Posted in Whathaveyou on February 5th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Someday, maybe, you and me and everyone else will get to see Caustic Casanova again, and as far as I’m concerned, that would be just splendid. As it stands, a quizzically titled, bootleg-style live EP, Lïve Läugh Löve Malört, will have to hold the line. It’s got three songs, two of which come from 2019’s God How I Envy the Deaf (review here), which wasn’t out yet when it wasn’t recorded, and it’s name your price now on their Bandcamp.
And if you’re wondering about the artwork. It’s the classic logo of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, and Lïve Läugh Löve Malört was recorded in Chicago, presumably on the appropriate side of town. That or the White Sox just have a cooler logo than the Cubs. Which is true. In any case, they have a magnet to match that’s $5 and I think would look just dandy on my fridge. Easily worth the investment.
From the PR wire:
Caustic Casanova release live EP
Heavy rockers CAUSTIC CASANOVA have unleashed a new live EP called “Lïve Läugh Löve Malört”. The 3 song EP was recorded at Livewire Lounge, Chicago on April 14 2018.
Bassist/Vocalist Francis Beringer commented “Lïve Läugh Löve Malört is a raw soundboard recording from back in April 2018 at LiveWire Lounge in Chicago. That night on tour was everything we miss about live music – a packed house, enthusiastic fans, a welcoming venue and a stacked bill. We hope people will listen and get transported back to the sweaty, sticky, drunken front row at their favorite rock n roll dive when they put this on. As for the title, everyone knows – after a great set in Chicago, shots of the harsh yet delicious Swedish liquor Malört are mandatory.”
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 15th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
I held back posting about this one for a couple days hoping maybe a song would surface, but no dice. Not unreasonable for a March release that there wouldn’t be music up in mid-January, but still, especially for something that’s a collaboration, there’s a definite curiosity around what At the Graves and Myopic might come up with for a release. What’s particularly interesting here is how the two groups talk about how writing together forced them out of their comfort zones a little bit, changed their processes. If there’s any good that’s come out of the last year of, well, existence, it’s that people have been forced to push themselves to try new things and new means of expression because, I don’t know, it’s either that or implode with hopelessness I guess. Though there are plenty of days where it feels like that’s already happened too.
Hey, maybe that’s what the album sounds like!
I guess we’ll find out in March. The PR wire has the following in the interim:
MYOPIC & AT THE GRAVES To Release A Cold Sweat Of Quiet Dread Collaborative Full-Length March 12th Via Grimoire Records; Preorders Available
Washington, DC-based progressive doom trio MYOPIC and Baltimore, Maryland-based one-man doom/sludge unit AT THE GRAVES have united for the release of A Cold Sweat Of Quiet Dread, a full collaborative full-length set for release on March 12th via Grimoire Records.
Forged in 2010, MYOPIC released a blackened death metal demo in 2011, followed by their Vacuous EP in 2013, which showcased a darker, slower, and more introspective direction for the band. The band joined forces with Grimoire Records a year later for the release of the Beyond The Mirror’s Edge EP. A split release with Appalachian black metallers Torrid Husk — Crawling Mountain Apogee — would emerge later that year where MYOPIC continued their progression towards slower, longer, and more sprawling compositions. Bordering on concept album territory, their approach received critical acclaim nationally. MYOPIC released their self-titled full-length in 2018.
Ben Price (Immiseration, Elagabalus, Foehammer, Textile, ex-Revolta, ex-Xozo) has been playing music under the name AT THE GRAVES with various other members fulfilling band duties since 2009. Formed out of the desire to play guitar and a slower and more emotionally deep form of music, Price has been operating as a one-man-band since the release of 2016 full-length, Cold And True. Influenced by the likes of Neurosis, Godflesh, My Bloody Valentine, and Nirvana, AT THE GRAVES’ live performances heavily leverage the use of looper pedals, backing tracks and a live percussion set-up consisting of rack mounted toms and cymbals.
MYOPIC and AT THE GRAVES met in 2013 at the Velvet Lounge in Washington, DC, and have gigged together frequently since then. Having become good friends and sharing similar musical interests, the two bands have talked about collaborating on a project for years. In 2019, the bands began writing the material that would eventually become A Cold Sweat Of Quiet Dread.
Comments MYPOIC bassist/vocalist Nick Leonard, “We’ve been writing as a three-piece for all our releases, and AT THE GRAVES has been a one-man band for years, so it’s been a fun challenge to combine our sounds and write for as a four-piece with three vocalists. We’re very proud of the result and the new ground this album breaks for both of our bands.”
