Caustic Casanova bassist/vocalist Francis Beringer below cites the lyrics to the band’s new single, “A Bailar Con Cuarentena,” as perhaps his favorite ever, which even considering the rest of their upcoming LP, Glass Enclosed Nerve Center (out Oct. 7 on Magnetic Eye Records, set to stream here in full on Oct. 5) never mind their four prior albums and sundry other releases, is saying something. But yeah, it’s understandable. The band isn’t through the first verse before they’ve introduced the AutoZone Messiah and made fun of his mullet with bonus wordplay in substituting “piety” for “party,” toyed with language in multiple languages and established the setting for the song in the age of the titular pandemic quarantine.

Oh but there’s more. Consider the phonetic chicanery between “Logorrhea” and “lager,” a French pronunciation for “timbre” tossed in for good measure to make it work with “amber,” or the similar rhyme-plus pairing of “Appalachianese” and “ideology.” The gleefully weird, mundane-as-unfamiliar portrayed in the lines, “Another incantation from the half-mad cocatrice/Peaceful defenestration from the rock band name police,” and “defenestration” for “demonstration” there. The classic post-hardcore word swap of “seat”/”screen” codifying the awaiting if word and signal earlier. The sheer encapsulation of the era in “This news is big if true.” Shit that’s efficient. And the air of threat in the final part, where we meet and speak with the rattlesnake. Favorite or not, the attention to detail and composition in “A Bailar Con Cuarentena” is deeply, deeply admirable.

And the video is so perfectly odd. Animated by Jase Harper, with birds a plenty and some only-suitable headbanging, we see Beringer, drummer/vocalist Stefanie Zaenker and guitarist Jake Kimberley playing as a trio while remotely-located guitarist Andrew Yonki looks down as an angry sun. Heads are flowers, times are a tough and riffs are mighty. No, I’m not sick of telling you how good this record is. If I have any credibility at all after running this site for the last 13-plus years of my wretched life, please believe me when I tell you Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is something special from this band and not to be missed.

I had bothered Beringer a while back for the lyric sheet to go with the album, and seeing his note below, asked for permission to post the words to the song with the video. You’ll find them below, and so far as I know this is the first time they’ve been made public.

Enjoy the clip:

Caustic Casanova, “A Bailar Con Cuarentena” official video

Order now: http://lnk.spkr.media/caustic-casanova-2022

Directed and animated by Jase Harper (Jaseharper.com)
Videography and headbanging by Chris Joao

´A Bailar Con Cuarentena´, our first song with a title entirely en español, is one of the weirdest Caustic Casanova songs ever. It has a fairly interesting history. It’s the first Caustic Casanova song I’m aware of that started with lyrics first. I built the riffs around the words, and then altered the delivery of the words around Stefanie’s drum ideas. As a result of that intricate words-riffs-drums interplay the song is firing on all cylinders, rhythmically speaking, at every moment.

Stefanie initially didn’t like the song, and didn’t want to go through with finishing it, but I insisted that it would eventually be great if we pushed and pushed. During the pandemic we had a lot of time to work on it and hammer out its numerous difficulties. Stefanie harbored some concern that the tune wouldn’t be heavy, but when Jake got his hands on the bass and drum music after nearly a year of separation among us, he unleashed his crackling fuzz and octave-down fury all over it, turning it into one of the heaviest and most over the top Caustic Casanova songs ever, especially at the end. It’s easily the most challenging live song we’ve ever written — from a physical playing standpoint, it requires the entire band to be locked in and focused for every moment. The material is that demanding.

The lyrics were, at first, about something else (and the title was about dancing with a shark, not dancing with the quarantine). I never intended to write a song about the year 2020 and being stuck at home with an infectious disease panicking the shut-in multitudes. But so many lines that were written pre-pandemic seemed so strangely perfect for a pandemic era song that I eventually got rid of everything that didn’t fit with the theme and filled it out as the album’s “quarantine song.” In the end, it’s probably my favorite set of lyrics I’ve ever written.

