New Noise Magazine Issue #50

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 41

NEW ALBUM OUT FEBRUARY 7, 2020

NEW ALBUM OUT FEBRUARY 28, 2020

SPRING TOUR W/ SILVERSTEIN MAR 4 - UPSTATE CONCERT HALL - ALBANY, NY MAR 6 - WEBSTER HALL - NEW YORK, NY MAR 7 - STARLAND BALLROOM - SAYREVILLE, NJ MAR 8 - THE FILLMORE - PHILADELPHIA, PA MAR 10 - RAMS HEAD LIVE! - BALTIMORE, MD MAR 11 - THE UNDERGROUND - CHARLOTTE, NC MAR 13 - THE MASQUERADE - ATLANTA, GA MAR 14 - JANNUS LIVE - ST.PETERSBURG, FL MAR 15 - THE CIVIC THEATRE - NEW ORLEANS, LA MAR 16 - WAREHOUSE LIVE - HOUSTON, TX MAR 19 - GAS MONKEY LIVE! - DALLAS, TX MAR 20 - VIBES - SAN ANTONIO, TX MAR 21 - DIAMOND BALLROOM - OKLAHOMA CITY, OK MAR 22 - SUNSHINE THEATER - ALBUQUERQUE, NM

MAR 24 - BROOKLYN BOWL - LAS VEGAS, NV MAR 25 - MARQUEE THEATRE - TEMPE, AZ MAR 27 - BELASCO THEATER - LOS ANGELES, CA MAR 28 - HOUSE OF BLUES - ANAHEIM, CA MAR 29 - THE REGENCY BALLROOM - SAN FRANCISCO, CA MAR 31 - WONDER BALLROOM - PORTLAND, OR APR 1 - THE SHOWBOX - SEATTLE, WA APR 3 - THE DEPOT - SALT LAKE CITY, UT APR 4 - OGDEN THEATRE - DENVER, CO APR 5 - THE TRUMAN - KANSAS CITY, MO APR 7 - CONCORD MUSIC HALL - CHICAGO, IL APR 8 - BOGART'S - CINCINNATI, OH APR 9 - ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATRE - ROYAL OAK, MI APR 10 - HOUSE OF BLUES - CLEVELAND, OH

ISSUE 50

8 9 10 12 14 18 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 35 38 40 42

MURRAY BOWLES ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - JACK GREGORY THROWBACK PUNK LAGWAGON BOOK SPOTLIGHT - PUNK FACTION TSUNAMI BOMB AGNOSTIC FRONT THE WARRIORS BLACK CHRISTMAS EXHUMED FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY CATTLE DECAPITATION GATECREEPER THE SHORTLIST REFUSED ANTI FLAG END OF THE CENTURY - METAL

44

COUNTERPARTS X STRAY FROM THE PATH

52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 70 71 72 75

OF MICE AND MEN STARCRAWLER LIFE OF AGONY BOOK SPOTLIGHT - HEAVY TALES TAKE OFFENSE HAVE A NICE LIFE TRAIL OF DEAD TURNOVER FRANCES QUINLAN JENNY OWEN YOUNGS LABEL SPOTLIGHT - SLUMBERLAND ANALOG CAVE COUNTERPARTS / STRAY FROM THE PATH COVER PHOTO BY GABE BECERRA TABLE OF CONTENTS ILLUSTRATION BY TOMMASO EPPESTEINGHER RIP KIM SHATTUCK OF THE MUFFS

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OPERATION IVY PLAYS COVERED WAGON IN SF IN 1988. MURRAY BOWLES ARCHIVE.

MURRAY BOWLES

CHRONICLER OF THE LOST

MURRAY BOWLES AT YOUR PLACE TOO IN OAKLAND IN 1992.

MURRAY BOWLES ARCHIVE.

GREEN DAY AT BERKELEY SQUARE IN 1992. MURRAY BOWLES ARCHIVE.

B BLATZ AT 924 GILMAN IN 1990. MURRAY BOWLES ARCHIVE.

ay Area punks are mourning the loss of Murray Bowles, the beloved photographer who faithfully documented the local music scene for four decades. Murray began covering live punk shows in 1980 on a chance assignment for the fanzine Ripper. Immediately hooked on the infectious energy of the music and the crowd, he soon became a devoted presence at punk rock events all over the Bay Area. Between sets, Murray could be found outside the club selling prints of his photos for 15 cents (later he raised the price to 25 cents)—just enough to cover the cost of the paper. Over the course of his unofficial career, he captured generations of underground culture and, through his singular images, conveyed the vibrancy of the Bay Area scene to punks all over the world, many of whom packed their bags and headed for California to join in.

Today, Murray’s massive photographic archive represents the authoritative record of Bay Area punk. Countless album covers and liner notes feature Murray’s photographs. Without his work, the documentary film Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk could not have been made. A gifted musician, Murray played viola with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, and fiddle in the bands Ding Dang! and The Shit Kickers. He was also an avid hiker, reader of detective novels, computer programmer, and beer aficionado. Among the Bay Area punks who knew and loved him, Murray was affectionately dubbed, “Chronicler of The Lost.�

His death has sent shock waves of sadness through the community, where his sudden absence feels unfathomable. Longtime pal Spider perfectly described the magnitude of the loss she and so many others are feeling when she said, “I feel like we’ve been collectively orphaned.â€? - Anna Brown đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

8 NEW NOISE

JACK GREGORY INTERVIEW

BY MATTHEW HUTCHISON

N

Gregory didn’t luck out. He puts time and substantial effort into his illustrations, and people are paying attention. He credits the following for his development - “Network like a bastard, have a web presence established, use social media effectively, and more importantly, show up and hit deadlines consistently.�

Gregory credits his father, a visual artist himself for the Indianapolis VA hospital, with steering his interests along the same path. “Dad was a big influence here. Because of him, I knew what I wanted to do when I was only five years old. He was helpful without being forceful. Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, Norman Rockwell, all those greats I learned about through him. Some of my earliest memories are watching him at the drafting table out our house, and I cherish those memories.�

epotism, and who you know, can be the mostused employment tickets in the entertainment world. Then there are people like Jack C. Gregory. He came from Indianapolis, “You hear stories about how KISS isn’t Indiana, a city far removed from that the greatest band,� he says. “But the world, and made his name behind the reality is, they’re marketing fiends scenes by showing up and delivering dating back to the days when they above expectations to his client base. were carrying their own gear. You Gregory has some advice for peohave to be like that to last in any in- ple who are beginning to walk the Gregory’s career in the visual arts dustry.� same path. spans 15 years, with focuses on art direction, digital marketing, key art for This foundation, along with his rep- “Make sure you incorporate having films and television, traditional paint- utation and diverse portfolio, keeps a life into this. You can’t be working ing, and alt-movie and gig posters. The him a sought-out illustrator in the all the time, and you will break down. latter is something in which he’s made world of film and music.

Make time for yourself. Inspiration a name for himself over the past few can come from the most unlikely years, with designs for Rancid, Hank Gregory is very clear that he's not pi- place.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł Von Hell, L7, Descendents, Against Me!, geonholing himself to a specific style.

Off!, and a slew of other artists, along- That's a fear of his, and he explains why. side recreations of posters for movies like The Great Escape, Halloween, and "There have been instances I've heard Apocalypse Now. about successful illustrators falling

As grateful he is for all the opportunities in his career, Gregory believes his best work is ahead of him. He still hasn’t lost sight of a goal he’s held since he was 19-years old. “I really want to do a Pearl Jam poster, or do something with Metallica.

That’s my dream.�

into this trap. They create something like a paint look that gets them hired.

When they submit their client's request in pen-and-ink, the client pushes back with ‘no, we want your paint look, that's why we hired you.’ That's why I keep up-to-date on techniques and use other styles. Best to diversify.

My portfolio has paint, comic, and Bauhaus-looking work."

NEW NOISE 9

THROWBACK PUNK

BY NICK SENIOR

WE’RE CAREENING INTO 2020 AND WHAT THE YEAR HAS IN STORE IS NOBODY’S GUESS. IT’S PRETTY DAUNTING TO THINK ABOUT, SO WE’RE GONNA SWITCH GEARS A BIT AND TAKE YOU BACK TO THE DAYS OF STAPLED ZINES AND MIXTAPES, WHEN YOU FOUND YOUR FAVORITE BANDS IN LINER NOTES AND PAGES THAT TURNED YOUR FINGERS BLACK.THESE BANDS BRING A NEW TWIST ON THE SOUNDS OF '80S AND '90S PUNK. WE ALSO REVISIT SOME ALBUMS CELEBRATING BIG MILESTONES, AND CHECK IN WITH SOME BANDS THAT WERE THERE AND ARE STILL CREATING THE CLASSIC PUNK SOUND.

PHOTO BY FARRAH SKEIKY

FOXHALL STACKS INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST JIM SPELLMAN

FOSTER CARE INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHRIS TEENAGER

In the Year of Our Lord 2019, every new punk band seems to have an astounding pedigree of members from all sorts of legendary bands, only to be the guitar tech for Bad Religion or the live bassist for Rancid. Washington DC’s Foxhall Stacks have stacks on stacks of pedigree (Jawbox, Minor Threat, Burning Airlines, Wool, and Velocity Girl), and what makes those bands click is on full display throughout The Coming Collapse, out now on Snappy Little Numbers. In that way, the band are maximalists – big power-pop hooks are lifted on top of gleefully distorted riffs. This is heartfelt punk rock that owes a huge debt to the classics of the past without sounding dated.

Just about any pissed off idiot can write a mediocre punk tune - the frenetic fury typically only requires a few chords and an inciting incident. However, those who are a little bit more measured and considered in their approach can elevate a random racket into something approaching art - or at least a really fucking good time. NYCs Foster Care take their name seriously by giving their songs time and room to grow into something special. That’s not to say the band’s brash take on garage punk is veering off into art punk territory. However, El Abuso (Spanish for “the abuse�), out now on Florida’s Total Punk Records, feels like a grown-up version of the band, somehow with more vitriol and focus than their past work.

Guitarist Jim Spellman is keenly aware of his new band’s place in the world, and that confidence oozes through the speakers. “We wanted to make a rock record,â€? he says. Too many people our age get lured into acoustic music or small amps and playing quietly. We play loud rock with Marshall Stacks and Les Pauls and refrigerator-sized bass amps. It’s fair to call us maximalists, perhaps to a fault. We love electric guitars and harmonies and layer them on like pomade on a pompadour.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

DOGBRETH INTERVIEW WITH

VOCALIST/GUITARIST TRISTAN JEMSEK

You know that friend that everyone likes?

They are genuine, honest without being an asshole, and can connect with a wide range of people? Somehow, Ever Loving is the musical version of that concept. Dogbreth’s broad-spectrum rock has all the ingredients to appeal to just about everyone: it’s a little jangly, a tad grungy (they do hail from Seattle, after all), and definitely dreamy. It’s the musical equivalent of a friend’s embrace – warm and comforting. It’s also got a surprising amount of depth beyond the hazy textures.

This idea to create such an easy-going and lovable record, not coincidentally released on the friendliest label out there, Asian Man Records, somehow came naturally for the band.

Their goal going in is reflected in the efferves cent feeling Ever Loving imbues on the listener.

Vocalist and guitarist Tristan Jemsek notes, “We wanted to make a record that rocked with a lot of beauty and texture. I was trying to sort of imagine a cross-section between Crazy Horse and The Cure, something with shimmer and chime and lots of humanity.�

This is a classic-sounding record that will be remembered for years to come. đ&#x;’Ł

10 NEW NOISE

Vocalist Chris Teenager acknowledges this dichotomy was intentional, “[Someone] will come up with a riff, and I’ll write from there. It’s punk, nothing profound, just what’s pissing me off at the time. Since I work in food service, there’s always fresh inspiration.â€? However, he notes, “this time around we wanted to really make a record that wasn’t just a collection of songs.â€?đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY ANDY BERNDT

DESPERATE ACTS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/ GUITARIST MATT KEIL Summer of Panic is what happens when a group of artists feel composed, confident, and unified in one vision: kick ass punk rock.

Comprised of members of bands that were/ are on Victory, Bridge Nine, Red Scare, and Havoc Records, you’d expect one thing, but Minneapolis’ Desperate Acts happily zig when you expect a zag. What has emerged is a gritty, Midwest melodic punk behemoth, full of songs that feel small and massive – both in sound and scope – at the same time. It’s the type of record that is impossible to have on in the background, because it very quickly becomes the only thing you pay attention to for 12 minutes. That focus and style didn’t come easily, but vocalist/guitarist Matt Keil is relieved they all put in the work. “We had an identity crisis trying to write our first few songs as a band. There was a conscious effort to try and differentiate from our earlier bands and add in newer elements that often resulted in a mess. I think with this latest record we've settled in and become more comfortable with what we are.� Thankfully, what they are is a punk band that feels like they’re carrying the torch of past greats into a promising future.

The record itself dwells on some haunted adult themes of how to deal with the world around you. “I think the recurring theme,â€? Keil notes. “Is being made aware of constant abject horror in the real world all the time, when in daily life you're just focused on your very immediate needs and drudgery. You deal with keeping your family moving along and the small environment in front of you, and in the meantime you have these little panics because it doesn't always seem like there's a lot of hope for a just world. When you're at work, you can't say, ‘I think, possibly, the world is being ruined' – you just start a stupid band with your friends.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY DAVID VERA

SPIRAL HEADS

KATATONIC

BOTHERS

Spiral Heads got my head spinning with how perfectly they conjure up the old punk spirits. Take the melodic sensibilities of The Wipers and early Nirvana, with the punch of seminal bands like The Damned and Buzzcocks, and you’re halfway there to why this three-song EP, out now on Bridge 9, is a gloriously efficient batch of retro punk. The fact that the band is comprised of members of MGMT, American Nightmare, and Doomriders makes the effect even greater - none of those bands sound remotely alike, yet Spiral Heads carry a succinct, solidified sound already. It’s only the record’s brevity that remains frustrating. However, that length was intentional.

Names can be deceiving. Take for instance Katatonic, which sounds like an awesome moody Swedish death/ doom act. The truth could not be any further from that, however, as the actual band (not the one in my head) are a riotous LA- based fuzz/grunge/punk group who specialize in hip-swinging basslines and fantastically catchy shouted hooks from vocalist Nat M. Their throwback fury recalls fellow City of Angels greats The Bags, with more grunge and grime. It’s wonderful stuff, and this short self titled EP, out now on Devour Records, is a perfect introduction to their particular musical maelstrom.

“These songs each live in their own world intended to take the listener on an extremely short journey,� bassist and vocalist Simon Doom states.

Nat M notes that the desire to write came naturally, “I mean, since high school I’ve always wanted to make music where it punches you right in the face with aggressive lyrics and loud, heavy, yet catchy guitar riffs. Sometimes a few slow songs to catch your breath.

Making music has always been fun (as it should be). It’s even better with people who share the same ideas or [are] even open to experiment with new sounds.�

In civilized society, one should apologize when they discover they are bothering someone. Of course, this Portland trio are the exact opposite of an apology – loud, brazen, bold, and a little unhinged. Their brand of punk feels familiar yet not pulling from the expected. It’s occasionally melodic, but this isn’t pop-punk. There’s a ferocious energy, but Bothers aren’t hardcore. It’s fast, but the songs are wisely curated and instantly memorable. Bothers is also pissed.

There’s a few spoonfuls of manic frustration here, and that added layer of seasoning results in a delicious batch of punk energy. Those who love Wipers or Born Against will be at home. The band’s “mantraâ€? suits their musical chaos wonderfully: “We've been friends with bad ideas for a long time,â€? they note. “If you ride out the bad ideas together long enough, someone is bound to cave, and you just keep moving. None of us know what we're doing.â€? That vibe is perfectly played out in this haymaker of punk fury out now on Dirt Cult Records. đ&#x;’Ł

That desire to keep things short and sweet is part of what led to the band’s creation, as guitarist and vocalist Jim Carroll recalls. “Simon and I were both at a point of stagnation with our various other musical projects. We needed something to inject a bit of fun and life into things again. Stripping things back and starting in a realm we were very comfortable with allowed us to hit the ground running.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

Catch their “Heatwaveâ€? and welcome in your new favorite punk band. đ&#x;’Ł

That creative spark has lit the fire that will hopefully result in more music in the near future. Three songs ain’t enough, guys.đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ANTHONY TRAN

PHOTO BY ADAM DEGROSS

TENNIS SYSTEM

I don’t know what the hell a Tennis System is, other than a bizarre way to keep score – and a weird thing where you have games inside a set inside a match. Whatever. The Timesuck, waste of time, whatever you want to call it, Phil- Tennis System of note here is an LA band that straddles adelphia’s Timelost went ahead and lollygagged around the line between punk and shoegaze. There’s way too and made the quintessential album to get lost in. The much haze and reliance on atmosphere for the former, album is a clear labor of love for two metalheads (from and entirely more energy and political frustration for Woe and Set & Setting) who wanted to explore dream- the latter. Lovesick, out now on Graveface Records, ier sonic pastures. It’s fascinating how Timelost doesn’t exists as a powerful bridge between the two worlds, sound like either, though their previous acts’ appreci- bolstered by an absolutely perfect production from ation for noise and haunting melody shine throughout Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker). The record’s Don’t Remember Me for This, out now on Golden Antenna target feels very much in line with the introspective yet Records. punk attitudes at play here, as vocalist and guitarist Matty Taylor notes.

There’s a clear, heavy, grunge edge and punk velocity that propels these songs forward, both in spite and “You know, we live in a very fucked up time,� he says. because of the gaze-y textures. That cohesion was built “You’ve got kids glued to phone screens, a racist bigot on a shared musical vision that was the result of a whole president, and social injustice around race and genlot of trust and happy accidents, recounts vocalist and der. The music world isn’t any better. The focus is no guitarist Shane Handal. longer about the art of music, but rather how many

TIMELOST POST/BOREDOM Balance and punk aren’t two words that often go together, but Seattle’s Post/Boredom aren’t your average punk band. For starters, they don’t really sound all that typical. Theirs is a sound steeped in the recent history of amplified music – think bits of Shellac, Deadguy, and Nirvana, and you’re partway there. Secondly, the band are clearly having fun and not taking themselves too seriously – Post/Boredom are clearly focused on not being bored with their own music. There’s a sense of adventure and playfulness that elevates the songwriting and invites/ rewards repeat listens. Ritualistic Time Abuser (another name for any hobby ever), out now on Hex Records, is not interested in wasting your time. Thematically, the record wrestles with the frustrations that abound in the world, but without a dour lens. “The balance between writing about negativity and humor is something that was incredibly natural to all of us,â€? the band collectively note. “We all have strong viewpoints about the world we live in, but would rather address those via an uplifting vehicle, such as laughter, rather than having to force an issue and end up preaching to the choir, so to speak.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

“We have been friends for about a decade now through touring, and always kept up with each other through random phone calls. We spent more time on this album than I have ever spent on anything in my entire life, so that helps [laughs]. Also, being a thousand miles apart, we really had to trust and listen to each other’s ideas to create something like we did.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

‘followers’ you have on your socials, the number of streams you’ve got on your DSPs and how similar your music is to that of someone else who is or has been successful. It makes me sick. Lovesick discusses the frustrations and personal struggles we have and continue to face in the industry.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 11

CATHEDRAL OF TEARS

INTERVIEW WITH KEYBOARDIST GREG KUEHN BY JANELLE JONES

“It was just that whole post-punk thing. Postpunk, synth-pop, I don’t know what you call it, but it was fun to do something with that,� he says. “They call it darkwave now. We didn’t know it at the time.�

In any case, Grisham and Kuehn had been working on the songs that appear on the early demo before TSOL fractured. After a stint with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley, they enlisted Middle Class bassist Mike Patton. They also recruited drummer Phil Maturano, who Kuehn says was more “in that scene,� utilizing “electronic drums and stuff. So it was like, that’d be cool, let’s see if we can do something with that.�

Of this demo, Kuehn says, “It’s not recorded as well but it’s got some immediacy that I like a lot. We did it quickly and it was one of those things, ‘let’s just go record,’ knock it off in a day or whatever, so it was fun.�

F

ollowing the 1982 release of TSOL’s

second album, the more experimental Beneath the Shadows, vocalist Jack Grisham, keyboardist Greg Kuehn, and drummer Todd Barnes left the band amid rifts between its members. Shortly after their departure, Grisham and Kuehn embarked on their own project, Cathedral Of Tears, a band that veered even further from the pure, so-called “punk� label. Their only official release was a self-titled EP in 1984, by which time Kuehn had left the band.

Now, for the first time, Cathedral Of Tears’

impressive, four-song demo that started it all is available on Pine Hill Records. The demo exudes darkly danceable instrumentation coupled with cool, seemingly stream-of-consciousness vocal stylings. “It was fun to do whatever the fuck we wanted to do and not worry about it,� Kuehn explains. “Not that we worried about a whole lot before, but it was different.�

Kuehn didn’t stay on with the band for their 1984 release. “I was bummed I didn’t get to do that record, but these things happen,� he explains. “It was cool to have that original [demo]. It would’ve been cool to see where it went with me in it.�

He notes other bands who were exploring that darker, goth vein, like Sisters of Mercy (with whom they shared the stage).

Nonetheless, Grisham and Kuehn did come back together, and still write and tour with TSOL. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

DEAD KENNEDYS

IGUANA STUDIOS REHEARSAL TAPE SAN FRANCISCO 1978 MANIFESTO RECORDS

Kicking off with “Man with the Dogs,â€? this 13-song recording features an interesting array of songs from the Dead Kennedys’ early pantheon. Now available on CD, having previously been released on vinyl in 2018, we find here alternate versions of a bevy of well-known tracks that appeared on the now-iconic 1980 debut full-length Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. These include “California Ăœber Alles,â€? “Kill the Poor,â€? and a neat version of “Holiday in Cambodia,â€? along with more obscure numbers like “Dreadlocks of the Suburbs,â€? “Kidnap,â€? “Cold Fish,â€? and the super-trippy “Mutations of Today.â€? Offering a great snapshot of the primitive days of Dead Kennedys (they formed in San Francisco in 1978), this recording showcases the then-five-piece's first line-up – vocalist Jello Biafra, bassist Klaus Flouride, guitarists East Bay Ray and (the elusive) 6025, and drummer Ted – experimenting with and cementing their legendary sound. -Janelle Jones đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

THE DAMNED

BLACK IS THE NIGHT THE DEFINITIVE ANTHOLOGY - BMG

The Damned’s Black Is the Night is a 39-song anthology that spans the monumental band’s career of 40-plus years. It features a ton of favorites from their 1977 debut LP Damned Damned Damned, right up through their latest material (new single “Black Is the Night�), and is a true must-have for any fan. It’s a great collection of songs that showcases how the pioneering punk band has incorporated different styles and elements into their sound over the years, from the gritty immediacy of their early days, as seen on songs like “1 of the 2,� “So Messed Up,� and “Stretcher Case Baby,� to their darker, more intricate leanings on “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,� “Curtain Call,� and the beautiful “Street of Dreams.�

We must also note that The Damned are still going strong to this day, as evidenced by the release of the exquisite 2018 album Evil Spirits, and their seemingly nonstop touring schedule. - Janelle Jones đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

12 NEW NOISE

As it was recorded on the fly and not intended for release, Kuehn feels “it’s not perfect,� but rightly says, “I think it’s always cool to have a glimpse into an era, it’s cool to have another piece of the puzzle.�

THE WRAITH

BY NICK SENIOR

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

Gloom Ballet, out now on Southern Lord, is my platonic ideal ’80s throwback record. It may not be yours, but there’s a very high chance it is. Combining the best parts of post-punk, goth, deathrock, and new wave, LA’s The Wraith are a haunting concoction of what made the decade excellent for alternative music fans. Recorded with a cornucopia of vintage equipment, the album just oozes retro from every note and chorus, in tone and atmosphere - and guitarist Kaz Alvis’ hooks are on bloody point. It doesn’t hurt that Gloom Ballet is a ripper from start to finish with no excess.

Alvis pondered what the band’s collective aim was and came up with the following: “Dynamics, contrast, and poetry are significant parts of The Wraith's sound. The tone of the record is rooted in the dark parts of life while also trying to express a sense of endurance and, ultimately, prevailing.�

The Wraith are here to party, and the album’s clear love of the trappings of the era only make the party more killer. đ&#x;’Ł

“I THINK WE'RE ALL LIFERS. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF US HAVE OTHER OPTIONS, SO WE KEEP DOING IT.