Adds Price, “Finally doing the collab with the homies in MYOPIC was deeply satisfying. It was the most collaborative and difficult writing process I’ve been a part of and I’m very stoked on the album.”
A Cold Sweat Of Quiet Dread Track Listing: 1. Through Veins Of Shared Blood 2. Gold Sinews 3. Reeling Between 4. Oppressive Ruminations 5. Stray Parasite 6. Resonating Loss
MYOPIC: Sean Simmons – vocals, guitar Nick Leonard – bass, vocals Michael Brown – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 13th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Washington D.C. heavy punk two-piece offer 98 seconds of hard-driven shove with the new single Such is Life. It’s according to the band it’s about living in the reality of capitalism embedded as a perceived natural state — oh, you’re getting fucked over and stomped on and you worry if you take a break you’ll lose your job? Well, such is life. That kind of thing.
Yeah that’s fair enough. Shit’s fucked, which I’m sure is news these two dudes, one of whom works as a nurse during a pandemic and both of whom live in the same town as the recently stormed Capitol. D.C.’s long been established as a punk town, so that’s a lineage that I probably don’t need to tell you about, but sometimes you need a blasted bit of fuck-you. As a human being who’s already spent three hours today trying to get a toddler to say what shape stop signs are — octagon; a word he knows perfectly well; a word he learned before he learned square because that’s who he is — I’m more than happy to have Teen Mortgage come along and kick away the existential dust gathered on my state of being. Thanks y’all.
The duo issued their Life / Death EP in March 2019 through King Pizza Records (see also Ghost Funk Orchestra, The Mad Doctors, Sun Voyager, etc.) and the new song arrives with the same backing. Nice to have friends. Friends who might even tell you what shape a stop sign is, or, you know, how to take yourself off the grid or make universal healthcare a reality or whatever. No gods, no masters, no rent.
Brief announcement and track follow:
Teen Mortgage – Such is Life
Teen Mortgage is back with thrashing new single ‘Such is Life’, a fuzzed-out banger detailing hypocrisy and loathing inherent in certain mindsets. Couching socio-political disgust in holy rage, not to mention thundering drums, it should be no surprise these boys hail from DC and are happy carrying the history of its DIY ethos with them into 2021 and beyond.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 23rd, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Raw sludge and rawer doom abounds on the new four-song split from Philippines four-piece Surrogate Prey and Washington D.C.’s Et Mors, who seem to be in a contest not so much to out-heavy as to out-filth each other. I’m not sure who the winner is in that regard — Et Mors are more atmospheric, Surrogate Prey more outright scathing — but either way, it’s 37 minutes of feeling buried alive while the bands taunt you and unleash varying tonal assaults on your person.
Friendly it ain’t, but Surrogate Prey and Et Mors do make a fitting pair as the split progresses from one to the next, giving the feeling of driving deeper into your skull as it goes. To everything, churn churn churn, there is… death.
Here’s mud in yer eye from the PR wire:
Surrogate Prey & Et Mors split due to release on 12/28/20
Surrogate Prey is a Sludge Metal band from the Philippines, formed circa 2004. They’ve been putting out demos and splits since then, with their first full length album “Wisdom to Scramble Your Brains Lysergik” coming out in 2019. They just released their “Aberration” EP in December 2020 as well. They’ve played a key part in the Filipino Metal scene, being the first Sludge band there, & opening for bands such as EyeHateGod. the band features:
Rallye Ibanez – Bass, Vocals Gani Simpliciano – Drums Allan Diaz – Guitar, Vocals Bobby Legaspi – Guitar, Vocals
Et Mors is a Doom Metal band from Washington, DC, formed circa 2017 as a 4 piece with guitar, drums, bass, and keys. Since then, the band has been condensed to a 2 piece, with guitar and drums as the main instruments. After 2 demos and a single, their first full length “Lux in Morte” was released, followed by “Tombswayer” EP in late 2019. Et Mors completed the Tombswayer tour in October 2019, playing with bands such as Tel, DOUR, False Gods, Fistula, Come to Grief, & more. The band features:
Zak Suleri – Guitar, Vocals Albert Alisuag – Drums, Vocals
This split contains two tracks from each band: 1. Surrogate Prey – Banquet of the Beast (6:37) 2. Surrogate Prey – Shroud (8:03) 3. Et Mors – Damaged Pathways (13:50) 4. Et Mors – Erotic Neuroticism (8:56)
The result is 37 minutes of Doom & Sludge from two vastly different time zones.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 28th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
As they mark the 10-year anniversary of their debut in 2021, Washington D.C. heavy rolling trio Borracho will also release their covid-delayed fourth full-length, Pound of Flesh. Also their second for Kozmik Artifactz, the new Borracho follows some four-plus years on from 2016’s Atacama (review here) and is prefaced by the new video for “It Came From the Sky.” And if the premise of an upcoming Borracho record isn’t immediately enticing, plug your brain into the clip for just long enough to hear guitarist Steve Fisher‘s fuzz riff and that should be more than enough to prick up your ears.