The music video, another collaboration with our long time artist Jase Harper, is our first foray into animation and live action combined. It visually represents the fact that we’re sometimes a live trio, with Stefanie, Jake, and me, and sometimes a live four piece with Andrew. Since he lives in upstate New York and we’re in Maryland, we simply can’t get together as often as we’d like for shows and tours. In this video, Andrew plays a sun and moon god figure, a man trapped in a celestial body, desperately trying to re-assume his true human form and join his band for some riffs upon a jungle altar of madness. I never thought about this until just now, but it’s a good representation of all of us coming out of quarantine, learning to become real humans and functioning musicians and music fans again.
— Francis

Lyrics:
A Bailar Con Cuarentena
Words: Beringer
Music: Zaenker / Kimberley / Beringer

It’s business in the front, and piety in the back
The autozone messiah says come on in let’s have a snack
We’re grilling sacred cows, it’s conquistador cuisine
A bailar con quarantine urges our spanglish language magazine

Another incantation from the half-mad cocatrice
Peaceful defenestration from the rock band name police

We’re sipping mental champagne with the shut in multitudes
Meanwhile Satan lost your records in the hospital of doom

I am patiently and eagerly awaiting word from my captors, madam
We are patiently and eagerly awaiting some type of signal from your people, madam

This news is big if true

Something sinister’s sweeping through the people of this planet who aren’t you

Logorrhea’s soothing pace and timbre
Well the lager’s crisp, have a refreshing amber
And I’m glued to the seat by God again
Glued to the screen by God, amen! Amen!

In perfect appalaichanese
He said docs don’t know they spread disease
But with perfect ideology
It’s impossible to spread disease

Rattlesnake, rattlesnake why your teeth so white?
Been living in the bottom so damn long all I know how to do is bite

All I do is, all I do is, all I know how to do is bite

Caustic Casanova are:
Francis Beringer – Bass/Vocals
Stefanie Zaenker – Drums/Vocals
Andrew Yonki – Guitar
Jake Kimberley – Guitar

Caustic Casanova website

Caustic Casanova on Facebook

Caustic Casanova on Instagram

Caustic Casanova on Bandcamp

Magnetic Eye Records on Bandcamp

Magnetic Eye Records website

Magnetic Eye Records on Facebook

All kidding aside, if Maryland Doom Fest wanted to rebrand as Sherman Fest, I feel like event-organizer JB Matson (also of Bloodshot, War Injun, Outside Truth, etc.) would be well within rights. There is no overstating the impact Dave Sherman — generally “Sherm” if you were saying hey at a show — of Earthride, Spirit Caravan, Weed is Weed and so many others had on Maryland’s ever-vital doom underground, and the tributes continue to come through in the wake of his passing on Sept. 4.

A benefit has been expected. This is what Maryland doom does. In the long tradition of the American working class looking out for its own because, well, it’s not like anyone else is stepping up to help, the underground based around Frederick — now with a home at Cafe 611 where the aforementioned Maryland Doom Fest is held; formerly centered at Krug’s Place down across the way from the 7-Eleven, where Stoner Hands of Doom resided for a few editions — a benefit festival for Sherman‘s family is well in character for that scene. They’ve done a ton of them over the years, from Evil Fanny to Rev. Jim Forrester to Adam Heinzmann of Foghound — who’ll play Sherman Fest — to any number of others. It’s part of the mourning process, and like the poster says in this case, part of celebrating the life and music of Dave Sherman.

And in the last week, having seen some of Sherm-stories these bands have told — Borracho, Thousand Vision Mist, even Place of Skulls — it’s clear this lineup is hand-picked for the purpose. I don’t know how you could play a benefit in this dude’s honor and not have the show of your life. Emotion and volume will flow in kind.

Poster and info follow. Doom bless Dave Sherman:

Sherman Fest – Live at Cafe 611

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022

611 N. Market St., Frederick, MD

This is a unique music scene and this get together is a tribute to Dave Sherman’s legacy.

All proceeds are in Dave’s name to support his mother through this tragedy.

