi Pazuzu leaned into their classic, ’70s psych influence as much as they honored their black metal roots.

They used a sampler, a lot of keyboards, and experimented with soundscapes

and ideas, and even more electronic elements, to create the unique sound on Mestarin kynsi. While it still has a lot of the classic, heavy elements they are known for, it is even more attached and psychedelic than previous works.

Anyone who has been paying attention to experimental black metal over the past few years realizes that Oranssi Pazuzu are a force to aspire to, but the band doesn’t focus on being a light in the darkness for others. They just want

to make what feels legitimate to them. “Frankly, we just don't care. We just want to make music. If someone can do it better than us, then they should, but we just want to play. đ&#x;’Ł

In terms of lyrical content, there was just as much intention behind what the band wrote, and the experiments they engaged in, as there was in the music. “We tried to make songs that would feel like spells, or curses,� Vanhanen explains. “We were thinking a lot about mind control, paranoia, things like that.

They also take a look at how things are very polarized today. There are basically two sides. There is no middle ground. We came up with this kind of Lovecrafitian character who has a kind of religious, cult following. He could get people to do anything because they would be on one side or the other.

It’s not really supposed to be any real character or politician, more like a Lovecraftian beast that just represents how the world is today.�

THENATOS INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST STEPHAN GEBÉD

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

S

ince 1984, Thanatos have held the title of first death metal band from the Netherlands. Although they may not be as mainstream as some of their British, German, or American counterparts, Thanatos were one of the first bands to blur the lines that turned thrash into death metal.

Now, in 2020, they’re still kicking and just released a new record, Violent Death Rituals, out now on Listenable Records. Vocalist and guitarist Stephan GebĂŠd filled us in about their lengthy career, blistering music, and future plans. “I think with this album, we managed to bring back the dark and ‘more evil’ feeling that we had on our second album from 1992 (Realm of Ecstasy), and which had been missing ever since,â€? explains GebĂŠd. “Our previous albums had plenty of speed, aggression, and heaviness, and basically there was nothing wrong with our previous album Global Purification, but this time, I think we managed to spice things up by adding that one, missing ingredient. Apart from that, we’re really satisfied with the way this album turned out both musically and production-wise.â€?

The record has been in the works since 2018, when the band members traded material back and forth to create the album.

“Usually, one of us comes up with a rough version of a song, and we all add our two cents to that,â€? adds GebĂŠd. “We recorded the drums at Michiel van der Plicht’s (God Dethroned) drum studio. Guitars and bass were done at our home studios, and I recorded vocals in a small, local studio in Rotterdam. Then, we sent the recordings to Dan SwanĂś, and he provided a blistering mix of it all.â€?

The focus of the lyrics on Violent Death Rituals is organized religion and the harm it’s done, as well as war, horror, and death rituals.

They’re excited about the new record, and a little disappointed that they can’t promote it properly due to COVID-19. “It’s a real pain in the ass that we cannot promote our new album with live shows, that sucks big time,â€? GebĂŠd admits. “We can’t even rehearse for the time being. To be honest, I don’t see much touring happening anymore this year. We have some shows and fests lined up this summer which will probably be cancelled, and I’m also afraid the shows planned for this fall might be in danger.â€?

While lack of touring is certainly a bummer, Thanatos have been at it since 1984, and they don’t plan to stop now. Look out for more tour announcements as restrictions let up. đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 17

SONGS FOR END TIMES

DISBELIEF INTERVIEW WITH SINGER KARSTEN “JAGGER� JAEGER

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

D

isbelief’s The Ground Collapses, out now via Listenable Records, is a record 30 years in the making. The German band have been at it for a while now, and recently came up with an album that sums up their sound perfectly.

“Some songs are about hate (‘Killing to the Last,’ ‘Colder than Ice,’ ‘Hologram for the Scum’), what's going on when it controls you and makes you a different person who is able to do things, destroying, horrible things,â€? Jaeger says. “For other songs, I was inspired by Chernobyl, and get flashbacks to when it happened in real “The sound on The Ground Collapses is growing again, in-between all our pre- life when I was young. Then, there is the theme of suicide (‘The Waiting’).â€? vious albums,â€? explains vocalist Karsten Jaeger. “We've worked together with the same studio as for the previous album, In addition to the dark themes on the The Symbol of Death (Rambado Record- album, Disbelief are feeling the weight of the dark time due to COVID-19 as they try ings). That's one of the reasons we've and release a record. made the whole pre-production directly in-studio for the very first time in the history of Disbelief. This position was perfect “As a musician, it's hard to release a new album because of the fact that all planned for working out all the vocal stuff and to shows were cancelled, and the shops have find the right guitar sound.â€? closed, so no one can buy the CD there,â€? adds Jaeger. “It feels like you’re ready to The band take a more aggressive, brutal start a fight, but there’s no fight. This is very death metal direction with their guitar frustrating, but we’re prepared to strike tone and their overall sound on this back live when it’s possible again. We also album, which they started working on in played for the first time in the history of Dis2017. It’s a few years in the making, but belief a livestream show. We called it ‘The more than a few years when you look Virus Stream of Hell.’ It was very successful, back at all their previous efforts. They and shows how thirsty fans are to watch and also channel at least 30 years’ worth of to listen to live music.â€? đ&#x;’Ł hate and destruction in their lyrics.

TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER AND SINGER RICH HOAK BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

I

t’s the end of the world as we know it, and Total Fucking Destruction are feeling fine. At least, as well as can be expected. Although Rich Hoak, drummer and vocalist for the iconic grindcore trio, waxes poetic about end times, his vibe is resigned and cheerful, not morbid and despairing.

“This album was an end of the world

party because it's really the end of the world,� he explains about their latest record, aptly titled ...to be alive at the end of the world, out now via Translation Loss Records. “Other albums and songs we’ve written in the past have been sort of like predictions of how fucked up things are going to be in the future, and to my astonishment, things are even more fucked up than I ever thought they

would be, so that’s sort of where this album is coming from. I congratulate all the human beings on being alive to see the end of the world. That’s what the title track is about. I’m just astonished that the things I’ve written about have come true.�

As the record acknowledges the hardships the world has faced during the past 20 years, it’s also a celebration of the remarkably long time the band has been making music.

Every member of the band has other bands under their belt, as well as a personal life, but they’ve also dedicated a considerable amount of time to Total Fucking Destruction. “I’ve never taken any lessons, and I don't read music or anything like that, but the lyrics and melodies I write often

18 NEW NOISE

just appear in my head from somewhere,�

Hoak says.

He claims that the album came about organically, from the timely decision to add their “Star Spangled Banner� cover as an ode to Jimi Hendrix to other songs they had written in advance of the official recording process. They also allowed themselves space to experiment with this recording. “I’m not only interested in writing music that’s extremely fast or extremely heavy.

I also like music that is extremely light, extreme in other ways,� Hoak adds. “All the songs on the album are extreme in some way, just not necessarily extreme grind.�

As for the musical arc of the record, it starts off with a congratulations about being alive and the end of the world and ends with a sort of question: Is the star spangled banner still waving? Is any of this still relevant? And even though it may well be the end of the world, the album signs off with a question, a call to action. “Despite the fact that it’s the American national anthem, we want to speak to all those people who are oppressed by their governments. We want them to question that authority, and to question what's going on.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

THE POWER OF POSITIVE SONGWRITING

FIRE IN THE RADIO INTERVIEW WITH GUITARISTS / SINGER JON MILLER AND RICH CARBONE BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

I

n a time of darkness and depression, Fire in the Radio present a new album, Monuments, out now via Wednesday Records.

The band’s dark, brooding blend of emo, grunge, and rock all lead to the distinct sound on this record.

down to the heart of their tracks and allow them to evolve. As they fleshed out the music, they also told a compelling and timely story with the lyrics.

“With the lyrics, we were working out where we are in this country, and noting that many of the value systems people have held have “For a little more than a year, we’ve had over sort of faded over time,� says Miller. “We two dozen tracks that Jon [Miller, guitar were basically trying to capture the idea and vocals] and I have been kind of going that people can be like monuments, like a back and forth on, as well as the rest of the testament to what they believe in. And we band, circulating the ideas and seeing what was sticking and what was pushing the enve- don’t need that sort of dated value system lope forward, particularly with this release,� to tell us where to go. I think it’s about explains vocalist and guitarist Rich Carbone. embracing this sort of hopeful message of change, that we can push back against “We really wanted to achieve a blend of all of things, collectively. our influences and what we bring to the table.

This time we brought in a producer, and it was The album also has themes of depression, great, because he was able to be very honest personal struggle, and relationships. There and give us feedback as we went along about are themes all over the map, but the unifywhat was working and what wasn’t.â€? ing message behind the record is the power Hailing from Philadelphia, the band re- of the human spirit to push through, a very important message right now.đ&#x;’Ł corded in New Jersey, and were able to dial

PHOTO BY JESSICA FLYNN

GLACIER VEINS INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST MALIA ENDRES BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

W

hat is the world you want to see? Is it possible to shift one’s perspective just enough to remake the world to match what you want to see? It sounds impossible – and the start of just about every utopian disaster ever – but that’s because we’re always focused on the big picture. On their recently released debut full-length, Glacier Veins wrestle with smaller questions, ones of gratitude, small joys, and tweaks in perception. It doesn’t hurt that as a package, The World You Want to See, out

now via Equal Vision/Common Ground Collective, will make every listener’s ears very grateful.

There’s just something special about the Portland group’s dream punk – brushes of shoegaze, post-hardcore, pop-punk and dream pop are the musical colors Glacier Veins play with. It’s like a best of compilation of the past 15 years of alternative, but with the opposite lyrical approach. Vocalist and guitarist Malia Endres highlights where this mindset

came from and how it’s evolved. “I’m not saying that everything is perfect if you just tell yourself it is, but I do believe that how content we feel in our lives and how much happiness we experience depends on how we perceive the things that go on in our lives. There was a positive shift in my life when I began noticing small joys and expressing gratitude for even the most simple things, and when I became comfortable with the idea that all of the events in my life are bringing me to the place where I’m supposed to

PHOTO BY KRISTINA DAWN

be. The songs on the album are a combination of my excitement for this way to view the world, and my own process of working through experiences in order to understand their purpose and grow from it.�

There’s a grounded element to the band, and that’s how musically tight and refined this is, especially for a first outing.

That’s all by design, as Endres notes, “I started Glacier Veins with the intent of making it my forever music project. Writing songs is my emotional outlet, so I feel super connected to the songs I write. By starting Glacier Veins, I wanted to make sure that the songs I was writing wouldn’t be part of a project that had the possibility of the band breaking up and having to walk away from those songs.

I wanted to have a project that I could continue to play under, regardless of members coming in and out of the band.

I’m super grateful to have found Tyler, Kyle, and Jason through everything.

Despite how the project started, the four of us are Glacier Veins. Our similarities and differences in music tastes really allow us to write and play well together and creatively.�

Musically, the vibe continues to the effervescent tunes. “We wanted people to be able to feel the emotion in the music,â€? Endres says. “Some songs are for feeling good and getting excited. Other songs are for feeling the heaviness of certain situations. I love music that makes me want to groove, so that comes out in the music I write, just because it’s what I would want to hear. All four of us were excited to bring in our own tastes to each song, so it was nice to find the sound for this record through a combination of our different musical interests.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

19

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAT GILRANE

BRIAN FALLON

The Simpler Side of

BRIAN FALLON INTERVIEW BY BEN SAILER

B

rian Fallon’s third solo al- mitment to continued creative excelbum Local Honey (out now lence and drive to avoid repeating on Lesser Known Records) his own past. Rather than flexing his might best be defined by chops, formal education taught him its focus. It’s a stripped-down ef- to do more with less. fort that sees the former Gaslight Anthem frontman paring back the “I was able to express myself in a new soulful rock ’n’ roll sound found on way where it didn't feel like it was the his previous records (2016’s Painkill- same old thing,� Fallon says. “Not ers and 2018’s Sleepwalkers), in favor that I felt that the other stuff I did of sparse arrangements that under- was the same old thing, but I think pin his most personal storytelling that continuing to do that would be to date. Now free from major label the same old thing.� influence, it’s a pure expression of where the New Jersey-based song- Fallon found an ideal studio partwriter is at in his life right now, writ- ner with Grammy Award-winning ten and released on his own terms. producer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Frightened Rabbit) to bring What longtime listeners might not this more minimalist approach to life. expect is what it took for Fallon to Fallon credits him for pushing the achieve this sound. For starters, the record in directions it wouldn’t have prolific songwriter took guitar and gone otherwise, bringing a knack piano lessons to sharpen his skills, for layering simple sounds in a way which may come as a surprise for that is often deceptively complex. For someone whose collective body example, there are moments where of work includes a gold record. two drum kits might play complemenHowever, it’s emblematic of his com- tary patterns, or where Travis-picking

20 NEW NOISE

allows the guitar to carry the beat and the melody by itself, in order to free up the rhythm section to move into unconventional territory.

penning something fewer folks may find relatable was a twofold risk, yet one that Fallon needed to confront to write the record.

Katis also brought his signature mel- “I took the encouragement that I bet ancholic vibe to the record, which fit you a lot of my audience is probably well with the daring honesty Fallon in the same boat as me,� Fallon says. wanted to capture. Rather than “So, maybe it's just for them. Maybe telling the sort of broadly relatable it's just for a small group of us, and stories that make the mundane feel that's cool, but I had to go around fit for the big screen, he instead that little thing in my head.� turned towards his own experience as a married parent with two kids.

