Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 9th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Sometime in the near notnow, long-running New York heavy rockers Thinning the Herd will release their third album, which has been given the synonymous title Cull. The first single from the record, which is the band’s first in the 11 years since 2013’s Freedom From the Known (discussed here), “Trampled by Deer,” is also the first output from the band since founding guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and sometimes-the-only-dude-in-the-band Gavin Spielman brought in drummer Rob Sefcik last Fall. Known for his work in Begotten and Kings Destroy (pretty sure he was in Electric Frankenstein as well?), Sefcik hits hard and has no trouble emphasizing the nod in Spielman‘s riff, a strong C.O.C. influence roughed up by the recording but still able to put through a punch of bass and account for a divergence into acoustics behind and alongside its solo section.
The song’s three and a half minutes long, so the break doesn’t last, and Spielman‘s guitar scorches back with a shredding solo as the video takes us out to a snowy field and woods somewhere outside the city (Westchester?), splicing in shots of animals and hunting implications, life, death, the icy river and ancient, drowsy Appalachian peaks. These make a fitting accompaniment for the band’s take on heavy rock, which is naturalist in its own way, and if they’re drawing inspiration from this setting — I don’t know the circumstances behind the clip’s making, but some of it looks self-filmed on a phone camera, which makes sense in terms of the story they’re telling here even as an impression given — and basing Cull around that, it seems only suited to their aesthetic generally. This riff breathes. I dig that.
It’s been a while since Thinning the Herd put out a full-length, as noted above, but they’ve trickled out singles and videos in the time since Freedom From the Known, including the 2021 single “Wolves Close In” (posted here) that boasted a guest appearance on guitar by Pat Harrington of Geezer. No clue if that song will be on Cull or not, but at very least if it was you could say it was on theme with “Trampled by Deer.” Rough times out there in the forest.
More to come I’m sure as we get closer to Cull, but here’s “Trampled by Deer” with all its attendant freeze and groove. Right on.
Enjoy:
Thinning the Herd, “Trampled by Deer” official video
We’re super excited to bring you the first single to be distributed worldwide since the last record!
The song “Trampled by Deer” is about those moments in life when a positive change only to finds you mentally worse off. The track also features a minor guest spot from an old crony Cosmos Sunshine. He plays the shorter bluesy solo after my fast one, after the acoustic break.
We’re already hit in the tail of this single, next one drops end of next month entitled “Next Level”.
We hope you enjoy and add our tune “Trampled by Deer” to your playlist, download and stream that shiz!
Thinning the Herd are: Gavin Spielman on Guitar and Vocals. Rob Sefcik – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
New York heavy rockers Thinning the Herd have announced the addition of Rob Sefcik (also Kings Destroy, Northern Heretic, Begotten, etc.) on drums. In 2021, the long-running outfit led by guitarist, vocalist, songwriter Gavin Spielman presented the single “Wolves Close In” (premiered here) as the preface to what would then have been their first album in eight years. It’s now been a full decade since they released 2013’s Freedom From the Known, and the post from the band below doesn’t mention recording one way or the other, but it’s easy enough to imagine Speilman plugging away at it behind the scenes. No doubt having a drummer helps.
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Sefcik play live, with Kings Destroy mostly but also Begotten, but he’s both a monster behind the kit and a classy player mindful of the songs in which he’s working. You might recall Thinning the Herd drummer Rick Cimato passed away in 2012 ahead of the 2013 album release, and Spielman has seen a few others come and go since. I don’t know what their plans are if there are any other than local shows, or even if bassist Wes Edmonds is still in the band, but here’s what they had to say:
Thinning the Herd would like to give a big horns up Welcome to Rob S. on the drums! Filling the shoes of previous drummers ain’t an easy task but he’s a bad ass – and up for it!
Rob’s played in many bands that rocked, and we are super excited to have a solid guy and heavy drum smasher in the band for the long haul. We look forward to bringing y’all new music and performing old tunes as well as the new heaters.
If interested in an interview or to book our band hit the DM.
Since 2006 TTH has y’all groovin’ on the sludgy New York Metal, and look how far it’s come!