Lineup:
Place of Skulls
Foghound
Mangog
Alex Wickham & Johnny Wretched
Bloodshot
Pimmit Hills
Bonded by Darkness
Borracho
Thousand Vision Mist
The Crows Eye
Faith in Jane
Born of Plagues

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1019802608697365

Poster by Bill Kole.

https://www.facebook.com/MdDoomFest/
https://www.instagram.com/marylanddoomfest/
www.marylanddoomfest.com

Earthride, “Earthride” Live at Maryland Doom Fest 2017

The outpouring of love for Dave “Sherm” Sherman — centered around but not at all limited to his home scene in Frederick, Maryland — that’s been happening since his death earlier this week has been beautiful to see. Yesterday and the day before, people from all over have been compelled to tell their own Sherm stories, and some of them have been pretty good. The members of a grieving community comforting each other and themselves. It’s the most human of things. Dave Sherman was the beating heart of Maryland doom. I’ve said that before. I still believe it.

I have to imagine that when Sherman’s work is remembered, the 2000 self-titled EP from Earthride will be on plenty of players of one sort or another. Self-released under the banner of Earth Brain Records — it would be reissued as a 10″ through Land o’ Smiles in 2007 and on remastered CD through Totem Cat in 2012 — and recorded by Chris Kozlowski (R.I.P. 2021) at the Polar Bear Layer in Middletown, MD, the first Earthride release happened while Sherman was still playing bass in Spirit Caravan. Joining the former Wretched frontman in the new band (who had gotten together a few years earlier in 1997, concurrent to Shine’s demos) at the time were guitarist Kyle Van Steinburg, bassist Joe Ruthvin and drummer Eric Little, and the band’s purpose and mission statement was put front and center in the opening, eponymous “Earthride.” Say the lines with me:

“So loud/So alive/All heavy/The earthride.”

That song, first of the four on the 23-minute EP, is the perfect introduction to the band. Two basic riffs, a fast one and a slow one, play off each other and cycle through twice before a switch to an extended bridge/solo with an even more choice groove before doubling back. The lyrics are about riding a motorcycle. It’s simple enough to be punk, and in its pulse you can hear The Obsessed, Pentagram, Motörhead, early C.O.C., and of course Black Sabbath — the part under Van Steinburg’s solo is basically “War Pigs” — but the impression is immediately individual owing to Sherman’s gritty, throaty voice and the warm density of the tones surrounding. Earthride would essentially build off this formula for the rest of their tenure — that’s a gross simplification, of course, but on 2002’s Taming of the Demons, 2005’s Vampire Circus (discussed here) and 2010’s Something Wicked (review here), the band would make “Earthride” definitive in that it defined the direction of who they were.

And in the case of Earthride as relates to the many, many other projects in which Sherman was involved in either a creative, supporting or guesting capacity, this was his band. Not Wino’s, not anyone else’s. Over time, even more than his work in Spirit Caravan, the prior Wretched, the later Weed is Weed, King Valley, Galactic Cross, his collaborations with Bobby Liebling of Pentagram, Hank Williams III and more players from the Maryland doom underground than I have space to name, Earthride became an extension of Sherman’s larger-than-life persona, and it could be hard to tell where the band ended and he began. This self-titled is the genesis of that. I don’t think it’s Earthride’s best work — take your pick between the albums; there are arguments to be made in favor of all three — but it represents a special moment in what was a special life that ended too soon.

“Earthride,” “Black,” the instrumental “Enter Zacfreyalz” and the longer closer “Weak End,” with its anti-suicide lyric, are prescient of heavy music’s celebration of itself. To listen to the riff and playfully cultish vocals of “Black,” the conversation happening between classic doom and the heavy rock taking shape at the time feels relevant today in no small part because it’s so self-aware. Earthride knew where they were coming from, what their music was intended to honor in terms of style. Doom for doomers. Heavy for heavy. If this showed up on Bandcamp these 22 years later as a new release, it’d probably do better than it did the first time around.