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/ GUITARIST JOEY CAPE

BY JOHN B. MOORE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN SNODGRASS

14 NEW NOISE

J

oey Cape and his band didn’t intentionally set out to make another classic Lagwagon album.

“I had just finished my last solo record, Let Me Know When You Give Up,� says Cape, vocalist and guitarist for the pop-punk mainstays. “There were some delays in that process, and we had already scheduled a writing and recording period for the Lagwagon album. So, when I was sitting in the studio trying to come up with stuff, I started going through old Lagwagon songs, trying to jar my brain into getting back to that mode after working on something else for so long. And I think the result is that [the new album] sounds a lot like the old stuff.�

That doesn’t mean that the songs on Railer, the band’s latest LP and their first in five years, didn't come naturally. “At first it wasn't something that was intentional,� Cape says. “But then, as I started working on the songs and started to see what I was putting together, I realized that it sounded that way. Then I thought, ‘well shoot, you know, I'm just going to go all in on this.’�

Cape talked to the band about this played. The experience, according Lagwagon giving up any time soon. direction and they all seemed pret- to Cape, was liberating. ty stoked about it, hence the goofy “I always say ‘til the wheels fall off,’ album cover and a lot of the lyrics. “When you decide not to second you know what I mean? When you've “It was really fun,â€? he adds. guess things, it can go one of two been a band for as long as we have, ways,â€? he says. “It could just as eas- it would just seem so unnatural if it The album was released on Oct. 4 ily have gone to being uninteresting were forced out of our lives. If we via their longtime label, Fat Wreck and not innovative. But I think, in chose to depart from making music Chords. Also on-board with the this case, it went the right way, and with each other that might be a litthrowback nature of the record ended up working somehow. I'm still tle bit heartbreaking. At some point was Cameron Webb. The producer a little bit surprised. I like the record something will happen, but this is was first suggested by Lagwagon a lot, but it was sort of miraculous. easy because we've been doing it drummer Dave Raun, a big fan of Just a few weeks from when we were for so long. The chemistry is so natthe MotĂśrhead records that Webb learning the songs, and the next ural, and we still enjoy it, so there's produced. thing you know we were recording kind of no reason to stop.â€? them. I don't think we've ever made “I had a meeting with him [Webb] a record this fast.â€?

Cape and his bandmates realize at his studio, and I knew he was how lucky they are to get to play the right one,� Cape says. “I said to Over the past decade, Cape has their songs night after night, to fans him, ‘I kinda wanna do a throwback managed to deftly handle the that have been coming out for over thing with this,’ and he was thrilled. dual commitments of his longtime twenty years.

The albums of ours that he was a love Lagwagon and his solo efforts. fan of were the earlier ones. I think While there is a striking difference “Everyone that is in our band has it made him really happy and he between the full-blown distortion been in this business for so much produced accordingly. But I can't punk rock of the former, and the longer than Lagwagon has been a speak for him.â€? subtler, acoustic sound of the latter, band,â€? he says. “I think we're all lifCape has not taken either for grant- ers. I don't know that any of us have One of the ways Lagwagon recap- ed. He admits that each project, for other options, so we keep doing it. tured the spirit of those earlier re- lack of a better phrase, manages to I do believe that if any one person cords on Railer was by tightening scratch an itch. And while ‘solo-re- in the band truly hated doing this, the timeline it took to write and cord’ in most bands’ cases is short- then they would leave. But I think record each song, and not over- hand for ‘the end is near,’ Cape that everyone still has fun doing it.â€? thinking every word written or note says he has no intentions of seeing đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

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15

cases by the very people that think they are defending it. The ability to say anything and debate it is vital, so I didn’t want to change or censor anything. That would hardly be punk rock. So, we just put it out there as is, that way it is an honest snapshot of history.�

and moved from a cassette label to a full-on record label, working harder on both endeavors. Even though this was still in the infancy of the internet, e-mail had become commonplace, and it was getting easier to stay in touch with the punk world.

He is currently in the process of “The zines pulled it all together and writing a new book about his time helped create a community that in the U.K. hardcore scene - the could interact more easily,â€? he bands he played in and with, the says. “Selfishly, I suppose, I want- tours, the record labels, and a ed to run a zine as I put on shows slew of other experiences. and ran a tape label, and I also played in two bands, so [I] wanted “My opinions and remembrances, to publicize all that and get more but looked back on from now,â€? he gigs too. The U.K. hardcore scene says. “This will be more of a novel, did have a lot to say, though, and and I think a far more complete it was good to be producing some- book, and possibly more relevant thing and be part of its creativity, to people now. Not sure if anyone not just consuming.â€? will want to read it, but it’s important to me and will be a decent Gamage eventually ended the zine book, I think.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł around the time he changed bands

"PUNK FACTION" INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DAVID GAMAGE BY JOHN B. MOORE

T

he idea of a tangible, inkon-paper zine dedicated to punk music seems almost quaint nowadays, with our ability to access info on every conceivable niche genre in a matter of seconds.

But there was a time, pre-internet, when dedicated punk rockers actually had to hunt down this reading material. And if it didn’t exist, they had to create it on their own.

“I was inspired to start BHP zine through necessity,� says David Gamage, who created, wrote and distributed the punk- and hardcore-focused fanzine in the U.K. from 1991 to 1995. “This was before the internet, and it was a great way to contact new bands and promoters, and interact with other people in the hardcore scene.

It was vital. The only other options were letters and phone calls to people you already knew. Or chatting at shows, which there weren’t enough of, and it was hard to find out when they were.�

The zine was distributed primarily at gigs and eventually through the mail. BHP started with a 500copy run, but doubled in size quickly thanks to positive word-ofmouth. And reading Punk Faction, it’s easy to see why. From interviews with bands like Green Day, Rancid, and Bob Mould’s Sugar, to music reviews and essays on politics and preventing animal cruelty, the zine had sharp opinions and witty prose. “I was a teenager then and just glad to be doing something,�

Gamage says. “I ran most of what we got sent and created, just to get something out there fairly regularly. Looking back at it now, I’d have far more quality control, and there would have been better interviews for sure. Better questions, even more useful reviews, maybe even different articles. But wisdom in hindsight is easy. It was what it was, and it represented a young U.K. hardcore scene at that time.�

There are things Gamage admits to wanting to change, but he is a strong advocate of freedom of speech – even for his younger self.

Some of the best pieces from BHP are collected in Punk Faction, a new book out now through Earth Island “[Freedom of speech] is being masBooks. sively eroded right now, in many

16 NEW NOISE

PHOTO ALAN SNODGRASS PHOTO

BY BY ALAN SNODGRASS

MAKE WAR INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST / VOCALIST EDWIN SANTACRUZ

BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

G

et It Together, released in November 2019 through Fat Wreck Chords, is the third album by Brooklyn-based punk band MakeWar. The record is upbeat and thoughtful, with a touch of neurosis.

GRADE 2

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST / BASSIST SID RYAN AND VOCALIST / GUITARIST JACK CHATFIELD BY HUTCH

G

whole experience is something we will all rade 2 is a trio of 21-year olds from remember for a lifetime.� the U.K. who have been a punk band for five full years. It’s not amazing that a youth culture, going strong “It was a calm environment, and a very quick process,� guitarist and vocalist Jack for 50-plus years, still attracts riled and Chatfield notes. “Tim worked us all out angry kids. But it is notable that these three lads write damn fine songs with maturity, rapidly, differentiating our weaknesses from our strengths, taking our abilities up thought, and skill. They have a full sound a notch. It was everything we could have with elaborate execution, not just three hoped for and then some. It’s amazing to chords and a snarl. Graveyard Island - the have someone with his musical knowledge title alluding to their home, the Isle of Wight and understanding overseeing our writing - is their third LP, and shows further growth from their already impressive signature. process, and for us to see his. We learned so much from him.� Now on Hellcat Records, with their record produced by Tim Armstrong, Grade 2 also The songs on Graveyard Island express toured the States in the summer of 2019. concern and frustration for an array of socio-political issues, but through a perIntelligent songwriting has solidified Grade 2’s stature in European punk circles, and their sonal lens. youth gives them a different viewpoint and energy in the oi! and punk scenes. Bassist and “The majority of our motivation is definitely from personal experience and our survocalist Sid Ryan agrees with this. roundings,� Ryan says. “Our upbringing on the island has given us a unique perception, “I believe so,� he says. “Although most of the and I feel we write a lot better when it’s meaning and understanding for the scenes about something we have experienced stay the same, we are definitely trying to first-hand.� bring some modern twists to the table. If that wasn’t happening, everything would just remain stagnated. I think you can hear On their third LP, Grade 2 has learned to deliver the same impact as their previous it throughout our newest album, with song efforts, with more succinct tracks. Sure, topics about technology within modern it’s always been punk, but punk and oi! living arising twice.� bands can certainly indulge in five or even six-minute songs. Graveyard Island’s The fact that Hellcat is delivering these tracks trimming feels very intentional, and the to the world still stuns these young men. band’s songwriting is aware of duration and repetition. “It’s an immense opportunity that we’re incredibly fortunate and grateful to have received,� Ryan says. “We’re all huge fans “I think we demonstrated quite well on our of the bands on the label, past and present. last record, Break The Routine, that we can indulge in three-to-five minute tracks,�

Now to be able to have our name amongst Ryan says. “So, [on] this record, we were that, truly mind-blowing.â€? definitely keen to try and bash out a few more quick, to the point songs. In the studio, And actually having Tim Armstrong run we were actually talking about one of the the boards for Graveyard Island was, Ryan new tracks, ‘Johnny Aggro,’ and I asked if reflects, “incredibly surreal.â€? maybe it was too short. And Tim looked at me in horror! [laughs] He said ‘this is punk rock. “It’s not every day you have the chance to Ain’t no one gonna be mad about that.’â€? đ&#x;’Ł work with one of your heroes,â€? he says. “The

18 NEW NOISE

love of punk in two songs sung in Spanish on this record. “We're playing one of them live right now,â€? he says. “It's called "No MĂĄs."

And it's about what we sometimes had to go through being Colombian and people misjudging, saying that we are drug dealers “The night is drunk and we’re all young!� or something. So, it's about stereotypes and What a way to start an album, with a verse stuff like that.� about disorder and not sleeping in bed. “The night is young and we’re in love,� the Having songs in Spanish on Fat Wreck song “Hopeless Dreamers� continues.

Chords is a source of pride and joy for him. “When we wrote [those songs], I didn't know This three-piece packs a punch. Their music that [the record] was going to be on Fat. It's gets the listener up and gets fists in the air. just fucking amazing. So yeah, I mean, I'm Get It Together is a fast record with catchy super stoked.� tunes, the kind of record that demands memorizing lyric sheets for sing-a-longs.

MakeWar is making music that’s happening now. “Oh Brother,â€? the first video for the Edwin Santacruz, the band’s bassist and album and single from the record goes newly-minted co-singer, explains their something like this - “Welcome to your journey from Colombia and Venezuela, nine-to-five. If you call in sick, you’d better through Red Scare Industries, to Brooklyn, be dying.â€? A reminder to keep your heart young and your soul awake, even as life and onto Fat Wreck Chords. goes on and age catches up. “How did that happen? Weird, right? Me and Jose [Prieto, singer and guitarist] met Santacruz says, “I feel like every band that back in Florida. We went to school in Fort comes into [Fat] has all these influences Lauderdale. We clicked on the fact that we from the bands that came before. Like, were both from South America and we both Jose fucking loves Lagwagon and their liked punk, and we also didn't speak a word melodies. But at the same time, I've come of English. So, we met each other, became from a different perspective, and Greg as homies, and then, you know, fast-forward well. So, I feel like we merge these different ideas into what MakeWar is now. We're not seven years or something.â€? reinventing the wheel here, but I feel like we Santacruz expands on the timeline, “Jose definitely have a sound.â€? moved to New York. I moved after. At the time we were a folk-punk, acoustic live There’s a quiet lesson in MakeWar’s music, band, just the two of us. I was playing the maybe not a political one, but a lesson in upright bass and Jose was playing guitar and being a good human. At this point in hissinging. We tried a couple of drummers and it tory, a song like “American FĂştbolâ€? serves didn't really work out. And then Greg [Taylor] as a good reminder of what punk rock came along and I was immediately like, all should do - create an environment of unity, equality, and thoughtfulness. MakeWar is right, we're transforming this whole sound.â€? a band on the rise, and they have plenty Despite moving to New York, Santacruz to be proud of in their music and in their describes his love of South America and his character. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

DOWN BY LAW

“And we’re like, this’ll totally be like one of those. It’s kind of ‘greatest hits’-ish, but we did other songs too that aren’t our mainstays. We just wanted to get a good representation of the whole stretch of the career. Some of the stuff is pretty rare,� “You have to include some songs, like ‘Gruesome Gary,’ or you’ll be killed by an angry mob,� says vocalist and guitarist Dave Smalley, laughing. Also included are a couple of Dag Nasty songs (Smalley was their original singer) that the band have been known to play live.

“I put my heart and soul into all those albums,� Smalley says. “There’s blood, sweat, and tears in every song, so I’m gonna keep doing them occasionally, pick a few I love and do them here and there as covers.�

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST DAVE SMALLEY AND GUITARIST/VOCALIST SAM WILLIAMS

BY JANELLE JONES

W

ith 30 years under their belt, punk The 15-track album features new versions veterans Down By Law are still of old favorites and more obscure songs, charting new territory for them- along with a brand-new, exclusive track, selves. Case in point: their latest album, “Late Bloomer.�

Quick Hits: Live in Studio (Cleopatra/Kung Fu Records), released this past October, is “We were all into the John Peel Sessions,� the band’s first-ever live studio recording. says guitarist and vocalist Sam Williams.

Of their great songwriting relationship, Smalley says, “It’s really one of the great partnerships of the punk rock era, I think.

Sam and me just have this sort of cool collaboration. You don’t wanna say Lennon-McCartney. I can’t think of anything else now, so I’ll say Lennon-McCartney. It’s just a great thing.�

BLACK VALLEY MOON Sam Williams has also started Black Valley Moon, an instrumental threepiece horror-surf punk band. Their debut LP, The Baleful Sounds of Black Valley Moon Vol. 1, was released in 2019. “The instrumental thing is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,� Williams says. “It was partially because I play in Down By Law with Dave Smalley, and he’s just so good as a singer that I have super-high standards. That’s not saying there aren’t great singers out there, but for the stuff I wanna do, it’s hard for me to find a singer.�

Rounding out the trio is drummer Dave Kamrath and bassist Don Butler. The band have been playing shows, and Williams says, “It’s a pretty versatile thing. The music fits a lot of different atmospheres.â€? “We can play a car show or we can play a punk show,â€? he adds. đ&#x;’Ł

And on that note, Smalley also says the band are working on a new album that might be released in the late spring of 2020. đ&#x;’Ł

HUB CITY STOMPERS INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST REV. T SINISTER

BY KELLY MCGOWAN

O

n the heels of their 2018 release, ing and production, Sinister came up with the unique idea of re-recording Haters Dozen, hailed by many the album instead. as the ska-punk album of the year, New Jersey’s Hub City Stompers are dropping another full-length, titled “We figured that re-releasing those classic tunes with an even tighter sound Blood Sweat and Years. And it may sound would be a great idea, and truly do the familiar. songs justice in putting them back out “The album is a 15-year anniversary obser- there,� he says. “We also wanted to add some new, unreleased material to the vance of our first album, Blood, Sweat and album to sweeten the pot even more.�

Beers,� vocalist Rev. T Sinister explains.

With the album coming out before the "Blood, Sweat and Beers is, of course, an end of the year, the majority of the important and sentimental milestone band’s shows are planned for 2020. for us, since it was our first album,â€? he continues. “It really set the tone for what we wanted to do when we first formed in “We've done a lot of playing out and touring this year, with a good amount 2002. With the 15th anniversary dawning of fests and a West Coast tour under on us, I originally thought to re-release our belt,â€? Sinister explains. “Once things Blood Sweat and Beers, and perhaps just warm up a little more here in the U.S. remix and/or remaster it, since it is now essentially out of print and unavailable.â€? and Reggae Bob [bass] is done getting married, we'll be hitting the road in 2020.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł With their sound having evolved over the years, and with advances in record-

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19

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

I had just kind of benched. It was so weird to start again, but at the same time, it was therapeutic in a way. Gabe [Lindeman, drums] and Dominic are some of my oldest friends, and the fact that I can play music with them again is just such a gift. The second we started writing together again, it was like no time at all had passed. It's weird how you just have musical connections with some people. Maybe Dom and Gabe are my music soulmates.� Davi agrees, “I think we are music soulmates!�

The band quickly picked up where they left off. “We have a lot of history together,� he continues. “I’m so lucky to have them back in my life like this, and it’s stupid how talented they both are. I’m constantly in awe of them.

She [Sparks] is right though, there was a lot of hurt we had to address in bringing this back. Tsunami Bomb did not end in a good place for many of us, and there were still some open wounds that lingered. I think that’s the best thing that’s come out of doing this band again. We’ve been able to right a lot of wrongs.�

Kate Jacobi joined the band in 2015, replacing original singer Emily Whitehurst, and Andy Pohl was brought in at the same time to take over on guitar. So, what was the impetus for the band getting back together in the first place? “I had been working with Kung Fu Records around that time, and they started talking to me about how all our old albums were still selling really well,� Davi says. “They knew we had a lot of early EPs that were now out of print, and they were interested in collecting them together and putting those songs out as an LP.�  He reached out to the other members of the band and all were on board. The LP that resulted was the Trust No One collection released INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST DOMINIC DAVI AND VOCALIST/KEYBOARDIST OOBLIETTE SPARKS in 2016. Most of the original band

BY JOHN B. MOORE members were on board to play hen Tsunami Bomb decided then it would just happen, just like it resting on the songs of the past. Don’t shows to celebrate the release. to call it quits in 2005, they always used to.â€? get me wrong, I love those songs. I’m left behind a handful of EPs proud of what we created, but to me “We thought we could maybe and two full-lengths to their name. And she was right. you have to move it forward.â€? create a new project that was a And while fans were stoked by their mix of both ‘Flag’ and ‘All,’â€? Davi 2015 reunion, the only thing missing Davi, Tsunami Bomb’s bass player, Move forward they did, with the says. “A brand new band that was was new music. had been thinking about new music release of Spine That Binds, out Nov. an obvious call-back to the band since the band first got back together. 8, 2019, on Alternative Tentacles. The we were, playing our old songs “Honestly, when we signed up to record builds on their classic sound. with the help of a new singer, and do the retrospective shows, it “One of the things that really maybe writing some new ones as was inevitable,â€? says keyboardist convinced me to commit to this band “It was honestly something I never well. As we started working on it, and singer Oobliette Sparks. “I again was being able to revisit the thought would happen again,â€? Sparks though, it became so obvious that knew Dominic [Davi] would send me sound we had all created together,â€? says. “I had so many unresolved when we played together, it just an idea he had for something and he says. “I had zero interest in just feelings and mixed emotions that was Tsunami Bomb.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

TSUNAMI BOMB W

20 NEW NOISE

RAISED FIST INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ALLE HAGMAN BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

I

t’s rare for a band to hit a new creative high seven albums in, but Swedish hardcore punk act Raised Fist have certainly pushed back against being typical. Their approach has always aimed to unify rather than divide, and that’s never been more obvious than on Anthem, out now via Epitaph Records. They’ve delivered big, bold songs

that aren’t afraid to say something - but the energy is the most notable aspect here.

Raised Fist are hammering it home with the best songs of their storied 26-year career.

There’s a sense of adventure that lifts this record especially high. Many of these songs are insanely catchy, but Raised Fist aren't

PHOTO BY DANIEL HOLMGREN

afraid to bring the big riffs either. Vocalist Alexander “Alle� Hagman describes the band’s mindset going in.

this for other people, even though the business around music is meant to please an audience. Our edge has never been about how melodic our music sounds. The Raised Fist edge is etched into our souls and woven into our songs, no matter what we play. This is very obvious in songs like ‘Into This World,’ where we basically wrote a Motown-sounding guitar riff in the verse. I mean, if you think about it, what other [similar] band could do that and get away with it? When we do it, it just feels natural, no one gives it a thought before I mention it. It's because it has the RF edge.�

“The aim was basically just to give it 100 percent. No stress, no limitations in budget or time, but still not [to] overdo the whole thing.

On a more elemental level, what makes It's a delicate balance, and if you tip off in something an "anthem" to Hagman? What either direction, it could become a panis the central anthem for Raised Fist? cake very fast. We wanted to feel like we did when we worked, produced, wrote Sound “In this polarized world, we try to deliver ten Of The Republic. I always felt that creative songs to reunite scattered bits of what was atmosphere we had back then was so nice. once one,� he answers. “When we crank We have tried to replicate it in the past, but up ‘Anthem’ live, we want the vibe to be without success. I took the time to analyze old school hardcore, like when Gorilla why that writing process was so rewarding Biscuits sang, ‘My room’s a mess, and I can’t and fun, and I think I found the answer. We get dressed.’ We leave the deep, political copied the same process, and it felt great! statements to the side, and just break down The mantra was always, ‘we don't accept all walls in a massive pit. This record is our any shortcuts, it's all or nothing.’� anthem! That is the whole thing!�

When bands go in a more anthemic direction, they are often accused of selling out or going soft, but while Anthems is Raised Fist’s most melodic record to date, it's also their most daring. This album feels like a reinvention, where the band pushed their classic style as far as it could go. There’s no creative regression here.

That said, Anthems is just as visceral and fiery as Raised Fist have ever been. Hagman’s trademark direct lyrical approach and occasional humor (the joke about the breakdown in “Anthem� is hysterical) is as sharp as ever, but there’s even more focus than before. That was intentional.

“I don't think this album is daring in any way,�

Hagman responds. “We are not afraid of writing our music, and we are not writing

“I wanted to be clear and direct,â€? he acknowledges. “[It’s not as symbolic as] I’ve done in the past. These lyrics do not need to be translated, or even interpreted.â€? đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

WOLVES LIKE US INTERVIEW WITH SINGER/GUITARIST LARS KRISTENSEN BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

W

olves Like Us have been churning “I don’t really write thematically. I write out fun, heavy Norwegian rock more in a stream-of-consciousness way,� since 2010. Now, after a five-year Kristensen says. “The lyrics have to ring true hiatus, they’re back with a new record, Bat- to me, in a sense. You have to write about tle Bones, out on Pelagic Records. something close and personal to be able to reconnect to it several hundred performances later. Plus, I’m Norwegian, and En“I’m stoked to have new material for the glish is not my first language. So, it takes a lot first time in five years,� says guitarist of tinkering and rewriting to get to a place and vocalist Lars Kristensen. “It’s a great I’m comfortable with, to get the meaning feeling to be able to write set-lists with and grammar of it all right. Additionally, I new material, and I’m looking forward to don’t believe in explaining lyrics too much. meeting new and old fans again.�

I try to write in a way that is open to interpretation. Whatever the listener thinks is the So, why the long hiatus between records? right meaning is the right meaning to them.

It’s not my business to interfere with that.� “It took a while,� he admits. “We’ve all been very busy in our day jobs, so the band has gone through a lot to get to this release. With possible touring on the horizon, Wolves Like Us are stoked to promote We recorded it with friends, kept it really informal, and went for energy over detail. the new album and see what’s to come. Still, they’re not blind to the bigger issues out there.

And I think it worked out great.�

Still, after so many years off, the band “Please recycle and stop using fossil fuels,�

Kristensen asks before signing off. “We wanted to get back in the studio and create a record to serve as an emotion- would like to avoid total societal collapse.

And vote for Bernie. Every little bit helps.â€? al release for all the pent-up creative Speaking of every little bit helping, don’t ideas they had during their five-year forget to grab your copy of Battle Bones, hiatus. What resulted is an album full of some serious riffs, as well as introspec- out now, and look for the band on tour in the coming year. đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł tive lyrics.

22 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY JULIA MARIE NAGLESTAD

24 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

INTERVIEW WITH SINGER ROGER MIRET

BY GEN HANDLEY

R

oger Miret, vocalist and visionary in New York’s Agnostic Front, is running out of “paper� for his many tattoos.