I’m not sure who recorded the thing, and I’m not sure how representative “It Came From the Sky” might be of what surrounds it across the whole of the LP, because I haven’t heard it yet, but Fisher and bassist/backing vocalist Tim Martin conjure up some enviable tonality, and set to Mario Trubiano‘s steady-as-she-goes-and-she-goes-pretty-damn-steady drums, you’re basically getting a lesson in how to do heavy fuzz correctly in 2020.
For Borracho, “It Came From the Sky” also represents something of a turn toward the socially conscious. Can’t argue. Lines like the song’s hook, “What do you want?/What do you want from me?/Whatever happened to the land of the free?/Fear. Control. Fear.,” put emphasis on the paranoia of our age, and the song digs into conspiracy theories and the abiding sense of something having shifted in the reality in which we live. The last runthrough of the chorus, in fact, switches out “the land of the free” for “reality,” in a clever twist that works well rhythmically. You’ll also note that, in the video, all three members of the band are shown speaking various lines throughout, underscoring the notion of their speaking as a group.
And if you missed it above, Borracho hail from the epicenter of alternate-universe-ism that is the American capitol city, Washington “Taxation Without Representation” D.C. I cannot for the life of me imagine what the air in that town might smell like at this point, but as the US moves inexorably toward a presidential election that has the potential to either reinforce or undermine our shown-to-be-oh-so-fragile system of government, it’s only fair that politics, social issues, and so forth should be on Borracho‘s mind. For those of you who might live elsewhere in the world, you’d have to work really, really hard to ignore it otherwise.
With the promise of more to come, enjoy the premiere of “It Came From the Sky” — filmed in isolation I would guess by the band themselves and skillfully edited together by Larry Jackson, Jr. (also of Wasted Theory) — below, followed by some quick confirmation from the band about the record coming out, double-vinyl style.
Dig:
Borracho, “It Came From the Sky” official video premiere
From the forthcoming album Pound of Flesh, coming in early 2021 on Kozmik Artifactz heavyweight 2LP, CD and digital.
Washington D.C. newcomers Sorge are set to self-release their self-titled debut EP on Friday, and when it comes right to it, one of the most exciting aspects of the 27-minute four-tracker is how settled it isn’t. From the Danzig-ian wails, theatrical synth and rolling sludge riffs of opener “Faith of a Heretic” onward, the five-piece troupe seem to actively work to defy the conventions of microgenre, instead honing a sound that is both aggressive and thoughtful, but without the pretense inherent in so much prog-tinged modern heavy. “Faith of a Heretic” and “A Horse in Turin,” as well as the low-end-distortion highlight “Argent” and the driving finisher “Astral Burnout” are all marked by plotted guitar leads that underscore the band’s surprising level of self-awareness in terms of their methodology — this is not a group haphazardly tossing elements together and seeing what sticks — and the complexity of the progressions surrounding those solos, instrumentally and vocally, draws from an array of sources. It’s not a shock to learn there are multiple creative forces in the band, or that they have some measure of variety in their own personal tastes, but Sorge‘s Sorge makes all the more of an impression because of their refusal to let anything dominate their sound so much as their individualist impulses and concurrent tonal heft.