“Black” holds to a middle tempo but swells in volume behind its two guitar solos. In it and the slower, low-endier “Enter Zacfreyalz” — there’s an extra layer there of something; is it bass? keys? guitar? — the influence of Sherman’s work alongside Scott “Wino” Weinrich in Spirit Caravan is present and accounted for, and that association would likewise continue to define Earthride’s work even as the band came further into its own. Van Steinburg’s bluesy solo in “Black” likewise presages that process, which seemed to most manifest in Something Wicked, but the shuffle and nod of “Enter Zacfreyalz” speak to Earthride’s standing apart from Sherman’s then-concurrent outfit as well, and the return of tempo changes between the verses and chorus in “Weak End,” the sneering delivery of “Do you think I care” as the hook begins, works once more to establish patterns that the band would have for the rest of Sherman’s life. Again, I’m not saying this is the best thing Earthride ever did — though I’ve no doubt some will say it is, and I can’t imagine why on earth I’d fight the issue — but as a starting point for listeners it’s basically the band taking you to school and telling you who they are.

JB Matson — also of Maryland Doom Fest, Outside Truth, War Injun, Knoxxville, the newer band Bloodshot (whose record is a ripper, by the way) — has begun to put together a benefit for Sherman’s family in the wake of his passing. This is par for the course down there; Maryland doom takes care of its own. No lineup has been announced for the Nov. 12 show, but it’s hard to imagine anyone playing it who wouldn’t absolutely leave their hearts on the stage, and invariably that’s the best tribute to Sherman one could make. Info on that show is here and when the lineup is revealed I’ll make a separate post for it: https://www.facebook.com/events/1019802608697365

Even if Sherman or his music never touched your life — difficult as it is to imagine, it wouldn’t have been possible for him to meet everyone — if it was before your time, after, or you just never cared, at the very least, this was someone whose life was defined in no small part by his love of music and making music. That is a significant loss in itself, before you even get to the actual work, which might be the best way to remember him.

As always, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

—

School started this week. I damn near napped.

It was not the summer we’d planned. It became the Summer of Pivot after The Pecan got the boot from camp after a whopping three days, but he and I spent a lot, a lot, a lot of time together, and I don’t regret that, even as I watch some of my own unfortunate personality traits — my exasperation, my givenness to frustration and my anxiety, to be specific — manifest in his personality. He’s here now, in the bathtub, talking about the two lines we had to wait on to take the train at the Bronx Zoo… like, two years ago. These are the kinds of things we talk about. Moments ago it was why it would be a bad idea to run the propellers of his remote control speedboat on his penis. Real life.

But the upwards of three hours in a day between the bus and his actual school day are nice to have on my end, and he seems to appreciate being around other kids again, which is more important, so school it is. He’ll be five next month. Days drag, years sprint. He’s potty trained. That was my accomplishment this summer. I also went to Freak Valley. That was big.

Speaking of big, I saw Rammstein at Giants Stadium this week and that was a trip. I missed them when they came through in 2010 and probably wouldn’t have gone this time either, but my sister has Jets tickets and so got a discount. She, my mother and I went. What a blast. I didn’t review it but it was a pretty incredible event. The lights, the fire, the fireworks, etc., but also the songs that have been stuck in my head all week: “Engel,” “Ich Will,” “Du Hast,” “Sonne,” the newer “Deutschland,” “Zeit,” and so on. Pretty solid performance and stage presence to go with all that spectacle. I’ll remember it fondly as I remember seeing them in 2001 at Hammerstein Ballroom some 21 years ago.

That and Stöner back to back meant two nights in a row of not-festival shows for the first time in years, but the latter being so close to my house made that more doable and it apparently wasn’t so much that I’m not going to go see King Buffalo tonight in Connecticut, so there you go.

Review of that on Monday, and then next week is full. I think the Curse the Son reissue stream is in there somewhere, though I’m not 100 percent sure off the top of my head. There’s other stuff. I wanted to review the Tau record ahead of its release. Not gonna happen. I doubt anyone was holding their breath, but still, I was hoping to get that done. So it goes.

Quarterly Review starts week after next. Two weeks, 100 releases again. After that, my head starts shifting into year-end mode for real.

I have some more writing to do today, so I’m going to leave it there. I hope you have a great and safe weekend. Have fun, watch your head, all that stuff. It’s getting to be a little cooler here during the day. I hope you’re feeling a bit of relief from the heat as well where you are. And please remember even at your lowest that you have value and you are loved and your life touches other lives.

Thanks for reading.