New York’s Thinning the Herd are moving toward releasing a new album later this year. That’s cool. What’s cooler though is they’ve got a new video to prove it. “Wolves Close In” heralds the first Thinning the Herd long-player since 2013’s Freedom From the Known, and in its instrumental sound and kind of mellow groove, one might be tempted to liken it to “Gaikatt Mountain,” for which the band premiered a video here last year, sort of as a way of announcing their return. The difference, of course, is this song is new and that one was from the album already seven years old, but if further enticement is required, a guest solo by Geezer‘s Pat Harrington certainly doesn’t hurt. More fuzz, you say? That’ll do just fine.
I don’t know in what direction founding guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman will ultimately be taking Thinning the Herd as they push through the making of this next record, but with “Wolves Close In,” the intent toward engagement with the natural world is clear. Watch it in the highest definition you can, and bask in the video’s green leaves, flowers in bloom, running water, smooth stones, tall grasses and drone footage of treetops. It’s lush and gorgeous and a reminder that summer means going outside. I would not expect the single track to speak for the entirety of the full-length to come, whenever it might show up, but it is hypnotically engaging just the same and bodes well in its overall flow. You know I’m a sucker for a video in the woods.
And while we’re on the subject, kudos to Thinning the Herd on having a video, in the woods, with a lady in it, and not having that lady be chased and/or killed in that video. Seems like a pretty basic thing, right? You’d be amazed. Lot of misogynist cult murder happening in clips these days. A break from that is refreshing.
Enjoy:
Thinning the Herd, “Wolves Close In” (feat. Pat Harrington) video premiere
The song was recorded by Gavin remotely during the pandemic in the summer of 2020. Written by G Spielman – this is a stripped down instrumental production focused on a more psychedelic bluesy sound. Garth on Drums, Gavin on Guitars, Wes On Bass, this tune features added lead guitar Pat Harrington of Geezer. The song can be found on TTH’s next self-titled drop slated this fall.
It’s been a while since the last check-in from New York-based heavy rockers Thinning the Herd. It happens. Their last album was 2013’s Freedom From the Known and after that came out they went through a few lineup shifts as a band will, and already in 2012 they’d lost drummer Rick Cimato in a fatal auto accident, so yeah, after something like that, you might need some time. Still, led by guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman, the band have a new video for the instrumental track “Gaikatt Mountain” from the aforementioned 2013 LP, made in homage to Cimato, and I’m happy today to host the premiere for it. You’ll find it below, followed by some comment from Spielman.
The track itself unfolds as a mellow jam, beginning with light strings strumming and gradually moving into fuzzier terrain. You can hear the live feel that Steve Albini recordings are known for in the rhythm section, even as acoustic and electric guitars intertwine, the bass punching through insistently all the while. Its easy flow is contrasted soon enough with a quick shift to a rushing riff and tempo-surge progression. You’ll see in the video it’s when the shift happens from landscape to cityscape, and there’s live footage spliced in as well, but later on the drone shots return and make a fitting cap even as the shift to quiet ends up more permanent. As these cats always were, it’s no pretense heavy rock with some metal oomph behind it that asks little indulgence beyond four minutes of your time.
The album’s seven years old, so absolutely, you can find it streaming in the places where streaming happens.
Enjoy the video:
Thinning the Herd, “Gaikatt Mountain” video premiere
Gavin Spielman on “Gaikatt Mountain”:
The inspiration for this song came during a shroom experience in my early teens. It was just a warm up technique, a riff that bridged spirit and technique for me, rudimentary but a melody I never stopped playing. I played this tune in bands before Thinning the Herd, and it went by “Hard To See” and had lyrics, but abandoned them. I feel the main riff is pure Thinning the Herd stripped down to its bare bones, and somewhat of a departure from our heavy tone. It’s the only instrumental song we’ve put out, and I’m glad we did because it’s a reminder of an angel flying overhead, watching us.
This new video signifies our drummer Rick watching us, looking down upon our journey into the unknown, blessing us with understanding of knowledge, showing us the simplicity of birth and death, capturing the ephemeral experience in between.
GAIKATT MOUNTAIN by THINNING THE HERD: The 9th Song off the third record (FREEDOM FROM THE KNOWN) by THINNING THE HERD (on St. Mark’s Records). This tune is an instrumental written in 2011 specifically for the record.
Available through all major online retailers including AMAZON and Apple Music, Bandcamp and Streaming on Spotify.