Two guitars — Joshua Gerras (also vocals) and Logan Boucher (leads) — plus Christian Pandtle on bass, Jake Filderman on synth and Mike Romadka on drums, and as they push into “A Horse in Turin” they sound like some futuristic vision of traditionalist doom, not quite catchy, but not quite not-memorable either, and the wash they bring to bear in the song’s midsection isn’t to be missed, either for its flourish of drama or the sheer depth of its mix, solidifying around a lumbering riff before bursting forth once more, this time shifting into all-out blastbeating as though to further demonstrate their lack of constriction. “Argent” and “Astral Burnout” are shorter (the EP runs longes-to-shortest), but not my much, and the unbridled atmosphere of the first two cuts continues to hold sway across the churning severity surrounding the crashes late in the proceedings, squibbly soloing seeming to wink at more extreme metal even as laserz-yes-with-a-‘z’ synth accompany. More pummel awaits in “Astral Burnout,” but there’s a hint of melodic fluidity to come there as well — “Faith of a Heretic” had it too, for that matter — that speaks to the angle of growth Sorge might be looking to undertake over the longer term. If they’re the kind of band who are going to look to tour when/if such things are possible, they’ll likely get there that much faster.
They’re young, or at least young-ish, and sound it. There’s patience to be learned in their craft, but in the meantime, I’ll happily take the swinging finish of “Astral Burnout” and the overarching groove that seems to draw the different pieces of the song together into one entirety. Again, Sorge‘s first release isn’t one that finds them declaring outright the rigid parameters of their sound, but rather, the place from which their scope will spread outward, and already they have a significant breadth at their disposal. As to which direction their work might ultimately take, I won’t hazard a guess onto to feel silly later, but for what it’s worth, they show an impressive level of command in their songwriting for a band both new and stylistically varied, and their forward potential only makes this EP more exciting to hear in the present.
You’ll find the four tracks streaming in their entirety below, followed by comment from the band.
Please enjoy:
Sorge on Self-Titled EP:
We’re rather proud of this as our debut release. It took us a little bit to find our feet together and start playing shows, but we all were friends before this so it was a blast playing together. The patience certainly paid off as our collective nerves couldn’t handle bombing a show. Best to practice in a smokey basement for two years, huh?
These songs were written collaboratively during that time, thus allowing us all to infuse our individual inspirations. Josh comes from more of a punk background, where I’ve always been into extreme metal. I also make electronic music as a solo artist, as does Jake. Logan was into shredding and technical stuff in high school. Heavy music was Mike’s first love, but he’s also dabbled in more genres than we can list. I find this interesting because it has been an eventful few years, all of us have changed as people throughout our writing and recording process. These songs, especially Faith of a Heretic and a Horse in Turin, are thus time capsule of sorts, capturing our collective feelings and imaginations from the time. We wanted to draw from our diverse influences while making fucking heavy music and are pleased enough with the results. We’re all our worst critics and when you’ve been drilling and writing for a few years it’s easy for those narratives to become the dominant ones in your head. We’ve been blown away by the initial reception and are so appreciative that people are getting what we’re putting down.
Recording the EP was a real trip. We’re pretty DIY but after self recording/mixing a two song demo we realized that we’re serious enough to be working with professionals. Mike and I were frankly kinda shocked when Kevin from Developing Nations got back to us, some of our favorite albums of the last few years were recorded there (e.g. Ilsa’s Corpse Fortress and Outer Heaven’s Realms of Eternal Decay). That being said, recording is expensive and we’re a bunch of young dudes so we ended up recording the whole thing in four days over two weekends without a click. Most stuff had to get done in one or two takes. That experience really solidified what we had already been screaming at each other for years: don’t waste a moment of your audience’s attention. We’ve written a ton since then and are extremely keen to get back on the road and in the studio when it’s safe to do so.
Joshua and I come from a background in western philosophy and were feeling adrift and depressed when we started this project. We kinda just started writing riffs together and before long had brought Mike, Logan, and Jake into the fold. I think we all realized on some level that doing something creative as a group is better than doing nothing at all and we were able to use that insight along with constant self-criticism to create something that we hope is more than the sum of its parts. We wanted to capture the urgency of living, that sense of restlessness that lives even in the most peaceful of hearts.
We’re at an interesting point in history and we couldn’t not express the low key, yet productive, angst that typifies our generation. We and especially those younger were born atomized and are conditioned to believe it’s the only way to live. Much our initial work into Sorge was driven by a need to prove to ourselves that disconnection is not the only way of living. Sorge is a German word meaning “care, or concern” and can refer to that fundamental concern we have for all beings, and thus for ourselves.
SORGE will independently release Sorge digitally on Friday, June 5th, with a physical release to follow. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE.