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After truly living doom as much anyone ever has, Dave Sherman, bassist of Spirit Caravan and King Valley and frontman of Earthride, Wretched, Weed is Weed, and Galactic Cross, among others, has died. Word spread through social media that Sherman had passed; though the rumor was a cardiac event, the cause is yet unconfirmed. Born Oct. 16, 1966, Sherman was 55 years old.

Sherman was an inimitable stage presence and a creative soul. He always had a touch of mischief, but also always wanted everyone in on the joke. He was bigger than every stage he played on, and he played on every size stage. I had the good fortune to be in touch with him over the years about music, several interviews, and so on. Sometimes he was one of the smart kids playing dumb. When he walked into a room, you knew it, not the least by his voice.

And at least in my own experience, he was a humble, sweet guy. Shy in a way. I’ll miss thinking there might be another Earthride record coming or a chance of another Spirit Caravan reunion, or another Galactic Cross record, though the Earthride catalog remains particularly pristine for something that delighted in sounding so totally dirty.

He should have been mayor of Frederick, Maryland, but he was royalty in that scene and his loss will be felt for years. Doom on the East Coast and beyond grieves.

As bassist for Shine and Spirit Caravan, Sherman provided a perfect counterpoint to the guitar of Scott “Wino” Weinrich, and the two remain linked indelibly through the work they did on Spirit Caravan’s two full-lengths, EP, and other releases. Stirring the pot at front of the stage for Earthride, he was a man in his element. I can see him on stage at Cafe 611, Maryland doom incarnate at Maryland Doom Fest, soaking it in like the life force it was. And that is how I prefer to remember him. In his band, in that spot.

Dave Sherman will be missed.

On behalf of myself — still somewhat reeling, so pardon me — and this site, I send condolences to everyone who knew Sherm, and that was a great many people. His bandmates and family alone is a long list, especially for a man who made so many feel like family. To his friends in Frederick and worldwide, love.

—

Chesapeake progressive noise rockers Caustic Casanova will launch a tour on Sept. 10 headed out west to Monolith on the Mesa — kudos to the Taos, New Mexico-based festival for understanding what to-date mostly Maryland Doom Fest has known and a whole bunch of others are going to find out shortly — and as they continue to herald the upcoming Oct. 7 release of their new album, Glass Enclosed Nerve Center on Magnetic Eye Records, a second single from the record emerges in the form of “Anubis Rex.” The opener follows behind “Lodestar” and brings post-hardcore vibes front and center as well as a whole bunch of ‘firsts’ for the band as bassist/vocalist Francis Beringer notes in the comment below. You can hear that Thin Lizzy for sure, along with some ’00s emo, the pedal steel and a lot, a lot, a lot of shove. It’s a mover, it’s about love, and it’s gonna be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. If you’re lucky.

I’m slated to review and stream Glass Enclosed Nerve Center on Oct. 5, but before we get there I’ll tell you happily I can’t put the record down, and I can think of only one other album so far in 2022 that’s had such an effect on my passive and active listening habits, and as I start to think about album-of-the-year-type conversations, that weighs heavily. Glass Enclosed Nerve Center is a strong contender in that regard for me — it also runs away with the best song I’ve heard this year in the 22-minute finale “Bull Moose Against the Sky” — so if you haven’t gotten hyped up on it yet, “Anubis Rex” represents it well as the leadoff.

And pretty much I’m making this post to say exactly that.

Have fun:

CAUSTIC CASANOVA unveil new single ‘Anubis Rex’ taken from forthcoming album “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center” on Magnetic Eye Records

CAUSTIC CASANOVA gleefully present their eclectic best sides on the second new single, ‘Anubis Rex’. The track is taken from the Washington D.C.-based riff-rockers’ forthcoming album “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center”. The full-length has been scheduled for release on October 7.

The twisted new song opens with a country-style guitar slide and sports the Latin title ‘Anubis Rex’ (“King Anubis”), and refers to the Egyptian god of death rites. On their fifth album, the brain-frying “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center”, Washington, DC-based riffonauts CAUSTIC CASANOVA pull an expansive range of sounds into their tight, hyperkinetic core – and explode them outward in a kaleidoscope of progressive heavy rock exuberance. In ferocious opposition to playing music in an established style that might give listeners a way in but can narrow down what’s allowable, the foursome plant their flag dramatically on the side of genre-agnostic exploration. Simply put, the Americans allow each song to go wherever the hell it wants (or needs) to head towards.