While making music that’s more personal may inherently mean limiting That isn’t to say that Local Honey is its audience, it’s hard not to feel comprised of stereotypical dad rock, that sentiment may be selling the reor for that matter, anything stereo- cord’s appeal short. Even as Fallon’s typical at all. In fact, allowing him- lyrical emphasis turns inward, what self the space to confront his current he hopes listeners can take away reality may have been the biggest from his music hasn’t changed. creative breakthrough Fallon made on the record, digging deep into the “Hopefully they enjoy it for their own challenges and triumphs of father- lives,â€? he says. “And then they can hood while hiding a little bit less be- interject their own stories, and then hind metaphor than before. Being it'll serve ‌ how other records have more open about his own life while made me feel.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

P

“EVERYTHING SEEMS UNREAL RIGHT NOW. SO MAYBE IT’S THE PERFECT TIME FOR A RECORD ABOUT A MADE UP PLACE IN AN ASKEW REALITY�

unk rock escapism is over- The seeds of Terminal Amusements due for a resurgence, since are sewn deep within Weibe’s own the world has been plunged childhood memories. into an inescapable nightmare. Enter Drakulas new album, “The concept of the band is a loose Terminal Amusements, which dropped idea between The Warriors and Taxi last month via Dine Alone records. Driver,� he says. “Basically, what I own little world, and my own little we’re linked up our own virtual arWritten by vocalist Mike Weibe (River- thought New York City was like when I slang terms, and my own characters cade, roaming around in and out of boat Gamblers, High Tension Wires), was eight years old, having never been that walk in and out of there.� Terminal Amusements, making back and guitarist Zach Blair (Rise Against), there, having only lived in the suburbs alley deals with seedy outlaw charProduced and engineered by Stu- acters, using weird virtual currency. the group’s sophomore record is a of Texas. What I imagined it was like.� art Sikes (White Stripes, Rocket from Doesn’t sound that bad, actually...   tincture of power punk and ’80s new wave. But take a closer look at the Weibe elaborates on the use of many the Crypt), the album covers a wide lyrics and the aesthetics of the album, different eras to create an atemporal amount of musical terrain, grab- “I do think there is a tension and a bing elements of Dickies-style pop ‘what fucking world is this?’ in real and you will find an exploration into setting for his fictional world. punk with synth-heavy New Wave life right now,� Weibe says. “I was the grimy underbelly of a neo-noir fantasy-version of Times Square, a ““My personal rule for lyrics is that elements, giving it an atemporal going for that on the record, but in glimpse into the messy lives of messy nothing can be current,� he says. feel to it. a different way. Everything seems characters in all their glory and vices. “If there’s a reference, it has to be unreal right now. So maybe it’s the Not quite a linear story, but more of from this made up world. I got deep “Something I learned from Ted perfect time for a record about a an immersion into a fantastical punk into this podcast called The Rialto Hutch on the last Gamblers record, made up place in an askew reality. rock underworld.

Report, it’s about the golden age he would talk about trying to cap- People come to records at differof the Times Square pornography ture something that sounds like [it’s ent times, but I feel like for me, the “Everything is written around this scene and like art, and the factory from] a while back, but he said (in a release of this is always going to video game arcade in a fictional movements in Times Square back British accent), ‘you don’t want it to link Terminal Amusements and the 1970’s metropolis, the arcade is then. And there was this documen- be a museum piece.’â€? lockdown of 2020. I've put out a called Terminal Amusements,â€? Weibe tary called ‘80 Blocks from Tiffany’s,’ Since most of us will be spending this lot of records, and I don't think explains. “It’s about the characters it’s about gangs in New York in that time caught up with TV, movies, and any of what was going on when who are weaving their way in and time period. And I sort of just blend- video games in the next few months, they came out was this memoraout of the arcade in that area.â€? ed it all together and made up my who knows? It might not be long until ble.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

DraKulas INTERVIEW WITH SINGER MIKE WEIBE

BY DEREK NIELSEN

PHOTO BY JON WEINER

NEW NOISE 21

Rotting INTERVIEW WITH SINGER WALTER DELGADO

BY CALEB R. NEWTON

T

he members of the fierce Los Angeles-area hardcore band Rotting Out grew up embedded in the city’s heavy music community. On their new album, Ronin, they’ve catapulted these sounds into a new era. Out now via Pure Noise Records, Rotting Out’s new album features ferociously punching hardcore, with the band wheeling out fierce riffing designed to leave a mark - literally, if you’re lucky enough to catch the band live.

Vocalist Walter Delgado explains that the band kept the live experience in mind when developing their new record.

ea luminaries like Black Flag and Pennywise. Delgado also adds that he often looked beyond the Delgado explains the band’s hardcore scene for inspiration for modus operandi as “a very tradi- his own performances. tional, L.A. street punk approach, complemented by heavier riffs “I usually try to think outside the that are kind of derived from New box a little more, outside of traditional hardcore,� he explains. “So York hardcore.� os, although there’s certainly plenty of raw energy to go around.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN RAWE

“Writing this record, there were these two rules that I had in my head,� Delgado explains. “Would a punk kid still listen to this song?

Or, would this be boring live? So, I made sure that these songs, once they’re portrayed live, still kind of carry that energy, that aggression, and that same essence that they do on the CD, or on the record.

Because hardcore is all about the live shows, personally. I think you can’t be a hardcore kid just being stuck in your room and listening to records all the time. If you’re not going to shows and kind of getting your hands in it, you’re not really a part of the scene, personally. The band’s background also So, when it comes to what we informs their songwriting big time. write, we want it to translate to live “When it comes to writing music, shows and have that same energy, we already kind of have an idea like punches in the face.� of what we want to represent, and what we want to sound like, That sought-after energy is abun- which is very, you know, at home, dantly clear on Ronin, although and very traditional,� Delgado Rotting Out ground their relentless explains. “We try to be very much onslaught in a carefully strength- rooted to the history of hardcore ened, melodic backbone. The and hardcore punk.� meaty guitar riffing, super heavy bass, and cacophony from the In developing the sound for Rotdrums all feel grounded in endless ting Out’s first full-length album in forward propulsion. In other words, seven years, Delgado shares that the band don’t just pack pure cha- the group took cues from L.A.-ar-

22 NEW NOISE

Ronin. Delgado explains that the band also hoped to showcase the personally gripping core that helped fierce hardcore catch on in the first place. “I’m very stoked for people to hear it, and for it to finally be out,â€? he shares, explaining that he’s looking forward to hearing other people’s reactions. “Even if it’s negative, I want to know why. I even like offending people, in that sense, where people are almost mad that they don’t like our record, where it’s like getting under people’s skin - I like it. But also, it’s for the kid that goes to that hardcore show and is going to be stoked to see these new songs live. It’s meant to speak to that new fan on a different platform, more than just punching each other in the face, and moshing, and whatnot.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

INFLUENTIAL HARDCORE, THEN AND NOW

maybe I’ll be listening to something like the Deftones, or even Nirvana, things like that, which I grew up listening to, and I’d want to incorporate little by little. Or even Rage Against the Machine, where it’s a different kind of approach to writing music, or just the vibe of the song specifically. We’d add these little toppings of other aspects of music.�

Ultimately, setting the stage for memorably gripping shows isn’t the only aspect that weighed on Rotting Out while developing

Growing up in L.A., the members of Rotting Out latched onto some classic groups from the area, like Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag, Terror, and Internal Affairs. As for music from the East Coast, vocalist Walter Delgado also names the Massachusetts groups Stop and Think, Slapshot, In My Eyes, and Bane.

Personally, Delgado also cites John Joseph of the N.Y.C.-area group Cro-Mags, H.R. from D.C.’s Bad Brains, and Ray Cappo from Connecticut’s Youth of Today among those he “really admired growing up.� “I was more amped on hardcore bands that had like a faster sound, a more aggressive sound, sometimes even a more melodic sound,� he explains.

Some more recent bands that have caught Delgado’s attention include the Massachusetts group Restraining Order, and the NorCal group Drain. The latter actually has a unique personal connection to Rotting Out, as Drain’s vocalist went to the same high school that Delgado attended. As he explains, he’s stoked to see their success.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SNODGRASS

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER JASON HALL BY NICHOLAS SENIOR The record’s theme is all about incremental, important small acts of kindness. He laughs when the infamous Keanu Reeves film is brought up.

M

ost good for the most peo- gestures of kindness and allowing works as a benefit because I believe ple. Be decent, less evil.â€? incremental change to take hold. songs should be short. I believe they For a band as verbose and In fact, so much of Frail Bray feels should be interesting. I believe they intellectual as Western Addiction, indebted to the idea of existing in should be memorable. I have all you wouldn’t expect their album’s the middle of things, of being the these metrics for what I think a song theme to boil down to a winking MotĂśrhead of modern music. Frail should do. But I do like all those reference to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Bray straddles all worlds, but exists things. I love metal. I love thrash. I Adventure, but that’s the first of in one – hints of thrash, Southern love rock ’n’ roll.â€? many delightful surprises to be rock, ’80s rock, and hardcore all found within Frail Bray. are filtered through Western Ad- As it relates to his life, Hall revels in diction’s unique lens. All these ex- being part of various different worlds San Francisco’s hardcore punk cursions become part of the unified without being defined by any of them. heroes have been politely raging musical picture Frail Bray paints, as “I skateboarded when I was kid, but against the machine for over 17 vocalist Jason Hall notes.

I was never a skater. I worked at a years now, but it’s on Western Addiction’s third record where every- “When I started the band, I didn't punk label for 11 years, but I don't thing comes together in a truly per- know what kind of music would look like that. I embrace the goodfect way. come out. That sounds so dumb, ness and the ideals of it, the hope of but it's like, oh, my body just hap- it, but I don't have a mohawk or anyFrail Bray, out May 15 via Fat Wreck, pens to play traditional hardcore thing, you know what I mean? And I've finds the group’s insightful and gor- in a modern way, and I'm not a been a parent for a really long time, geous lyrics marrying majestically fantastic musician either, so I have and that's also kind of why I've had to with a vision of hardcore punk that limitations, but I think it actually live in a double world.� finds the midpoint between heavy and hooky. Western Addiction is all about building bridges rather than burning them. You don’t motivate people by screaming at them to be like you (though Jason does a lot of face screaming in the live setting), you transform them by showing little

“Definitely, Bill and Ted's. Yeah, I mean, I think about it a lot. I think about the world a lot, and I can't not think about it. And of course, right now we're in a glaring example of how the world is under stress and duress. But I tried to see the silver lining this time because I didn't the last time.�

Hall expands on how this incremental effect can manifest. “People are always asking how they can change the world. You can do something every day. You can just respect people. It doesn't mean you have to walk around jolly all the time, but just show everyone the basic respect.�

Thankfully, there are so many fantastic lyrical and musical nuggets to digest, that Frail Bray will happily serve as a hefty intellectual meal for any discerning listeners.

For those who like to think and headbang, this is basically nirvana. đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 23

PHOTO BY NONA LIMMEN

Dool

The Irresistible Urge To Create

T

his is the best album I’ve ever had a part in,� Ryanne van Dorst says. The singer and guitarist certainly has no doubts about the new Dool album, Summerland. Founded in 2015 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, dark rockers Dool embarked on an ongoing spiritual and musical journey, discovering more about themselves as a band through this new record than they would have ever thought.

“Playing live as much as we did over the past two-and-a-half years has helped tremendously in our way of communicating with one another, and in the decision making as well,� van Dorst explains. “We only got to know what Dool is capable of and what Dool actually is after releasing our debut album, which was basically just an experiment.� “The songs started growing only when we started touring the album, and with it came some sort of sense of identity, which we can now call upon whenever we need it,� she continues. “At this point we almost don’t need words to describe to each other what we mean, musically. Everything is really organic and natural, and we feel like we have the bases covered.

It is great being part of something that is growing and evolving this way.�

24 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST RYANNE VAN DORST BY MARIKA ZORZI

If the band took an experimental approach to their debut Here Now, There Then, Summerland is a more expansive and more varied effort on all fronts, and it well represents the band’s constant evolution. “I think that every album, even every song one writes, should come from an irresistible urge to create,� van Dorst says. “Whether that is a powerful surge of inspiration, or the need to ventilate a certain emotion or something like that. This is exactly what this album is. It is also the reason why we didn’t release anything any sooner, since it wouldn’t have been sincere. This is exactly the album that we wanted to make after Here Now, There Then.�

become some sort of tradition. I hope we can keep on doing this for a long time. We wanted someone to do a spoken word in ‘Well’s Run Dry,’ through the voice of some ancient, all-knowing figure. I wanted a deep, scary voice, so we had to think of Okoi and his characteristic, primordial sound. He did a great job there. We really wanted a Hammond solo on ‘Be Your Sins,’ and Per was exactly the right person to do that.