Miret clearly embraces the role of elder hardcore and punk rock statesman. He truly feels he has something to offer to younger generations.

“Well if you see my Instagram “We love to play for everyone,� he account, I’m getting rid of says. “Age was never a part of some,� he laughs. “I’m remov- this movement or this scene. In ing some to make room for oth- America, it’s a bit sad, because ers. They all have a story and it’s divided and trendy. The sad have meant something. I don’t thing is that America was the want to get a tattoo just to get birthplace of it all. It’s just bea tattoo – but that seems to be come subparts of subparts of the trend.� subparts. Most people want to build walls instead of breaking In a sandpaper voice, he down walls. We always come to laughs again. play and have a good time. The only thing we ask is that every“I like to tell everyone one I have one gets along, has a good time one big tattoo, because I really in the pit, and doesn’t hurt each don’t know.� other. We want everyone to go home safely.�

Miret is speaking in Philadelphia, where Agnostic Front is The impact Agnostic Front has on tour, playing songs from made, not only on the New York their upcoming album Get scene but on punk rock in genLoud. Thematically, this album eral, is indelible. Miret is humble is about changing one’s life for when that role and influence is the better, and sonically, it is a suggested. return to the form of the band’s older albums. “Well yeah, for sure. Punk in general is more accepted now. And “The lyrics to the actual song there’s also that underground ‘Get Loud’ are about stopping scene, of course. It’s good that living in the same old rut, in people are noticing these scenes the same old circle if you’re - for hardcore and punk, and not happy,� he explains. “It’s metal.� time to make that difference for yourself and get out of “What I set out to do is to voice my the same old routine if it’s not opinion,� he adds. “To talk about where you want to be, because oppression and overcoming opa lot of people get stuck in pression. If it gets to whatever those routines. They’re living level it’s getting to, that’s OK – that daily grind and they’re not it’s about creating awareness. If happy.� it’s small and nobody’s talking about it, you’re not going to creMiret pauses. ate any awareness.� “So it’s time to get happy - to get loud.�

When asked what the biggest misconception of the band is, Miret consults with his bandmates in the background. “I don’t know. Biggest misconception? Just a sec,� he says.

There is some discussion in the van. “Biggest misconception?â€? Miret says. “Yeah, that we make a lot of money.â€? They all laugh. đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

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25

the warriors PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER ROGER CAMERO BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

N

o one should look to cin- “Carving out the time to write and on. Joseph Campbell’s books, as ramp up the pressure when it came ema in their search for play music is difficult at this stage well as the Kybalion, are incredible, to putting these ideas to music. meaning, let alone an ’80s of our lives,� he acknowledges. “But mind-blowing reads that we highly However, Camero and company comedy, but Bill & Ted’s Excellent Ad- it’s an endeavor we all consider recommend to anyone who reso- relished the opportunity. venture does make some pretty solid crucial and essential to our survival. nates with the lyrics on the record.� “The process of writing and recordpoints. Most notably, it’s the outward That may seem a bit hyperbolic, but viewpoint that we be excellent to it’s true for anyone with a creative It's fascinating how well this message ing this album was truly one of the each other that rings true. Both in pulse. You have to find an outlet for parlays into hardcore's central te- most natural, free-flowing expethat decade and today, there is way all those emotions and ideas, or they nets of unity and kindness to others. riences I’ve ever had in the studio,� too much inward focus on selfish will start to eat you alive.�

It's also interesting how the belief he says. “Speaking for the music needs and desires, and not enough systems of metal and hardcore can specifically, my approach was to emphasis on making the world a The time off certainly gave the band be put into a “mythâ€? or a religious lock ourselves in the studio for two better place for others. some time to reflect on the state of identity, in that those who follow weeks and see what we could conthe world. The Warriors have always the style tend to conform to certain jure. There were a few songs that It’s that central idea - not the been noted thinkers in the hardcore ideological viewpoints. were written within minutes. I felt movie quote, but the external drive scene, but the depth on display that if we couldn’t write a hardcore for compassion and unity - that is throughout Monomyth is wonderful. “So true,â€? Camero concurs. “I’m record in two weeks, we shouldn’t driven home by the astoundingly Camero’s diagnosis of the state of sure many would take offense to be doing it at all.â€? awesome comeback album from Te- the world is frank and grim. us framing hardcore as a ‘religious’ hachapi, California-based hardcore practice, but the parallels are “There’s distance between many of behemoths The Warriors. Monomyth, “The evidence is clear: our culture is absolutely there: ceremony, ritual, us, as our group is not only spread out on Dec. 12 via Pure Noise Records, sick,â€? he states. “It’s our opinion that mantra, brotherhood - the list goes out throughout Southern California, explores a host of philosophical ques- this sickness stems from a spiritual on. We’re so grateful to have had but also Washington, Colorado, tions and answers through the guise of disconnection. We’re increasingly the hardcore scene, in our youth and Michigan,â€? Camero reflects. punishing hardcore punk. The thread more disconnected to the people as well as today, to provide the “It’s crazy to realize what we were of classic thrash also weaves its way in around us, the natural environment, platform to share big ideas that we able to accomplish. That’s how to amplify the mighty music on display. and ourselves. We have to fight to feel are important. The ‘big’ ideas much love we put into this band.â€? keep these connections strong and being discussed on this record all The band’s first new record in nearly vital. When we’re able to see beyond center around the idea that all life is He’s not wrong, as there’s a mytha decade couldn’t come at a better the divisive lines of religious dogma, one - everything is connected. When ical quality to Monomyth that hits time, and The Warriors were clearly bi-partisan politics, etc., we will be your eyes are open to this truth, ev- the head as well as the heart. This is profound hardcore coming at the up for the challenge. Drummer Rog- able to build a sustainable social erything else falls into place.â€? perfect time. The Warriors are back, er Camero acknowledges that the foundation, as opposed to the break was just part of life. destructive path we’re currently All this thematic inspiration had to and better than ever.đ&#x;’Ł

26 NEW NOISE

TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET

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NEW NOISE 27

BLACK CHRIS TMAS WE’VE COLLECTED SOME OF THE BLACKEST, DARKEST, GLOOMIEST BITS OF CHRISTMAS COAL FOR YOUR UNHOLY FESTIVITIES.

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INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/ VOCALIST CHARLIE FELL AND GUITARIST/ VOCALIST ANDREW MARKUSZEWSKI

BY THOMAS PIZZOLA ince releasing their first “I love the look of NYC at that time EP over ten years ago, and the whole realness of it,� Fell Chicago's Lord Mantis the seeds were planted for a new The new album features all the noisy, says. “Just an unflinching look at have released three album. Bassist and vocalist Char- ugly, punishing sludge the band is the life of swine in urban colors albums of some of the darkest, lie Fell, who had left the band in known for, but this time there is a and decay.� slight hint of industrial and some most depraved, blackened 2014, came back into the fold. melody buried in between. Once They may have gone through hell to sludge metal the underground has ever heard. It's a churning, “After Bill went, the anger I held onto again, the band keep it real in the make Universal Death Church, but the results are compelling. From the malevolent sound, rooted in real just went away,� Fell says. “I kind of lyrics as only they know how. music to the lyrics, the artwork and psychosis and catharsis. It shuns just called Andrew [Markuszewski,  the cartoon darkness of many guitar and vocals] on a whim think- “Charlie and I have our own in- the samples, the album paints a extreme metal bands and deals ing, ‘well this is gonna be stupid.’ To dividual ways of writing, but dark picture of its creators’ psyches. in the horrors of reality. It's quite my surprise, we were both in the I’ve always enjoyed the outcome Unlike other bands, Lord Mantis arsame spot. I was pretty ecstatic how whenever our lyrics cross paths,� en't doing it for show, they’re doing the head trip. it went down.�

Markuszewski says. “We’ve all it because they have to. It might be been plagued by similar de- grim, but it's real, and that realness In the course of their run as a band,  they have seen it all: break-ups, “I paid a visit to Charlie in Denver for mons in this band, so it was easy is at the core of the band. drug abuse, and even death. But a weekend back in 2018,â€? Marku- to reach into the mental states as their new album, Universal szewski says. “We started writing the needed to show you what that “It’s the essence of the band,â€? Markuszewski says. “We couldn’t be what Death Church, out now on Pro- record then and there. During the means.â€? we are or make records that sound found Lore, can attest, the band following months we exchanged riff ideas. [Then] we all met up together Lord Mantis have an interesting the way they do without it.â€? is far from finished. in Chicago – me, Charlie, Ken [Sor- ritual that is part of their creative Lord Mantis was dealt its big- ceron, guitars], and new drummer process every time they make a Fell sums it up perfectly. “You are gest blow when drummer Bill Bryce Butler - with literally only a record. They watch a movie for in- the sections you make, and you are Bumgardner committed suicide few days of working together be- spiration. In this case, they chose how you live. If you sing your own in 2016. But something good fore going in to make the record Bad Lieutenant, a classic slice of song, it will be a perfect reflection early ’90s transgressive cinema. of the people who made it." đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł came out of that tragedy, and with [producer] Sanford Parker.â€?

28 NEW NOISE

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST / SONGWRITER NEIGE BY MARIKA ZORZI

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or principal songwriter and frontman Neige, Alcest has always been a gateway to the otherworldly. Their forthcoming sixth album Spiritual Instinct finds Neige at his most personal.Â

"The whole purpose of Alcest is to put into music a spiritual experience that I had when I was a child," he says. "I was having memories or visions of a place that is not here. It was very disturbing for me. I didn't know what to do with it. The things I saw in my visions were the most beautiful things you could ever dream about.

They were not from this world. Maybe some people have access to different realities? It changed my life forever, this experience. When I became a teenager, I decided to make a band to be able to speak about it, and that's Alcest." Â "Having such an experience, you have a hard time connecting to reality and being happy," Neige continues. "I'm missing this place. There

is not a single day that passes when I don't think about it. I think that's why I'm quite a melancholic person.

I have a hard time finding a balance between my daily life and my more spiritual life.�   The tension at the record's core comes from Neige facing the darker aspects of his personality and fighting to reconnect with his spiritual essence, to conquer adversity and grow. These issues are crucial to understanding the record's title. "To me, spirituality means wondering about who we are, deep down. What's the meaning of being here? Why are we here now? What is the meaning of this? And of course, the big question: what happens when we die? This is spirituality," he explains.   "I believe in God, but I hate religion.

That's just a way to control people.

Spirituality is an individual journey.

You are here to experience something. You will have a lot of questions, and if you find answers, you are more

likely to find them inside yourself instead of in the Bible or something."

on Spiritual Instinct, but it also has a darker, more modern sound."

The process of writing an album is deeply connected to the need for Neige to express himself. "Usually, I take my time to write songs. And this time, it was the opposite. When I took the guitar, and it was time to write something new, I had this song coming to me in a few hours. And it was finished. For me, that's very strange.

It was not a great period for me personally when I was writing this album, and I think I had to express something urgently. It really needed to get out, and that's what happened."  Spiritual Instinct was recorded with producer BenoÎt Roux at Drudenhaus studios in France. "It was a very long and difficult recording," Neige remembers. "We were looking for something very specific. We wanted to keep the organic feeling of the previous record and have a bigger, more aggressive sound. There are some otherworldly, dreamy songs

Neige has always used black metal to convey the darkest parts of Alcest's music. "I grew up listening to this type of music, so I guess it's like a reflex for me.

If I need to express something dark, I will use the black metal way to do it. But [the album] is really balanced between two opposites. It's dark, but it also has this very bright and dreamy side, so it's not completely black metal.�  It's difficult to fit Alcest in a single genre.

They seem to dip into a multitude of musical sounds without ever quite fitting in. "That's the story of my life. I've always been an outsider, maybe because of this experience that I had that I couldn't share with anyone. I have a strong feminine side, if I might say, and I tend to like different things than other people. This story repeats itself in my band, because Alcest is so different.

We are not black metal, we are not shoegaze, we are not post-rock - it's just Alcest. Take it for what it is." đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

"IT'S DARK, BUT IT ALSO HAS THIS VERY BRIGHT AND DREAMY SIDE, SO IT'S NOT COMPLETELY BLACK METAL."

ALCEST NEW NOISE

29

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST/VOCALIST MATT HARVEY

BY TOM CRANDLE

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xhumed are the undisputed masters of all things horror, death metal, and grind. On Oct. 4, they unleashed their newest slab of gore, simply titled Horror, on Relapse Records. It’s the bands ninth full length, and comes on the heels of 2017’s Death Revenge. Since 2011, Exhumed have been cranking out an album every two years. As impressive as that is, it really only tells half the story. Exhumed founder, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Matt Harvey is a really busy guy.Â

half kids and a house in the suburbs. But at the same time, I never really put any effort into doing anything else, and I can't imagine anything I'd rather be doing. I get burnt out sometimes, mostly from the non-music side of doing things.

Filling out Excel spreadsheets and making tour budgets is not my idea of a good time, but I recognize that doing things the right way enables us to make more records and play more shows, which is my idea of a good time, so it's a bit of a trade-off.�

He’s in no less than three active bands.

In addition to Exhumed, there’s the more traditional metal of Pounder, as well as Gruesome, the band writing new material devoted to continuing the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner and Death. There are usually various other projects happening too, but it all started with Exhumed. Harvey founded the band way back in 1990, when he was only 15.Â

When the time came to make Horror, Harvey looked for musical inspiration in familiar places. “This record is more like the kind of death metal that I get excited to listen to as a fan, and Death Revenge was more the kind of death metal that's exciting to me as a guitar player,� he explains. “This one leans into the Repulsion, Slaughter, Exodus, Sacrifice, Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Extreme Noise Terror kind of vein. Just mean and nasty shit that is really in-your-face. No subtlety and no fucks given.�

“I really didn't think it would last this long,� he says. “I assumed that at some point, I'd have two-and-a-

30 NEW NOISE

The lyrical inspiration was also a return to his roots. “We did a current-events record a few years ago with Necrocracy. The situation is so much worse now, and I honestly considered returning to that kind of stuff, but I feel like so much time and energy is sucked up with the insanity of current events. I didn't want to give Trump and his asshole friends my energy.�

Harvey continues, “I wanted to recapture the fun I used to have watching gory movies and drinking Meister Brau with my buddies in the earlyand mid-’90s, when all I cared about was metal, horror, beer, and maybe someday getting a girlfriend. There's nods to loads of the movies we were into. Even the bad ones! I just wanted to write lyrics and not give a fuck.�

Harvey has a healthy perspective on the relationship between horror and heavy metal. “Horror and metal go together because they tap into a similar set of stimuli,� he opines. “Stuff that's dark and forbidden, and can act as a catharsis for those negative emotions that mainstream society

has been denying or suppressing for years - like anger, hatred, rage, sadness, loneliness and misanthropy. Metal and horror let you express those emotions in a constructive way, so you're able to let go of them and go about the rest of your life being a good person. And they both have thriving fan cultures in which you can transmute those negative emotions into positive ones by bonding with others who feel the same about this specific art form and what it offers.�

Despite Exhumed’s success, influence, and cult status in extreme metal, Harvey is far from complacent. “Through whatever combination of skill, luck and determination, we've managed to carve out our own niche in the underground, which is well beyond anything I could have imagined when I was 14 sitting in my bedroom playing along with my Spiritual Healing cassette.â€? He concludes, “I'm very grateful we get to keep doing this and that people seem to like it, but I don't want to just sit reminiscing about the glory days. I wanna go out and make some more glory days right fucking now.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

ARIZONA DESERT DEATH

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHASE MASON BY MARIKA ZORZI

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n just six years, Gatecreeper follow it up,� Mason confesses. have made quite a name for “What’s the use of doing another themselves. Their 2016 debut record if we can’t top the first LP Sonoran Depravation unleashed one? So, we looked back on the a vicious blend of death- and last record and listened and just thrash-metal. Now, three years kind of pondered on it. We took later, the Arizona death-met- the things that we’ve always been allers are back with a follow-up doing and expanded on them. The album, Deserted. focus was not on doing something completely different but on doing “This album is just a better version things better.� of what we’ve already been doing,�  singer Chase Mason explains. “This With the title Sonoran Depravation, one is us finally being comfortable the band gave a nod to their with our sound and making it scorching home state of Arizona. our own. I think we’ve just taken This theme continues on Deserted, everything we’ve already been with songs like “Sweltering Madness,� doing, gotten better at it, and “Boiled Over,� and the title track, added a little bit in there to make which holds a double-meaning. it more interesting, make it more our sound.� “Deserted can be taken as the  desert, but the word can also Sonoran Depravation received mean abandoned,� Mason says. so much good feedback that the “We don’t have a history here like biggest challenge for Gatecreeper Florida does with death metal, or was to make an album that was a really good scene for current even better. “Not all bands have death metal bands like Denver has their first record do so well, so right now. So, for us, it’s another there’s a lot of pressure on us to thing we can do that makes us

PHOTO BY KAREN JERZYK

stand out as a band and be like, so it was very exciting. But by ‘hey, we’re not from any of those now, there’s been so many other different mutations that have places. We’re from Arizona.’� happened. We’re not trying to   Despite having signed with Relapse be a progressive band, we would Records, Gatecreeper still takes a never be completely new. We’re strong DIY approach to things. “I just taking cues from the stuff that still like to do a lot of the stuff we like, mainly old school death myself,� Mason admits. “A lot of metal, but then incorporating attention to detail needs to be other stuff that we like, whether it’s put in to function as a band and punk or hardcore or other more to stand out. There’s a whole lot modern influences that we have. more to being in a band than just For us, Gatecreeper is kind of like playing music. We’re about to go a mixtape of the stuff that we like.� on tour and we have this record coming out, so I’ve been making a “I think that what we can do for the special tape version of the record. genre is just to make good songs.

I’m printing and cutting the covers Make songs that are memorable, myself. Putting together merch and that people want to listen to. designs and flyers and everything Pay tribute to the fundamentals in between. Being attentive to of death metal, but still make it those kinds of details is something entertaining and fresh for people. that I think that has helped us grow I think that the style that we play is a little more accessible. Some as a band.â€? people might turn their nose up  “When death metal started, it at that or say that’s not cool, but if was kind of a mutation,â€? he we’re somebody’s entry-level band continues. “Around that time what into death metal, then I think that’s they were doing was new territory, great.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

31

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST WILL PUTNEY BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

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it For An Autopsy is the undead deathcore zombie that only grows stronger with each new record. The New Jersey-based act’s deft interplay between punishing groove, melodic death metal riffs, and a haunting post-apocalyptic atmosphere has never been sharper than on their latest - The Sea of Tragic Beasts, out now via new label Nuclear Blast.

32 NEW NOISE

Despite the simmering musical Guitarist Will Putney’s lyrical themes suspense and neck-snapping bru- interweave with the plight of man, tality, the head and heart of the and tend to shy away from the band is what stands out the most. fantastical. That said, The Sea of Fit For An Autopsy is a band that Tragic Beasts leads off with a fantahas always led with an empathet- sy-themed title track - but that’s got ic heart and aimed to make the to be a metaphor, right? world a better place – or, at least, a heavier one - even if their lyrical “It’s about the duality of people despair is basically unmatched in having to be this alpha-wolf anithe scene. mal,” he says. “We’re these beasts

that kill each other and have to get ahead. At the same time, it’s tragic that we’re like that. The title came from thinking about how the human condition is, and how people react to and treat each other. We’re forced to be like animals to exist in the world today.”

It seems that we’re inundated with the bad parts of that duality, and

“That song was written in the middle of the immigration crisis over here. It was about our inability to do anything or help at this time.

That whole bridge and the end of the song is an attempt at saying, even if you feel for these people and want to try to help, there’s not much you can do other than throwing money at a charity. I was really feeling for those people. It [turned out] great because Joe [Badolato, vocals] really brought an emotional element to it.�

Aside from this despair, Fit For An Autopsy are also renowned for their work with charities and giving back.

They went about it a bit differently with this record, as Putney explains. “We’re running a pre-order where you can donate if you want a copy of the record. We obviously have to pay for the record, but our money and any extra [laughs] will go to that charity. We collected a bunch of different charities. You select which one you like or want to donate to, and it covers a good variety of things. It’s all the way from animal rescue to cancer research and environmental stuff, ocean cleanup. We tried to spread it out.�

Of course, in the Year of Our Lord 2019, even good things can piss people off. “It’s funny whenever we do something for a charity. We’ll get comments from kids that are almost mad we’re not raising money for something else. We’ll raise money for immigrants, and people will go ‘well what about the veterans?’ Well, we did a PTSD charity already, so...?

So, we were like, let’s just throw everything at the wall, and people can choose. Everything you can choose is a group we agree with and think is doing good work - they come as some of the charities where your dollar goes the longest way.�

Everyone’s a politician, right? “It’s crazy to get yelled at because we’re giving money to people in need, because it’s not the people in need they care more about. It’s just insane.�

either numb the human element as completely because, like that song There’s definitely no happy ending much as we can (the cycle of drug says, everyone has become their to this fairy tale.

With Putney’s steady mind and hand, addiction in “Mirrors�), or scream own sort of politician,� he says.

Fit For An Autopsy have released one at each other (the cycle of political “Everything became so polarized “No, it’s like, we’re all fucked, but we of the year’s best metal records, and addiction in “Warfareâ€?). Five years where you have to choose. You’re can be fucked together. That’s cool.â€? one that will stand the test of time. đ&#x;’Ł ago, it felt like we could live without forced to pick a side, believe in One song that doesn’t hide its mesđ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł politics taking over every single ele- it, and argue with the other side. sage is the cathartic, heart-wrenchment of every day, but not anymore. It creates this hostile culture. My ing “Your Pain Is Mineâ€? - which also Putney concurs. voice isn’t important in that con- contains one of the band’s best versation anymore. It just adds to breakdowns to date. So, what’s this “I stopped talking about politics an ongoing argument.â€? pain about?

NEW NOISE 33

CATTLE C

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST TRAVIS RYAN BY CHRISTOPHER J. HARRINGTON

attle Decapitation’s newest “Well, we seem to know now what an record, Death Atlas (out now album needs to have a little more,” via Metal Blade), has the vocalist Travis Ryan laughs. “I feel feel of the future, and for all of us this is our most ‘realized’ record.” sentient life forms it’s not good news.

For all the propulsion of riffs and Anyone paying attention to the grind, there are equal parts nightband over the years knows that they have been relaying socio-econom- mare spacescapes and psychological noise. This variation is someic and ethical warnings from the thing the band has particularly beginning. With Death Atlas, even if honed-in on since 2015’s The Anyou’re still in complete denial, the thropocene Extinction, a record that message is clear. is noteworthy for its immense tonal“Environmental scientists and engi- ity and structure. The dichotomy is neers now describe the current era even more severe on Death Atlas, as planet Earth’s mass extinction,” and that’s the point. a voice echoes in machine tone on the track “The Great Dying.” “Its “Personally, I did want the valleys to be super low, and that means the cause: humans.” depressing or slow parts need to be With their new album, Cattle Decap- extremely emotional and depressitation rise to the challenge of com- ing,” Ryan says. “That’s honestly my bining form with substance, the totali- favorite kind of stuff, ever since I ty of which is shattering, schizophren- was a child and heard Beethoven’s ic, and of course, headbanging. In Moonlight Sonata for the first time. I fact, as dark as the record is, it’s the fell in love with that kind of stuff immost headbanging thing the group mediately. I’ve always been a fan of has ever laid out. goth, new wave, ambient, and synth

34 NEW NOISE

stuff. So, I’m finding the band to be much more fun, and it’s become much more a force as a creative outlet of late. The last twenty minutes of the record is, in my opinion, some of the best material we’ve ever done.”

Those twenty minutes, starting with the track “With All Disrespect,” and ending with the nine minute “Death Atlas,” package all of Cattle Decapitation’s musical and conceptual revolutions in a powerful way. Using technical prowess to stimulate the content the band relays, the last four songs bend and twist like Robert Patrick in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Of particular note, “Time’s Cruel Curtain” shows how the band has created a completely unique way to blend melody with pure grind, a feat that people are just now adjusting to.