CAUSTIC CASANOVA comment: “This is the first song that we wrote entirely in our new four-piece line-up, featuring the at the time new member Jake Kimberley on guitar as it goes way back to spring 2019. For the first time, we are using extended sections of dual guitar harmonies. It’s also our first song with synthesizer keyboards and our first original track featuring guest instrumentalist Howard Parker on pedal steel guitar. Actually, we kept his first take for the record. Furthermore, it is our first song with obvious country music influences as well as our first time with a clear Thin Lizzy influence. Finally, it is a first that we are doing overtly and without question a love song. This song exemplifies everything that we are doing well – in terms of genre-smashing and riff rock rhythmic excess, while still breaking new creative ground for us regarding melodies and arrangements. Long-time fans will note the sonic resemblance to another album opener, which is also my other favorite song, ‘Thundersnow’ on breaks. Those similarities are intentional. I see both songs as two parts of the same hopeful, uplifting, and heavy prog-pop spectacle.”

Caustic Casanova “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center”
Out October 7th on Magnetic Eye Records

Preorder:
worldwide: http://en.spkr.media
US/Canada: http://us.spkr.media

Hitting the road with The Obsessed and Ecstatic Vision, then coming home to a lovely shindig with King Buffalo and labelmates Heavy Temple!

9/10 – Louisville, KY at Portal at Fifteentwelve Creative Compound*
9/11 – Des Moines, IA at Lefty’s Live Music*
9/12 – St. Paul, MN at NorthStar Bar and Grill*
9/13 – Madison, WI at BarleyPop Live*
9/14 – St. Louis, MO at Red Flag*
9/16 – Taos, NM at Monolith on the Mesa*
9/29 – Baltimore, MD at Ottobar^

*w/ The Obsessed, Ecstatic Vision
^w/ King Buffalo, Heavy Temple

Caustic Casanova are:
Francis Beringer – Bass/Vocals
Stefanie Zaenker – Drums/Vocals
Andrew Yonki – Guitar
Jake Kimberley – Guitar

http://causticcasanova.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CausticCasanova
https://www.instagram.com/CausticCasanova/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Caustic Casanova, “Anubis Rex”

You could sit down five times to try to describe Caustic Casanova‘s sound and come up with five completely different takes. And that’s why it’s fun. Unpredictable in their post-grunge, noise-rock-informed, heavy indie individualism, the now-four-piece will issue Glass Enclosed Nerve Center, their new full-length, on Oct. 7 through Magnetic Eye Records. It’s their second album for the label behind 2019’s God How I Envy the Deaf (review here) and though it’s been done since last November, with full schedules, pressing and shipping delays and whatnot, 11 months from one end to the other (plus studio time) might just be how long it takes to make a record now. I’d call it a brave new world, but it’s really more like Soylent Green.

Alas, new Caustic Casanova will invariably help. They’re streaming the track “Lodestar” now and you can hear that below, and even in its three-minute span you can hear why Caustic Casanova are the square peg in the round hole of genre classification. There is supposed to be a video coming out as well, I think today, so when and if that happens I’ll add that here [EDIT: It’s down there now.]. But in the meantime, the album cover and particulars are below, as yoinked from Bandcamp. Also of note, they’ll be at Monolith of the Mesa in September.

Dig this art:

Caustic Casanova – Glass Enclosed Nerve Center

Preorder: https://causticcasanova.bandcamp.com/album/glass-enclosed-nerve-center

On their fifth album, the brain-frying “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center”, Washington, DC-based riffonauts CAUSTIC CASANOVA pull an expansive range of sounds into their tight, hyperkinetic core – and explode them outward in a kaleidoscope of progressive heavy rock exuberance. Formed in 2005 as the trio consisting of drummer and vocalist Stefanie Zaekner, bass-player and singer Francis Beringer, and guitarist Andrew Yonki, CAUSTIC CASANOVA’s chose a path to constantly refine their thrillingly unpredictable music, which careens from sardonic noise rock to proggy sludge in the vein of BARONESS, RED FANG, and TORCHE, while also taking inspiration from the gargantuan heft of MELVINS to BORIS, and fleet guitar heroics with flashes of dark-hued post-punk.