With the little suggestions I had, he made something both haunting as well progressive as catchy. He’s an absolutely amazing musician.�

own desires and sense of beauty,â€? van Dorst says. “A customized life after death, rather than an afterlife designed by a god, a state, or an institute such as a church. In the lyrics, I try to define what this would Summerland unfortunately drops look like for me, and why I would in the middle of the coronavirus have to wait until after dying to pandemic, certainly not the best indulge in such pleasures. We also time to promote a new record. want to challenge the listener a bit, “Unfortunately, we had to cancel and have them think of what ‘Sum- both our E.U. tour and our Dutch merland’ would be to them. In order club run,â€? van Dorst says. “Also, to give them this space, I used a lot Roadburn got cancelled, where of metaphors in the lyrics, as not to we were supposed to have our be too defined, without losing my album release show. We’re in the personal meaning to songs.â€? middle of this shit storm, and it obviously is a very bitter pill to As guests, Dool invited Per Wiberg swallow. However, the album will (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candle- still be released, and the music mass) on Hammond organ, backing will be around for life. I hope, in a Each track displays its own identity vocalist Farida Lemouchi (The Dev- way, it can be a salvation to people within a loose thematic framework, il's Blood), and Okoi Jones (BĂślzer) in these dark times. We, as a band, as summarized in the climactic to perform on the record. “Singing are only getting more and more title track. “Summerland is a form choirs and harmonies in the studio eager to perform live. We just have of afterlife that is tailored to each’s together with Farida has almost to wait a little longer.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

LISTEN TO NAPALM‘S LATEST RELEASES NOW: OPEN SPOTIFY, SEARCH AND SCAN!

Chaotic, wild, addictive –

The Pirate Metal Drinking Crew unleashes the Curse Of The Crystal Coconut!

OUT 5/29

2-CD MEDIABOOK | JEWEL CASE | LTD GATEFOLD VINYL | DIGITAL | DELUXE BOX SET + BUNDLES INCLUDING LIMITED EDITION SKATE DECK AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY VIA WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM

Masked horror metal icons

ascend to the next level of heavy greatness with A Wonderful Life!

A wonderful Life OUT 6/19

DIGIPAK | LTD 2-LP GATEFOLD VINYL | DIGITAL | BUNDLES INCLUDING LIMITED EDITION SKATE DECK AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY VIA WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM

/NAPALMRECORDS

/NAPALMRECORDSOFFICIAL

visit our online store with music and merch

/NAPALMRECORDS

/NAPALMRECORDS

WWW.NAPALMRECORDSAMERICA.COM

WINTERFYLLETH Back to their Black Metal Roots

B

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST CHRIS NAUGHTON

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

lack metal heavyweights Winterfylleth are back, and once again making crushing, melodic black metal instead of the pagan folk they made on their last record. And they’re excited to be back in the bowels of the metal beast.

Their new record, The Reckoning Dawn, goes back to the roots of their black metal, borrowing heavily from pagan and folk, but not completely leaning into them.

While the band loved the experience of making a purely folk album, writing metal definitely feels more natural.

26 NEW NOISE

“The acoustic album was definitely something that we'd always wanted to do,� guitarist and vocalist Chris Naughton explains. “We've always done acoustic interludes on the albums, so I didn't think it was out of the realms of possibility that we could do an album like that, and it'd be good and credible, and have the atmosphere of the other albums. But because it was such a different headspace, because we had to write for instruments that we can't play, like violin or cello, it was a real trial by fire. I think we definitely learned a lot about ourselves as musicians with that album.�

Coming back from the journey Studios in Wales. In addition to that led to their folk masterpiece, tapping into some of the heavier The Hallowing of Heirdom, to cre- elements the band have honed, ate another metal album, they the album deals with even more used the lessons they learned modern, topical themes. to incorporate new melodies and styles into the heavier re- “We all live in this kind of cracord. Despite lineup chang- zy, hectic world that's going on es, the band has always had a around us, and lots of things signature sound and consistent have happened over the last themes about the pagan days of few years that have really the U.K. This record looks at an- been kind of game-changing,â€? cient poems, writings, and histo- says Naughton. “There have ry, and compares them to things been lots of culture wars going happening in the modern world. on. There are various different kinds of agendas, and I think The Reckoning Dawn was re- that it’s interesting to see how corded and produced by the these modern struggles reflect legendary Chris Fielding (Pri- in the past. We just keep movmordial, Napalm Death, Conan, ing forward and making the Electric Wizard, Fen) at Foel same mistakes.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

ME AND THAT MAN

way of thinking, and actually one of the reasons why I choose to be an artist in life is that I still want to grow, and I still want to learn a lesson of who I am.�

which is that we should come together over shared interests, whatever they may be – appreciating each other and the spirit of creation.

“Absolutely,� he concurs. “It really fells “So, by releasing this record, I'm learn- liberating, and it feels that it's an ing, and I'm processing another les- amazing lesson in that for me to learn, son of who I am,� he elaborates. “So, from others mostly, or I mean, come INTERVIEW WITH NERGAL BY NICHOLAS SENIOR it really means a lot to me to talk to on, all of these people, they are better fans who take time and pay attention in what they do than myself.� hat exactly is metal? Is it a what's going to come out of me. I just to what's going on. They tell me, and collection of certain noises? know I need to shit it out. It's pretty much I can really see it as a reflection of In a way, Nergal went about redefinIs it a pernicious or dark the same with the music I create.� what the record might actually be, ing what outlaw country could mean, and it always comes back to the Man attitude? Is it the people that you know what I mean?� in Black. make it? Whatever metric you use, Me Reflecting on the ways he is inspired And That Man – the one-man project to create for Behemoth versus Me What this album might actually be from Behemoth main man Nergal – And That Man, he notes that it’s differ- is a lesson in the whole magically “I figured out why a lot of metal heads probably doesn’t fit. The Polish legend’s ent shit, different day. becoming more than the sum of for decades now are attracted by second effort, New Man, New Songs, its parts. With vocal talents coming guys like Johnny Cash, because Same Shit, Vol. 1, out now via Napalm “It's a different form of defecation,� he Records, doubles down on his love of laughs. “It's a whole different animal dark folk and country western Ameri- really. Behemoth is just multi-layered cana. However, a closer inspection with and all about metaphors and probyour eyes, ears, and cold black heart ably way stronger and more serious reveals some blissful metal mayhem content, while Me And That Man in under the surface. a lot of cases was just treated with a wink and is approached with an emWhat was Nergal’s inspiration this bellished sway, and that's also part of time around? me. Behemoth is definitely more into a certain formula, and I don't really “I don't work according to some set of feel like I don't want to cross the line.� from Trivium, Slipknot, Mastodon, Johnny Cash was heavy metal in laws or rules or anything,� he says. “I While Behemoth is like some esoter- Shining (Norway), Grave Plea- some sense,� Nergal says. “He's fuckjust use my gut feelings, I use my expe- ic, dense doorstopper of a book, Me sures, and Emperor (among other ing singing about Jesus and the rerience. I just spit it out and form it on And That Man carries a quiet, calm- great guests), New Man, New Songs... demption in almost every song. Why? the record, but I don't really want to ing sensation – like a cross-section shockingly comes across not only as There's some power in art that doesn't just sit down and analyze what's hap- of a literary noir and an easy beach a cohesive narrative, but as one that really need to be explained, maybe, pened and why.� read. These Americana tales are embodies the same spirit. Echoes and there's some mutual common imbued with an old-school mindset of Americana, European dark folk, embellishment that just speaks to us There’s a pause and a chuckle before of letting existence happen and just and even soul come and go, but the on some metal language.�

Nergal carries on. having fun going with the flow. Some- essence of freedom from various Long live metal no matter how it times you don’t want to wrestle with all oppression is what’s most affecting. sounds. This may be a new man, but “I don't know why. Every morning I of the questions of the cosmos, right? need to go and poo poo. I'm not re- “Yeah, yeah. I mean, probably not,â€? There's awesome power in the it ain’t shit. Let the outlaw metal wash ally thinking what I ate yesterday, and Nergal chuckles. “But I really like your mindset that Nergal embodies here, over your soul. đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

W

“EVERY MORNING I NEED TO GO AND POO POO. I'M NOT REALLY THINKING WHAT I ATE YESTERDAY, AND WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF ME. I JUST KNOW I NEED TO SHIT IT OUT. IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WITH THE MUSIC I CREATE.�

NEW NOISE

27

T

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST DAVID SANCHEZ

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

he through line for V, the have the power, and a lot of it. Even new record from Colo- if you don’t have power politically, rado-based thrash titans or physically, or intimidation-wise or Havok, out now via Cen- anything like that, you do have power tury Media, is reckoning with what over your own mind. The big thing truth and meaning is in a world that with stoicism, and I believe this to be feels like it's full of meaningless shit. true, is we can’t always control what Through his insightful lyrics, vocalist happens, but we can always control and guitarist David Sanchez pushes how we react to what happens.� against the status quo and our elites – but it’s anti-political in a way that only “Right now, people need to take indiscussions that get to the truth can ventory of the things that they can be be. As opposed to having one middle grateful for, instead of looking at all the finger up in a certain direction, San- things that are terrible,� he continues. chez and company have two middle “Take inventory of the things that you fingers up, pointing at each side. do have that are good, and it’ll yield a lot more positivity and less stress, “I think our predicament in life in where and just generally more happiness.� we are culturally and in this point in history is unlike any other time,� says And one of the truly great things that Sanchez. “I mean, everyone has a we have to be grateful for is a certain supercomputer in their pocket that record called V. As with every Havok can be an assistant to their wisdom album, subtle yet significant sonic and their wellbeing, or it can be det- shifts are evident. However, it’s very rimental. It’s all about which path you clear that the band wanted to push decide to walk down.� things in a more progressive and funky direction. “Stoicism has been a big part of my life, personally and philosophically and “We’re massively influenced by old ’70s lyrically,� he continues. “The main progressive bands, funk, jazz, classipoint of stoicism is essentially to play cal, bluegrass, old country, punk rock, the hand that you’re dealt. The idea ’80s new wave, and flamenco guitar,� is the things that you cannot control, Sanchez says. “A lot of that stuff works you just cut them out of your life and its way into our music subliminally.� let it just be what it is, because there's nothing you can do about it. With the Spotting those new musical clues will things that you can control, do your be a fun game for fans. It’s not as if very best with those things.� there is a two-minute free jazz solo or saxophone interlude to scream at If it’s not clear yet, one of the chal- the listener - it’s tastefully done and lenges with stoicism, as it pertains to filtered through the Havok lens. selling a philosophy, is that it isn’t sexy.

It’s not fun or easy to, say, have more “It’s fun to take influence from that, but grateful appreciation for the world then work it into our sound,� Sanchez around you and to not live in fear or says. “Inspiration doesn’t mean super pursuit of pleasure. However, while direct influence on things. You can

“THE THINGS THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL, YOU JUST CUT THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE. WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN CONTROL, DO YOUR VERY BEST.�

Sanchez didn’t predict a global pandemic that would force humanity inside their homes and minds, if there’s ever a time to be grateful for the shit we have around us, it’s now. “When we’re talking about how there’s a prophetic nature to some of the lyrics, obviously I wasn’t anticipating there to be some sort of a massive outbreak of a virus that makes everyone need to be quarantined and stuck in their house,� he says. “I didn’t foresee that specifically coming, but I’ve been saying for a long time that there’s a lot of things that we could do differently, and the people really do

28 NEW NOISE

take an idea from a funk song and apply it to heavy, evil riffs, and come out with something that’s super heavy.

A lot of funk is very, very heavy. It’s just not evil. So, we take that kind of inspiration, but we just choose to make it way more sinister in our note choice.�

Think of these influences and flourishes as the fungus that grows on the album’s gorgeous cover, by artist Eliran Kantor– adding texture, eeriness, and coming across as something uniquely beautiful. V is a masterclass in modern thrash from a band who keep growing with each album. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY GLEN E. FRIEDMAN

FAKE NAMES F

ake Names, the debut fulllength from new punk supergroup Fake Names, comes out May 8 via Epitaph Records. Summer jams rarely, if ever, are this bright and vibrant, seething with a political edge that will stoke any rage fires you’ve kept alight since 2016 (or before). This is a masterclass in how old legends can write excellent new noise that’s as resonant as their past, and shines a bright light on their future.

The story of Fake Names clearly begins and ends with two individuals.

There’s a central connection that goes back decades, to the inception of D.C. post-hardcore. Michael Hampton (Embrace, S.O.A., One Last Wish) and Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion) are likely to share the blame/credit for a whole host of emotional hardcore bands over the past four-plus decades, and your favorite band probably lists one of Hampton’s or Baker’s bands as an inspiration. Their friendship has persisted over the years, but it was rekindled one day when Hampton was inspired to write a Dag Nasty riff. “I write a lot of music for T.V. and com-

30 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST MICHAEL HAMPTON

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

mercials,â€? Hampton shares. “And I “I'm glad you had that impression,â€? of music while still being its own thing. just wanted to try to write a song like he smiles. “Because that's sort of our Rounded out by the vocal talents of I used to write. So, I tried to write a impression too, that everything went Dennis LyxzĂŠn (Refused) and the sulDag Nasty song, and it just hap- pretty quickly. It was an easy thing to try basslines of Johnny Temple (Girls pened to be a week where Brian do, and it's just been a joy to do com- Against Boys), Fake Names have came over and visited, and he was pared to other bands that we've been clearly cemented a name for themlike, ‘oh great, you want to start a in, as kids which are fraught and emo- selves on this self-titled statement. The band?’ That's actually the first song tional and filled with teenage drama. fact that this happened at all is a mion the record. Brian and I just re- I haven't really been in a band for 20 nor miracle, according to Hampton. corded it quickly in my bedroom. We years, so it's a different world for me wrote three others at the same time. to be an adult and in a band.â€? “I'm sort of amazed that anyone gives It didn’t feel punk, necessarily. It a shit about this stuff at all,â€? he laughs. didn’t feel hardcore, but it felt like a Was there excitement or nerves, or just “From the ’80s, it's been a long time. comfortable amalgamation of stuff a midlife crisis thing with this band?

