Skrogg Call it Quits
Apparently deciding not to heed their own advice to “Keep on Skroggin’,” the Troy, New Hampshire trio announced over the weekend that they were done. Skrogg first got together in 2010, so while their run wasn’t all that long, it was productive, resulting in regional shows, 2011’s Raw Heat demo (review here), and last year’s debut full-length, Blooze (review here), as well as biker-rally appearances and slots at Stoner Hands of Doom (review here) and, earlier this year, Eye of the Stoned Goat 4 (review here) in Worcester, MA, of which they opened the second day.
The breakup comes as Skrogg were preparing their second full-length, Done a Bad, Bad Thing, which presumably will be shelved, wherever they may have been in progress with it. In February, they released a single called “Wheels, Women and Whiskey” that — in addition to serving as a mission statement for their band ethic overall — furthered the catchy blend of rolling stoner rock grooves and heavy blues that Blooze made sound so natural and fluid. They played that song at Eye of the Stoned Goat, and jammed out the skeletal riffs of another, and it seemed to me in watching them that they were moving to a more open direction, building on the chemistry between guitarist/vocalist Jeff Maxfield, bassist Jason Lawrence and drummer Felix Starr, who played together smoothly but with more than an air of punkish fuckall while still keeping a mind for hooks and catchier rhythmic bounce.
Foremost, they were a good band, so it’s a bummer to see them go. I don’t know where they were in the process of putting together Done a Bad, Bad Thing, whether they were still writing or had begun or perhaps even finished the recording, but maybe something more than “Wheels, Women and Whiskey” will surface from that album at some point. Skrogg announced their demise thusly:
The end time has come apon us. Skrogg has come to an end. It was a beautiful ride and I wouldnt want it any other way. That is just the way it goes when ya take a trip to outter space with only a few milky ways and a marrs bar. Thanks to those who enjoyed what we did as a band. You all got what you got when you got Skrogged.
And Maxfield further commented:
This breaks my heart. It really does. I love my bandmates and I guess, in the end, all we’re really seeking is our own little niche. Our happiness. Skrogg will go down in the annals of my personal history as the best band I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. Enjoy the music. We poured our hearts into it, for you.
https://www.facebook.com/SkroggNH
http://skrogg.bandcamp.com/