Recorded by Steve Albini in Chicago Mixed by Wes Edmonds Mastered by Tony Gillis in NYC All lyrics and music G. Spielman Video Production by Green Pine Tree Studio
…Actually, there’s very little possibility they aren’t, but I always like to allow for some interpretation. Once a trio and now a four-piece, New York City heavy rockers Thinning the Herd have a new video for the track “Rabbits” from their 2013 full-length, Freedom from the Known. This isn’t the first time their videos have been featured here (see also last year’s “Never Wanted”), but the band continues to entertain, this time with a kind of invasion of alien monks, played of course by the band themselves, who travel in a reflective silver disc and seem to monk it up in varying ecosystems amid a wash of digital visual effects.
As the PR wire informs below, Thinning the Herd have a couple gigs in the works including one in Brooklyn with Geezer, Borracho and Moon Tooth that looks pretty choice.
Dig it:
THINNING THE HERD Releases New Video
Lineup Expands To Quartet
Mind melting NYC pillagers THINNING THE HERD have just completed their newest official video for their ripping anthem “Rabbits,” the track hailing from the act’s sophomore full-length album, Freedom From The Known. The self-produced epic new video is a more than five-minute movie starring the band –including Rick Cimato, the band’s previous bassist who tragically passed away last year (RIP) — with a shit-ton of CGI and special effects integrating visuals from across the universe into an amusing film depicting ancient wizard monks migrating to Earth by command of a flying disc.
THINNING THE HERD continues to hook up shows in support of Freedom From The Known, with several late Summer and early Fall gigs locked and more in the works across the region. These pending shows will be the very first TTH performances as a quartet, as the longtime trio has just expanded, bringing in new blood Brian Murphey on bass and moving Wes Edmonds to second guitar. The rest of the current lineup is rounded out by drummer Garth Macaleavey, also Murphey’s bandmate in previous act Madame Trashy, and founding guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Gavin Spielman.
THINNING THE HERD Live: 9/13/2013 The Grand Victory – Brooklyn, NY @ Stoned Fry Day The 13th w/ Geezer, Borracho, Moon Tooth 10/26/2013 Webster Hall – New York, NY @ Stoned Halloween Show
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 5th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
NYC heavy rockers Thinning the Herd have had about as tough a couple months as a band can have, with the untimely death of drummer Rick Cimato over the holidays and questions as to whether or not the band would even continue on and release their Steve Albini-recorded sophomore full-length, Freedom from the Known. After soul searching and a series of tryouts, guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman and bassist Wes Edmonds have recruited Garth Macaleavey for the drummer position and will press ahead with not only putting the album out, but shows and new material as well.
As someone fortunate enough to see Thinning the Herd when Cimato was in the band, I can say the trio was definitely at their strongest point yet going into this album, and I’m glad to see it’s coming out and the band is going to keep going. Here’s word of the May 9 release for Freedom from the Known, courtesy of the PR wire:
THINNING THE HERD Confirms Details Of Delayed But Anticipated New Album
Following a tumultuous several months of hardships and hard work, once again restructuring the band for the second time in a year, NYC’s THINNING THE HERD this week confirms the details of the band’s pending second full-length, Freedom From The Known.
Founding vocalist/guitarist Gavin Spielman had replaced the crew on TTH’s 2011-released debut full-length, Oceans Rise, recruiting a new rhythm section in 2012 with bassist Wes Edmonds and drummer Rick Cimato (ex-Locked In A Vacancy). The ultra-solid new lineup honed the newest songs, and shipped out to Chicago last Summer to record the sophomore album Freedom From The Known at Electrical Audio Studios with studio guru Steven Albini. The trio filmed a new video for the album, and as they were preparing to release the best THINNING THE HERD material yet, Rick Cimato was tragically killed in a head-on collision over the 2012 holiday season.
Mourning the loss of their friend, Spielman and Edmonds hosted several local listening parties of the album for local fans and friends to honor Rick and his family, then started the process of bringing yet another lineup together to execute the new songs live, proudly, as Cimato would have wished. Spielman recently crossed paths with Brooklyn drummer Garth Macaleavey, and after hitting it off, brought Garth into the THINNING THE HERD camp.
With nearly forty-five minutes of brand new material, the varied Freedom From The Known continues the THINNING THE HERD tradition of avoiding genre pigeonholing, merging their blues, jam, sludge and NYHC influences into their expansive doom/rock foundation. Lyrically the band explores as wide an array of topics; surviving everyday life, achieving a higher consciousness through transcendentalism, the existence of alien and otherworldly life forms and more. This is where party-hard buildups melt into boundary-free jam sessions; THINNING THE HERD is the pinnacle of prime underground New York City rock. Freedom From The Known will finally be released on the band’s own Saint Marks Records, just as their previous EP and Oceans Rise full-length were, on May 9th, 2013.