And the fact that we've done this we had listened to then and now. So, record as middle aged men, and you hear Cheap Trick or The Beat- “Probably yes to [all] of those things,â€? people are still enjoying it and asking les or whatever, but it's basically the he laughs. “But I think for Brian too, about it is pretty mind blowing.â€? kind of music that we were [going obviously it's different for him befor], mid-tempo kind of stuff. It just cause he's been a professional rock With apologies, Hampton is incorcame out the way it did because I musician in Bad Religion for 25 years rect here – what’s amazing is that can't really write a Dag Nasty song.â€? now. But there was a time in the ’80s Fake Names have managed to when we were done with hardcore. write something more impressive Behind two living legends grind- We were done with punk, and we than their collective pedigree. This ing out tunes in a Brooklyn abode, wanted to do different things, and is a record that stands tall against there’s a homeliness, a comfort that so it's a little bit weird too, to sort of any punk record you compare it radiates from every musical pore come full circle and realize that just to. Thankfully, if you’re not in the of Fake Names. Don’t mistake that because it wasn't our music any- business of needless comparisons, for laziness, but it’s as if Hampton more necessarily, that it didn't stop, just sit back and enjoy punk royalty and Baker have honed-in on their that it kept going.â€? killing it as middle aged maestros. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł strengths and play to them masterfully throughout this debut. That Fake Names encapsulates so much ease was a relief to Hampton. of the best parts of different eras

05/01/20

05/15/20

06/19/20 info and pre-order at fatwreck.com

BOSTON MANOR “I DON’T WANT TO USE THE WORD AGGRESSION, BUT THERE’S DEFINITELY AN ANGER ABOUT THE RECORD, IT IS QUITE VOLATILE.”

32 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER HENRY COX

BY CALEB R. NEWTON

O

n their new album, Glue, When Boston Manor first got togeth- ized music with lyrical contemplations doing great, I think it’s still got a way to which drops in May via Pure er in 2013, the group stuck to a more about issues like toxic masculinity’s go, but it’s doing great, but there are still Noise Records, the fierce traditional pop punk sound, with an effects on those who might not fit the so many communities, and scenes even, U.K. punk group Boston extra dose of hardcore-esque ferocity. mold, which Cox explores in the song that are still very much stuck in the past, Manor present a passionately sincere, Over time, the band have expanded “On A High Ledge.â€? and that’s a problem.â€? emotionally accessible view of a world their sound tremendously. They gradin chaos. The band have developed ually began to utilize dynamic swings Although Cox shares that he himself Glue can serve as the soundtrack to their sound far beyond the familiar throughout the music, delivering an escaped major bullying for not fitting confronting these issues head-on. Bosbasics. Glue bursts with a range, from extra personalization to the songs. in with the tough guy stereotype, he ex- ton Manor are one of the many groups the soulful, somber contemplation of plains that he’s been concerned about who had to postpone tours amidst the “On A High Ledge,â€? to the emotional, Cox himself has begun singing more toxic masculinity for a while. global COVID-19 pandemic, but Cox desperation-wracked blasts of lead soulfully, delivering frequently lowexplains that they have been and resingle “Everything Is Ordinary,â€? which er-ranged, mellower, but still passion- “Why is it that this element of my person- main a very live show-oriented band, feels like an angry confrontation with ate performances. ality, and a lot of people that I know’s and are anxious to get back on the road. humanity’s tendency towards destrucpersonality, is very frowned upon and “It’s just me kind of literally finding my discouraged?â€? he asks. “Why do I have “We’ve always been first and foremost tion of the extraordinary. voice as an artist,â€? he explains. “As the to suddenly pretend to be interested in a live band,â€? he explains. “And that’s “I think volatility is a good word to de- songs got more tuneful and melodic, soccer and all that sort of stuff?â€? kind of why we did this - to start playscribe it,â€? the band’s vocalist Henry and had more dynamics themselves, ing live shows.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł Cox explains. “In terms of the climate that kind of gave me more room to ex- There may not be easy answers, but Cox that it was conceived in, and also mu- plore my lower range.â€? does share that he’s thankful for the progsically itself, it’s a quite volatile record. ress made within Boston Manor’s own muIt’s very sure of itself, which I didn’t Cox praises the band’s shift to writing sic circles - although he does offer a cavethink it would be going in, because more of the songs in the studio. at, noting that the need for more progress there was so much uncertainty around should not be taken for granted. producing it and making it. But I think “A lot more of this record was written in the studio than the previous one, “Sometimes I think we don’t realize how when we really kind of dove into this record and realized what it was, we and I really like that, because I think it good we’ve got it,â€? he explains. “I think became very confident, and the songs gave us so much more room, because we are at the forefront of progression became very confident in themselves. you’re really in that space and there’s and change - and so, many people arThey started to take a new form. I don’t no distractions,â€? he explains. en’t looking to be in those communities want to use the word aggression, but where we’re having these conversations there’s definitely an anger about the On Glue, Boston Manor have accom- and making these changes. And that’s panied their increasingly personal- what I want to see change. Our world is record, it is quite volatile.â€?

NEW NOISE 33

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST / SINGER SEAN WOOD

BY JOHN SILVA

T

he cover of the highly anticipated sixth record from The Spits, feels almost prophetic. It depicts a world in chaos, with skyscrapers tilting, a Cephalopoda monster creeping out a window, and a person, or some type of humanoid creature, in apocalypse gear including, yes, gloves and a gas mask, clutching a skateboard. While skyscrapers might not be falling over and most cephalopods are in the ocean where they belong, the image of a person in a mask and gloves is an eerily accurate portrait of the world we find ourselves in. Yet somehow, this is entirely coincidental.

“This was months before the whole Coronavirus thing,” says guitarist and vocalist Sean Wood. “The creature with the gas mask, and the skateboard, and the weird monster sneaking into the building, and kind of gloomy shit - it fits the times, that’s for sure.”

“IT’S NOT REALLY A JOB OR A BAND, IT’S MORE A WAY OF LIFE.” 34 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY KEITH MARLOW

NEW NOISE

35

PHOTO BY KEITH MARLOW

“WE USED TO USE A FUCKIN’ ANALOG FOUR-TRACK, AND THEN DUMP THAT ONTO A FRIEND IN SEATTLE’S 24 TRACK DIGITAL THING, AND WORK FROM THERE. AND A LOT OF THE SOUNDS YOU JUST CAN’T GET IN A STUDIO. YOU HAVE TO USE CHEAP SHIT, AND THAT’S WHAT WE STARTED DOING.�

It’s not the first time The Spits have their latest album is even more of accidentally predicted the future. a return to roots.

In a sense, the entire essence of the band was ahead of their time. One “We really want to go back and of their defining characteristics is write good songs, and make it the brevity of their songs—most fall- sound like it used to sound,� Wood ing between the one- and two-min- says. “We used to use a fuckin’ anute mark. They’ve been writing short, alog four-track, and then dump boppy songs since their formation in that onto a friend in Seattle’s 24 the early ’90s, back when the stan- track digital thing, and work from dard in popular music was three or there. And a lot of the sounds you just can’t get in a studio. You have four minutes at least. to use cheap shit, and that’s what Fast forward almost 30 years, and we started doing.� short songs have become the norm. ago, when they were just a bunch of Granted, many bands and artists "The first couple records, we had punk skaters from rural Michigan. are doing this because streaming what I called the Chickenbone Guiservices incentivize shorter songs tar,� he continues. “And it was an old “In order to return to a special feeling with the way their royalties are no name ’60s Japanese guitar. And that you had before, you gotta go paid out. But, regardless of the rea- the top of the guitar where the nut back to that [place],� Wood explains. is, by the headstock, it was busted son, Wood sees this as a positive. out. So, we were eating fried chicken, Perhaps it is the scrappy nature of “It’s like, duh! You don’t need a and trying to jam, and I just stuck [in] the band that has contributed to three-minute long song,� he says, a fuckin’ chicken leg bone, and with their longevity. Few bands in this laughing. “It loses its fun, it’s not fun af- a butter knife, cut out some notches, scene last as long as The Spits, and ter a minute fifty! I’d say it’s good that and it actually worked great!� it doesn’t seem like the party is gopeople are writing shorter songs. Being to end anytime soon. cause, the way I look at it is like, if you To return to the sound of their early put a record on, you listen to it, you flip years, the band went back to the “It’s not really a job or a band, it’s it over, side two, you listen to that, and place where it all began: Michigan. more a way of life,� Wood says. then if you want to flip it over to listen The return to their home state put “We’ve been doing the same thing to side one, because you haven’t got- them in an environment where they for twenty something years. We could get into a headspace to write never stopped. This new record is ten enough yet - then that’s great!"

While The Spits never strayed away a record that sounded like the mu- the first one out in eight years. We from short, catchy punk songs, sic they were putting out decades said, ‘let’s just go back to our roots

36 NEW NOISE

and try to write some old classic songs.’ And that’s kind of what we did. We kept it lo-fi, and it sounds great. I’m proud of it.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

not shied away from mixing politics with his music, and This Land Is Your Landfill is no different. “Politics and punk rock have long been kin to one another and being able to participate in that tradition is a great honor, and not something we as a band want to take for granted,� he says. “We address DJT (the president of the U.S.A.) on this album. certainly, both directly and in metaphor. Every song is a protest song, that hasn’t changed. But the way I want to engage with the conversation has changed. I'm more interested in you asking yourselves the big questions and making small progressive steps towards a better way, [rather] than re-posting cynical memes on the internet to trigger people into debate. I don’t argue with people on social media about politics anymore, I've found it to be fruitless and poisonous, and a giant waste of time.�

The idea for recording with a full band first came to Zanetti when he was touring the U.K. with Frank Turner and Arkells a couple of years ago. Every night, the Arkells band would come out and play as his backing band to provide a seamless segue from The Homeless Gospel Choir set into theirs. The experience of playing with a live band was powerful and hard for him to shake. “It was loud, and it was punk, it was sick,� he says. “While I was in the middle of that tour, I phoned Matt Miller (Endless Mike And The Beagle Club, Wingnut Dishwashers Union) and I told him that I wanted to record a full band record, and tour as a full band, and I wanted him to be in it, and write these songs with me. I had a few songs and parts written already, but only little skeletons.�

GOES ELECTRIC

They started work on the record in May 2018, and it’s taken two years to write, record, and release it. Zanetti is the first to admit that patience is not his strong suit, however he’s grateful to have taken the time with the album. “It is the best thing I have ever made, and I’m super fucking proud of it!â€? he says. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MASTERMIND DEREK ZANETTI BY JOHN B. MOORE

F

or the past decade, Derek Zanetti, recording under the moniker The Homeless Gospel Choir, has perfected a brand of infectious, hook-filled acoustic folk punk. So, his latest effort, This Land Is Your Landfill, out now on A-F Records, may come as a jolt to some, with its full band sound and often boisterous jams.

“I’ve used full band arrangements on past records in an effort to honestly describe the music I was hearing, but this is the first record that was written with a full band presentation in mind,� says Zanetti. “Loud electric guitars, with tons of feedback and distortion. Weird noise pedals, fast chaotic drums. I would have done the songs a great disservice if I tried to show them to people as acoustic songs.�

sadness differently,� he says. “For me, I was honestly experiencing a lot of anger at the time. My pops and I were not very close for a host of different reasons, however, the absence of him in my life left a giant fucking crater-sized hole that I didn’t know how to deal with. I tried to write sad, slow songs about loss and grief and wishing that I had a dad that I could talk to, etc. But for all the Elliot Smith and Bright Eyes songs I would listen to try and make me feel sad and low, all I could hear was loud guitars and pounding drums. I knew that if I wanted to be true to the sounds I was hearing in my dreams, I had to make a loud record. I don’t know, maybe the songs came out this way because I was trying to force myself to not take the easy predictable route.�

“I think we all experience pain and

From his first record, Zanetti has

38 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY VINCE SADONIS

PHOTO BY PAT GILRANE

“I DON’T ARGUE WITH PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT POLITICS ANYMORE, I’VE FOUND IT TO BE FRUITLESS AND POISONOUS, AND A GIANT WASTE OF TIME”

NEW NOISE

39

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN RAWE

ALICE INTERVIEW BY JANELLE JONES

40 NEW NOISE

“I FEEL LIKE WOMEN HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE EDGE, AND WE’RE COMING BACK.�

O

n her third solo album, Sister Dynamite (In the Red Records), Alice Bag – who was at the forefront of L.A.’s burgeoning punk scene in the ‘70s as frontwoman of the Bags – goes more positive lyrically and straightforward musically. Indeed, the 12-track album is a rollicking, empowering, upbeat delight.