With the addition of second guitarist Jake Kimberley in 2019, the now-quartet set their sights on making the most adventurous and prog-rock CAUSTIC CASANOVA record yet. “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center” underscores all their strengths while making the most of the expanded line-up that opened up their sound to new possibilities. Beringer’s reedy, melodic bass dances heavily alongside the two frying guitars to empower a trio of lead voices. Zaenker’s percussion is powerfully inventive across the album’s five expansive songs, sounding equally at home in swinging, Bill Ward stomp as in math-rock jitteriness.

Long-time travelers in CAUSTIC CASANOVA’s orbit will doubtless find “Glass Enclosed Nerve Center” an exhilarating welcome back that includes the ambitiously sprawling, 22-minute epic ‘Bull Moose against the Sky’ which occupies the album’s entire B-side. Yet those who are new to the massive sound of these raging psychedelic sludge buffaloes will find outstanding songcraft and rich storytelling that is worth every second and countless repeat spins. Three, two, one… go!

Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Anubis Rex
2. Lodestar
3. A Bailar Con Cuarentena
4. Shrouded Coconut
Side B
5. Bull Moose Against The Sky

Buy at our shop here:
worldwide: http://en.spkr.media
US/Canada: http://us.spkr.media

Caustic Casanova live:
July 16: Holler of Doom II, London, KY w/ StormToker, Book of Wyrms and many others!

July 31: Cafe 611, Frederick, MD w/ The Obsessed, Strange Highways, Weed Coughin and Crow Hunter.

August 6: DC Brau, Washington, DC w/ Valkyrie

After that: TOUR BABY TOUR

Caustic Casanova are:
Francis Beringer – Bass/Vocals
Stefanie Zaenker – Drums/Vocals
Andrew Yonki – Guitar
Jake Kimberley – Guitar

http://causticcasanova.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CausticCasanova
https://www.instagram.com/CausticCasanova/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Caustic Casanova, “Lodestar” official video

Caustic Casanova, Glass Enclosed Nerve Center (2022)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Willy Rivera of Spiral Grave

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I’m Will Rivera and I’m the guitarist for Spiral Grave as well as a principal songwriter. Spiral Grave came together after both Iron Man and Lord had ended with the basic idea behind the band being to write great heavy songs w/strong hooks and powerful vocals in the vein of Dio-era Sabbath, Candlemass, Mercyful Fate, Trouble and Metal Church.

Describe your first musical memory.

My first musical memory would probably be my mother always having music on in the house. She has very broad taste so you would hear anything from Santana and Miami Sound Machine to Van Halen or The Bee Gees. She’d also have MTV on all the time so a lot of my initial musical exposure was from ’80s music videos and back then it wasn’t a foreign concept to have Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Quiet Riot and Culture Club played in the same hour so it was incredibly eye opening and influential.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have so many great musical memories but the most recent would have to be playing to a packed room at this year’s Maryland Doomfest and having the crowd sing along to a guitar melody that I wrote on my beat up couch at home on an acoustic guitar. Nothing can prepare you for that feeling, you couldn’t knock the smile from my face that night, haha. It was truly vindicating after all the hard work we’d put in to get this band going.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

A firmly held belief was tested? Oooh, that’s a tough one… I guess the best example I can come up with to fit this scenario would be my life pretty much unraveling midway through 2018 when my relationship at the time had dissolved, Lord ended acrimoniously after 13 years, I needed a place to live and I had transferred to a new store… all in the span of two months. There was a lot of upheaval going on that was testing my conviction but when it seemed to be easier to just give up, I moved forward with a new band and in a matter of months, the other facets of my life fell into place. Taking the road less traveled really paid off and I was going off the hope and intuition that this new project would actually pan out. It was all about maintaining faith in the vision and not giving up on it despite distance, lack of convenience or anything else…

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I feel artistic progression always leads to expanding your palette of tastes and adding to your musical arsenal. You should always be in a state of challenging yourself and gradually improving or striving for something uniquely your own.