SORGE: Christian Pandtle – bass Joshua Gerras – guitars, vocals Mike Romadka – drums Logan Boucher – lead guitars Jake Filderman – synths
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 11th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Just a heads up here, I’m going to be hosting this EP premiere the week of its release early next month. I think on Tuesday the 2nd? Somewhere around there. Either way, Sorge are a newcomer band from Washington D.C., which is an area, that, like everywhere, is suffering from not being able to host live shows and all the rest of that fun stuff. So yeah, just keep an eye out. Gets swampy, gets a little weird. I’m into it. Sorge would have played Ode to Doom in Manhattan this month as well, but again, you know the deal.
Still, you can’t stop new music and why the hell would you want to try?
You can get a taste of Sorge‘s wares in “Astral Burnout” streaming at the bottom of this post, and hopefully you’ll look forward to the EP stream as I am.
The PR wire brings it:
SORGE: Washington, DC-Based Psychedelic Doom Quintet To Release Debut EP In June; “Astral Burnout” Now Playing
Washington, DC-based quintet SORGE presents their eponymous debut EP. Confirmed for release in early June, the band has unveiled the dynamic “Astral Burnout” for public indulgence.
SORGE (sor*guh) recently recorded their maiden EP. Fusing elements of stoner/doom, fuzz, sludge, and psychedelic metal and rock elements into an esoteric concoction of outer space and inner mind, Sorge delivers four crushing tracks totaling nearly twenty-eight minutes of sonic exploration. Elements of the fertile doom scene that birthed Saint Vitus, Internal Void, Place Of Skulls, Earthride, Iron Man, and many others show through, however, SORGE’s tunes reach far beyond said soil, infusing kaleidoscopic and ethereal elements into their sound.
Sorge was recorded with Ken Bernsten of Developing Nations Recording Studio (Full of Hell, Noisem, Ilsa), mastered by Mike Monseur, and completed with artwork by Ellie Yanagisawa and Bonner Sale.
SORGE will independently release Sorge digitally on Friday, June 5th, with a physical release to follow. Find digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE.
Sorge EP Track Listing: 1. Faith Of A Heretic 2. A Horse In Turin 3. Argent 4. Astral Burnout
SORGE: Christian Pandtle – bass Joshua Gerras – guitars, vocals Mike Romadka – drums Logan Boucher – lead guitars Jake Filderman – synths
The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.
Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.
Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Mario Trubiano of Borracho (Washington, D.C.)
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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?
Here we are about eight weeks in, and Borracho hasn’t had a lot of contact since just before the lockdown. We check in by text, and have done the requisite Zoom calls, but it hurts not be able to get in the jam space and play. Especially since we were just hitting our stride after the three years I lived in Peru. The current situation has delayed us finishing up recording on our new LP, which is almost completely recorded except for vocals on three songs. We were scheduled to finish that back on March 29, and while we’ve managed to proceed with mixing, the record won’t be done until we are able to get those tracks finished. But keeping hope for a release later this fall if things don’t deteriorate further. We’ve all been really following the stay home orders, so thankfully we are all healthy, as are our families.
What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?
In D.C. we have been on a stay home order since March 13. We all live in different parts of the city, so it depends a bit where you are, but things are quiet. Now that the weather is turning there’s a lot more exercise and outdoor activity, which can feel weirdly disconcerting. It’s totally natural, but in this context kinda freaks you out. The whole D.C./Maryland/Virginia area is generally in sync on the rules, but since there are so many government and professional jobs around here, a lot of people are able to work from home.
How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?
Well, right before the lockdown even happened D.C. had just lost the Rock and Roll Hotel, a fairly essential mid-sized venue where a lot of the national touring bands from our scene would regularly pass through. Small venues already had the cards stacked against them in D.C. proper, with major neighborhood demographic and economic shifts over the past 20 years, so I fear when they inevitably have to shut down from this crisis the city won’t be left with anyplace for local and smaller touring bands to play or hone their craft, and the scene will be hurt as a result. It obviously hurts not being able to go out to shows, connect with our friends from the local scene, and of course to play shows ourselves. The live streams haven’t been cutting it.
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?
It really doesn’t feel like we’re getting closer to “getting back to normal,” whatever that will be, but now that this has worn on so long it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some level of pushback to staying home through the whole summer. But the disruptions will definitely wear on, and the economic carnage is kind of hard to even fathom. But I am hopeful that we can weather this as a society, and in time we’ll learn and adapt in ways that could lead to unexpected improvements. As a band, Borracho is committed to getting our new record finished and released, and looking forward to hitting the stage whenever that’s possible.