Encompassing that positivity is “SĂşbele,â€? a reworking of a song that appeared on her last album, then-titled “Turn It Upâ€? in English. “The main message of that [song] is to focus on the things that you want to see more of,â€? Bag says. “To amplify those things, and to turn down your energy, turn down your frequency on the stuff you want to see less of. So,

when things are out of whack in my life, I think of, what is the positive thing that will fix that and can I focus my attention on that instead?�

A great example of Bag’s evolution towards concentrating on the positive is the track “Switch Hitter.� “On my first album I had a song called “The Touch I Crave,� which is about feeling like I'm being judged negatively for being queer,� she says. “And then, on this record, I have a song called “Switch Hitter,� which is completely the opposite. It’s like a celebration of being bisexual. I started really focusing on things that make me feel better and make me want to sing and dance and join with my posse who feels like I do. I feel like my music brings me a lot more joy.

And I feel like it’s more condu- about feeling – I've been a weircive to really magnifying the do, from the way I look, to begood in my life.� ing outspoken and not always knowing how to say things in a Also on an empowering note way that is diplomatic. I tend to is the spirited and soulful ti- be very blunt. I’m just a weirdo. tle track, “Sister Dynamite,� I always have been, even when which adroitly showcases Bag’s I try. I do, I want to be easier to thoughts about women’s power. get along with. But I don’t really know how to be that way.� “I feel like it’s our time,� she says. “I feel like women have been On that note, she says that even pushed to the edge, and we’re now, after years of being in coming back. We’re taking no a band and having great reprisoners.� sponses, she still feels the same. “I don’t know if that ever goes And there definitely is more away, but you do learn how to than just a bit of her own life just feel comfortable in it. You experience included on the re- do feel like a weirdo, but you’re cord. Songs like “Spark,� “Gate like ‘OK, that’s who I am.’�

Crasher,� and “Risk It� seem especially autobiographical.

That message is definitely empowering, and relatable to all “I think it’s very personal,â€? Bag of us who have felt – and still says. ““Sparkâ€? is definitely feel – that way. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 41

“IT WAS LIKE A PENDULUM SWINGING FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER.”

42 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST LEIF EDLING BY PJ TIWARI ven by the lofty standards of on to the album. “Not easy someSwedish doom metal godfa- times, to decide. It’s important for thers Candlemass, 2019 was an artist to decide ‘enough’ when an epic year. Their twelfth album, it comes to creativity. You need to The Door to Doom, was released know when to draw the line. Again, in February to rave reviews. Fans not easy...â€? and music critics alike were swept off their feet by the return of sing- Far from sounding like leftover er Johan Längqvist, who recorded tracks, however, the songs on The his first album with the band since Pendulum are intense and atmothe legendary Epicus Doomicus spheric. Like the title, the music on Metallicus. As if that wasn’t enough, the EP swings back and forth, with Candlemass collaborated with two shorter instrumental tracks, Tony freakin’ Iommi for a track on “Sub Zeroâ€? and “Aftershockâ€?that the record, and even picked up glide from the calm before the a Grammy nomination for Best storm to right the middle of its Metal Performance along the way. frenzied intensity. Likewise, the opening title track beings with a “One of the best years ever for frantic, mid-tempo feel reminisCandlemass,â€? says bassist and cent of “Symptom of the Universe,â€? founding member, Leif Edling. then melts seamlessly down to the “We topped it off with playing the slow and heavy vibes of classic 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise in Candlemass.

January, getting the U.S. Grammy awards nomination, and winning “All songs have different feels to the Swedish equivalent of the them,� says Edling. “Heavy songs, Grammy.� more uptempo things, instrumentals, intros, outros. Here on the The band were scheduled to cap EP are the missing pieces to the off the perfect year by playing two puzzle that became The Door to sold out shows in their hometown Doom when we trimmed it down to of Stockholm in February 2020, a single release. [These] songs are when the COVID-19 pandemic missing pieces from the album.� hit, and everything changed. After twelve “insane (but fun)� months When asked how the EP stacks of international concerts and up next to the album, Edling reawards shows, the world of Can- sponds with the humility that fans dlemass, along with everyone have come to expect from a band else’s, ground to a halt. It was like that has always remained down a pendulum swinging from one to earth, despite the heights they extreme to the other. have scaled in their storied 36year career.

As if predicting the future, and underlining the otherworldly, “The five songs on the EP are demomniscient nature of their music, os and should be treated like Candlemass released a five-song that. “The Pendulumâ€? track got a EP titled The Pendulum in March really good mix. Hopefully peo2020 through Napalm Records. ple like them anyway, and if they If there’s any band in the world liked The Door to Doom, I’m sure that could genuinely moonlight they will!â€? as soothsayers, it would undoubtedly be Candlemass, but in this Candlemass had planned for case, The Pendulum was born out tours and festival dates all over of uncertainty rather than clair- the world in 2020, from Asia, Ausvoyance. tralia, and South America, to a run across the U.S. in the autumn. As “When you write and record dem- with everything else, those plans os you have no clue what’s gonna have now been deferred, and the end up on the album eventually,â€? future is uncertain. But sometimes, says Edling, noting that the five great things are born out of untracks on the EP came out of the certainty, as this EP proves. original demo sessions for The Door to Doom, but didn’t make it “Oh, the pendulum it turns‌â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 43

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RODRIGO FREDES

DAWN INTERVIEW WITH SINGER AND GUITARIST CHARLES ELLIOT

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

44 NEW NOISE

2

020 is definitely the Year of Death Metal, and not just because of catastrophic events. As underground bands like Gatecreeper and Blood Incantation find their time in the light, a rekindling of classic death metal roots is also in order. Enter the latest Abysmal Dawn record, Phylogenesis, out now via Season of Mist.

Although the band definitely have some technical and melodic leanings, they lie most clearly in the realm of straightforward death metal, with a progressive slant. And though Abysmal Dawn have been making music for nearly a decade, they paused for seven years before releasing Phylogenesis, making this album even more pronounced and special.

“Just being out there and able to tour and play these new songs live took some time,� explains Charles Elliot, guitarist and vocalist. “It's been a while since we've actually put out a new record. I'm just excited about the evolutionary jumps that I feel like the band made, and about everyone's response to it so far. Everyone’s been really welcoming when they heard the new tracks and were hungry to hear more.�

While Phylogenesis still embraces the technicality found on previous records, with the drums working overtime and the band at a more practiced point when it comes to solos and technical prowess, the songs still have a stripped-down, raw quality. There’s also a more melodic focus in the guitar work.

“THERE IS ALMOST AN UNDERLYING THEME ABOUT SOCIETY, HOW MODERN SOCIETY CAN DRIVE A PERSON CRAZY IN VARIOUS WAYS, AND WHAT THOSE THINGS IN SOCIETY ARE, HOW IT AFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL.�

“The basic song structures came together fairly quickly,� Elliot says. “But then personal things happened in our lives, and things just got put on the backburner, which made it really hard to finish the album. I probably wasn’t in the best place mentally, and it took a lot to fuse it all together. But this time around, we were also using a bit more technology to piece it all together, so that made it easier to use things later or cut them out.�

tral concept, the ideas behind the songs all work together.

The overarching notion of the band’s evolution persists throughout the record, and there is also some deeper lyrical matter.

“There is almost an underlying theme about society, how modern society can drive a person crazy in various ways, and what those things in society are, how it affects the individual,� Elliot explains. “So, in that sense, I guess there is some sort of Lyrically speaking, it also theme, but it wasn’t comtook the band a while to settle pletely intentional.� on a solid theme. Elliot started with a grandiose concept, As the old-school scene which he later abandoned flourished following the because he didn’t feel like he oversaturation of slam and could connect to it on a hu- tech death, raw, progresman or emotional level. Now, sive death metal is making although there is no one cen- a comeback, and the band

still fits in perfectly. “We try and have catchy parts, and I feel like we have more melody than most tech death or brutal death metal bands,� Elliot says. “I feel like we were writing songs that are meant to be played in a live environment, to get the crowds going, and have hooks that stick in people's heads and parts that people can interact with.�

Elliot felt challenged and pushed him.

“We had some extra time in the studio, and we wanted to do something people weren’t expecting at all,â€? he explains. “No one expects me to do a lot of clean vocals, or expects us to be influenced by a doom metal band with operatic vocals, but we definitely are. I think people were surprised, but we played it for a couple of Currently, Abysmal Dawn people and they liked it, so are working on putting to- we decided to go for it.â€? gether their next tour, sometime after quarantine orders Listen to Phylogenesis to hear end, and are hoping to get the band’s hard-earned to Europe some time this evolution, and look out for year. They’re also working to announcements about a put out a two-song EP, and tour and more music later recently recorded a Can- this year.đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł dlemass cover for the New Noise flexi series, something

NEW NOISE 45

INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS STRNAD, VOCALIST

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

46 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY SIMMON STOBIAS

NEW NOISE

47

P

lague, pestilence, pandemic. These are words we are hearing, or thinking of, more and more in 2020. The Black Dahlia Murder’s latest album, Verminous, out now on Metal Blade, couldn’t be more timely.

Not only is the theme on-brand for the current end times, the band have made a major evolutionary jump when it comes to their highly anticipated new music. “I feel like we’ve kind of started a new era with this album,� says vocalist Travis Strnad. “I feel like it's been kind of an underlying goal for the last handful of years to write a more diverse album. Overall, we’re a fast band, but we wanted a lot of dynamics. It’s really just the end product of so many years working together and creating together. I think it has the most detail of any album we’ve done so far. It’s definitely different.�

Despite the detail put into the record, Strnad claims that writing for the album came together quickly after so many years of playing together. The band first

It certainly wasn’t the band’s intention to put out a record about a plague during a pandemic, but nevertheless, it happened. “We had no idea when we were writing this, like, a year and a half ago, that it was going to be so timely with the outbreak, and that there would be so much fear of an epidemic, so it’s either reaAlly good timing or really bad timing. I can’t decide,� Strnad says.

He’s also not blind to the fact that the band’s survival all this time could be another possible reference for the Vermin title. “I feel like we've survived the comings and goings of certain trends,� Strnad says. “Like, when we were first taking off, metalcore was all the rage. We were kind of lumped in with that, and then deathcore came out, and some people kind of put us in that category. So, I mean, I'm used to the band being called so many different things. I kind of like being a weird, sore thumb band. You know, from

“DEATH METAL IS THE PLAGUE, AND WE ARE THE CREATURES THAT ARE SPREADING IT, THE RATS AND THE ROACHES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE ALL ALONG.â€? formed in 2001 and, despite a the beginning, we looked diffew lags, have been making mu- ferent, and we were real nerdy, you know, and just didn't look sic together ever since. like everyone expected. I'm up “I wouldn’t say this one is a con- there with my glasses on, kind of cept record, but it does have looking like a serial killer, and a theme that’s touched on in a I think that we just accidentally few of the songs,â€? he says. “We’re kind of came out with this origsaying that death metal is the inal vibe that we didn't mean plague, and that we are the to have, but we were just being creatures that are spreading ourselves.â€? it, the rats and the roaches that have been here all along. I feel Like creatures who will last even that way about the metal scene. when man is gone, The Black I still feel like we’re kind of pari- Dahlia Murder continue to ahs of society, and people may have a firm foothold in the metnot understand our culture. Such al world. Though their spring macabre music, and themes of touring plans with Testament blood and guts, and horror, and and Municipal Waste were scutall that good stuff, that’s pret- tled, we can rest assured they’ll ty standard with death metal. I reemerge to keep carrying their think that makes us the underdog, pestilent message for a long time to come. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł the voice to the voiceless.â€?

48 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER CHUCK BILLY

BY TOM CRANDLE

PHOTO BY SIMMONS TOBIAS

50 NEW NOISE

U

nder normal circum- “It was like bad flu, but usually with stances, a band would the flu after three or four days be thrilled to be getting you start feeling normal,� he says. so much publicity at about the “Something starts healing. This just same time as the release of a new wouldn’t let go. It was deceiving, album. In the case of Testament, it’s because you’d have headaches, more complicated than that. The body aches, achy bones. You lost thrash metal veterans unleashed your taste, your smell. You’d be their thirteenth studio album, Titans tired and wiped out, sleeping. Next Of Creation, on April 3 via Nuclear thing you know, you’d wake up and Blast Records, but that’s only a be energetic, and be feeling better small part of why they’ve been in and moving, and then get wiped the headlines. out again. You just couldn’t shake it.�

For most of February and into Fortunately, all the infected musiMarch, Testament were traveling cians have recovered. Before the across Europe headlining “The Bay current madness stole the spotlight, Strikes Back 2020� tour, with fellow Testament put out another album Bay Area thrashers Exodus and worthy of their significant legacy.

Death Angel. By most measures, the It contains new thrash epics like tour was an unmitigated success. “Children of the Next Level� and There were enthusiastic audiences “Night of the Witch.� There is the and energized performances at undeniably melodic centerpiece every stop. At the same time, the “City of Angels.� “Dream Deceiver� deadly COVID-19 virus was rapidly adds a playful musical twist and spreading across the continent. takes Testament all the way back to their ’70s hard rock roots. Mean“It was great every night,� Testament while, lyrics about serial killers and singer Chuck Billy recalls. “Just death cults will appease even the being on tour with all the other most militant metalhead. bands. We had all been friends for so long. It was like a big family. We With no immediate ability to conall watched out for each other. No tinue touring, it’s an exceptionally egos, no arguments, it went smooth. difficult time for a band to be A lot of sellouts and a lot of near promoting a new album. Billy acsellouts. It was a great fucking tour.� knowledges as much.