“It’s morphed from one or two people writing most of it, to the process including everyone, even myself,”

DECAPITATION Ryan explains. “I might not write any “Positivity, if anywhere, would defiriffs, but arrangements change big nitely be in the subconscious,â€? time when I bring lyrics into play, and Ryan notes. “There’s absolutely we’ve all adapted to writing catchier nothing positive about our lyrics. songs. They keep me in mind when But there is positivity in the way writing choruses and I keep in mind we approach writing and recordthings I could be doing when they’re ing now, something that was never writing, and it all ends up coming there before. We have a renewed together, mostly in the studio. We’re vigor going on in the band the last making honest-to-god albums now couple years, and I haven’t been instead of collections of songs. Not this happy with everything since I to take anything away from the pre- don’t know when.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł vious albums, it’s just different. We’re more experienced now.â€?

As dark as Death Atlas is (and rightfully so, for Cattle Decapitation has always proved to be a voice of reason – and now more than ever, we really need that voice), positivity and mindfulness abound on the album. The record exudes an organized and fluid form, reverberating in the creative process, and sending warm vibes down your spine.

The album’s message may be death for us all, but the vitality contained within is pure enlightenment.

NEW NOISE

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2020 WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS A WAR BETWEEN EMPATHETIC PROGRESS AND POLARIZING FASCISM. IN THE FACE OF A BLEAK FUTURE, THESE BANDS WILL BE USING THE STAGE AS THEIR BATTLE GROUND.

DAWN RAY'D INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST SIMON BARR BY MARIKA ZORZI

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imon Barr has no doubts - the new Dawn Ray'd album Behold Sedition Plainsong is a call to arms for a positive, radical change in society.

“This album is angry in different ways,�

Barr, singer for the U.K. band, explains. “That said, [this record] is also quite sad at times. Politically, it's slightly more focused on ways to resolve some of the issues we're talking about, rather than just banging your head against the wall thinking about it."

Dawn Ray'd are firmly convinced that underground music should have a strong message during this particular historical moment. “I like a lot of music that is apolitical,� Barr says. “I do like that escapism sometimes, because it's hard to be just angry all the time. But I do think if you're going to be playing heavy, fast, aggressive-sounding rock or heavy metal music, it's meant to be about something. It's not just an aesthetic, surely.� “The world is fucked, fascism is on the rise, and the environment is in dire straits,� he continues. “We have to be having this conversation everywhere we possibly can. But I also think these ideas have to go beyond music. It's important to be taking action in your life to try and make this world a better place."

Indeed, Dawn Ray'd have a clear idea of how to carry their ideas forward. “We have to organize within our communities in non-hierarchical ways, and not rely on governments or capitalist entities to save us,� Barr suggests. “And we have to organize to overthrow capitalism and to resist fascism. That would be my simple answer. Whether it's possible to overthrow capitalism or not is a whole other conversation, but the only way we're going to stop these disasters that we see around us all the time is to strike at the source.

While it's important to do small things in our day-to-day lives, ultimately we have to overthrow capitalism to save what's left of the world.�

Obviously, Dawn Ray'd are also completely in opposition to the National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM) scene, and any trend within black metal that promotes fascism or similar ideologies. and right-wing bands are such a small "I think de-platforming bands is really percentage of metal, though. In my expeimportant,� Barr says. “If bands are rience, metal shows are made up of good, explicitly Nazi, we can't allow them to decent people. It's a community I really play shows in our towns, because there love, and I'm really proud to be a part of it.� are people whose lives are put at risk by those ideas being expressed. The town I live in is a multicultural part of England. I “We try to talk about politics at every show,� he continues. “Sometimes we have can't, in good conscience, let those shows happen. We have to try and cancel shows, anti-authoritarian groups that will run tables with information. It's a pattern we get tours canceled, and not allow white saw in the punk and skinhead movements supremacists a platform. I do think NSBM

PIG CITY

BY NICK SENIOR

T

here’s something about the sur- “When we wrote Terminal Decline,â€? they rounding Phoenix, Arizona desert state. “We were battling everything that unearths when listening to the from unemployment to gender identity. cataclysmic despair on Terminal Decline, We're proud of how it came out, but the out now on To Live A Lie Records. This unsustainable living conditions created isn’t a record for the hopeful or the under capitalism and lack of resources happy, the proud or the rich. Every riff for people to get the help they need and breakdown is fueled by the desola- (whether it be mental health or finantion and fury Pig City are both channel- cial security) drove every lyric and note ing and calling out. Their brand of crust on this record. This band has been our punk-inflected grindcore carries on way of documenting the frustration the spirit of His Hero Is Gone, but with and anger that stems from the dystoa sense of pace and purpose all their pian reality we are all forced to live in.â€? own. Pig City are here to lay waste to Pig City aren’t afraid to bring down hatred and corruption, and their music systems of oppression, one blast beat is inseparable from the political and and breakdown at a time. đ&#x;’Ł personal vitriol they call out here.

36 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY ALEX REMPEL

in the ’80s and ’90s. Fascism tried to creep into those youth movements and tried to radicalize them towards the far right. And now fascism is trying to do the same thing in metal. Ultimately, that is not what heavy metal is about. I think we all have a moral duty to look at what our skills are, and to see how we can apply them to the struggles to stop fascism happening ever again, to stop it happening now." đ&#x;’Ł

“WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I BELIEVED IN THREE THINGS: MARXISM, THE REDEMPTIVE POWER OF CINEMA, AND DYNAMITE. NOW I JUST BELIEVE IN DYNAMITE.”

ALIST DENNIS LYXZÉN INTERVIEW WITH VOC

BY JAMES ALVAREZ

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

38 NEW NOISE

C

alling Refused an influential melodies, a great chorus or a great hook. band is an understatement. When you add that to our background ideas This Swedish hardcore ensem- and politics, it makes sense.� ble transcended the confines of genre and music scenes in “There’s something about when we get tothe late ’90s, and laid the foundations for gether with Refused, we find that essence of the shape of 21st century punk with their what we are and what we should be. That’s iconic and aptly-titled album, The Shape of something fantastic,� he says proudly. “It Punk to Come. Their subsequent implosion, doesn’t sound like, we don’t move like any 14-year breakup, and glorious reunion in other band. On War Music we definitely 2012 has already been well-documented. found something that’s very much Refused.�

Long story short, they’ve been pioneering the “New Noiseâ€? since before New Noise was War Music is a sonic Molotov cocktail, meant a thing! to burn through the malaise and disinformation that stifles social and economic jusNow Refused is back with another aptly-ti- tice. It is armed with passionate new songs, tled, socio-political zeitgeist album-du-jour, and liner notes packed to the brim with inWar Music, which dropped in October cour- spiring quotes from iconic figures. Take this tesy of Spinefarm records. doozy from director Sergio Leone - “When I was young, I believed in three things: Marx“War Music is very much a contrast to the ism, the redemptive power of cinema, and Freedom record,â€? vocalist Dennis LyxzĂŠn dynamite. Now I just believe in dynamite.â€? says, comparing Refused’s new album with their 2015 grand return. “Freedom was writ- “We needed to create a record that really ten when we didn’t really know what we goes into these times and talks about what’s wanted to be as a band, you know? The 2012 going on around us,â€? LyxzĂŠn reveals. “We’ve reunion was so massive that we were like, talked about these ideas and expressed what type of band are we? Are we this huge these sentiments for a long time, and the arena rock band, or this hardcore band?â€? world is catching on to the fact that capitalism as a social construct and economic sysFreedom was a diverse and eclectic punk ex- tem is failing. It’s something that resonates periment that highlighted the band’s heavy with so many people because the world is roots, as well as the evolution its members so messed up. had undergone during their hiatus. “Playing those Freedom songs live with a second “At the same time, the world is incredibly poguitar player, you get an idea about what larized. There’s a lot of people who don’t actually works live,â€? LyxzĂŠn explains. “Some- agree with what we’re saying, but I think times we were like, ‘eh, doesn’t really work that’s because a lot of people are so used that well,’ but then some really do. That’s to the abuse by capitalism that they can’t when we started writing [the songs] ‘Blood imagine a world where they’re not being Red’ and ‘Turn The Cross.’ It was like, take abused. They’re so used to the propaganda the idea of what worked on Freedom, start and the brainwashing they can’t really see there and see what we can do.â€? another way, and they’re like, ‘oh they’re just like leftist crazy people.’ But that’s fine.

This, the band’s fifth studio album, is a fiery I’ve been a leftist crazy person for the past return to the band’s explicitly anti-capitalist, 30-plus years,â€? he laughs. pre-breakup heyday. In a time of unbridled corruption, income inequality, civil unrest, “If we don’t have the same political ideas, we and sexual predators in office, Refused lash live in a democratic society where we can out at the ills of society with tracks that are talk about it, decide what path our society equally infectious and blistering, like “Vio- wants to go on through democratic eleclent Reactionâ€? “I Wanna Watch The World tions, so on and so forth,â€? LyxzĂŠn says. “We Burn,â€? and “Economy of Death.â€? can still be friends. We don’t have to share political beliefs, we can still talk and hang “It just felt like a title that summarized these out. That’s a cool thing. [But] with respect to times,â€? LyxzĂŠn explains. “We felt [with] that Nazis and fascism, the whole idea is that it’s the violence of the songs and the ideas we super undemocratic. So, I don’t really see put out in the lyrics, the title War Music just that we have a responsibility to talk to Nazis, kind of made sense.â€? or to try to understand Nazis or fascists.

War Music is a more focused affair than “In terms of our politics, we’re not unreaFreedom. At times the album recalls the po- sonable characters,â€? he says. “You can talk tent urgency of their 1996 effort, Songs to to us and we can exchange ideas. We are Fan the Flames of Discontent, while maintain- unreasonable when it comes to fascism and ing the creative strides first etched on The Nazis.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł Shape of Punk to Come. “When you create all these songs, you want the record to be dynamic, to have ebbs and flows,â€? LyxzĂŠn declares. “If every song on the record was ‘Turn The Cross,’ then it wouldn’t be special. We’ve always been suckers for

CINEMA CINEMA INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST / GUITARIST EV GOLD AND DRUMMER PAUL CLARO

BY BRIAN O’NEILL

“Undoubtedly there's a Spinal Tap-esque element that surrounds this venture,� concedes Cinema Cinema vocalist and guitarist Ev Gold, remarking on the mockumentary band’s Jazz Odyssey departure. “Put it like this - if we had a career, this would be a career suicide record.�

Ev and his cousin, drummer Paul Claro, speak in thick Brooklyn accents. It’s obvious that they are right at home sitting in Martin Bisi’s BC Studios, where they will be playing live later that night. The albums they recorded here, 2014’s A Night At The Fights and 2017’s Man Bites Dog, are furious displays of angular guitar skronk, wheezing vocals, and throbbing off-kilter percussion. The kind of sounds that prompted Greg Ginn to personally invite them to open for Black Flag.

Before Man Bites Dog was released, the group had already collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Matt Darriau. It might not appear that the Brooklyn duo’s brash punk would mesh with one of the most influential jazz musicians of the last fifteen years, but they had more in common than one might suspect. “Improvisation is a large part of what Paul and I do,� explains Gold. “It's been like that since the very beginning. When a friend introduced us to Darriau, his thing was like, ‘I'll play with you guys, but the deal is, we've got to show up and just play.’ Ultimately, we decided to take it into the studio for a full-night's session, which yielded two albums' worth of material.�

CCXMD, released on Nov. 1, 2019, is the first of those albums. “Cinema Cinema x Matt Darriau seemed to be the proper name to pop on this thing,� explained Gold. “We wrestled a bit with call[ing] this a side project. Then we realized that this was just Cinema Cinema being renegotiated by having this titanic

reed-master, who has the wind of a thousand sails.�

The album is a throwback to the experimental artists that emerged from New York’s halcyon days, including Sonic Youth, Swans, and John Zorn.

This is not lost on the band, who didn’t seem to embrace their homeland until now. “When we would say we're from Brooklyn, [people] were like, ‘but where are you really from?’� laughs Claro. “We really didn't have any interest in embracing our Brooklyn heritage,� admits Gold. “We feel like we've reclaimed it now, so I'm glad those kinds of sounds and sensibilities are coming through.�

The live performance at BC Studio that evening didn’t include Darriau, despite the show being on the cusp of CCXMD’s release.

Inconsistent timelines are par for the course for a band that waited to release CCXMD until Man Bites Dog, which was recorded later, came out.

Gold smiles. “This summer here with Martin [Bisi], we did a session with Thor Harris [Swans, Angels of Light, Shearwater],� he says. “That yielded what is going to be a part of a double-album that we're working on. Tonight, we're playing the second part.�

They have plans to do shows as a trio this spring. Probably not supporting a puppet show like in Spinal Tap, but they’re ready for whatever comes. “About five years ago, we were playing a gig in a cemetery,�

Gold says, and sighs. “As we finished, a magician was introduced. We're literally dripping sweat, we had just finished the last note, and the follow-up act was a magician.� “Who we had to sit through,�

Claro says, cracking up. “Because our gear was still on stage.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAT GILRANE

40 NEW NOISE

“DO YOU BELIEVE THE POLITICS OF DISTRACTION, THE IDEA THAT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PLANET IS BEING SQUEEZED LIKE A FUCKING LEMON, JUST TO SUSTAIN PROFITS, IS WRONG? RAISE YOUR HAND, LET'S GET A HEADCOUNT.�

INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST / VOCALIST CHRIS #2 BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

A

nti-Flag’s new album 20/20 Vision comes out nearly three years after President Trump’s inauguration, which is no accident.

Maybe more importantly for your ears, 20/20 Vision is also Anti-Flag’s sharpest musical statement yet - a full-spectrum punk assault with more than enough melody to keep those diatribe ditties in your head for days.

For bassist and vocalist Chris #2, the time to play coy with politics is over, but the band had to be considered in how they went about their message.

“When we initially set out with making a record about Donald Trump,� he says. “I knew that there would be backlash from our community about focusing on electoral politics, which isn't something we've ever done as a band.� “I mean, by saying that Donald Trump is evil,� he continues. “By recognizing that you want a better world than kids in cages along borders, that doesn't mean you're

a Democrat. Maybe that's our own “When I saw the Mike Brown verdict that that's why Trump is on the cover. ego - we expect people to know [in Ferguson, Missouri],� he says, with I'm hopeful that this polarization is that Anti-Flag's been around for 25 a deep sigh. “I was able to go imme- going to lead to people searching years, and that we've made records diately, in my mind and in my heart, for something better than what we under a Bill Clinton administration, back to looking at my mother when have. That being said, we very well a George Bush administration, the [we were] in a court room, [during may be on the cusp of the apocaBarack Obama administration. We the trial] for my sister's murder, and lypse. Fascism is not a thing to be will continue, no matter who is the seeing no justice served for her, fucked with. Based on that, I wanted president, to try to use our vocation because it was a poor and under- make sure we had a document that, to get people to care about more privileged community that she was when people found it much later, than just themselves.� a part of. Then I watched Michael they’d say, ‘Okay, there were people Brown's mother on television, and standing in opposition, and here's “Do you believe the politics of dis- she looked exactly like my mom. An- some form of art that said just that.’" traction, the idea that the envi- ti-Flag had a song called ‘Fuck Poronment and the planet is being lice Brutality’ in 1996, because when That sense of humanity and humility squeezed like a fucking lemon, just had played punk shows, cops were permeates the record. 20/20 Vision to sustain profits, is wrong? Raise mean to us. You extrapolate that to isn’t a document pushing ideologiyour hand, let's get a headcount. the reality of 2019 and ’20, and all cal purity, it’s a unifying call to fight.

Then from there, we can find our the things that we're seeing, you're commonality. We can put forth able to go like, ‘Oh, fuck. I can't just “I like to believe that punk rock gives plans to try to leave the world better be angry at this because it affects people energy, and gives people than we found it.â€? me. I need to think beyond that.’" optimism,â€? Chris #2 says. “I want to give them a place to focus that. A An interesting point to be made The record feels like a punk cultural lot of things in the album booklet here is that the band’s best re- touchstone - a moment in time that are tools to say, ‘Well here's how you cord up until now - naturally - was will be remembered for years to can get further involved. Here are American Spring, a record written come, or however long we have left. people that are much smarter than I during the Obama administration. [am]. Please listen to them, or speak For Chris #2, that record was a key “If there was ever a time to have our with them.’ That's where we gain our turning point, for him personally Dead Kennedys-Reagan moment, inspiration from.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł and for the band. it's right now,â€? Chris #2 says. “I think

NEW NOISE 41

1999 Was Ground Zero for Chaotic Metallic Hardcore

BY BEN SAILOR

1999 WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR CHAOTIC METALLIC HARDCORE, ONE PACKED WITH INFLUENTIAL RECORDS THAT ALLOWED THE GENRE TO HIT ESCAPE VELOCITY OUT OF THE DIY UNDERGROUND. WHILE NU-METAL MAY HAVE DONE MORE TO PUSH HEAVY MUSIC INTO THE MAINSTREAM (FOR BETTER OR WORSE), THE MORE ADVENTUROUS SIDE OF THE METALCORE UNDERGROUND WAS BREWING UP SOME INTERESTING SOUNDS JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE. THE TWO EVEN BEGAN TO INTERSECT IN INTERESTING WAYS AROUND THIS TIME, MAKING AN IMPACT THAT’S STILL REVERBERATING ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF METAL TODAY. Cave In got the ball rolling with their debut fulllength, Until Your Heart Stops. The opening 30 seconds of “Moral Eclipse� may be the best Slayer riff that Slayer didn’t write. It would be the last record the band put out before embracing the space-rock vibe they’re more commonly associated with, but their lone foray into metalcore remains a cornerstone of the genre.

In the early fall of 1999, The Dillinger Escape Plan would destroy all previously conceived notions of what metal could be with Calculating Infinity. They committed to pushing aggressive music to its most extreme conclusion, and across 37 uncomfortable minutes, they smashed that goal entirely to hell. Sounding something like Cryptopsy on a Black Flag bender, the album established a bar for technical excellence and unhinged genius that would take others bands years to surpass.

Botch and Coalesce would fire their own salvos in November 1999, with the former’s second full-length We Are The Romans, and the latter’s swansong 0:12: Revolution In Just Listening forming a brutal one-two

42 NEW NOISE

punch.

Botch guitarist Dave Knudsen proved one guitar could sound like two (a tendency he’d later explore in an indie rock context with Minus The Bear), while Coalesce perfected their Jesus Lizard-infused take on hardcore, shortly before imploding in somewhat dramatic fashion.

Poison The Well’s The Opposite of December‌ A Season of Separation was released, fittingly enough, in December 1999, and may have been the record that most clearly connected fringe nu-metal influences with experimental noisecore leanings. Blending Deftones-esque guitar textures with melodic choruses and grinding breakdowns, the album was heavy enough for the hardcore faithful but accessible enough to catch mainstream attention. They’d later join Norma Jean as a common entry point into hardcore for kids outgrowing nu-metal's aimless angst.

By the turn of the century, metalcore’s infiltration onto MTV2 and into the CD sections of Christian bookstores everywhere would expand the genre’s reach, even in cities with limited scenes. By the early- to mid-2000s, you couldn’t have gone to a hardcore show at a VFW hall without hearing at least one band blending low E-chord chugging with odd-time breakdowns and sharp guitar dissonance.

Across the pond in the U.K., Bring Me The Horizon would mix these influences with touches of death metal, preceding the widespread proliferation of deathcore. Their countrymen in Architects would also cite The Dillinger Escape Plan as a key influence, which can be heard all over early their releases like Nightmares and Ruin. Labels like Solid State Records grew exponentially on the backs of bands like Norma Jean and The Chariot, continuing what 1999s graduating class of experimental noisemakers had started.

Without them, what came next might not exist.

Attempting to draw a family tree of all the bands descended from the influence of these seminal records would take a lot more space than what’s available in a single article. Yet, the point remains that 1999 may have been the most important year in the intersection of metal and hardcore. Nothing was the same before or after.

As The Dillinger Escape Plan nears the end of their career after accumulating two decades’ worth of bodily injuries on stage, it’s inspiring to see newer bands like SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Wristmeetrazor bringing back elements of late-90s and early-2000s metalcore, making them fresh for a whole new audience. Plus, with streaming services, tracing your way backwards is easier than ever. We can take at least five good guesses where you’ll end up. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

1999S CHAOTIC HARDCORE BOOM DIDN’T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM. HERE ARE FIVE OTHER RECORDS FROM EARLIER IN THE DECADE THAT HELPED LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE GENRE’S EVOLUTION AND EVENTUAL EXPLOSION. RORSCHACH PROTESTANT (1993) Your favorite classic metalcore band’s favorite band (literally - they were a major influence on Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou).

DEADGUY FIXATION ON A COWORKER (1995) Fast, brutal, and sarcastic, Deadguy’s lone full-length remains essential listening for anyone wanting to understand how hardcore and metal learned to get along in the mid-90s.

HATEBREED SATISFACTION IS THE DEATH OF DESIRE (1997) Hatebreed have never been known for their complexity. However, the god-tier riffs and crossover appeal of Satisfaction is the Death of Desire went a long way towards opening the door for bands to break through from the hardcore scene into the wider world of metal.

Hell, they’ve even toured with Korn.

ZAO WHERE BLOOD AND FIRE BRING REST (1998) Carcass might seem like an interesting influence for what was perceived as a spirit-filled hardcore band.

But then again, Zao never fit the mold of stereotypical Christian metalcore.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GABE BECERRA

T

2

COUNTERPARTS

STRAY FROM THE PATH

he one thing that stands out when listening to the two best metalcore records of 2019 is joy. Sure, neither Stray From The Path (SFTP) nor Counterparts traditionally traffic in a glass half-full mindset - either the world is fucked up beyond recognition, or full of immense and profound sadness. However, both Internal Atomics (out now via UNFD) and Nothing Left to Love (out now via Pure Noise) exude a confidence of style, and a true knowledge of who the bands are and how they go about their craft.

Both bands have been given lazy admonishments before, but never before have they owned their identity so well. Internal Atomics is both the best SFTP record to date and the best Rage Against The Machine album since The Battle of Los Angeles (SFTP’s latest is actually better).

Counterparts’ brand of shredding guitars and tears has never felt more assured.

All that self-actualization leads to records that are brimming with assured energy and bolstered by a serious fun factor. That sense of joy is reflected in the interviews below. The bands’ clear comfort and closeness around each other has been honed over thousands of miles on the road together, and a shared desire to bring their vision to hungry audiences the world over. Rarely are friends able to ascend to these stylistic heights together. Even less common is the chance to let the lame narrator get out of the way, and let the bands talk shop and bullshit each other. - Nick Senior

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VOCALIST TO VOCALIST DREW DIJORAIO (STRAY FROM THE PATH) AND BRENDAN MURPHY (COUNTERPARTS) DD: I guess a lot of people would wanna know if there’s one band that you could say motivated you to take on starting Counterparts and continuing to do it. If there is a band, what band would that be? And why?

When we started, the melodic element, I guess, was not so in the foreground. But the band that really made us hone into our specific sound now is Misery Signals, for sure.

DD: Of course. You have the connection of being Canadian, too.

BM: Of course, yeah. They were half-Canadian, half-American, we’re half-Canadian, half-American. OK, my question is along the same lines - when did you first start doing vocals? Was it in your bedroom, like me?

DD: Yeah, 100% in my bedroom. I don’t know if anybody else did this, but I used BM: Unrelated to sound, it had to have been like Slipknot or something. ‘Cause I remem- to get home from school, and I had one of those big stereo things. No one was home, ber getting this sampler for some college and I would just turn up as loud as possible, radio station in Hamilton, and it had “Heretic put on a bass or a guitar, and just pretend Anthem” on it. And I heard that, and I was just like, “What the fuck is this? These guys are nuts, I was on the stage, in the band, and sing they’re not even singing. They’re fucking yell- along to the songs. That’s when I first started singing. I first started screaming, I think, afing. And that sort of took me down the path ter hearing bands like Glassjaw and Thrice, of heavy music, getting into that, and then where they still have the melodic elements, Marilyn Manson, and fucking Limp Bizkit, and Korn, and the nu-metal thing, and heavier shit. but they’re screaming too. I think I was like, I think that’s what made me go, “I wanna play “Oh, I could do that, too. I know how to sing.

Let me just try and do this form of aggressive music.” But the band that made us wanna do Counterparts… we started in 2007, so you got- music.” And then I just started doing it and I ta think we were all listening to Parkway Drive, was like, “Oh, that sounds cool.” Stray wasn’t the first band I was in. I played guitar in a Killing with a Smile. lot of bands, and I did back-up screaming and vocals. That’s where it stemmed from, DD: Yeah, yeah, metalcore. where I was like, “Oh, this sounds cool, I don’t sound like an idiot, so I’m gonna conBM: All that metalcore shit. It Dies Today and Misery Signals, and everything like that. tinue to do this.”