How do you define success?

I define success as being satisfied with yourself and your work. You can’t put a price on vision and the need to follow your muse. Most of my heroes are cult artists at best so it’s not much of a stretch to see that future for myself but as long as you’re satisfied with your output or are heading in the right direction, that’s success to me.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

The utter disregard for empathy, common courtesy or just plain decency in people’s behavior these days. It’s not everyone, I’ve seen many instances that have given me hope but it was disheartening to see so many people turn on each other or treat each other horribly due to difference of opinion. It was also disappointing to see people with access to all the information in the world at their fingertips, be so willfully ignorant.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

The next song… it sounds so cliche but I love to see ideas come to fruition. We’ve already written our second album and I’m a bit bummed cos the most exciting part was the writing for me but I look forward to watching these take shape in the studio and take on a life of their own.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

The most essential function of art to me is expression. To give a voice or an outlet to things that you can’t express through speaking or the written word. I’d be lost without it. Music, art and film has saved my life and sanity at so many points of my existence that I consider it my true savior. I’m not a religious man but I believe that art and sound can have a profound, lasting and almost spiritual impact on a person who allows themselves to be affected in a way that frees their consciousness and opens them up to a feeling of a elation… like touching the universe with your soul. It can be otherworldly.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Most of my life revolves around music but I’ve been very excited to be able to go see movies in a theater again. It seems so trivial but after not being able to do so for a year, I cherish the experience that much more. I love being able to lose myself in the experience and get sucked into a whole other world for two hours…

https://www.facebook.com/SpiralGrave/
https://spiralgrave.bandcamp.com/
www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/argonautarecords

Spiral Grave, “Out of My Head” official video

As suspected, the lineup announcement for the 2022 Maryland Doom Fest is relatively short on fluff. No flowery descriptions of the acts involved, no hype about how important it is to get together in these times of plague and support the community, the underground, whatever it is. That’s all true enough, but as ever, Maryland Doom Fest is putting the name out there for you to see, and if you know, you know. If you’re a part of that family down there in Frederick, you’ve already got your calendar marked. This is who’ll be at the reunion.

And to that, with bands like Horehound, Thunderbird Divine, Caustic Casanova, fest-organizer JB Matson‘s own Bloodshot, Faith in Jane, ZED, Helgamite, Shadow Witch, The Age of Truth, Apostle of Solitude, Horseburner, Dead East Garden, Strange Highways and Foghound on the bill, this one will no doubt feel like a reunion in no small part. These acts and some of the others as well have shared MDDF bills in the past, and indeed, some were included in the announcement for January’s Doom Hawg Day as well, as was speculated. Still cool to see some of those returning coming across the country to do it, though, be it ZED or Formula 400.

Set for June 23-26 at Cafe 611 and Olde Mother Brewing in Frederick, MD, and of course subject to some changes between now and June, the lineup for Maryland Doom Fest 2022 is as follows:

Maryland Doom Fest 2022 Lineup

Black Road
Dust Prophet
Ol’ Time Moonshine
High Priestess
Wrath of Typhon
Alms
Black Lung
Thunderbird Divine
Atomic Motel
Byrgan
Faces of Bayon
Grief Collector
Crystal Spiders
Helgamite
Shadow Witch
The Age of Truth
Heavy Temple
Problem with Dragons
Strange Highways
Fellowcraft
Formula 400
Tines
Indus Valley Kings
The Stone Eye
Crow Hunter
Caustic Casanova
Coma Hole
Wizzerd
Mythosphere
Horehound
Bloodshot
NobleSoul
Coven
ZED
Faith in Jane
Future Projektor
Apostle of Solitude
Orodruin
Dead East Garden
Ritual Earth
Grave Next Door
Black Sabbitch
Lost Breed
Horseburner
Foghound
Hot Ram
Flummox

https://www.facebook.com/MdDoomFest/
www.marylanddoomfest.com

Apostle of Solitude, When the Darkness Goes (2021)

The Age of Truth, Resolute (2021)