Only the last date of the tour was “We’re talking to everybody we can cancelled. When those involved about the record,â€? he says. “We’re beat the impending travel ban and going to start thinking of things ongot back into the U.S. without inci- line to do, just to stay in touch with dent, they thought the worst was be- the fans. Maybe we’ll do something hind them. A couple of days later, it more visual with this record. Think became clear that several members of things to offer, things to create.â€? of the bands and crew had been infected, including Billy himself. Like so many others during troubled times, Billy finds comfort and “My wife started feeling what we inspiration in music. thought was basically jetlag,â€? he says. “We had just done five weeks “I like pulling out stuff that takes me of touring. We’re all stressed out back to when I had no worries, you and burned out. We thought we know? Life was easy. We were just were just achy and tired. The next chasing girls and trying to find the morning, I woke up and I was wiped next party,â€? he says. “That’s Judas out. We thought we’d be proactive, Priest, U.F.O. That’s old Scorpions, so we called the doctor, but they Thin Lizzy, Pat Traverse. Those old wouldn’t test us because we didn’t records take me back to the time have symptoms at that point.â€? when mom and dad were taking care of us.â€? “Eventually, we really felt like shit and they got us in the drive through Titans of Creation is an album that with the swab in the mouth and deserves better than to be lost nose,â€? he continues. “It took about in the current chaos. Testament eight days to get our results back, are more than 35 years into their so we didn’t get any medication or career, and they haven’t lost a anything. We just went home and step. Their latest offering will be a quarantined ourselves and waited “comfort foodâ€? record for thrash for results. As time went by, we fans, just when they need it most. started getting better and better.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

51

Batten Down The Hatches, Mateys!

Scotland’s Marauding Scoundrels Return for Another Boarding Party.

52 NEW NOISE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIOT VERNON

I

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER AND KEYBOARDIST CHRISTOPHER BOWES

BY ANNETTE HANSEN

n a world full of dark and brooding metal music, there is a bright spot full of rum, yo-ho-hos and pirate-y good times. Scotland’s Alestorm never meant to be the fun guys of pirate metal, but their own lively spirit made it clear that a more serious tone would never be an honest portrayal of who they were as a band.Â

“It sort of very quickly became apparent to us that it’s hard work pretending to be serious, and pirate-y, and stoic, and all that stuff, so we just wanted to write dumb songs instead,� vocalist and keyboardist Christopher Bowes says. “We’re a bunch of dorks. We like dorky stuff. It’s easier on our mental health to just write whatever.�

The light-hearted, jovial essence of Alestorm isn’t a gimmick, and it isn’t the band’s attempt at achieving novelty, it’s an extension of the care-free nature that the members bring to the group.

Alestorm isn’t trying to seem fun, they are fun.

“I think people try for this onstage image of being tough metal warriors, and then when they get off stage they have to either hide from people so people don’t find out that they’re not really like that, or they have to, when they talk to fans or whatever, they have to pretend to be this guy,� Bowes says. “I like to think we’re kind of more relatable than your average band, because we’re not pretending.�

In writing their upcoming sixth album Curse of the Crystal Coconut, out in May on Napalm Records, the band maintained their devilmay-care mindset, knowing that it’s probably their greatest ally when crafting new tunes. Alestorm had no great master scheme when penning the album other than to take listeners on a wild musical ride. “On this new album we’ve got coming out, there’s a lot of nonsense, absolute, complete nonsense. It’s terrifying,� Bowes says. “Sometimes we do get caught in a trap of ‘what would Alestorm do, what kind of

stuff would Alestorm write?’ and we just write kind of a bland song. But then, when we think ‘ah fuck it, who cares, write anything,’ this amazing stuff always seems to happen.�

The loud and unashamed silliness that Alestorm embraces has brought out the party spirit in audiences all over the world.

There’s no vying for praise from the musical elites, it’s just about crafting the sort of music fans can let go and throw a few drinks back to. The band have no qualms about filling this musical role for the people who get it. “It’s all well and good writing a good album that people say ‘oh, that’s a good album,’ critically acclaimed,� Bowes explains. “Then, in a year from now, everyone’s forgotten it. What’s the point? As long as a couple of songs stick in people’s consciousness, these just perennial songs, that would make me very, very happy.�

For Alestorm, it truly isn’t about

writing the best record. Making fun music is just what’s necessary to put on a fun show. As a band that’s built their presence on their engaging live show, it’s all about bringing the tunes that will have fans chanting and dancing along.

That’s the main ingredient that makes Alestorm the band they are. “It’s definitely about the live arena for us,� Bowes relays. “That’s where we do our best work. We write these songs to be played live, so we just wanted to write a lot of fun things that would come across really well live, you know, lots of big choruses, and lots of big sing-alongs, lots of good head-banging moments.�

And according to Bowes, Curse of the Crystal Coconut doesn’t fall short in that aspect. “It’s not the sort of album you sit and go through and say, ‘ha yes, interesting key change.’ That’s not the album. That was just it, we wanted to make cool, fun songs.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

53

SKA REVOLUTION

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JASON NAVARRO

BY TOM CRANDLE

54 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

NEW NOISE

55

O

n March 27, The Suicide ing this music that’s interesting to me.

Machines broke 15 years Operation Ivy was showing me, and of studio silence with Bad Brains was showing me, that it the release of their could still be very punk. That was it. seventh proper album, Revolution I didn’t know how I was going to do Spring, on Fat Wreck Chords. It’s any of this stuff, but I was going to been one of the most highly an- do it.� ticipated punk records of the last couple of years. It also comes at “We played with Less Than Jake, the perfect time, as the third wave Skankin’ Pickle, and Voodoo Glow of ska is experiencing a signifi- Skulls. We’re playing with all these cant resurgence. While it’s taken other bands that are doing somenearly three decades, the Detroit thing similar,� Navarro continues. quartet is finally in a good place. “It was weird to see all these other bands come in from all these difJack Kevorkian and the Suicide Ma- ferent parts of the country playing chines were formed by a bunch of punk ska. There were other people teenage, Motor City misfits way back that Operation Ivy and Fishbone in 1991. They combined their love of had resonated with.� punk and hardcore with the more uplifting sounds of ska and reggae, The Suicide Machines once again tapped and it resonated with people. Af- into those early influences when it came ter a couple of demos and a split time to make Revolution Spring.

LP, the band shortened their name and signed with a major label, Hol- “If you need a reference point musically, the new record is kind of like lywood Records. Destruction, Battle Hymns, and A This period produced the fan favor- Match and Some Gasoline,� Navarro ites Destruction By Definition (1996) says. “Lyrically, it’s not like anything and Battle Hymns (1998). After a we’ve done before. The lyrics are couple more, less enthusiastically 100 percent thought-out this time received, albums, the band parted around, and I feel like the songwritways with Hollywood Records. The ing was more thought-out. We really Suicide Machines then got angrier worked on these songs.� and more political, and made two more records, A Match and Some “We took our time,� he continues. “We Gasoline (2003) and War Profiteering just waited for the inspiration to hit.

Is Killing Us All (2005), for indie punk We were trying to put something in label Side One Dummy. By 2006, the the world that lifts you up a little bit. band was burned out and fed up with There’s some anger on there for sure, but it’s not, like, finger-pointing anger.â€? infighting, and called it quits. Singer and sole remaining founding member Jason Navarro put The Suicide Machines back together in 2009 for a benefit show. Things evolved naturally from there. Over the last decade, on a part-time basis, the band has reestablished itself on the national scene. Without the pressure of depending on The Suicide Machines to make a living, the band has thrived.Â

When it comes to ska, Navarro would rather look forward than back. “There are so many good, new bands playing ska,� he says. “I would hate to see these bands not get any recognition. Hopefully, these newer bands don’t get lost in this nostalgia thing. People should really be paying attention to what this new wave of ska is.�

Like a lot of kids, Navarro initially got into punk through skateboard- In 2020, The Suicide Machines have ing. Before he became a frontman, a wiser perspective. It’s one that’s he also cut his teeth playing bass not tied to the success of the band or in local punk, metal, and hardcore the new record. bands. He was already into bands like Bad Brains and Fishbone, but a “We’re not going to make this band second-hand cassette copy of Op- a job,â€? Navarro concludes. “Other eration Ivy’s Energy, along with see- things in my life are more important, ing another local band live, would like my kids, and skateboarding, and end up having a profound effect on activism, and stuff like that.â€? his musical trajectory. Revolution Spring is both a new be“It was bleak and dark and scary in ginning and a chance for The SuiDetroit, and I went and saw Gang- cide Machines to write their own ster Fun,â€? he recalls. “That was the happy ending. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł first time I got to see a band actually play ska. That was the gateway opening up. Other people are play-

56 NEW NOISE

MORE THIRD-WAVE SKA NOSTALGIA MADNESS! INTERVIEWS WITH MUSTARD PLUG’S VOCALIST DAVID KIRCHGESSNER AND THE GADJITS’ DRUMMER ADAM PHILLIPS AND VOCALIST BRANDON PHILLIPS

The same year that The Suicide Machines were getting started in Detroit, Mustard Plug were forming 150 miles to the west in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and for many of the same reasons. “I loved the energy, and culture, and immediacy, and politics of punk,� recalls Mustard Plug vocalist David Kirchgessner. “I loved that it was accessible and created its own community around it. However, in the late ’80s in Michigan, the punk scene started to fall apart. The scene was getting more violent; there was a stronger Nazi skin element to it, and girls didn’t really feel all that comfortable at shows.� “Ska had all the good elements of punk, but it was staunchly anti-racist, welcoming, had its own, unique culture, and was super fun to dance to,� Kirchgessner says. “It was hard to come by at first, but there was a cool, little scene bubbling up, with bands like Gangster Fun and the Toasters, and it was starting to get bigger and had all this amazing energy.

I loved that the bands all knew each other and helped each other out.�

At the same time, further into the U.S. heartland, three young brothers were forming The Gadjits in Kansas City, Missouri. “Operation Ivy is what sold me on ska, personally,� oldest brother Brandon Phillips recalls. “There were lots of other records being passed around at the time, but a CD copy of Energy is the one that really put the hooks in deep.�

Brandon is a bit more reticent to fully embrace the phenomenon. “At the time, the attitude of ‘do what you want’ was so pervasive that I don't know how accurate my sense of any movement would have been,� he says. “Lots of kids, in lots of bands, doing lots of different things, and it was all cool. What I do know is that I was shook the first time I saw a room full of kids start jumping to our band. Like, ‘HOLY SHIT! THEY THINK THIS IS FUN, TOO!’ That part is the one I hold close.� “I remember feeling really super weird watching our little underground thing turn super popular,� Adam recalls. “One day, I’m getting shit on by the jocks at my school for dressing weird and being a freak for liking punk and ska. The next year, everyone had ska fever and there were skanking lessons being taught by the MTV VJs.�

Unlike most of their peers, Mustard Plug never split up or quit playing. While the scene never completely went away, Kirchgessner has definitely felt the recent resurgence. “It’s amazing, and quite frankly, it’s thrown me a little off guard,� he says. “We’ve hit the West Coast every January or February for most of the last decade, playing most of the same cities, and this year, it was really phenomenal! With our fans getting older, it’s been tough to get good crowds on off days, but there is this new energy and new fans, and that is really exciting.�

It would seem that Brandon is more inter“As the youngest of three brothers, I got to use ested in looking forward than reforming The my older brothers as musical gatekeepers,� Gadjits to take advantage of the renewed Adam Phillips says. “I was pretty young, so a lot popularity of third wave ska. of it is kind of a blur, but I remember walking downstairs and hearing ‘A Message To You, “I'm not any good at nostalgia, personally, Rudy’ by the Specials and saying, ‘WHAT THE but I am beyond delighted to see my friends FUCK IS THIS?!’ A handful more two-tone ska doing shows and tours and making records songs mixed in with Operation Ivy and Skankin’ again, and I still love a heap of that music,�

Pickle, and I was pretty hooked.� he admits.

Members of Mustard Plug and The Gadjits, to varying degrees, could tell that they were part of something bigger in the halcyon days of third-wave ska.

Ultimately, Kirchgessner and Mustard Plug are reaping the rewards of their perseverance.