BM: Yeah, exactly. The first Counterparts, where it was me and Jesse back in the day, was... we started a band called No Claim To Mercy, and I was playing guitar. And we had a guy singing, and I think he just stunk, or didn’t show up to practice or something. It was me and Jesse writing all the guitar stuff, and then that guy, and we were like, “Fuck him.” And I was like, “Well, I could scream.” I’m like, “Oh, it’s not singing, it’s not hard. It’s not…”

DD: It’s yelling.

BM: I wouldn’t say it’s easy, but it’s definitely not a big fucking deal. You just yell.

So, that was how I did it. Very similar, went from playing guitar, and then one day, I was like, “I think I could do that.” And then you do it, and then you fuck your voice up for three days, and your parents are like, “what the...?” The funniest thing, I think, is thinking about what the fuck our parents were thinking when they’re leaving their bedroom and walking downstairs to cook dinner.

DD: And you just hear this child yelling.

BM: And I’m in there, screaming The Used songs and Slipknot, and all that bullshit, and they’re just going, “Where did I go wrong?

Why can’t he be fucking normal? Why can’t he pick up a fuckin’ hockey stick? But now they love it.”

DD: Now they’re super proud. And they’re like, “Oh, look, my son gets to go all over the world with his idiot friends of Stray From The Path.”

BM: Exactly. When you first start, they’re like, “Oh, my God, I raised a fucking idiot. I raised a total moron.” But then I think once you do your first really far away tour, whether it’s Europe, or whatever, they start to go, “I’m gonna tell the boys and the ladies at work, my kid’s in fuckin’ Europe screaming his songs.”

DD: Let’s see. Favorite place to tour, and why?

BM: In terms of where I know that I’m gonna come home with enough money to live off for a couple of months, I’ll say the States. But the place I have the most fun? Japan, without question. Japan and Australia. I feel like it’s probably the same for you guys, right?

DD: Yeah, 100%.

BM: Same exact thing. For anybody reading this, or listening, without getting too into the behind the scenes crap, whenever we go to Japan, we get enough money for our flights and that’s it. We’re not going there for money. And that is the exact reason why we even do that, because we love it there so much. I think every time since we went the first time, we’ve been paid the exact same amount of money, and it almost covers our flights to where we have to pay a couple hundred bucks on top of it. And you do it, and you’re like, “I’m in the fucking coolest place on Earth, so I don’t care.” The 30 minutes or 40 minutes you spend on stage, that is the work, that’s the trade-off. It’s like somebody being, “Hey, will you run on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day for a free vacation?” It’s like, “Yeah, of course, I would. What am I, fuckin’ made of stone? Yeah, of course, I’ll do that.” [laughter]

BM: That was for Indonesia to Singapore.

But from Philippines to Indonesia, that happened, Tom and I looked at each other, and we all, all of us collectively, it was, what, 12 of us, I think? We said, “Okay, fuck it,” and we just flopped our bags on the floor and laid down. There was no time to sleep. Let alone a day off. I remember all of us just taking big green merch bags and just fucking laying down in front of the check-in counter, so all these other people trying to get on the flight, they couldn’t even check in to their fucking flight ’cause we were making a stink. I remember we did that for so long, the manager came out and said, “What do you guys need done?” And Tom looks at him and goes, BM: They’ll come out, and they’ll fucking “How much money is it gonna cost me to put this stuff on the plane?” And the guy tell you that to your fucking face that they goes, whatever it was in the Filipino curdidn’t like it. rency, and Tom goes, “No, no, no, I’m asking you. How much do I have to pay you DD: Yeah. That’s the European honesty right personally to put these bags on the flight?” there.

And the guy looked at him and he was like, BM: Exactly. They are just more honest, “I don’t understand what you’re asking.”

And Tom had to spell it out, like, “I’m trying whereas I feel like, for me, I don’t wanna hurt anyone’s feelings. But, the blunt deliv- to give you a bribe. I’m trying to bribe you into putting our fucking shit on this plane.” ery sometimes, specifically in Germany, I I think we just threw everybody for a loop think you get that and I just go, “Dude, I know to the point where eventually they just said, you mean well, but please fucking don’t say “Just give us $300 and you can put your shit that. Not today, buddy.” on the plane,” and it worked out. It fuckin’ worked out. We lived to tell the tale.

DD: Yeah. In Europe, like I said earlier, once you have them, you have them forever.

DD: It’s crazy because we get in these situaAmerica is just... it’s up and down. tions together, and if you guys weren’t there and if we weren’t there for you, we wouldn’t BM: I agree with that completely, and I think have been able to go through what we went when we started touring the States, it was like you had bands like us, and Hundredth, through. It just became funny at that point. and Stick to Your Guns, and The Ghost InBM: OK, let’s say that you guys were to end side, and It Prevails. And there was a bunch tomorrow, or even, let’s say you book a final of other smaller bands, that I can’t even think of off the top of my head right now, tour, when it’s all said and done, where is the last Stray From The Path show gonna be? Is that were doing really well. So, I think that it gonna be in Long Island? Or where do you it benefited us in terms of a breakout, to be like, “Hey, here we are. We showed up, hon- think it’s gonna be the biggest fucking deal? ey. Let’s fucking do this.” [laughter] DD: London.

DD: I like how you threw “honey” in there.

BM: London, England?

Have you felt like you were in danger at any point on any tour anywhere in the world? Or DD: London. even like the craziest place, you know what I mean? Something that’s so out of your eleBM: Not Ontario? ment and your culture.

DD: I think the way North America is, it’s very up and down. It’s very flavor-of-the-weekish. And what I mean by that is, kids tend to have this mentality of like, “Oh, this isn’t cool,” or like, “I have to like this because…”

For whatever reason they convince themselves. And I’m not saying what they’re liking is bad, I’m just saying that’s the mentality, especially in America, is kids will jump ship left and right. Whereas, I think in Europe it’s more appreciated when bands go, and continue to go, you have those fans for life.

If you put out something that maybe they really didn’t like as much as the last record, they’re still coming out to the shows. They’re still supporting you.

BM: I feel like, in Southeast Asia, not that I was worried about my personal safety, but remember when we were at that fucking airport and we were trying to check our bags? And they said, “If you want this on the plane, it’s gonna cost you $3000 American dollars per band.”

DD: Yeah. We have to go to this next city because we have to make it to the following city because that’s where our flights home are. So, being in that position of, “Fuck, what do we do? We’re fucked.”

BM: I think it was, what, flying from the Philippines to Indonesia, and we had 12 fucking hours before we had to be at the venue to load in and play and shit. So, it was like we’re standing there, and we have someone working for this airline looking at me in the face and saying, “You either pay $3000 or you don’t get to put your shit on this plane,” And I was like, “Dude.”

DD: Yeah. I remember we all split half of it, and then the other guy paid half.

BM: Hopefully, it doesn’t have to happen, but I guess maybe we can time our breakups. We’ll blow up both of our bands, and we’ll do one show.

DD: Yeah, we’ll do one tour, and then we’ll end in London, and then...

BM: We’ll play Alexander Palace.

DD: Maybe half fill it.

BM: Yeah, half full. Maybe we can get Architects up to fucking play a quick little set or something.

DD: That’s so funny, I love that.

BM: I’m always curious to think about that, because, dude, one of our last shows could be in fucking Jakarta, Indonesia, and it would probably be the biggest fucking show we’ve ever played.

DD: Yeah, there’s fucking 800 kids there for you the last time that we went. We ain’t pulling 800 kids in Long Island, that’s for fucking...

BM: Dude, fucking 700, 800 people in North America for us, are you fucking insane? But then Jakarta, suddenly, there’s 800 freaks that are like, “I wanna go see Stray and Counterparts.” Like, “What the fuck is that?”

DD: And they just show up.

BM: And they just show up. OK, my last question for you is, we can both kinda sing, so what’s stopping us from getting out of this metalcore shit and making some real fucking bucks?

DD: It’s so funny ’cause it’s the same thing if a relative is here, it’s like, “Oh, it sounds good.

I like the music, but I hate the screaming.”

BM: “What’s he so... what’s he so angry about?”

DD: “What’s he saying? What’s he saying?”

Especially with heavier music and stuff like that, it’s like you just found a home in it. When I joined Stray back in high school, it was the first group of people that was really serious about doing this with me. It’s my DD: Not Ontario. [laughter] Actually, Lon- dream, and we listened to all different types of music. I listened to fucking pop, hip-hop, don, Ontario. alternative. I found my place in it. It’s just the one place where I feel like I belong. Doing it, BM: Actually, London, Ontario kicks fucking being on stage and doing what we do, it’s all ass for shows, by the way, which is crazy. But I know. It’s the only thing I’ve ever put 1000% you think London, England would be the of myself into. So, going back to saying like, one?

“Oh, what’s stopping you from doing something else?” It’s like, you could go on and do DD: Yeah, man, because the U.K. has always showed up for Stray since day one, espe- side projects and do whatever, but at the end of the day, it’s like, “Why are you the way cially now. that you are, and why are you where you’re at in your life?”

BM: Dude, I was thinking about this, too. I was like, “Well, if we gotta go based on numbers alone, I think our biggest head- BM: What made you? It’s this. line shows to date have all been in the U.K., DD: Yeah, it’s this. And that’s where your specifically in London.” You know what I heart is. Plus, it’s the culture, too. The people mean? that are showing up to these shows, it’s just an amazing community. I think it’s different DD: It’s one of those places where it would from a lot of other music scenes. It’s unlike be a novelty thing, people would come from anything else. all over. And it helps, too, because even though Craig has only been in this band for four years now, it’s as much his band as it is ours. And him being from the U.K., it makes sense.

NEW NOISE

45

GUITARIST TO GUITARIST TOM WILLIAMS (STRAY FROM THE PATH) AND BLAKE HARDMAN (COUNTERPARTS) AND BRENDAN MURPHY (COUNTERPARTS) BH: Did you piss your fucking pants when Rage Against the Machine announced shows?

TW: The best show I’ve ever seen in my entire life was Prophets of Rage, even though I think Prophets of Rage kinda stinks. I saw Prophets of Rage at the Download Festival in France, and I was able to sneak on and watch by the monitor desk, and that was the best fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I always said, “I can’t imagine what that would be like if Zack [de la Rocha] was there.” So, the fact that I get to go see Zack now is some fucked up shit for sure.

BH: Who sang in Prophets?

TW: It was B-Real from Cypress Hill and Chuck D from Public Enemy. And B-Real was sick, Chuck D, respect. The guy’s like 65.

Trying to do Zack de la Rocha, who’s like the best ever.

BH: Yeah, it’s like The Mummy, the movie. [laughter]

stairs.” I like that kinda stuff, and obviously TW: Definitely. So there was an insane it’s not a secret that I’m a fucking Tom Moamount of shit. First of all, we started with rello worshipper. I watched an interview Japan, which was a mistake, because we put the bar as high as it could go. We were hav- with him ten years ago where he was like, ing fucking great shows, we were having an “My mentality is, I like to buy everything from incredible time, so the bar was already high. a guitar store, and then take the manuals Then we went from Japan to Southeast Asia, and throw them out and just figure it out.”

Fucking ten years ago, and I’m 21 years old. where shit hit the fan very fast. We weren’t I was just trying some shit out and fucking sleeping. We were playing shows, going to sleep for two hours, then going to the air- doing that. Okay, so like we mentioned before, we’ve been friends for a long time. I port, having to bribe people at the fucking mean, eight years now, probably. desk to take our baggage, and then get on a plane. Show up, play a show, sleep for two hours, go to the airport, argue, make peo- BH: Longer than that. ple cry. It was fucked up to the point where TW: Longer than that? Nine years? So anywe were all losing our shit and then even way, we’ve been friends for a long time, and when we got a chance to sleep... who would have thought back then that we’d be on the cover of a magazine togethBH: Dude, the one day in Indonesia when er? It’s pretty sick how far we’ve come. So, there was a fucking... what are some other bucket list things that you wanna do with Counterparts or with TW: ...protest outside our window? your musical career? Because obviousBH: Dude. Yeah, we had just gotten McDon- ly, and I feel like I can speak for both of us, being on the cover of a magazine is pretty alds. We get in our hotel, thank God, we’ve cool. So, what are some other things that got four hours to sleep. No. There was a you hope to accomplish? fucking protest going on.

TW: He is the greatest person I know out of anyone. He never gives me a hard time, he always makes me laugh. There’s nothing he does that annoys me. He is, no joke, the greatest person I know, over my fucking parents and my wife. Literally, this dude is, he’s the best, dude. So, I’m marrying him for sure because I want to be around him all the time.

BH: So, with my music career, before I started touring full time, I learned how to do front-of-house engineering and I learned how to do recording and all that shit, so eventually, one day, I would like to actually be able to pursue that stuff full time. After my touring career is over, after Counterparts is over. And also, a bucket list thing is to fucking tour with Killswitch Engage.

TW: So, I’m gonna toss you the same: marry, fuck, kill. Brendan [Murphy, vocals], Kyle [Brownlee, drums], Sweet Tea [Tyler Williams, bass]. And I feel like I know what this...

TW: I feel like that’s so...

BH: Nope. No, I’m killing that motherfucker.

That motherfucker’s in the dirt. That guy is dying.

TW: A guy literally screaming outside. We were like, “fucking hell.” We would have definitely broken up. But everything that was horrible and would have stressed us out was just funny, because then something would happen, and we would just look at each other and start laughing. So, that was definitely one of the top five experiences we’ve had with anyone, just because it was so fucking psychotic.

TW: So, you’ve been in a few bands. I guess we don’t really need to mention them.

They ain’t on the fucking cover, you know? [laughter] Anyway, what was it that clicked with you and Counterparts? Because, in my opinion, I always knew that you were a good guitar player, but you play some shit in Counterparts and you write some shit in Counterparts that’s fucked up and that I couldn’t play, and I think I’m sick as fuck with a guitar, so I don’t know how the fuck you do this shit. What did Counterparts bring out of you when you started doing like You’re Not You Anymore and with Nothing Left to Love?

Okay, so, we both record with Will Putney.

This is your second record with Will, this is my fifth. What are your favorite things about Will and what are your least favorite things about Will? And it doesn’t have to be about Will personally, but it could be the studio, people that work there, the guys selling piss mattresses next door.

BH: We had all been boys with Counterparts, been boys with Stray and all the older bands I played in, and I guess all the older bands didn’t really call for the style of guitar playing that Counterparts has.

TW: Yeah, so confusing...

TW: True.

BH: So, more or less, I just had to lock myself in my fucking bedroom like a nerd virgin [laughter] and fucking relearn all my chops, and that’s all the shit that I loved as a kid. I love to shred, I love to crybaby shit, and [laughter] I like being pissed off whenever I need to be fucking angry.

TW: And shreddy and crybaby is literally what Counterparts is. [laughter] BH: That is the fucking sub-genre: crybaby.

So, alright, let’s do a little flashback. About a year ago, we did a fucking extensive run to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and southeast Asia. If our bands wouldn’t have been together for that tour, do you think that Stray would have broken up? ’Cause I’m telling you, Counterparts would have.

46 NEW NOISE

BH: Oh, I’ll make ’em all about Will [laughter]. Here we go. My favorite thing about Will is honestly his voice because, before I met him, I did not expect that voice to come out of him. At all.

BH: “Yeah, I’m on it.” Alright, my least favorite thing about Will, is his voice. [laughter] We’ll be fucking hours into guitar tracking, and he’ll turn around in his seat and just stare at your guitar and go, “Can we figure something else out for that?” [laughter] So in short, my favorite thing about Will Putney is his voice. My least favorite thing is his voice. OK. So, when you write songs, do you have all your little fucking pedal tricks already figured out, or is that something that you and Will work on together in the studio?

TW: Sometimes both. I guess that’s probably the easiest answer ever, but there are certain things that when if I see someone else do it, I’m just like, “I’m going to fucking do that, too.” But then there’s things where Will just goes like, “Let’s do some weird stuff.” I remember at the end of “Actions Not Words,” it was basically almost like a drum solo with repeating rhythm guitar. And then in-between it, he’s like, “Let’s make it sound like you plugged in all of your pedals, turned them all on, and then threw them down the

BH: You’re killing Drew and you’re fucking Craig.

TW: Yeah, I guess I gotta. I mean, Drew is like my brother. We’ve been together since sixth grade, so like 21 years or something insane like that.

BH: Yeah. You guys could kill each other and it would be fine.

TW: He’s definitely killing me, too. He probably has the same list anyway. And yeah, I’d fuck Craig ’cause he’s definitely the hottest in the band anyway.

BH: Yeah, he’s super hot.

BH: Yeah, you already know the answer. So, I’m gonna marry Brendan because he’s...

TW: I thought you’d marry Sweet Tea.

BH: It’s achievable, but fucking take us on tour, Killswitch Engage. Fucking read this magazine and take us on tour. So, let’s be TW: I feel like ’cause Sweet Tea would be real. It’s fucking hard to check out newer the, “Hey, what do you want for dinner tometalcore bands ’cause we’ve both been day?” type. assaulted by fucking wildly mediocre bullshit. For like, over a fucking decade. So, BH: Oh no, absolutely not. He would go, what is one up and coming metalcore band “Hey, we got a pack of Ramen noodles, you that you fuck with heavily? wanna split it?” [laughter] “I’m stoned, I’m stoned, I’m not going out.”

TW: I’ll name three. So, off the top of my head, I have been absolutely, completely TW: So you’re marrying Brendan, you’re taken aback by Chamber. I liked Chamber fucking Kyle, and you’re killing Sweet Tea? coming into this tour, but I didn’t really understand it until I saw them play. Taylor is BH: Yeah, Kyle has the best eyebrows in one of the hardest hitting, tightest fucking Counterparts. maniac drummers I’ve ever seen. He’s literally one of the best I’ve ever seen. And fuck- TW: I thought it would have been kill Brening Mike and Gabe on fucking guitar are dan, marry Sweet Tea... excellent, so I can’t stress enough that people need to check out Chamber. Unity-TX BH: No, no. Brendan brings the bread in, is like my fucking favorite band of all time man. He’s the... right now. Their fucking EP, called MADBOY EP, is one of my favorite things I’ve heard TW: He’s the bread bringer. in a long time. And then, if I had to say one more, honestly, it’s a toss-up between Dying BH: He’s the bread bringer, man. He’s the Wish and Loathe, but I’m gonna say Loathe bread bringer, he fucking takes care of all to give some love to some internationals. of us. Honestly, me and him never really butt Loathe is fucking insane. I think everyone heads. And if we do, it’s always just immeneeds to check out that band. diately squashed ’cause we both love each other and are gonna have sex eventually.

BH: Yep. Fucking straight like, Meshuggah [laughter] So I’ll marry him. I’m definitely fucking Deftones kind of shit, yep. So: marry lusting after Kyle, and Sweet Tea’s my little one, fuck one, kill one. Drew [Dijorio, vocals], brother, I love him to death, but yeah, that Dragon Neck [Anthony Altamura, bass], motherfucker’s gotta go. Put him down.

Craig [Reynolds, drums]. [laughter] TW: I already know one answer. I’m marrying Dragon Neck.

BH: Yeah, of course.

TW: Euthanize him. Alright, sick. Alright, good shit, New Noise. Thank you.

Me and Dragon Neck just talked for hours about movies, and it was awesome. And that was my favorite memory with Stray From The Path.

BASSIST T0 BASSIST ANTHONY “DRAGON NECK� ALTAMURA (STRAY FROM THE PATH) AND TYLER “SWEET TEA�

WILLIAMS (COUNTERPARTS)

AA: Sick. Alright. What are the three albums that got you to start playing music?

KB: Okay, hardest song in the set. Oh, God. TW: Fuck, I don’t know. I used to really like I'm gonna have to say “Disconnect,� just Green Day as a kid. So, I’d probably say Dookie. And then System of a Down, Toxicity, ’cause it's at the end. By then I'm already really shot, and it's really fast, and then there's just moving down. And then probably Take A that weird fast part that's 5/4 and shit...

Look In the Mirror by Korn. They’re a fucking fourth rig. That was my shit. Let’s go.

CR: And someone else wrote it?

AA: Sick. And here we go, the same question KB: Yeah, oh yeah. that you asked me. What’s your favorite movie of all time?

CR: All the old songs are my hardest ones‌ I'm like, “Why the fuck would you play that?â€?

TW: My favorite movie is probably Road House, because it’s simple. You got Patrick KB: No, and it's like, “Oh, okay, so I didn't Swayze just taking care of business, and write this. It's really fast and there's a huge that’s what it’s all about, baby.

5/4 part, and there's no repeating parts, it's just part, part, part, part,� so it's like, I have to think about it the whole time.

TW: So, Anthony, what do you do when you’re not traveling the world rocking faces off?

AA: When I’m not rocking faces off, I’m hanging out with my girlfriend and my dog. My dog’s name is Chief. He’s the cutest dog in the world. I don’t care what anyone says. Other than that, I do a lot of music video work for other bands, and I try to work on my short films, mostly horror movies. Next question.

TW: What’s your favorite movie?

AA: My favorite movie of all time is easily Stand By Me. It’s the best movie ever. I just never connected with any other movie more than that.

DRUMMER TO DRUMMER

TW: What’s your favorite skateboard trick?

AA: My favorite skateboard trick is any trick that I see you doing outside near the trailer, especially when you fall down and get hurt.

CRAIG REYNOLDS (STRAY FROM THE PATH) AND KYLE BROWN LEE (COUNTERPARTS)

TW: Why are you called “Dragon Neck�?

CR: Did you learn the drums from Rock Band [video game], or is that just a rumor?

AA: Because our original drummer thought I had a dragon tattooed on my neck, when it’s actually a bird. So, my first practice with the band, Tom, our guitar player, instantly called me Dragon Neck.

KB: I got better at drums from Rock Band. I played drums beforehand, and then I had this OCD thing about getting perfect on all the Rock Band songs so I could get better at timing, and that's what made me really tight for actual drums.

TW: [chuckle] Do you believe in ghosts?

AA: Oh, my God. I guess I’d say I do, because I’ve had... I’ve seen some really weird, crazy shit and I can’t explain it. But I guess, the only way I could explain it is if there’s the possibility of ghosts existing, that’s what the fuck it would be. So, hey Tyler. Why do they call you Sweet Tea?

CR: Did I start the rumor that you got good at drums from Rock Band?

KB: No, I don't think so, ’cause I still have people that come up and they're like, “Oh, like, it's crazy that you played Rock Band before you started playing drums!�

TW: Well, I used to work at Buffalo Wild Wings, and I was the server. And when you’re a server, you gotta make sweet tea, ’cause people are always drinking it. So, me as a server, I was making some sweet tea, and someone was like, “Hey, you’re always making that sweet tea. It’s always you. Why is no one else making it?� And I’m like, “I don’t know.�

There’s really not that much more to it. I made the best sweet tea at Buffalo Wild Wings.

AA: Nice. Alright, what do you do in your downtime from touring?

TW: I live in Nashville, and Nashville fucking rocks. So, when I’m home, I’m hanging out with friends, skateboarding, delivering food for Postmates, and playing video games.

AA: Nice. Alright, here’s a good one. What’s your favorite memory of touring with Stray From The Path?

TW: It’s gotta be the night in Japan, our last day on tour. Dragon Neck and I were roaming the streets of Japan with the band Lany at these crazy clubs. I don’t know what the fuck was going on, but we had so much fun.

CR: Yeah. I think maybe I would just attach weights to myself when I play the drums. This is like a hack. Right, I've got more questions.

Let me go. Mine are rubbish. What's your hardest song in the set, and what was the hardest song to track on the new album? So, that's two different questions.

CR: I feel like I might've started that, though.

KB: Maybe. I don't know, maybe.

CR: I tell everyone that...

KB: It is a better story if you say it like that.

.

CR: Yeah, for the record, Kyle learned drums from Rock Band. The answer is just, yes. [laughter]

CR: And it's your biggest song, so you have to play it last.

KB: Yeah, exactly, we have to play it last and we can never not play it. So, I've really fucked myself there.

CR: Nice.

KB: What was the other one, hardest one to...

CR: In the studio?

KB: In the studio.

CR: With Will Putney, and his voice.