Live THINNING THE HERD shows and regional tour plans are in the works for the immediate future, and will be announced in the coming days and through the Summer months in support of Freedom From The Known; stay tuned.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 16th, 2012 by JJ Koczan
Some videos just have it all, man. Drug innuendo, psychedelic booty dancing, a swirling drummer, tripped out ’90s-type digital effects, Orange stacks, the Buddha. The list goes on. Such is the case with “Never Wanted,” the first featured new track from NYC heavy rock trio Thinning the Herd‘s new full-length, Freedom from theKnown. The three-piece, led by guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman (who also directed the video), put the album to tape with none other than Steve Albini and are expecting a release by the end of the year.
Mixed by bassist Wes Edmonds, it’s the most natural sound I’ve heard yet from the band, who issued their Oceans Risedebut last year (review here), and it seems that together with drummer Rick Cimato, Edmonds and Spielman have been able to tap into the rawness of sound the band has always been begging for while still conveying the strong core of songwriting that carries through their approach. Aside from the video being killer, it makes me look forward to hearing the album when the time comes.
Here’s “Never Wanted” followed by the album release info, courtesy of the ol’ PR wire:
Thinning the Herd, “Never Wanted”
New York-based THINNING THE HERD announces the completion of their new studio full-length as they plan for its liberation into the general population before the end of the year.
Over the Summer, the band shacked up with studio guru Steven Albini to harness the newest tunes for what will be the metallic doom/rock act’s third studio effort. Entitled Freedom From The Known, the ten-song crusher features an entirely new and improved THINNING THE HERD lineup, revamped once again by founding member Gavin Spielman and now including drummer Rick Cimato (ex-Locked In A Vacancy) and bassist Wes Edmonds. An act constantly striving to not be pigeonholed as “another doom band,”’ the newest material reflects more of the members’ blues and NYHC influences, though the presence of classic doom metal and 90’s grunge/sludge influences still shine through, and alien life forms, motorcycles, ego death, higher consciousness, transcendentalism and racism are just a few of the issues touched upon lyrically. Freedom From The Known is due out in December on the band’s own Saint Marks Records as with their previous album and EP.
Freedom From The Known Track Listing: 1. Never Wanted 2. Dr. Reed 3. Sludge 4. Buildings 5. Rabbits 6. White Liver 7 Blood 8. Path of Gold 9. Gaikat Mountain 10. In Front Of Me
Posted in Reviews on October 26th, 2012 by JJ Koczan
Another shitty day in another shitty week had me in full-on Fuck Everything Mode. Riffy redemption? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, but it wasn’t going to be easy going, and the traffic en route to The Grand Victory in Brooklyn to catch Boston’s Elder, with NYC natives Thinning the Herd, Reign of Zaius and Pants Exploder wasn’t helping. You ever yell at someone in your car with the windows up? I do it. All. The. Time. I honestly don’t know how I’ve made it this long.
So obviously I was drinking, right? I mean what’s better than the existential boner pill alcohol provides? What’s that? Depressant? Fuck that, let’s rock and roll.
I was (born too) late getting there, and so Pants Exploder — who immediately won moniker of the night — were already on. It was my first time at The Grand Victory, which is right across Grand St. (fancy that) from the Trash Bar, but I could tell right away when I walked in that I liked the place. Small, longer than it was wide, the bar was on the left side walking in, loaded with decent micro taps — I had a Brooklyn Somethingorother to start and switched after one to Kelso’s Pilsner, which I found wanted for crispness but went down smoothly nonetheless — and the small stage was in the back of the room. It was unrepentantly a rock and roll bar, but dark in the back and intimate enough that even if there wasn’t a show, I’d drink there. Maybe that’s not saying much these days.
Upon hearing that there was a band called Pants Exploder on the bill, I knew I wanted to see them. I mean, some names just dare the act to live up to them. It’s like naming your band We Will Blow Your Fucking Mind, right? You wanna be like, “Okay, so go ahead, make my pants explode, I brought an extra pair and they’re in the car so I’m ready to go.” They gave it their best shot. A noisy trio, there were elements on hand of High on Fire thrash offset by Torche-type melodies, and they showed they could rage when they wanted to, and they were metal-tight and punk-energetic, which is what you want on a hoppy Thursday night. Good fun. One more band to make me regret living in the suburbs.