“I’ve been pretty cynical about any rebirth “It’s like that scene in the Blues Brothers: ‘We’re of ska for many years,� he says. “But it really on a mission from God.’ It totally felt that way!� seems like it's happening, and I’m really Kirchgessner says. “Only our mission was to excited about it.� expose people to this amazing music and counteract all the other crap that was out “It’s really inspiring us to do new things and there. In the early ’90s, the bands and fans write new music and keep on being Mustard still owned the music and scene, and it was Plug,� he concludes. incredibly exciting to be a part of it.�

ENSLAVED ENSLAVED ENSLAVED ENSLAVED INTERVIEW WITH CO-FOUNDER IVAR BJĂ˜RNSON

BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON

T

he grandiosity of Enslaved’s nature as in the depths of the hunewest record, Utgard, is like man mind. The films of masters like whiplash: it sneaks its force Lars Von Tier, Ingmar Bergman and upon you when you least expect David Lynch catch this point visuit. But even when you do expect it, ally, offering up phenomena in the the result is still jarring. Like the au- clearest sense. That is, in the sense ditory dichotomy the band wades that’s it’s never clear at all. in, Utgard proposes the concept of unity, and through this unity, an ac- “Lars Von Tier talked about how he ceptance of darkness and light. The was just inspired by the forest,â€? notes new record is unique though, for its Bjørnson. “And how people are missoft-times inverted notion of duality. ing the point of nature, in the sense One finds the calmer sections quite that the forest is very beautiful, it’s often have the most force, the most harmonic, organic and natural. And darkness. This is what co-founder at the same time, things are being Ivar Bjørnson is getting at when he killed, preyed upon, and that’s why speaks of the architecture of the it’s natural in the sense. It doesn’t moral code to the universe. make these animals that are preying upon other animals evil in any sense, “It’s sort of constructed,â€? he says. “This that’s just something we as humans idea of good vs. evil. You find con- have come up with, whether it’s politstructed elements in nature and more ical, or religious, or ideological.â€? directed ones, but neither has to be particularly good or bad. The universe Like previous Enslaved records, Utis terribly constructed in a sense.â€? gard was an organic process: a journey without a specific destination, a Utgard (due out in the Fall of 2020 trip through space and time, via a via Nuclear Blast) deceives in that collaborative and natural dialogue. way. Yet its deception should nev- It is the process that is paramount. er be miscalculated. The power of Enslaved lies in their acceptance of “It makes it easier to be inspired,â€? the grey. Things are never clear, in Bjørnson says. “Because that’s who

58 NEW NOISE

we are. We’re wired to be social. In many ways it was a bit surprising, the direction the songs took. And that’s part of the fun. It takes a little bit of will to have a loose approach. It’s not the simplest exercise. It’s a tense one, because it’s very important.�

Important is the direction of water, the movement of eagles; the changing seasons that sparkle across the universe, the infinite modes of communication, symbols, and the direction of directionless matter. Enslaved is a veteran band. A group started in 1991 by two people: Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson.

Their movements have shaped their communication. Like a tree sculpted by the will of time, Enslaved show their wisdom on their branches: a gnarled and twisted perfection of a great many blooms.

we did our first tour in the U.S. and Mexico back in ’95, the Norwegian thing was something that attracted a lot of people. Back then, you’d go to the airport and the security guy would have a Viking hat on, and it’d be kind of weird. But now it’s very common. For an album like RIITR, which was done specifically with that global experience in mind, we sort of compared various belief systems around the world, going back to the Sanskrit and the Indian, and tracing that into Norse mythology.�

Utgard leaves one in state of transference. Each time you listen to it, it expands. Like a David Lynch scene made of shadows and monochromatic moods, the record bends one way, then redirects another. And this changes continuously: an imprint of infinity that gathers strength through its acceptance of randomness. The best thing to do is go with the flow.

“We have this sort of specific thing, in geographic terms, being this Norwegian band, and we’ve always been that,â€? says Bjørnson. “It’s been “One of things I like about the record like a central influence, with the Vi- is that it changes a little bit from king thing. But at the same time, we spin to spin,â€? Bjørnson says. “I can definitely have a dual, very local go back to back many times, and and very global approach. Since that’s fun.â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

L I S T E N A B L E

R E C O R D S

LISTENABLE.EU | SHOP-LISTENABLE.NET | JOIN US FACEBOOK.COM/LISTENABLERECS

THANATOS ‘VIOLENT DEATH RITUALS’

DISBELIEF ‘THE GROUND COLLAPSES’

MURDEROUS NEW ALBUM! FEROCIOUS HEAD BANGING MADNESS!

THE GRUESOME DESTRUCTIVE CRUSHING NEW ALBUM! DISBELIEF HAS NEVER SOUNDED SO COLOSSAL OR RELENTLESS.

DIGI CD WITH BONUS•VINYL•DIGITAL RED/BLACK MARBLE VINYL EXCLUSIVE TO LISTENABLE STORE

CD WITH BONUS TRACK • VINYL • DIGITAL•GOLD VINYL EXCLUSIVE TO LISTENABLE STORE

OUT NOW

OUT NOW

KINGWITCH ‘BODY OF LIGHT’

CHRONUS ‘IDOLS’

ELECTRIFYING HEAVY DOOM METAL GLORY!

CAPTIVATING METAL HOPEFULS MIXING CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

DIGIPACK•DIGITAL•LIMITED EDITION DOUBLE GATEFOLD TRANSPARENT BLUE VINYL•LIMITED EDITION DOUBLE GATEFOLD TRANSPARENT YELLOW VINYL EXCLUSIVE TO LISTENABLE STORE 08 MAY 2020

CD•DIGITAL•TRANSPARENT RED VINYL•GOLD VINYL EXCLUSIVE TO LISTENABLE STORE IDOLS

08 MAY 2020

SABÏRE ‘MISTRESS MISTRESS’ BRAND NEW LIMITED EDITION SPLATTER VINYL 7INCH ORDER FROM SHOP-LISTENABLE.NET

SAM RUSSO

PHOTO BY PAUL SILVER

INTERVIEW BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

F

ive years on from 2015’s Still do most things the long way friends. Writing as Sam Russo is Greyhound Dreams, U.K. ’round, and still love making mu- usually isolated and kind of lonesinger-songwriter Sam Russo sic, writing, singing, reading and ly, so I was keen to see if showing is bringing a new record into hanging out!� people what I was working on the world. Back to the Party is out would have a positive effect on now via Red Scare Industries, and Russo is masterfully articulate my writing, and, for the most part, with it, Russo fills in the blanks on his and exceptionally capable of it did!� life since the last album.

“A lot has changed, but day to day my life is pretty similar to when I put out Greyhound Dreams,� he says. “I still work a lot, still live in the same place, still play a bunch of shows and tour as much as I can, still skate early in the mornings when it’s sunny, still play football with the same team.�

A great deal of Russo’s life involves community and his connection to friends. Back to the Party plays like a celebration of tiny moments. “[I] still get together with friends for D&D at the weekends, and still always get a booth by the bar,� he says. “Still got love for the streets.

60 NEW NOISE

setting these activities to song.

Like tiny lights in a night sky, his Russo describes a lasting picdaily routines move closer to ture of the scene inside Half his audience, then further away. Ton Studios in Cambridge, U.K., He works with his guitar and his where the album was recorded, words to capture scenes on wax, taking in the temperature of the the way a child might capture room, as well as the temperafireflies in a mason jar and light ture outside. up the mind of listeners. “It was during the heat wave, so Russo explains the time and care I’ll always associate recording he folded into creating this latest those songs with being blisswork. fully hot and lucky enough to be spending ten hours a day “I’m not one to rush or write filler, tucked away from the world so I just took my time and grafted, playing and singing with two slow and steady,� he says. “I wrote people I bloody love,� he says. about 20 songs and trimmed “It was tough, and we had a redown to ten that I loved. I exper- ally tight schedule, but I loved it. imented a lot too. I wrote in way This record is drenched in sweat, I wouldn’t normally. I collaborat- and you should be able to hear ed a bit, and I took advice from me smiling at times.�

Russo is interested in people interpreting his work for themselves, but he has a strong point to make with Back to the Party about life’s everyday vignettes, the personal times. This work takes the listener on a journey. “The main theme of the record is the things you share with the people you navigate life with,â€? he says. “Thematically, friendship was cropping up a lot in my early demos. For the most part, Back To the Party is about the journey you go on with your friends from 15 to 35. How you stay close to people you had sleepovers with when you were kids when you’re in your 30s, and life is almost unrecognizable and everyone’s off on different paths. It’s not nostalgic, but there’s glances over the shoulder for sure. The title says it all really - depending on how you interpret it.â€?đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JAMES REXROAD

PHOTO BY JAMES REXROAD

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER / GUITARIST JASON RIVERA

BY THOMAS PIZZOLA

G

aytheist is a power trio from munity, though, take the band’s name “[We’re] trying to trim out all the excess, that period, we got together when we Portland, Oregon, featuring the wrong way. unneeded parts,� Rivera says. “Plus, could and worked on new music. Now vocalist and guitarist Jason when you play music with Nick on that we are all Team Gaytheist again, Rivera, drummer and back- “Yes, some people are not so happy drums, you play fast and punchy just we shit out a whole new album (and a up vocalist Nick Parks, and bassist about our name,� Rivera says. “About to survive. We tend to err on the side 7� later this year).� and back-up vocalist Tim Hoff. The five years into the band I started add- of ‘keep things as short and concise trio plays fast, fun, catchy, punkish ing ‘Gaytheist is a portmanteau of Gay and fast as possible.’ Lyrically, [we’re] Their post-release plans (like those of metal, and on their new album, How + Atheist’ to our online stuff, as I didn’t just trying to explore new topics while many bands) were changed due to the Long Have I Been On Fire?, out now realize that was not clear to everyone.� keeping it personal. Whether I write current situation going on in the world. on Hex Records, they show why they a folk or a punk or a rock song, after are one of the best kept secrets in For those not in the know, Rivera is, Tim and Nick get done with it, it’s a “The plan was to tour the U.S. and Canloud rock today. indeed, a gay atheist. You would think loud beast of noise.� ada in April, May, and July, but it’s St. after nine years into the band’s exisOne thing you must understand when tence, it wouldn’t bother him - but you dealing with this band is that they would be wrong. use humor to get their point across, blending it in with more serious mes- “I wish I didn’t care, but I do, which is sages. After all, a little sugar makes pretty dumb considering the name the bitter pill of truth go down we chose,� he says. “I’ve had people smoother. try to tell me our name means that we The new album comes three long Patty’s Day today and the COVID-19 don’t believe in gay people. I’m like, I years after their previous one, Let’s pandemic is in effect, so everything “We are silly people,� says Rivera. “Also, know I have low self-esteem, but I still Jam Again Soon. Life and other will likely get rescheduled,� Rivera the three of us are heavily influenced believe I exist.� band commitments got in the way says. “Now the plan is: survive, take

by Karp, both in the heavy pumof Gaytheist releasing any new mu- care of each other, then figure out meling-yet-catchy music, and the The songs on HLHIBOF?, like on other sic until now. how to get back in front of people not-so-serious lyrics. I think humor Gaytheist albums, are short blasts of and play some loud music. We’re has a place everywhere, from heavy noise and catchiness, filled with Rive- “As soon as we finished recording the working on some music videos too. music, to any entertainment, to poli- ra’s sometimes humorous, sometimes previous record at the end of 2016, And we started working on the next tics, to science. Although, the new al- serious lyrics. It gets in, rocks out, and Nick moved to Florida for a year and album already, ’cause why not?� bum does have its serious songs. We leaves before you know what hit you. a half,� Rivera says. “When he moved mix it up.�

This has been their songwriting M.O. back we did a tour with Maximum Why not, indeed. After all, the world since the very beginning, because Mad, then he played drums for High could use a little sunshine and fun in Some people in the loud rock com- that’s the way they like it. on Fire for six months last year. During these dire times. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

“THE PLAN IS: SURVIVE, TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET BACK IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND PLAY SOME LOUD MUSIC.�

62 NEW NOISE

someone that might listen time zones away, but might be going through the same thing that you're going through right now.�

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

Flynn explains the depth of the sixth track “Rewind,� one of her favorite songs she’s written, “I call it my manic letter to myself, I am bipolar, so I just branched off from [it], through the root of [it], and through my addictions — that processing. At the end of the song, it’s like ‘I’m gonna make it, I’m gonna make today count.’ We don't have to worry about the past, but right now, it will be okay eventually.�

In conclusion, Sendejas considers the reality of recording their first Fat Wreck Chords album. “Sum everything up in one word, it is just ‘surreal,’� he says. “I mean, we were in a major car accident a few years back, right outside of Roswell.

Our car crossed the highway traffic and flipped twice, going 70. Everyone walked away just totally fine. I still feel like there's this like lingering thought in the back of my mind, ‘maybe we all perished in that terrible car wreck and this is all just like some crazy DMT trip.’ Whitney and I just started writing dumb songs on acoustic instruments when we were 16 and 15 and never thought that any kind of shit like this would ever happen. It's just so bizarre. But so welcome at same time.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

INTERVIEW WITH JESSE SENDEJAS AND WHITNEY FLYNN

BY JOSHUA MARANHAS n the current world where concerts and shows are nonexistent and record stores are nonessential businesses, Days N’ Daze are holing up in quarantine while their record is set to release at the beginning of May. Show Me The Blueprints. is the first record by the Houston based four-piece released on Fat Wreck Chords.

Also, this is the intensely DIY band’s first true studio release.

Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and singer Jesse Sendejas and singer, trumpeter and ukulele player Whitney Flynn - along with “gutbucket� washtub bass player Geoff Bell and washboard player Meagan Melancon - began preproduction and recording at the now- closed Motor Studios in California, with Fat Mike himself.

identify as “trashgrass.� To Sendejas, this is what that means and how it all started. “Whitney and I do all the writing,� he says. “We wanted to start a punk band since [we were] kids, but we didn’t have money to buy the amps and drums and stuff. We saw bands like Blackbird Raum. They were like a pretty big influence on us. That's where we first saw a gutbucket. We're like, ‘we don’t need to spend, you know, a bill on a bass and like another two on an amp, we could just spend 20 bucks on a bucket, a stick and a string, and there we go.’ Same with the washboard, that was our substitute for a drum kit. So, it’s out of necessity a little bit. And then we liked how it sounded.