KB: Oh God. Okay, the two hardest ones I actually got out of the way, but they didn't make the record. [chuckle] CR: Oh!

CR: What's your favorite thing about Europe? ’Cause I'm from Europe and you're not.

KB: We've been doing buses a lot in Europe now, and we split it with the other bands that we're with. Not having to drive is great, and just being surrounded by people all the time, that you're friends with, is really cool. The shows are cool. I don't know, my favorite thing?

CR: You can say bus, bus can be a favorite thing.

KB: Yeah, I'd say bus. It's like a luxury, it's one of my favorites. Yeah.

CR: It's not indicative of Europe, ’cause they do exist here. I was hoping more for, you know, “I like the Mona Lisa,â€? or‌ Is that even in Europe? I have no fucking idea.

KB: Okay, what is your go-to froyo flavour and go-to topping?

CR: My go-to froyo flavour is the pink berry coconut, dairy-free, that is my number one.

However, if I'm in a sort of, just a random establishment, I will usually go with a cheesecake and then my topping is Butterfinger with peanut butter sauce.

KB: Oh my God. [laughter] CR: Yeah, I'm disgusting, I'm a revolting person. Do you pluck those sweet eyebrows or do they grow that perfect naturally?

KB: No, I have to pluck them. If I don't, I will have the most psycho unibrow in the entire world.

CR: They're fantastic.

KB: They're okay, they're pretty good.

CR: No, I'm witnessing them right now. They look like...

KB: They're gonna be B-sides, and they're not on the record, but I practiced those the most and they were the hardest. But that made the rest of the record hard because I didn't practice the others as much.

KB: The middle is where I have to go in, like, daily. If I don't...

CR: Same thing happened to me. I practiced with this one demo, that was the hardest fucking one, and then, what happened was, we didn't even use that song. And then one of the ones that was gonna be the biggest single, barely practiced it. I thought, "This is easy," and it ended up I was learning it wrong anyway, and it took fucking forever.

KB: There's this little shape. I got a good little shape going on.

CR: Look at it, it looks insane. There's a perfect like, Ken Doll gap.

CR: It's some fucking Zac Efron shit.

KB: Sometimes I gotta do the little sides over here, then it gets in my hair too, it's fucking gross.

KB: Yeah. Okay, what is the best and worst part about recording drums with Will Putney?

CR: Have you ever had them threaded?

CR: It's amazing. It hurts but afterwards, you look like a drag queen, and it's unbelievable.

CR: Because I'm too fat to be a bodybuilder, but I'm too skinny to be a powerlifter. And I'm okay at the drums. But I would maybe not be a very nice person to be around.

CR: Will's getting so many shoutouts. The best part is honestly just all the people there. And the worst part is tracking the drums. Because he’s such a perfectionist. He’s obsessed with chinas and snare drums at the same time, in the hardest fucking possible position, because he’s a guitarist by trade. So yeah, the worst part is actually tracking the drums, and the best part is being in the presence of excellent people.

KB: If you couldn't do both?

KB: I agree, seriously.

KB: Okay. You have to either give up drums or going to the gym for the rest of your life.

Which one do you give up, and why?

CR: It has to be the gym, because I wouldn't have a career.

KB: Yeah, fair.

KB: No, should I?

KB: I probably should. I have also never done a pedicure or a manicure. I feel like I should do all three on this tour, at once.

CR: I've never done that either. I'll come with you.

KB: Alright, let's do it. đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

47

PUT THESE BANDS ON YOUR RADAR FOR 2020!

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

PHOTO BY CHELSEA DUFRESNE

PHOTO BY LOWELL SHAFFER

MOROSE

FRAIL BODY

Dead End is the perfect introductory EP, and arguably the most purely enjoyable release from a new act in years. These four songs, with loads of potential and ideas to explore in the future, highlight that Morose are not your typical new metalcore band. In fact, they’ve already got a distinct, interesting personality in tow - branching off from the progressive ambiance of Northlane and the unbridled groove of Volumes, Morose operate in a unique and gratifying space. There isn’t much room to breathe here, but that’s the point – Dead End feels like the start of something special rather than the end. The lyrical approach, a mix of baring their soul and biting back, results in a record as thematically broad as it is musically.

Given the emotional wrecking ball that is their label debut with Deathwish, Inc, it’s not the members of Frail Body that are weak – no, their name stands for how I feel after submitting to the pained depths of their screamo magnum opus. Actually, that’s misleading, because despite how punishing and powerful this record is, A Brief Memoriam flies by with the ease of a trained racecar driver. One spin and you’re totally absorbed in the band’s tales of death, anxiety, nihilism, and existentialism. Carrying the musical weight of legends like Saetia and State Faults, their post-rock-inflected-screamo sounds like the band are a juggernaut in the making.

Vocalist CJ Erxleben wanted to focus on making the record feel like a personal space to vent bottled-up frustration, and that concept works brilliantly.

Band member Lowell unveils where the despair came from, “This record was meant to not only act as a cathartic release for me in processing my mother’s passing, but also to permanently delay my mother’s second death. In that delay, I can take comfort in the fact that even though I wasn’t the best son, and I made a lot of mistakes in our relationship, I can give back to her and preserve her memory.�

“The record covers subjects like abandonment, feeling stuck in life, and fear of death, because these are all things that have weighed on me for years now,â€? he says. “I spent a lot of my life bottling these feelings up, and so being able to express them the way that I have now was therapeutic in a sense.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

This is weighty, haunted music from a trio who know how to make the listener melt with melancholia. đ&#x;’Ł

THORNHILL

JOY RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

NO LIGHT BELOW | OUT NOW | TO LIVE A LIE RIYL: PEACE. CONTENTMENT. RIFFS.

There are records that really just get you on a deeper level - those that make you appreciate the good that can exist in this life and bring about a profound sense of wonder - and No Light Below, out now on To Live A Lie, lives up to Joy’s name in spades. Indeed, this is the darkest metalcore record in recent memory – spewing forth aggression in various forms like grindcore, black metal, and Botch-ian bombast, to name a few. Joy are gleefully reminiscent of the style’s best, like Trap Them and Nails, but with a distinct tenor and tone all their own, along with a lyrical fury that perfectly accompanies their curb-stomping riffs. “The record touches on loss of love and religion, self-hatred and suicidal thoughts, and dislike of human nature,� bassist Allen Tucker notes. “All real things I felt and dealt with for the few years leading up to the record’s release. I just wanted to be transparent and keep it real with whoever decides to spin the record. Hopefully others can relate to what I have to say, and know they aren’t so alone and isolated with those thoughts like I was for years.�

Their brand of joy just may be for you. Give Joy a chance. đ&#x;’Ł

50 NEW NOISE

The Dark Pool, out now on UNFD, is transfixing and almost hypnotic in its approach, never afraid to set the mood before delivering a punishing riff. In that way, the songwriting is delightfully deliberate, and Thornhill’s debut has an immense sense of momentum. I never recommend starting at the end, but “Where We Go When We Die� highlights how affecting and dream-like the band can be. The downtuned riffs aren’t exactly hidden, but they aren’t the focus, leading to an absolutely massive tune that never explodes, despite delivering near-constant sonic suspense.

That sense of songwriting prowess and restraint is peppered throughout The Dark Pool. “In My Skin� has Jacob Charlton’s wide and powerful vocal range, but the guitars and rhythm section never relent from swirling, entrancing backing music. Sure, these Aussies technically traffic in progressive metalcore, but these two tunes highlight influences from Karnivool and TesseracT. The Dark Pool certainly hits all the expected and desired metalcore notes, but also successfully pushes for something more. Those entrancing sections only augment the dream-like sensibilities.

Charlton’s lyrics embrace that mood, with haunting yet uplifting passages. “This record really touches on what it means to be human and feel the way we do, that mixes between all sorts of emotions and mistakes, and I think it’s important to show hope and have a sense of struggle and victory in songs, as they are a soundtrack to people’s lives,â€? he says. “Music for me is a journey, and as a lyricist I wanted to really express the flow of life through each track.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

TOOTHGRINDER

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JUSTIN MATTHEWS BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

W

ith every record New Jersey’s Toothgrinder makes, they get cleaner, tighter, and stronger. I AM, their new album on Spinefarm Records, is another jump forward for the band.

“Now that we’ve established ourselves as a band, it’s easier for us to have fun in the studio,� says singer Justin Matthews. “On this record I was also a lot more comfortable with clean vocals, it was a lot more fun and not as nerve-wracking.�

Screaming started as a way for Matthews to get his emotions out and into song, but with time, a singer is how he now views himself as an artist.

I AM is well crafted. Although the sound will be familiar to Toothgrinder fans, the step up in production value is apparent from the first track, “The Silence of a Sleeping WASP.� It’s like giving your eighthole Doc Marten’s a coat of polish - same true vibe, a little more shine. The words “choosing love over suicide and let it be no mistake,� set up the record’s themes.

The album will challenge the palate of a listener who’s been with the band since the beginning. It requires respecting an artist’s ability to grow. Nonetheless, I AM also has a familiar sound. Take a song like “The New Punk Rock.� The backbone of the song is reminiscent of Toothgrinder’s earlier albums, and it’s consistent with many songs on I AM in terms of making social commentary.

it was this intimate thing for kids who felt like they didn't belong, and it became this commercialized, mainstream thing that was still marketed as underground.�

Matthews leaves the listener with his most important message on the album’s title track, about addiction and recovery. “‘I am’ was a mantra I used in meditation at the beginning of my recovery. It ended up being a good song title, a good album title, and a good thought. A good way of telling people what the album's about

without being too straight forward with it.�

With greater strength in recovery, Matthews is looking to give back through music, especially to those fans who might be struggling the way he is. “The theme for this record has been me trying to reach out a helping hand, and I've actually established a relationship with a few fans who are struggling with addiction and depression. I do have an email address that I like to tell everyone [that email address is justinpaynerecovery@gmail.com].â€? “I think the more I help, or the more I put some positivity out there to help someone else, the more I'll get back. I just want to keep that rotation going.â€? đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

“The first music I discovered that I called “A lot of the bands that I grew up listening my own was punk rock, bands like The to knew how to sing,� he explains. “Even Casualties, Rancid, The Exploited, Dead if they were a punk band, there was Kennedys, Bad Religion,� Matthews says. singing. Somewhere along the line I just became like this metal, hardcore “I was also kind of a loner as a kid, and my release was going to the basements screamer because it's what I could do. I of churches or VFWs and seeing these think it was a personal thing for me to be local shows. I remember seeing these taken more seriously as a singer. So, I was bands like Coheed And Cambria or taking lessons for about a year, and I got Thursday in basements in New Brunswick, confident with the Phantom Amour record cycle, playing those songs live so much. and somewhere along the line all those bands became huge. At that time, it left I wanted to keep doing it. I really enjoy a bad taste in my mouth. I came up with singing. I can convey a lot more emotions the title “The New Punk Rock� because I than I can with just screaming, and it's a saw what happened to punk rock, where lot of fun.�

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OF MICE&MEN INTERVIEW WITH DRUMMER VALENTINO ARTEAGA BY NATALEE COLOMAN

T

en years ago, a group of guys from Southern California got together to create their own version of the music they love, with nothing but passion for music driving them. Today, that same group has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Rock and Independent Charts, and No. 4 on the genre-spanning Top 200, and has shared the stage with metal legends such as Metallica, Linkin Park, Slipknot, and Queens of the Stone Age. After five successful albums, a live recording, and a DVD release, Of Mice And Men are back with their sixth studio album, EARTHANDSKY, which released to the public on September 27, 2019 via Rise Records. This has been a long-awaited release for both the band and their fans.

“Our albums are snapshots of our lives with time, and with EARTHANDSKY, a lot of what was recorded and created this last year was absolutely reflected in the music,� drummer Valentino Arteaga shares. “We wanted to bring the highest caliber of what to expect from Of Mice And Men in 2019 and onwards.

Through the album, through music, through everything, we want to show everyone this is what Of Mice And Men is, we are connecting with our audience and writing some of the best music we’ve ever written-and having a lot of fun doing so!�

EARTHANDSKY is a more defined version of the band, with a unidimensional theme that ties the music, lyrics, and visuals into one, centered piece. Although the album was finished earlier this year, the band took their time releasing it to the public to perfect all aspects of the album. “Good music, good anything, is worth the wait, and we put a lot of time and effort into this album,� Arteaga says. “This album feels so focused, we just can’t wait for everybody to get their physical copy, open it up, and transport into this other realm for 45 minutes or an hour. I think a really important testament to this album is that we’ve had it in our hands for quite some time now, and

we still jam the album and show it to our friends.�

The album’s artwork also plays a part in the story of EARTHANDSKY, adding another element for fans to enjoy. Arteaga touches on how the band wanted to push their limits on each part of this record, integrating everything to come together as one.

EARTHANDSKY takes Of Mice And Men to a different level compared to their previous albums. Not only is it more focused, but it has a more mature and tailored sound, putting the band deeper into the metal genre. Arteaga mentions how the band’s love for “We wanted to have an alternate listening to and playing metal music storyline going on that gives a visual has “reinvigorated us to create a representation to the sonics and kick-ass metal album.� Which is ex- how we are visually trying to repreactly what fans can expect - in-your- sent the album,� he reveals. “Someface, headbanging metal. thing that leaves things open for the

listener and the audience. There’s the visual representation, but they can draw their own feelings from just listening to the music and the lyrics. All the artwork and icons are done on purpose. Everything in this album has a purpose, so if you see something and think ‘Did they mean do that?’ Yes, yes we did.� “It’s clearer to us that we need to be waving the flag for our kind of metal and the way we do things,�

Arteaga adds. “We are a band that’s been around for ten years, and we are just now playing some of our biggest performances ever. It’s hugely encouraging where nothing but passion for music has brought us. If anyone has kept up with us, you know we never stop writing and creating, and there’s always new stuff happening. Next year is going to be insane! There’s so much more music and more awesome shit coming, so be on the lookout and follow us on our travels!â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

ASTROSAUR

INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST EIRIK KRĂ…KENES ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

A

name like Astrosaur may make you curious. What is an Astrosaur, and is the name a reference to astronomy, paleontology, or both? Luckily, Astrosaur

are a band who are all about curiosity. “This album is, in many ways, a record Their new album, Obscuroscope, out now about curiosity,â€? says Eirik KrĂĽkenes, the on Pelagic Records, delves deeper into band’s guitarist. “Thematically, each song that concept. relates to stories of exploration, and of discovering the unknown. We don’t really have lyrics, we play instrumental music.

So, we’re using song titles, artwork, and sets of coordinates and dates to form a narrative that, at the same time, is open for personal interpretation.� “I personally find curiosity one of the more interesting human traits,� he continues. “[I] keep getting fascinated and inspired by people that let curiosity drive them in creating and doing spectacular things. Also, I think curiosity and open-mindedness are key to challenging the presumptions and prejudices we all have, to some extent, and I think we could use more of that perspective right now.�

PHOTO BY WANDA NORDSTROM

While this experimentation is something that has always been a signature part of Astrosaur’s sound and energy, this new record also represents a fresh focus for the band.

UNE MISERE INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST JĂ“N MĂ R Ă SBJĂ–RNSSON BY MARIKA ZORZI

U

“On our first record, Fade In // Space Out, the material consisted of music we’d been working on since we started out three years before, so we basically went into the studio and recorded that set live,�

KrĂĽkenes says. “This time, we had about one-and-a-half to two years to write music, and bounce ideas back and forth. We also toured much more than we had prior to the previous album.â€?

The experience of having written and toured on an album allowed them to grow and expand their sound. “After living with a record over a longer period of time, combined with performing that material live, you’re getting a feeling of what you want to try to do differently next time around. For example, we were not afraid of tracking instrument-by-instrument for the parts that demanded that, while still recording some parts live. This method, ironically, resulted in a sound [that is] more true to how we sound live.�

Keep an eye on Astrosaur for tour announcements in 2020, and check out the band members’ other projects, Dreamarcher, Einar Stray Orchestra, and Heig Chief. Make sure to pick up Obsuroscope to get caught up on the band’s discography. đ&#x;’Ł realm of muted flowers and soothing tones amidst a blackness, representing the timeless, yet modern existence of Une Misère. “When I look at that cover, I’m still finding new things,â€? Ă sbjĂśrnsson says. “It’s both beautiful and mysterious. It’s kind of sad in a way, because the golden color [is] a celebratory color, but then you have these dark, reddish, blackish tones that symbolize hurt and pain.â€?

The result is a record that sounds like a ne Misère is not a band that is easily Iceland lit the tenacious fire that led the personal journal. defined. With their full-length debut, band to produce this album.

Sermon, out on Nov. 1, 2019, on Nuclear Blast Records, the band is seeking to per- “Depression is one of the most common “‘Damages’ was written a few days after I “I feel that modern day culture is way too form their darkened sermon for the world. things here in Iceland,â€? Ă sbjĂśrnsson says. lost a good friend to anxiety and addiction,â€? preoccupied [with] everything that is nice, Ă sbjĂśrnsson explains. “‘Overlooked - Dis- and none of the things that are going bad,â€? “We have about nine months of darkness he continues. “You only see the Instagram regarded’ is written from a state of mind “A sermon, to us, is more of a celebration,â€? throughout the year. That really can mess that I had put myself into while still on drugs, side of life, if you know what I mean. You vocalist JĂłn MĂĄr Ă sbjĂśrnsson explains. with your mind. When you get into the in which I hated my family. I made myself only see the person wearing the fur coat, “That’s what this album is. It’s a celebration routine of waking up in the morning and you don’t want to see how it’s made. You believe that I hated my family. After I quit of misery, of anger, of sadness, and of the it’s total darkness, then you go to work only see the guy ordering a ham sub at doing drugs, I realized that that was just the general feeling of feeling bad. Instead and it’s still total darkness, then when you drugs talking. It’s quite the journal, actually, Subway, but you don’t want to know where of taking sadness and general shittiness get off work it’s total darkness again, and the ham is from. People don’t want to feel when you say it like that.â€? and sweeping it under the rug, you should then you go to sleep in total darkness, that bad, and I can understand that, but it’s a celebrate the fact that you’re actually can really affect your mind in a bad way. feeling. Through my experience, it’s better It becomes harder and harder to wake up. The album artwork, created by Niklas Sun- part of life. It really is a part of life. I think people kind of have to get with it.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł to hurt than [to] feel nothing at all.â€?

So yeah, that definitely affects our music.â€? din (Dark Tranquility), shows a woman in a “All the lyrics and all the riffs that we One benefit to the band members being write come from a very honest place, isolated in Iceland is the consistency of and my past experience,â€? Ă sbjĂśrnsson the writing process. Someone comes continues. “I talk about my addiction up with a riff, they meet, discuss, sound to drugs and alcohol, and world issues it out, and the lyrics and music develop such as veganism. This album really around it. means a lot to us and to me, so it can get really emotional on stage. Like, super “When you’re going through such turmoil emotional. We also bring our problems and the ocean has such huge waves, it’s to the stage and we don’t take them with so easy to respond to them,â€? Ă sbjĂśrnsson us off the stage. So, it’s kind of therapy admits. “You have to write these things for us, the fact that we take it onstage down in order to understand them fully and we leave it there.â€? yourself. For me, I was going through withdrawals from addiction, and I was fixing Beginning their journey just a few years a lot of problems that I had created with ago in 2016, Une Misère is the culmination drugs and alcohol. I still am. The whole of familiar friendships, musical devotion, process of writing this record was quite hardening tragedy, addiction, and the difficult, because we’ve all been going fusing of bandmates from wildly differ- through shit for the past three or four ent musical styles. The desire to escape years, and we just kind of put everything the tragic and beautiful poison that is that we have to give into the music.â€?

54 NEW NOISE

LIFE OF AGONY

through the honest lyrics and soul- Sound of Scars is the first record ful vocals that only Mina [Caputo] that drummer Veronica Bellino could possibly deliver,� Robert says. has recorded with Life of Agony, “We have never been more focused and the connection the band than in the making of this record. shares with Bellino’s talents on the Every detail was thought through.� kit only add to the album’s quality and perfection.

Robert also shares that the timing of this album was almost magical. “When Veronica joined the band “Once the record was all done and last year, it gave us such a boost in we sent it to the label, they immedi- spirit and morale. We felt energized ately loved it and gave us a release and enthusiastic about the future, date that fit into their schedule. and I think that all shows on this Without even knowing the con- record,� Robert adds. “The dynamic nection, they gave us Oct. 11, 2019. between all of us changed for the Our minds were blown. River Runs better. We are having fun again. It Red came out 26 years earlier, reminds me of the feeling I had long practically to the day! That's some before we ever signed a record deal.� cosmic shit right there.�

Whether you are a first-time While the band was writing the listener, or you’ve been a fan music for Sound of Scars, they since the ’90s, there’s something were reminiscing about memo- in Sound of Scars that every metal ries they had of their 30 years as fan can enjoy.

Life of Agony. “To see our fans completely flip out “We laughed a lot, we always do. It over it - they're just so thrilled! All was like the old days again in a lot that makes us smile,� Robert adds. of ways. Especially when it came “I encourage each and every Life time to track the backup gang of Agony fan to turn just one pervocals,� Robert reflects. “Joey and I son they know onto the band. Life just screamed our asses off for like of Agony has saved so many peosix hours straight, going from song ple's lives through the music, and INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST ALAN ROBERT to song. That brought back a lot of you never know who might need it

BY NATALEE COLOMAN memories from the River Runs Red most. If we can help just one perife of Agony paved the way for we never set out to duplicate days, for sure. I think I lost my voice son feel less alone in this world, then we've done our job!â€? đ&#x;’Ł many bands in the metal scene, what we've done before, but we for like two days after that.â€? starting in the late ’90s with their did include certain songwriting debut album, River Runs Red. elements that the ’90s-era Life of Agony records had.â€?

26 years later, almost to the exact date of the release of their debut, Robert also mentions how evthe group returns with their kick- erything had to be right with this ass new album, Sound of Scars, record, including the authenticity released to the public on Oct. 11, of the EMT and police codes used 2019 via Napalm Records. in “Prelude� and throughout the album. “We did our homework. We Sound of Scars begins where River got our friends on the police force Runs Red leaves off, with “Prelude� involved. We made sure every easing listeners back into the detail felt legit. We're very proud of storyline with the sound of blood what we were able to accomplish dripping, a slow and faint heart- together.� beat in the background, and emergency responders calling in All the hard work that went into an attempted suicide.

Sound of Scars is very evident whether it’s the seamlessness of “Every aspect of it had to be right each song flowing into another, the - from the sonics and performanc- passion driving the music, or the es, the audio scenes, the artwork, heart and soul heard in the vocals. to the common message of the “Every song had to move the listener songs telling this story,� bassist both physically, with groove and PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAT GILRANE Alan Robert shares. “Musically, hard-hitting riffs, and emotionally, PHOTO BY PAT GILRANE

L

56 NEW NOISE

JINJER INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST TATIANA SHMAILYUK

O

BY CALEB R. NEWTON

n their new album Macro, the Ukrainian band Jinjer’s music is somehow both groovy and brutal.

The tracks flow with powerful melody and pack blistering intensity. The group’s October 2019 release on Napalm Records delivers a deeply personalized take on extreme metal. Macro is Jinjer’s own journey and tells their own story.

from comparatively short tours around their home country of Ukraine, to their first headlining U.S. tour that unfolded in the fall of 2019. That headlining run came just a year after their first time in the States, when they were on tour supporting Cradle of Filth. Nonetheless, most of the dates on Jinjer’s headlining tour sold out.

most sold out. Man, I don’t know - it’s hard to imagine what more can one expect.�

The band will be back in the States as soon as they can and hope to hit cities they’ve never been to before.

Although Shmailyuk notes that choices like singing predominantly in English have helped the band get ahead globally, she makes it clear that Jinjer haven’t arrived here by chance.