There wasn’t much of a changeover, but I had another couple beers and before long, Reign of Zaius started up. It was my second time seeing the Brooklyn newcomers — the first was at Public Assembly in August with The Midnight Ghost Train (review here) — and I don’t know whether it was the beverages, the sound at The Grand Victory or just my already vastly-improved mood, but I got way more of a sense of where they were coming from this time around. Their sound has its classic ’70s elements in the riffs, but with charismatic vocalist David “Viking” Damiecki up front, they seemed way more in line with a post-grunge heavy ’90s rock this time out. One of their songs started out so much like “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” that I thought they were doing a Primus cover. They weren’t, but they put that riff to good use anyway.
Elsewhere, Kyuss flourished as an influence, but there was a garage-type feel to their sound as well, guitarist Brady keeping a subdued presence while drummer Brian and bassist Davis added groovy push to the varying tempos. They’re pretty straightforward, and still feeling out where they want to be, but they seemed to have a much better idea last night than even two months ago, so I take that as an encouraging sign. It’ll be interesting to hear where they go sound-wise next time they hit the studio, and ditto that for Thinning the Herd, who followed and once again found guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman surrounded by a different band.
Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, but even since last year’s Oceans Rise(review here), Spielman has revamped the three-piece, bringing in mustachioed bassist Wes Edmonds and drummer Rick Cimato to underscore his should-be-heard riffs and solos and bluesy vocal delivery. I dug the band before — I’m pretty sure they’ve had a different bassist every time I’ve run into them, but none of them have been bad — but the latest incarnation seemed to be the most professional-minded. I don’t know what their plans are, if they’re looking to tour or whatever, but they were apparently recording with Steve Albini in August, so they’ve got something in the works.
They closed out by covering Fu Manchu‘s “Hell on Wheels” like it was no big deal, and that was an awesome surprise, since I don’t generally think of them as being aligned to that kind of sunshiny fuzz — their sound is dirtier, rougher around the edges — but they pulled it off well, and even in the back of the room, I was singing along. With just Elder to go, the night had already proven solid. All three of bands who’d played were going for something different under the umbrella of capital-‘h’ Heavy, and the varying senses of identity on stage made it an interesting show as well as just being good sets. Right about when I got to thinking about how many different ways there are to spin your red sun blues, Elder got on stage and moiderlized the joint.
Elder were on their way south to this weekend’s inaugural Autumn Screams Doom fest at the Sidebar in Baltimore, and well, I was really glad they made a stop in town. This was my second time being fortunate enough to see them without a piano falling on my head or some such other hindrance (the first was at SHoD in Sept.), and the trio just flat out destroyed. It was the kind of good that makes you stand back and go, “Holy fuck this is good,” backing it up with all kinds of ridiculous hyperbole about how they’re the best band you’ve seen since this one time 17 years ago when you saw someone else who were really killer. Point is, they’re something special to watch on a stage.
It should say something to that effect that when we did that informal Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums poll last month, their last full-length, Dead Roots Stirring, was right on the cusp of making the list — Brant Bjork and High on Fire aren’t bad company, if you have to tie with somebody. They started their set with the title-track from that record, and played material off the Spires Burn/Release 12″ as well (streaming here), guitarist/vocalist Nick DiSalvo, bassist Jack Donovan and drummer Matt Couto missing no steps in the songs and seeming to outmatch even Pants Exploder‘s volume level. Donovan had his mullet in a ponytail — I guess you can’t unleash a beast like that every single night, lest the back of your neck overheat — but they made the most nonetheless of the small stage and proved it was no fluke when after last time I said they’re some of the best American heavy psych I’ve ever seen. If you’re in Baltimore tonight, count yourself lucky.
I’d lost the cap to one of my lenses, and by the time I got back to my humble river valley, I was back to being impotently furious at everything, but it was probably good to get out of my own head for a couple minutes, you know, like a real human being might. Nonetheless, I stomped my feet like a spoiled child taking out the garbage and debated further beerings, but eventually crashed out, gritting my teeth in my sleep to the point of waking up with a sore jaw this morning. Went well with my half-hungover headache.