So, we just stuck to that, I suppose.�

The frenetic feeling of Show Me The Blue“We met up with Fat Mike and Baz, this dude prints. is matched by unsettled lyrics that that was helping with the NOFX musical,� are looking to create inclusion. Sendejas Sendejas says. “We've never been in a says the most important thing to both studio. So, we were super overwhelmed. songwriters is the gravity of the words in They're really patient. They just had us which they write. come out, check out the studio. He laid down a couple of tracks of which we ended “The lyrics are super introspective,� he says. up using, some of which we scrapped, but “And it deals a lot with our mental health just to kind of like get us comfortable with issues, with addiction and depression. And the setting. And that's how we got started.� it's nice to be able to just write your feelings and your thoughts down to the void, Days N’ Daze utilize picking like bluegrass, and then have them echo back at you, and, but these aren’t bluegrass pickers. They you know, kind of open up a dialogue with

64 NEW NOISE

NEW ALBUM OUT NOW

NIK BRUZZESE FROM MAN OVERBOARD

kevin geyer from the story so far

e.p. out may 29, 2020

E.P. OUT JUNE 5, 2020

PHOTO BY ESTER SEGARRA

KATATONIA Big Dreams, Low Expectations

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST ANDERS NYSTRĂ–M

BY THOMAS PIZZOLA

O

n their new album, City “Well, if it hadn’t been for the Night tonia connection was already there in And then he elaborates.

Burials, out now on Peace- Is The New Day anniversary, I’m not most of the material. So, we decided ville, regal Swedish gloom really sure when the next crucial rearrange some of the songs, hit the “Katatonia became a part of our metal merchants Katatonia weave motivation would have given us that studio and co-produce it together. Did identity and has now been with us another captivating spell filled with much needed push,â€? NystrĂśm says. it feel weird for me for the first time ever day and night for three decades,â€? atmosphere and emotion. Powered “We were really eager to celebrate to see none of my songs on the album? he says. “This decision taken by a by the expressive vocals of lead that album that the anniversary Yes. Did it matter? Not really. The album couple of hungry teenagers is still singer Jonas Renske, their eleventh shows worked as a stepping stone passed far above the ‘quality control’ sustained by a couple of midalbum is another feather in the back to the stage.â€? and that’s what counts.â€? dle-aged farts. Our dreams have band's ever-crowded cap. ​ been big, but our expectations This would eventually lead as the In addition, the new album's evoca- have been low. We basically have And it almost didn't happen. impetus to get the band, which also tive title has a deeper meaning. been living on a minimum wage features guitarist Roger Ă–jersson, our entire lives, just to be able to After the tour cycle for their previous bassist Niklas Sandin, and drummer “It’s all connected by metaphors in- do this, which is something most (if album, The Fall Of Hearts, they de- Daniel Moilanen, to get back in studio side the Katatonia universe that cir- not all) normal people would have cided it was time to take a little time and commence work on City Burials. cle our discography,â€? NystrĂśm says. rejected at an early stage. Elderly away from the grind and each other. people used to tell us youngsters, But there was one more twist to this story. Through all the shifts and changes in ‘go get a haircut and get yourselves “It was a basically a time-out,â€? guisound over their lengthy career, and a job.’ How about us telling them to tarist Anders NystrĂśm explains. “We “Well, to tell you the truth, City Buri- with band members coming and fuck right off? Because, at the end needed to get everyone attentive als was originally supposed to be- going, the driving creative forces of the day, we know we followed to the issues we weren’t happy with, come a Jonas solo album,â€? NystrĂśm in Katatonia have always been our hearts, we had fun spending and also get enough time to reflect explains. “However, he changed his NystrĂśm and Renske. It's a partner- our youth, our 20’s and even 30’s on future direction.â€? mind at the very last stage, just before ship that has lasted the test of time. doing exactly what other people hitting the studio with other musicians. will never experience in life.â€?

As fate would have it, their break Jonas rather wanted it to become a NystrĂśm has one simple reason for didn't last too long. In fact, they got Katatonia album, so he played me all this longevity. “And regarding that haircut?â€? back together to celebrate the anni- the songs, and since he writes just as NystrĂśm laughs. “Age eventually versary of very special album in their much music for Katatonia as I do (or in “We shared a vision, went for it and took care of that, as there’s hardly discography. fact even more these days), the Kata- never looked back,â€? he says.  any left!â€?â€? đ&#x;’Ł

66 NEW NOISE

PHYLOGENESIS

Merch available at Season-of-Mist.com

'Strike.Smother.Dehumanize' is a vicious death strike of epic proportions.

Coming May 22 on Ltd Digipak CD w/ patch, Ltd. LP, digitally & more.

NEW NOISE 67

L A I R T O N T I E T N JA EXIS

S COLUMN

BY BRAD LOGAN

O

So, I began working though the doubt. In spite of myself, I would continue to create trash until something came out of it that clicked, i.e. something I liked. And that’s exactly what I did. In fact, I turned it into my artistic philosophy: forever forward.

Write it, revise it, then on to the next one. If it’s crap, it will improve in time, because I am in a constant state of practicing. And damn if that doesn’t work well for me. I still have my days of doubt, but quantity over quality saves the day. All is well in the universe. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

nly fitting that upon deciding to discuss writer’s block, I was suddenly stricken with a case.

The most unmovable block in ages. Solid concrete, a stopper of things creative and fluid in my mind.

After dutifully working away the better part of the morning, it snuck up on me as I read back what I had written.

Indecision. Doubt. Fear. A shotgun blast of nullifying emotions from origins unknown. What. The. Fuck?

I immediately scrapped what I had written and started over, this time deciding to approach the subject from a different angle. Placing the end at the beginning, shuffling a sentence or two around, clicktyclick-click-clack. Again, the page stares. Take three.

I toss words about trying to relate what’s going on in my head to the faceless reader, but this time I can feel clarity slipping through my hands. I re-read the page and see a jumbled mess of thoughts and ideas, like an over-mix of paint colors until the canvas becomes black. Christ. That’s it. I can’t write anymore! What once came so freely, as free as conversation at a checkout counter, had stopped cold. I now begin to panic because I have a deadline approaching. I decide to give it another go, and this time I only get halfway through the page before giving up the charade.

EPILOGUE:

that comes on, I’m paralyzed. This is not to say it’s common, or that I can’t go into an idea with intent, or For our purposes here, let’s just call it direction. But it’s like becoming the a “creativity block.� An invisible men- critic halfway through the perfortal force keeping one from creating mance. And always at the most inanything they deem valid, valuable, opportune times, as in the case of or at least entertaining in their cho- The Looming Deadline. How then, to sen field of art, and to me, as real as reset my head and start over? this page in front of me now.

Perhaps the answer lies in the noI started asking friends of mine tion that writers block isn’t real, who I knew wrote, or created in and therefore could be “ignored,� some form on a continuous basis, if so to speak. When I thought about this ever happened to them. Much what lay at the core of this egotisto my surprise, a few responded no, tical self-indulgence, it was fear. it didn’t happen to them. Or they just Fear that I couldn’t do the thing “Who am I fooling?� I ponder, some- didn’t believe it was real, and there- because I have no skills, fear that fore it never happened to them. The my stuff was garbage, fear that one’s life flashing before my eyes.

I wonder about all the great writ- suspicion that I had lost it, or that I I would hate it, or fear that they ers I’ve read, what their works have never had it to begin with, was be- would hate it too, because they could see right through me. meant to me and think, “did this ginning to seem all too real. ever happen to them?�

For me, it’s a sudden flood of con- But really, who was I trying to imWriter’s Block. A term I’ve heard sciousness about the task at hand. press? Who even gave a fuck betossed about like an urban myth. Did An acute awareness, or in short, an sides me? I was appointing myself it actually exist? And if so, I wanted to over-thinking of things. And when judge, jury and executioner.

68 NEW NOISE

know what the fuck it was, why it happens, and what defines it.

Last weekend, I was at a show at the Garden Amp in Garden Grove, California.

Pressed against the stage during Excel, I was catching bodies as they stage-dived to the thrash apocalypse being laid to waste before us. I took an elbow to the chest, then put all my body weight into slinging the 300lbs, sweaty perpetrator back into the human toilet bowl of swirling bodies. After a quick check to make sure I hadn’t broken any toes, I turned to my friend Stephanie, a well-known writer and supporter of the arts, also in the pit next to me and said, “So, do you ever get writers block, and if so what do you do to get out of it?� The myth had become obsession.

COVID-19 ADDENDUM:

The above was written before the self-quarantine lockdown of mid-March 2020. I was recently asked if isolation had any effect, negative or positive, pertaining to the subject of this particular writing.

Thinking about it, I realized I’ve always had an adversarial relationship with the “world outside.� Which is to say, I could never figure out how society works or my place in it. It’s a simultaneously a source of beauty, and one of great pain. At this present moment, I don’t miss it. And being cut-off from it like I am now has only improved my concentration and focus on things that matter most to me in my life. Like my work. Now that the bullshit has been removed, things have never seemed clearer. Thanks for listening. See you on the other-side, whatever that may look like.

Til we meet in the pit again...

PHOTO BY KEITH BAILLARGEON

PHOTO BY MASEN SMITH

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

70 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY PAT GILRANE

PHOTO BY OLIVER FITZGERALD

PHOTO BY CAM EVANS

PHOTO BY ALYSON COLETTA

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.

CHRISTIAN MIRANDE: EXERCISE: HANSON RECORDS

HAND OF GAVRILO: STATIC: FRESH POTS MUSIC San Diego’s Hand of Gavrillo is an amalgamation of feeling, a post-wave, punk trip into the new world. With song craft as their most galvanized weapon, the group yields a warm intimacy that’s layered in slinky riffs. Static, counts ’80s paranoia and ’90s alt-punk as its springboard, and lifts itself towards a sort of psychological communion. “D.L.” is hard and wide, showing little hidden pieces of Tiny Music-era Stone Temple Pilots - which is cool, seeing as STP is also a San Diego band - but the song morphs into neurotic goth-punk near the end, showcasing the group’s inner-core.

“Together Forever” stacks arrangements atop one another niftily, with its chorus “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” the punk centerpiece. The song works well because nothing is overused, and the totality is wondrously crafted. Songwriting (at least in terms of rock or punk) seems like an ancient form these days: try and count the number of non-hip-hop songs made in the last ten years that you can sing the lyrics to.

Not counting maybe Baroness, OFF! and Screaming Females, I’m not sure if I can.

Hand of Gavrilo is out to change that. Their manner is communication and relation.

Static is their starting point.

72 NEW NOISE

SLIM G: ONE BULLET X BLOWIN’ SMOKE: NATURAL SCIENCES There are two recordings on this cassette from Slim G: One Bullet and Blowin’ Smoke.

The latter, a wondrously crafted nod to ’90s underground hip-hop (the raw and artful kind), features some of the deftest mixing and grimy beats I’ve heard in some time. The former, a more polished, but no less effective, mystical ascension, features Steezy C weaving through street beats with constrained psychedelic undertones, flowing like the spring breeze on an urban oceanside, the blueness cold and warm, city lights as psychological spiraling. Slim G presents something of a classic here: its shape, punk and minimalistic, its centralization, postmodern and continuous. “Rot in Hell,” on One Bullet, moves like invisible cubes, with colors primed for extension. The repetition bold and honed, a natural reaction to the hardcore steely “Bloody Mess,” a pragmatic form of centrality. “Da Biggest Enemy,” off Blowin’ Smoke, is the perfect counterpoint to the tracks on One Bullet. It’s clear and formed, and still egalitarian, its heart a purposeful love to the art of rap and hip-hop. “You Can’t Catch Me” is multifarious, and still contains the simplicity that defines the power of Slim G: neutral, a giver of sound and individuality.

Recorded at a United States Air Force base in 2017, Christian Mirande’s Exercise is a work that illuminates the loneliness and oneness of being human. A great many sentient and inanimate wonders are pondered. The space is eternal, the night sky infinite in depth and sound. This is a field recording for the closely intimated.

Presenting itself as completely pure: no overdubs, no special effects (at least I think), a field recording in its most singular form: alien, grotesque and stupendous.

Listening to Exercise is a practice in the art of recognition, the art of meditation, the gathering of data and random perfection.

When one considers the possibility of an endless universe, where each note echoes in eternity, reaching a destination that is simulation, then one can relate the soft breeze of a seashell with the terrors of a garbage disposal, the marriage of violence and tranquility. This tape is more about being human that anything I’ve listened to in quite some time. It is a testament to the power of research: a human trait that parallels the immensity of Jupiter.

DAMAGED CLOCK: THE ODISSY: SOIL Techno that is brisk. Dancing lights fluttering through the shadows: an acid mutation that suspends the notion of time. Damaged Clock’s The Odissy is painterly in its formation.

It is continuous and abrasive, without ever impeding the listener’s space. It is contemporary, conjoining the hardest and lightest movements in electronic music, and this is its charm. Never afraid to wade in the waters of kitsch, moving from intensity to indifference with grace, David Restrepo’s performance is total, a live feeling emanates from the heart. Bending back, often contemplative, but always with resolve, it is the marriage of strength and weakness. “Humanity” is the counterpoint to the furious “Fast People,” a pulsing demon of dimensional turbulence.

“The End is Near” is a brutal darkness that echoes the times we live in. Whether Restrepo wrote the track with the current pandemic in mind matters not, the song knows the path of humanity, something that started a long time ago. With each step, disaster and filth. But also hope, there is some light in there.

SPARTA NEW ALBUM

TRUST THE RIVER

OUT NOW