On Macro’s closer “Prophecy,â€? Shmai- “After the last show of this tour, we wanted lyuk memorably asserts: “I reclaim my to have our poster printed with all the kingdom, ‘cause your sun will never rise. sold-out shows that we had, and see how I reclaim my kingdom!â€? It’s a personal many of them there were,â€? Shmailyuk “We worked our asses off, day by day, and journey of brute honesty that has reso- shares. “It has only been a year since I think it’s a normal thing for people who nated with many. want to achieve success,â€? she says. “We we first landed in the U.S., and we were didn’t do something extraordinary. It a support band then. Right now we are Jinjer have progressed in recent years headlining, and every single show is al- came naturally.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

“I understand that I don’t provide people with solutions,� frontwoman Tatiana Shmailyuk notes. “The only thing that I do from song to song is shame human beings for what they do. I completely understand it. Probably I should give solutions, but I am not a politician, you know, I am not an activist. I’m just an artist. I’m not supposed to find a way out. I’m working on changing my mind, changing my mindset, and I start from myself.�

Jinjer ultimately pack a range of themes into Macro, including furious, metallic challenges to those in authority who shouldn’t have it. Closer to home, there are contemplations about the external and internal limits on our lives, including the march of time, and mental hurdles like anxiety and dissociation. “Basically, this record is about everything,�

Shmailyuk explains, laughing. “Everything that bothers me. And I think there is no one song that can reflect the whole idea of Macro.

I think it’s all the same theme, like the harmful effects of human beings on our planet.�

PHOTO BY TEMENTIY PRONOV

SILVERTOMB Brooklyn, New York

Edge of Existence | Out Now | Long Branch Records RIYL: Reading About Near-Death Experiences. Commiserating. Perspective.

Rising from the ashes of Type O Negative (RIP), Brooklyn’s Silvertomb is the latest sonic adventure for guitarist and vocalist Kenny Hickey. Taking members of Type O and his other band Seventh Void, among others, the band feels like a continuation of the spirit of Type O with a different focus. Musically, there’s a much grander scope at play, recalling if Pink Floyd worshipped at the altar of Black Sabbath and Typo O – there’s a real transcendent nature to the music that melds beautifully with the haunting exploration of life, death, and whatever the hell is after.

Thematically, Hickey’s self-dubbed “NearDeath Metal� ponders the meaning of life after so many brushes with death. In other hands, this might be a Donnie Downer, but Edge of Existence, out now on Long Branch Records, is resplendent. “Everything I write about is personal,� Hickey notes. “Drawn from my own experience or from the experiences of people that are closest to me. Luckily, there doesn’t seem to be a dull moment in life.�

Here’s hoping Hickey is done with the outrageous and can focus on crafting excellent, haunting metal. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 57

BOOK SPOTLIGHT

"HEAVY TALES" PHOTO BY TASHINA BYRD

PHOTO BY GRIZZLEE MARTIN

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JON ZAZULA

BY BRIAN O’NEILL

T

he most fascinating thing about Heavy Tales, the autobiography of Jon Zazula, the man who parlayed selling imported records at a New Jersey flea market into the label that discovered Metallica, is how it begins. The first chapter doesn’t recap the day he received the demo that changed life for him, Metallica, and millions of metal fans. It doesn’t recap his childhood in the Bronx with an abusive father. Those tales come later. Instead “The Beginning of the End,� as the chapter is called, recalls how major label vultures circled backstage at a sold-out 1984 show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, looking to take Metallica away from him.

were talking and they were giving me their vision, the story ended there, and that's where my story had to begin.�

Heavy Tales recaps the life of Zazula, who took on the name ‘Jonny Z’ so music industry folks would answer the phone when he called.

When he had had enough of his father, he left home, and even slept on the streets. When he needed a job, he wound up on Wall Street.

When he decided there was more to life than making money, he started selling NWOBHM rarities at a northern New Jersey flea market. He was so enthralled by a young band from San Francisco that he started Megaforce Records to release their music, because nobody else would.

“That was always my intention,� says the author. “I wanted to talk “I think I was too crazy to know I was about a very pivotal day in the in a challenge,� he laughs. “I just history of heavy metal. I was ap- felt that this is what’s next. I just proached by two different writers was driven.� to do biographies on me. When we

58 NEW NOISE

Zazula sits in the living room of ample, when Anthrax famously Maria Ferrero. As a teenager, Fer- fired vocalist Joey Belladonna, rero made the first purchase from they had Jonny Z tell him.

Rock ’n’ Roll Heaven, the flea market stall that Zazula co-owned with “I was the guy who represented his wife, Marsha. “Metal Mariaâ€? Anthrax,â€? he shrugs. “Joey knew I went on to be the in-house pub- wasn't firing him. I told him that he licist for Megaforce Records and was fired by the band. He asked me Crazed Management. She was re- too, ‘why didn't the band call me?’ I sponsible for bringing Testament said Joey, that's the way it is, man.â€? to the label. All these decades later, she is still working for Jon- It’s hard to faze the man who spent ny Z. That isn’t surprising, since he a ton of money he didn’t have to spends most of the book crediting get an unknown Metallica across her and everyone else who helped the country, only to watch as they sent Dave Mustaine – who wrote him along the way. much of their early material – “Especially Marsha, my partner in back on a now-infamous Greycrime, 40 years now,â€? he says, smil- hound bus ride after he was fired. ing. “And especially God, who talked to me every two-thirty, three-thirty “I respected Metallica's young viin the morning, woke me up with my sion, and I actually trusted them pencil in my hand and said, ‘Jonny, very much in their artistic judgwrite this down.’ And that's how I got ments,â€? he recalls. “I understood what they were doing because I into all my mischief!â€? was witness to everything that went Even those aware of Zazula’s on. They were serious as a heart rags-to-platinum story will find attack about really being out previously unheard, and yes, there and blowing people away.â€? heavy, tales in this book. For ex- đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

TAKE OFFENSE

do with human awareness, everyday struggles, cause and effect, and modern belief systems,â€? he says. “The main problem in the some heavyweight legends is just an awe- grit of the music, vocalist Anthony Herrera some and humbling experience,â€?Cerwonka bellows in his classic delivery, bandying be- world today is people just plainly accepting says. “This tour was also our first foray into tween vocal tones but continually summon- ‘the truth’ as it is told to them, instead of the, dare I say, more ‘metal’ crowd, which ing the tough bark that he has established. on their own true instinct. Since our early life, we’ve been domesticated, taught to act has been a long time coming for this band. The theme of Take Offense being older and and be a certain way. That said, the main Every gig had a couple rows of people up grown now is repeatedly stated. Herrera subject of the record is to make sure you’re front ready to rage on the first note. Solid, reflects this maturity in his lyrics. good with that, and if not, then act on it, positive reactions every night, from people that have never seen us before. We’re “The subjects we tackle on this one have to in any way that you’re able.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł used to the horseshoe crowd, so it was a dope change of pace.â€? PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ANTHONY HERRERA AND GUITARIST GREG CERWONKA BY HUTCH

T

ake Offense are back after a six-year gap, on a new label with a broader sound. Still infusing a mighty dose of Suicidal Tendencies with Excel and NYHC crossover bands, the Chula Vista, California titans drop ten tracks in 32 minutes on Keep an Eye Out. Produced by Nick Jett (Terror) and mixed and mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust), the album fires up seething riffs and thunderous rhythms.

“It’s a clichĂŠÂ statement, but we put out the record we wanted to put out, and they “Above No Oneâ€? crashes at hyper-speed stood behind us every step of the way,â€? lead while utilizing gang vocals, proving the blur guitarist Greg Cerwonka says about pairing of thrash and hardcore can mesh seamlesswith Pure Noise Records, after years on ly into oblivion. Other tracks, say “Hidden Reaper. “You can’t really ask for more in in Plain Sightâ€?, churn a dark, mid-tempo that situation. It was also a good fit because stomp. The gamut runs a wide breadth, but our rep from the label booked our first show all flows smoothly on Keep an Eye Out. in Sacramento back in 2011 and has been a fan of the band for a while now. A lot of “It’s one hundred percent a Take Offense reour friends and brother bands - Terror, cord,â€? Cerwonka says. “Our last full-length Rotting Out, etc. - being on the roster was came out six years ago, so obviously there’s also a plus.â€? been a lot of ‘musical’ growth in that time period. We all listen to different types of muTo get their feet wet again, Take Offense sic, which I think gives us the confidence completed a big tour with Napalm Death, to try different things. It was a very natural Sick Of It All, and Municipal Waste, proving progression. I definitely studied guitar way that the lines between fan bases in extreme more and learned new techniques to incorgenres are negligible. porate into my riff writing.â€?

RED DEATH “Getting to rip it up every night with

To match the rebellious vigor and punching

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHAD TRONCALE BY HUTCH

the anticipation for the new LP, out on Nov. 29, 2019.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

“Mike Gitter, the [Century Media] VP, came to a show in 2016 and loved what he saw. So, he gave us his card and we kept in contact and now here we are! Everyone seems to be on the same page in terms of what needs to be done. It’s great to have a big gun looking out for you, it’s all about longevity with Red Death.�

Longevity is not just a personal goal, but a comment on the scene’s propensity to churn out bands-of-the-moment, who put out a couple of releases, get hyped, and then disband. Perpetual growth has been the goal for Troncale and Red Death. That means sticking to a formula that works.

Troncale reports that the songwriting process for the band has remained the same.

R

ed Death emerged out of the NWODCHC scene, so vibrant a few years ago.

While some bands tapped youth crew or punk, old-school hardcore, or dirty, short/ fast/loud styles, Red Death harnessed the bombastic crossover hardcore style.

60 NEW NOISE

“Just me, Connor [Donegan, drums] and Ace [Mendoza, guitar] getting together and bouncing riffs and ideas around. Me and Ace generally get together and show each what we’ve got before we start the The band was revered early, unleashing creation process, it feels like a very organtreacherous sounds on labels such as Grave Mistake, Lockin Out, and Triple B. ic process. I can count on Ace and Connor to help me flesh out what I have, and vice Now, Red Death continue the slaughter with Sickness Divine, released through Cen- versa. It’s not a bad groove to be locked into, I must say!� tury Media. Vocalist Chad Troncale shares

Traoncale extends that excitement to the D.C. scene. “Seems like new bands are starting to pop up, so maybe there will be a NWODCHC boom 2.0 soon?� he says. “The metal side of things is pretty healthy also. I want to try and unite the scenes as much as possible.

Unity is a big factor for me. I think D.C. is opened minded enough to give it a whirl, which is awesome.�

Being a D.C. band, Troncale notes that politics inevitably impacts the band a lot. “A lot of my lyrics reflect what I’m seeing in the streets. Taking a stroll down Georgia Ave. and seeing what I see - poverty, racism, oppression. All these evil components that shouldn’t exist. These types of experiences have inspired my lyrics big time. You don’t get a song like ‘Parasites Paradise’ from walking down the block in the suburbs, you know? That comes from being in the streets, absolutely. I wrote the lyrics for ‘Formidable Darkness’ because I was paying attention to the 2016 primaries and realizing what I believe needs to be done unity and revolution. Has it happened yet?�

Sickness Divine is produced by Arthur Rizk, a frequent collaborator with Red Death.

The album’s deafening atmosphere embodies the rage and frustration that Troncale relays, with its pummeling riffs and a grandiose stomp as if thrash and hardcore were moshing in the Large Hadron Collider. If Red Death is the soundtrack, unity and revolution could indeed be incited. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

HAVE A NICE LIFE

INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDING MEMBERS DAN BARRETT AND TIM MACUGA

BY MARIKA ZORZI

CONSUMER

INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST TIM MACUGA BY MARIKA ZORZI

PHOTO BY BEN STAS

Consumer features Tim Macuga from Have a Nice Life (HANL), as well as musicians from that project’s live lineup - bassist Mike Cameron, drummer, programmer and synth player Rich Otero, and guitarist and engineer Joe Streeter. In Computers is the first record released by the band, which formed in 2017. “The A-side is three songs that we wrote within the first few months of our inception,� Macuga explains. “The B-side, that’s pretty noisy, but those were soundscapes and tape-loops that had come out of some separate sessions.�

E

leven years after their initial release, Deathconsciousness, Have A Nice Life have found new focus and discipline on Sea of Worry. The new album, out in November 2019 via The Flenser, is a triumphant addition to their ever-evolving discography.

“I think all the records that we put out feel of a specific time and place,� founding member Dan Barrett says. “[With] this album that is very much the case. This record reflects us as a band now.�

Have A Nice Life was formed at a time when founding members Barrett and Tim Macuga both dealt with depression and suicidal ideation. As the project’s following has grown, Dan and Tim have aged and faced new life challenges, such as family and careers. Sea of Worry reflects just that. “I think the biggest difference is that I got married and had kids,� Barrett admits. “I take being a dad very seriously. “Another thing that’s really different is that there’s an audience now,� he continues. “I think in the beginning we had nobody that cared. We’re still a very small band relative to anybody that does this seriously, but there are people who care when we put things out. I’ve also talked to a lot of people who have these really deep relationships with the stuff that’s we’ve made. So, I try to be more aware of that.�

“Essentially, the song-writing process just came out of me and Rich Otero and Mike Cameron paying rent on the same practice space that we were using for HANL rehearsals in 2017,� he continues. “We all kind of separately had some ideas for different styles and textures that we wanted to work in. The end result we felt comfortable releasing to the world around the same time that [HANL’s] Sea of Worry is coming out. I wouldn’t call it a demo, it’s been too fussed over and worked on and polished, but it’s kind of our first notion as an ensemble, that we’d gotten together and written between all of us.�

do they inherit that? It’s a constant sense of responsibility to other people. You do it because you want to do it, hopefully, but it’s still exhausting. I think a lot of that works its way into the record.� “Despite this feeling of agency we have with the iPhone in our pockets,� Tim Macuga adds. “It’s very easy to get cynical and feel like it’s not worth even hoping you have any power over things.

Because you’re just minding your time, having the id centers in your brain refreshed, and being distracted from the bigger ecological problems, the bigger foreign policy problems that our country has right now.â€? “The closing track on Sea of Worry, called ‘Destinos,’â€? he continues. “That track is asking, ‘What am I?’ Period. Not, what am I in the context of my relationships or my job, or what am I in the context of these big political clashes of our times that I feel helpless in, but what does that make a person at the end of the day?â€? Maybe that’s a naĂŻve thing to lose sleep or burn calories thinking about, but for Dan and myself, a lot of those are very real.â€?

The strong relationship between Barrett and Macuga is, without a doubt, what keeps Have A Nice Life together. “Tim has been my best friend for a very long time now,�

Barrett says. “But beyond that I’ve never had a working relationship or a creative relationship with anyone even remotely like him. That’s just such a valuable thing.�

“The band itself is an element of our friendship, our relationship.� Macuga adds. “Whenever we’re writing an “I don’t know if it’s just because I’m older, but a lot of the stuff that I wrote – it’s not like I regret it, because I don’t, album or playing for live shows, it’s just us two. It sounds like a marriage commitment. In a way, the two of us are rivals but I’m also careful to think more about what it does once for the attention of our spouses, in terms of the amount it’s out there, and how people are going to relate to it. I don’t want it to just be, ‘hey, killing yourself is super cool.’ of attention that we put into each other’s projects. It’s a relationship with that kind of gravity.�

There’s definitely a thread in our community that toes that line a little too closely for my taste. And maybe that’s just me getting older, but it’s definitely different now than it was “The thing that Have A Nice Life has, that no other project that I work with has, is the sheer joy of making music with before.�

Tim. And from this time around, with the other guys in the band,â€? Barrett explains. “I get to be surprised by stuff all As the title suggests, dread is the primary theme throughout the time and it’s just so great. There’s this feeling when Sea of Worry. “I’m definitely somewhere on the neurotic we’ve recorded something, when we play it back and it end of the spectrum there,â€? Barrett confesses. “I do tend to sounds like a real song, there’s this feeling that I get that worry about a fair amount of things. Especially when you is just pure excitement. I feel like I just want to run around have kids, there’s just this kind of endless supply of things to the room. I’m just not able to get that in any other way.â€? đ&#x;’Ł worry about. I worry about my depressive tendencies, like

62 NEW NOISE

Even though all the band members come from Have A Nice Life, this project is aimed at a different purpose, Macuga says. “HANL is deeply personal stuff. Consumer, that’s kind of a place for a conceptual processing of where we are as a late-capitalist society, where automation has made human labor redundant. Not dystopian themes, but sometimes very dry economic ideas that we want to give voice to or critique. We figured that a different project would be necessary for that kind of thing, that wouldn’t fit the inward-looking, private, emotional vibes that HANL does.

Sonically, HANL has its louder parts, it has its synthier parts, but that kind of loud and heavy and damaged and broken kind of sound that we’ve brought to Consumer, some of those sounds don’t quite have the same home as with HANL.�

Macuga says that bass-player Mike Cameron came up with the title In Computers, and thought it would be open to different interpretations. “I like the idea that it’s open to a variety of directions and putting it all together. The lyrics are very focused on our roles as buyers and movers of product in this society, but in terms of the loudness and the bigness of the size we’re going for, there’s the destructive doom-metal element in it. It makes room for the idea of the consumption of fire, the consumption of matter in the universe, so I like the fact that it can cut in different directions,� he explains. “Most people,� he continues. “Even if they’re not willing to admit that we’re running up against ecological constraints, material constraints, scientifically we have the data to point to the idea that our consumption-driven lifestyles are not a good thing, not just for the environment around us, but for us in terms of our personal health. To suggest some sort of ascetic, sacrificial kind of lifestyle to preserve and conserve what we can about the world in which we live, it’s almost antithetical to the idea of how to sell people shit that they don’t need. I guess that’s an attractive idea for us to follow. The lyrics that we write for Consumer aren’t too wordy, they almost sound kind of caveman-like or dumb, because that’s what consumers are expected to be. It’s to give in to that id, to allow the latest flavor-blasted snack that the gas station is trying to sell us to push that pleasure center, and let us invite it in. The fact that we’ve gotten too good at selling things to the chemical components of our brain that we don’t actually really have control over, it’s kind of scary.�

FROM ATMOSPHERIC POST HARDCORE, TO ELECTRONIC DOOM, TO JAZZ INFLUENCED DISCO, WE OFFER A LOOK AT SOME BANDS PUSHING SONIC BOUNDARIES IN 2020.

PHOTO BY DAVE RENTAUSKAS

DJUNAH

INTERVIEW WITH MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST DONNA DIANE

North New Jersey’s Djunah exists in a weird but wonderful dichotomy where the duo is both a wonderful concept and yet truly insane. Donna Diane sings and plays the guitar, and what’s called a moog bass with her feet. She is seemingly surrounded by pedals and amps - and in most photos appears to do this shit in heels! Imagine having the coordination to pat your head and rub your belly (don’t pretend it’s easy!). Now imagine doing three things at once with one body and not going insane. That attention to detail and craft is also apparent in the multi-faceted noise rock the duo plays – there’s a haunting human element that’s more in line with soul and Gospel than hardcore, but the sonic violence is no less punishing. It’s a careful balance that makes Ex Voto, out now on Triple Eye Industries, feel like an instant classic, like we’ve got a new Melvins on our hands. So how did Diane find the ability to triple task? “It was definitely a case of necessity being the mother of invention. My old band had ground to a halt, and I wanted a way to play solo without sacrificing the bass. I don’t like using prerecorded sounds or loops, so I decided to try playing guitar and a bass synth simultaneously. It’s such a mindfuck - I love it! Music is a physical, full-body experience for me anyway, so playing with my whole body - and controlling so much of the frequency spectrum - only deepens that.�

Thematically, Diane’s love of art with multiple layers and meanings comes forth in this affecting listen. Just like how the album art takes influence from the beautiful and the heart-breaking, her lyrics are haunting and moving in equal measure.

So, what was the album about? “So much has happened politically and personally since I started writing the album in 2016. I saw this theme of self-healing emerge, both for me as an individual and for society collectively. I see healing as a political imperative. We live in a near-constant state of political crisis, and I think people realize we’re never going to fix things if we keep hiding from our own sickness and trauma. Every day, people come forward with personal stories about sexual assault or opioid addiction or mental illness, and we’re slowly learning as a society to embrace that vulnerability instead of shaming it and telling it to shut up. I want to make music that represents the power of that vulnerability. A lot of my life I was told I was too sensitive and that being sensitive is weak. So, I killed off a lot of the feeling, in my heart and in my body, just to make it through the day. Reclaiming it and finding power in it has been incredibly healing for me. I think that’s why there’s a lot of sexuality in the music. Sex, to me, is the ultimate in combining sensitivity and power. I sometimes think of it as feminine power, but really it has no gender. đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY LUZ GALLARDO

ARCH OF LOVE

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHELSEA BRENNAN

Releasing more synthwave into the world isn’t a novel idea in 2019. However, doing so while creating captivating, intimate, and emotionally resonant tunes is one of the many reasons that Philadelphia’s Arch Of Love need to be on your radar. With the haunting vocals of Chelsea Brennan at the helm, the three singles released thus far (by 6131 Records, who have a knack for discovering the most promising new artists) paint a very bright neon (naturally) future for the retro-futuristic duo. The shared history, musical compatibility, and personal connection between Brennan and bandmate Chris Schackerman clearly contributed to making such powerful and punchy songs. Brennan notes that their creative union has been fruitful and inspiring. “Chris and I have known each other since our late teens in 2012, and always knew we shared this common love for creating music. Between then and now, it goes without saying that we experienced a lot of growth individually, which brings an entirely different ‘spark’ than it would have back then.â€? The comfort of knowing each other for seven years may not be immediately noteworthy among the synth lines, saxophone solos, and hummable hooks, but it manifests itself by making robotic music sound distinctly human. đ&#x;’Ł

DREAM PHASES

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST/BASSIST BRANDON GRAHAM

Creating psych rock that feels grounded in the real world is a feat tougher than getting high and doing, well much of anything. However, Los Angeles’ Dream Phases have their sights set in the land of the living rather than their namesake dream world. Sure, the hazy atmosphere is second to none, and it’s impossible not to feel the hallucinatory effects of So Long, Yesterday. Yet, the songs come together to create a haunting and compelling experience that should appeal to anyone who connects with the sultry tones of Ty Segall or Thee Oh Sees. Vocalist/guitarist/bassist Brandon Graham reflects on the affecting nature of the album, “We wanted to have each song stand on its own but also be able to blend into one another, sort of like The Dark Side of the Moon does, or the second side of Abbey Road. A lot of the songs are dealing with the end of a chapter in my life, and then moving onto the next one. So, there is a lot of nostalgia, reflection, and some melancholy that is shared both in the music and lyrics.â€? There’s a conversational element to the record that only amplifies the personal yet relatable nature of Graham’s lyrics. So Long, Yesterday is out now on Nomad Eel Records.đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY LUKASZ GAWRONSKI

ZONAL ZONAL Frankly, it would be more surprising if the latest project from the legendary Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu) weren’t an absorbing, massive listen. Indeed, his collaboration with Kevin Martin (The Bug) - with key verses supplied by the wonderful Moor Mother - is a new masterpiece. This duo is writing their own rules on creating a unique fusion of futuristic industrial noise and hip hop. Moor Mother's inyour-face lyricism and delivery mesh beautifully with the varied, punishing sonic output, creating a truly intoxicating listen that demands the listener’s attention. It feels like the sonic embodiment of a host of sci-fi classics - deftly pointing out society’s ills while dismantling power and did BroadrickB aim ro a d and creating creatingglorious gloriouschaos. chaos.So, So,what what did torick aim to accomplish with this record? accomplish with this record?

“The sound of alienation and the poetry of protest combine on Wrecked,�

Wrecked,� he says. “But we seek beauty in a future tense and sensuality in friction. We find the record haunting and haunted, and I guess we wanted to create an album as warped as our headspace.�

PHOTO BY JOSH HUSKIN

PINKO The musical recipe for success is simple yet wonderfully effective for Pinko: start with your main course of angular noise rock, season liberally with ’80s punk speed and aggression, sprinkle a few dashes of caustic lyricism, and voila! That’s a spicy meatball! You & You does a masterful job playing up the familiar and the fresh - it’s home cookin’ for any fan of noise rock, but it’s got a flavor all its own thanks to the talent of the sonic chefs. Pinko is a band comprised of actual cooks, and the frustration of the real world certainly plays into their brand of brash punk. “We tell stories in our own, obtuse way, focused on imagery and setting the table for our music,â€? guitarist and vocalist Guillermo Mendez says. “Our political views drip out, but lyrically, what we play as a band is shaped by what is going on. We’re all broke cooks who love our crafts, and find ourselves at odds with the myriad gross shit around us. It inspires us to ‘blow shit up’ with sound, and find a connection with people through that.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

Wrecked,out outnow nowon onRelapse RelapseRecords, Records,certainly certainlydoes doesa anumber number the listener.

Wrecked, onon the listener. đ&#x;’Łđ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 63

...And You Will Know Us By The

64 NEW NOISE

trail of dead

INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST CONRAD KEELEY

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

Y

ou might not know it from their history, or even from poring over their complex yet exquisite art rock, but ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (henceforth Trail Of Dead) have been and continue to be immensely tied with modern technology. Looking at their thought-provoking artwork, or reading through their relatable yet philosophical lyrics, this connection to technology isn’t obvious. However, the Austin-based art rockers continue to stare into the Black Mirror and search for creative paths forward.

Now, 25 years into their storied career, Trail Of Dead have produced their ultimate mission statement

and best record yet. X: The Godless Void and Other Stories, out on Jan. 17 via Dine Alone, is a gloriously unified work, brimming with new ideas and excellently executed story beats.

Even those who think the band peaked at Madonna – because it’s a modern classic – will be surprised at how assured and breathtaking the band’s tenth record turned out.

The album is propelled by a series of impressive musical motifs that swell and bring a smile to the faces of careful listeners. This focused songwriting was an intentional experiment, notes multi-instrumentalist Conrad Keeley.

progression for the second song, and then the theme gets passed around in different parts of the songs. So, that musical motif is something that is used throughout the entire album. I was experimenting with this. I wanted us to experiment with it, because I wanted to see how I could lend a sense of unity to the piece, and in the same way, I was kind of inspired by Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.�

Not that fans should need a reason to keep poring through a new Trail Of Dead record, but these moments meld together to create a truly special listen when it all comes together.

always been close to our music,� Keeley says. “Because our grand experiment, if you will, is to try to see how technology changes the way that we make art, and in order to do that, we use the latest versions of the technology that is at hand. For this record, I think a lot of the stuff that was done on the iPad was a big technical, technological revolution. And I'm not just talking about the music, I also mean the artwork. So, if you look at the artwork and the cover design, all that was drawn using my iPad. It allowed me to have this mobile freedom, a mobility, and I guess that's really what mobile devices do, they allow us to be mobile and do what we do.�

“One thing that was different was the So, to connect to previous interview fact that I developed a musical theme plot points, how exactly does technol- In classic Trail Of Dead style, let’s dig that I wanted to repeat throughout ogy come into play here? a little deeper here. the album,� he says. “This theme is referenced in the first piece, the opening “We were exploring the idea of tech- “What do you end up creating,� Keeley crescendos, and then it is the chord nology, and that's something that has ponders. “When you have these op-

portunities to create in unusual spaces, or at times you wouldn't necessarily think of as a creative time? Hey, you're sitting in a dentist's office, waiting an hour to be seen, what are you going do? You can read a magazine, or you could work on a piece of music or a piece of art. So that, I suppose, was one of these themes that was explored on this record.

So, as a result, some of these pieces of music and pieces of art were worked upon when we were in places that were outside of the studio.�

There we are. So, what did all that extra creative time and freedom result in for Keeley and company?

If the results of the band’s tenth record are any indication, the next few years are Trail Of Dead’s brightest. That’s no small feat a quarter of a century in. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE

65

PHOTO BY JOE CALIXTO

CHANGE YOUR SCENERY,CHANGE YOUR LIFE

TURNOVER INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/GUITARIST TONY ESPOSITO

BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

66 NEW NOISE

range of influences when piecing together the album. With Altogether the band elevates their sound with a blend of moody and jazzy tones, emphasized with more diverse instrumentation. “I feel like as I’ve gotten older, I’ve just learned so many different types of music that I truly love, and I was just trying to expand all of those influences. [I was] also thinking about ultimately assessing the reasons why we’re making music,� explains Getz.

Not only did the band desire to expand their sound, they also hoped to craft that sound in a way that captured more listeners. It was important to not only create songs that satisfied their artistic vision, but to do so in a palatable way. “I feel like a huge thing that I always hark back to is - ultimately, can people connect?� says Getz. “People feel really changed by music, and that’s the most rewarding thing.�

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BYCHOLSKI

T

he distance created when Getz’s own adjustment to his you move across the country cross-country move also became from everyone you know can intertwined with the music he was make it feel like you’ve placed creating. Moving with the intention a giant wall between yourself and of finding a new sense of peace, them. That could easily have been he found himself in a new place the case when Turnover’s vocalist with a whole new set of stresses. and guitarist Austin Getz moved from Things didn’t quite go as expected, Virginia to California solo. However, but a lot can be learned from the the distance between bandmates unexpected. instead offered them a new sense of freedom, forcing Turnover to get “I kind of moved to California thinkcreative with how they made music. ing ‘oh shit, I’m going to get away It was a motivational change-up from all these distractions, and it is that ultimately played a big role in going to be great for me spiritually, the band’s fourth full-length album creatively,’� Getz explains. “Coming Altogether, released on Nov. 1, here actually did the opposite, because I left my comfort zone. I just 2019, via Run For Cover Records. started having all these new fears During the year-and-a-half that and anxieties and growing pains Turnover were writing the tracks that from making the move. Which ultiwould ultimately become Altogether, mately ended up being a way better the band members lived on opposite thing than I could ever have hoped coasts, exchanging ideas over the in- for. Because through learning those ternet and finding new ways to make things, it makes you a more rounded the writing process work for them. person. It makes you grow a little bit.�

No matter who’s listening or singing along to Altogether, the honesty and care poured into the record is bound to shine through. Getz and Turnover hope that people latch on to the album’s genuine charm.

That was kind of a new thing. I feel like that was interesting, because when I would just sit down and do it, it made me feel so good.â€? “As long as [the music] feels real and it feels authentic to people, that’s all Turnover sought to utilize a wider I can really ask for.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł PHOTO BY ALYSSA BYCHOLSKI

“When we’re all in the same place, I According to Getz, the change of feel like we always fall into this thing scenery also forced him to change where ‘okay cool, practice at this his mindset when it came to writing time,’ and then we’re like ‘alright, I songs. “Throughout my whole life, gotta dip’,� says Getz. “Now it was I’ve been like ‘oh shit, I have this kind of cool, because we went to idea in my head for some melody Portland for a week and we had a or some idea for a song,’� he says. dedicated writing session, and we “I think me being less in my comfort had some times in New York where zone and having more on my mind we got together specifically just to made that happen a lot less. So, I write. It was pretty fun. It was defi- was like ‘okay, I need to go sit down nitely different.� with a guitar and make myself play.’

NEW NOISE 67

SAMMI LANZETTA INTERVIEW BY DOUGLAS MENAGH

I

’m excited to put out the album,� says Sammi Lanzetta of Ceiling Mirror, her first full-length. “It feels like I’ve been pregnant for nine months.�

“I had some crazy life stuff over the past few years,� she says. “I just moved to Brooklyn a month ago. I was living with someone, and I had to move out of her house because it was a less-than-ideal situation. I had been through a couple A Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter of break-ups and bad job situations over by way of Richmond, Virginia, Lanzetta dropped Ceiling Mirror on Nov. 1, 2019, the years, and it felt like one bad thing after another. But I’ve been persevering through 6313 Records. The record is her through it and still making music.� follow-up to For Avery, released in 2017.

“It was like summer camp,� she says. “When I was recording this album, I brought my homies, some good friends I had from Virginia. They know me and know what I wanted the album to sound like.�

On recording vocals, Lanzetta reflects, “I feel like everyone else hates vocal tracks.

I’m like, ‘I’ve got this. I’ve been singing in showers since I was eight years old.’�

Sammi Lanzetta is currently set to tour with Boston-based band Leopard Print Taser. “I’m nervous and excited,â€? she says of touring. “I’ve never done a true headlining tour before, so I hope people see me!â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JOEY WHARTON

Lanzetta’s songwriting is emotionally “When I made For Avery, I was listening honest in a way that is raw, skirting the to a lot of singer-songwriter music,� says Lanzetta. “When I was making this album, line between punk and hardcore. On I wanted it to be a grungy, Strokes-vibe, “Pat,� for instance, Lanzetta sings softly ’90s throwback, rock ’n’ roll type of album.� over an acoustic guitar - “what do I do now that you’ve got me figured out? / I will barge through your goddamn door/ Songs like “Nude Hugs, Love Keith� display And you look me in the eyes as if you’re those rock elements, with fuzzy riffing and fucking blind and say/ I don’t love you laid-back drumming. Lanzetta’s music anymore.� also has a comedic touch. On “House Plants,� for instance, she sings, “I just want “I was in this band Venus Guy Trap, which some house plants even if I kill them.� was like a more punk, riot-grrrly band,� she says. “I really liked that band. It was “I started in the comedy world, when I was fun. I also wanted to make singer-songreally young,� says Lanzetta. “I try to write songs that are tongue-in-cheek and fun- writer stuff happen on my own and under my own name.� ny, and also things I couldn’t say to these people in person.�

Ceiling Mirror was recorded in MassachuConcurrent to making Ceiling Mirror, setts, and by Lanzetta’s account, “it was Lanzetta underwent a series of life changes. awesome.�

WISH YOU WERE HERE

INTERVIEW WITH NEIL BERTHIER BY NICK SENIOR

L PHOTO BY VANESSA VALADEZ

PHONY INTERVIEW WITH NEIL BERTHIER

BY NICK SENIOR

O

being himself and playing exactly what he wants. It just so happens that what he wants is multi-faceted, continuously interesting, and engaging indie punk. Running the gamut from grunge, jangly pop, and more traditional indie rock, Songs You’ll Never Sing might be the most misleading title in recent memory. These are masterful songs from a guy who has honed-in on a wonderful and captivating musical identity. The music plays with the push and pull of expectations vs. reality.

ne of the toughest parts of growing up is realizing it’s easier to just be yourself than trying to fit in to others’ expectations – except, who the hell am I really? What do I actually want to be? Identity and self-discovery “As far as the dichotomy and expectations, that’s what I feel like music is all about,� are central to what makes PHONY’s Berthier says. “That’s why I love it so much.

Smartpunk Records debut such a rousing It always baffles me when people limit success. Started up by Neil Berthier after themselves to one thing. My mind doesn’t his other band, indie darlings Donovan work that way, so how can that be an honWolfington, broke up, PHONY doesn’t est representation of me? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł play coy. Berthier clearly is at home

68 NEW NOISE

A’s Wish You Were Here is a wonder- If the record feels old school, that was the ful reminder of the power of music intention, according to Barnett. the way past generations defined it. While Jesse Barnett is most known for “This kind of music has always been in my life,� his time with hardcore vets Stick To Your he says. “This predates punk or hardcore in Guns, I’m afraid you’ll go into this record my life by a long shot. I grew up in a very disappointed if you’re looking for fiery musical household, and I was raised on a riffs and powerful hardcore shout-a- lot of Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bill Withers longs. However, if quality songcraft and and so on. So, although this seems like warm melodies are your thing, I’m Afraid something new from me as an outsider, it is of Everything may very well be your thing. very much the root of who I am musically.�

Regardless, this may be the perfect record for cozy winter weekend mornings, Rarely has a side solo project felt so essenas Barnett’s soulful, soothing vocals rise tial and commanding. This is powerful stuff. over moving acoustic compositions. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY ANDREW MICHAEL ROSE

FRANCES QUINLAN INTERVIEW BY SEAN GONZALEZ BULLOCH

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hat’s the thing, right?� says in that chapter of life where it singer and songwriter Fran- doesn’t feel truthful for me at the ces Quinlan. “When you moment,� Quinlan says. In this think of what’s become over time, way, the listeners are engaging you don’t realize over time that is a with her as she sings, and she is big moment, and it’s so easy, espe- seeking their openness in emcially when you’re younger, to take bracing the conversation. those things for granted.�

The considerable amount of Quinlan’s new solo release, Like- thoughtfulness that breathes in wise, comes out via Saddle Creek Likewise gives the album a human Records on Jan. 31, 2020. The nine- quality, as evidenced on “Rare track release finds Quinlan dancing Thing.� The dreamlike textures through a multitude of dialogue, of atmosphere allow Quinlan’s stories, and emotional connections voice to powerfully admit that to the process of forming relation- it’s okay to be happy. The song — the first single released from ships with other beings. the album — highlights the ad“Part of what I wanted, for my own venturous display of instruments sake,� she says. “[Was] to not get that Quinlan worked with, led by completely embroiled in myself. I master of production (and Hop wanted the lyrics to declare their Along bandmate) Joe Reinhart. ideas without exerting all of my “He really understands my apown emotions.� proach,� Quinlan comments. “I An example of these larg- knew for my solo record, I wasn’t er-than-herself connections lies making a solo record because I in the track “Your Reply,� about was passionate about the acousthe tragic death of Edgar Allan tic guitar, the guitar just always Poe. With this in mind, Quinlan ended up being my main vehicle understands the nature of listen- when I write. Some songs were driven by the flexibility of each ing to songs. song having its own identity.� “You’re in a different state of mind any time you put a song on. May- That’s why there’s a wide variety be a person will feel something of sounds contorting through the despairing when they hear a line, mix of songs. “Detroit Lake� has and for others they will feel at strings delicately crying behind peace. Pain will always be a part a keyboard, with Quinlan finding of our lives, and part of me wor- herself in a mess of questions. ried that the album would sound “Carry The Zero� has a multidespairing, but there’s nothing tude of percussion instruments contributing to the staccato wrong with that,� she reflects. stream-of-consciousness vocals.

Starting with “Piltdown Man,â€? — a reference to the hoax of the first “There was a time in my life where human — Likewise finds Quinlan I felt [more] confident in other in a thoughtful state, bashfully people’s knowledge than my lying in wait to understand the own,â€? Quinlan comments. nature of situations. The track ends with a deep thought, “In the Likewise shines in its ability to inafternoon you both fell asleep / still a sense of unknown ambience, Still knowing more than me.â€? An curating a belief that everyone is insight in the endless possibility of simply figuring themselves and inner dialogue, feeling lost with their dialogue out through their different moments. By sharing in what it is to know oneself. this world, Quinlan is able to con“I’ve tried to be an omniscient fidently sing, “Now that I’m back / narrator, but I suppose I am we should try again to talk.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

70 NEW NOISE

PHOTO BY JULIA KHOROSILOV

PHOTO BY TUCKER LEARY

JENNY OWEN YOUNGS INTERVIEW BY NICHOLAS SENIOR

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t’s incredibly tricky to main- exploring writing with and for an idea in your mind for hours on it, and you tell your story, and tain a unique songwriting voice other artists for about five years. or weeks before you ever commit you make it beautiful or bruised, or when you’re an in-demand When I was just getting started in it to paper. Co-writing requires a however it needs to be.� co-writer. It’s even more challeng- the co-writing world, I held the certain level of discomfort, but the ing to make that voice resonant missions of 'writing for me' and upside is that you get to kick the The songs are connected by the and resplendent. That’s exactly 'writing for others' in very separate ball with somebody else, and you goal of making sense of reality what Los Angeles-by-way-of-New parts of my brain. But the longer have access to double the ideas and wanting to escape into a Jersey artist Jenny Owen Youngs I co-write, the more clear it be- for whatever you're working on.� dream world. That sense of escaphas accomplished with her lat- comes that this is not the mindset ism feels grounded in the lyrics, est release. That self-released EP, that best serves my writing. The There's a casual, almost conver- but is also something that is easy Night Shift, out now, sees five songs lesson I keep learning, over and sational nature to Youngs’ music to relate with. take flight - there’s an immedi- over again, is this: the best songs that's like a hot cup of coffee ate personal connection to these come when I can suspend that shared between friends on a cold “The thread that runs through these songs that makes them relatable separation and just say what I Saturday afternoon. Even the rel- songs is the connection between and remarkable. The witty lyricism, mean, say what moves me, regard- atively bombastic “Dreaming on our dreadfully mortal bodies, the natural crescendos, and the less of who's going to be singing it.� the Bus� feels relaxed. fixed in space and time, and our immediacy of the hooks are all just minds, free to wander the universe, “I think writing for myself is easy,� “I think the conversational nature of travel through time, go anywhere wonderfully done. she continues. “In that I generally the songs is a natural development you can imagine,� Youngs notes.

Youngs has written songs for, and/ know what I want to say and how I in my writing style,â€? she answers. “The songs explore dream space, or with, Panic! At The Disco, Pitbull, want to say it. But I'm also my own “Maybe the longer you write songs, nostalgia, and memory. Nothing and Ingrid Michaelson, among harshest critic, so there's a lot to the more apparent it becomes can be changed, but everything many others. So, is her mindset for live up to. To write well with others, that the shortest distance between can be turned over in your hands, others different than for herself? Is I've had to cultivate a particular two points is a straight line, and the and perhaps re-contextualized it easier to write for other artists? type of vulnerability - you have shortest distance between my feel- through that examination. Maybe to be willing to say an imperfect ings and your heart is me just saying there's something we can learn “I've been writing songs for myself idea out loud to another person, the damn thing. Then, once you through our methods of escapism since I was in high school,â€? Youngs whereas when writing for oneself, have that core pillar of honesty to that can help us feel less afraid, or recalls. “But I've only really been you could just sand and sculpt work with, you find images to hang more prepared, to be here now.â€?đ&#x;’Ł

NEW NOISE 71

SLUMBERLAND

INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER MIKE SCHULMAN BY CAMERON CARR

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he most remarkable thing “I still think of it as our label,� Schul- Stereolab’s debut album Switched has helped to continue his passion about Slumberland Records’ man says. “My musical life is still re- On, which remains an essential of for running the label 30 years into 30th anniversary may not be ally tied up with those people.� the Slumberland catalog, signaled its existence. that it has sustained itself across a turning point in the growth of the three decades, or that it has put out Sharing equal admiration for jan- label. Released in 1992, Switched On “I kind of have this benchmark that foundational records by the classic gly indie pop acts like Aztec Cam- was one of the first releases outside was always like, ‘are we putting out and modern vanguard of indie era and darker, noisy artists like The the label’s immediate network of records that wouldn’t find a home music including Stereolab, The Birthday Party, the label founders friends. It was also one of Slumber- otherwise?’� he explains. “If all of Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Veloc- pooled together nominal music land’s first full-length albums, as our bands could just go find other ity Girl, and Black Tambourine. The industry knowledge from work at the label begin to shift away from labels right away, then maybe we’re most remarkable thing is that the record stores and college radio exclusively releasing its favored for- not serving the purpose that I set to label has done so while retaining a stations to release Slumberland’s mat of 7� singles. build up for the label.� singular aesthetic, one that seems debut 7�, What Kind of Heaven Do frustratingly close to offering a You Want? “I felt like we were becoming more of To celebrate the label’s 30th anniclear definition—indie pop, posta real label,� Schulman says. “Even versary, Schulman returned to his punk, twee, or shoegaze—but never “We were all in noise bands but we though I love singles, and singles love for 7� singles, with a subscripquite conforming, almost snickering all really liked pop music,� Schul- were more viable then, people al- tion series meant to highlight acts in resistance at times. man recalls. “When we started, it ways take albums a little more se- not associated with the label. The felt like it wouldn’t be hard to find riously.� series includes Baltimore dreamAnother remarkable fact is that a niche at all.� pop band Wildhoney, Failed Flowers founder Mike Schulman has run the Throughout Slumberland’s history, - featuring Michigan solo artists Anna label almost singlehandedly since The early years of the label show- the label has maintained its indie Burch and Fred Thomas - and culthe beginning. After beginning as case the convergence of those two values (with a lowercase ‘i’, Schul- minates in a bonus 7� from the vital a collaborative effort between sides. Take a listen to Swirlies “Didn’t man points out). While the promi- Slumberland band Black TambouWashington, D.C.-area friends, in- Understand,� a blur of noise-pop nence of the label has ebbed and rine. Like the rest of Slumberland’s spired to release their own music and shoegazey fuzz, for reference. flowed - including a hiatus from catalog, it’s a collection that’s as difby now-iconic indie labels like K, That period also saw Slumberland 2000 to 2003, followed by a re- ficult to pinpoint as it is familiar.

Rough Trade, and Postcard, the la- helping to kickstart the careers of naissance of sorts - Slumberland bel would become the passion proj- fuzzy indie poppers Velocity Girl has maintained a commitment to “The records kind of speak for themect of Schulman in 1992, when he and avant-pop experimentalists the undiscovered and the under- selves,� Schulman says plainly. “The moved to Oakland, California.

Stereolab. ground. Schulman says that ideal catalog kind of speaks for itself.â€? đ&#x;’Ł

72 NEW NOISE

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.

JACOB WINANS: DELAWARE: NO RENT RECORDS

DINGO: DINGO: STONED TO DEATH Dingo (not to be confused with the ’80s new wave Dingo from Finland) is from Prague, by way of the American Wild West. The art folk, country futurism of this quartet is unmistakable: sadness and joy drips from every pluck, every bridge. At times, it’s complete slapstick (almost Leningrad Cowboys-ish), but like every great band, the totality is a package of all human and non-human emotions, delivering as praxis. The songs are relatively quick (twoto four-minutes), emotional odes to the universe around us. The neo-traditional forms coalesce around lead singer Michal Drozen’s deadpan delivery, a post-punk gravitation spinning to-and-fro. “Charlie Cornflake” is pure western haze, a tale of a symbolic cornflake, life in constant flux. “After Cannon Shoot” is an aggressive number, with a clever chorus that juxtaposes itself in between “Intermezzo” (a touching classical interlude) and “I’ve Climbed Down the Mountain,” a heavy folk epic, with color and shape, booming perpetually. Dingo’s debut recording is as good as every song on the album, which is to say, it’s goddamned awesome!

74 NEW NOISE

RALPHIIE REESE: RESU(RR)ECT: THE FABULOUS ITCH CASSETTE CO. Philadelphia emcee Ralphiie Reese drifts through his new release, Resu(rr)ect, in trance, cubistic and full. A flowing path is carved and marked, his stories illuminated with guest appearances by Daniel Son, BlubRock, Estee Nack, and more. The production (beats by Reese himself) is master class, a continuous vibe of real-time flow mixed with underground grit. It’s a truly modern release, with a flowing energy that’s particular to its time, while echoing a methodology honed by legends of the past.

“Salaat,” featuring The Dart Unit, is stripped down, industrial and sharp. Its magic lies in its variance and acceptance of multiple styles. “I Love You Baby 2K20,” featuring El Ay, is like a drive through the city at night, a narrator weighing the ripples of life, contemplating the x-y axis, the two-dimensional plane, backwards, leading invariably towards the fourth state, communion, relationships, continuance. The cassette features all the instrumentals of the songs as well, and that ride is just as glorious, a smooth ascent into the spirit of life.

I think noise music is mostly about visual aesthetic. Does the sound even matter?

Well, it’s a strange thing. I think successful noise music is something you can listen to, almost forget that you’re listening to it, and find yourself still being able to think about something else (say, your day tomorrow; the way you're going to put that thesis together; or even thoughts of color, shape, and form) - but all the while you’re still able to hear the noise, and that noise is inspiring in some direction. I think we’re talking about objects here, and how objects can relate to quantity and consumption. Jacob Winan’s Delaware succeeds in many ways: a great cover will always get me to listen in – check; listening to the noise and drifting into some other, separate stratosphere while still being connected to the noise indefinitely – check; finding inspiration in between the noise and the thought-patterns arising from the noise, even though the thought-patterns form their own separate entities – check. There are two compositions on Delaware, the abrasive “Career Suicide,” and the tranquil “It Is What It Is.” Both songs have the foundation of great noise. Both are purely visual, and both find continuous juxtaposition.

ECTOPLASMA: WHITE-EYED TRANCE: CALIGARI RECORDS Ectoplasma is the clear outer layer of the cytoplasm, which is the jelly-like material that resides between the membrane and nucleus of a cell. So, we’re talking about psychic reverberations here, and ECTOPLASMA, the band, takes full pleasure weaving in and around that sacred temple which protects your inner-chamber. White-Eyed Trance is quick, old-school death metal, with vibrant hues and abstract tones, content on punishing whatever lies in its way. “Psychomanteum Immolation” aims its whims to the spirits of the darkness, wishing for communication and ascension. Its whipping fury is spinaround-the-pit-worthy, and the song breaks down into specific segments, so you’ll never forget the moment of pain. “The Oak Spewed Foul Whispers” is lulling, with mechanical brilliance and cubist shards, death metal with sparks and applied repetition. “WhiteEyed Trance (Enslaved in Devilry)” is moribund, the point of no return. ECTOPLASMA feels like green death. Like quicksand, you sink deeper and deeper into despair.

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