Ghastly Sound are a gritty,
loud, unforgiving and uncompromising trio focused on guitar less volume worship
and a love for high-energy riffs. The
band began writing songs as a two-piece around the foundation of childhood
friends TJ Maynard (bass) and Ryan Lewis (drums), who soon attracted the
straightforward candor and raw power of vocalist Tyler Gurwicz. Sounding like Torche playing Truckfighters with the ghost of Dio on vocals and also bringing to mind Big Business indulging
in secret stadium rock fantasies. Ghastly
Sound’s presence is as large as it is
loud: rolling, thunderous tones blended
with splashes of groove, sludgy bass riffs merging with spiraling time signatures,
burning screams interwoven with anthemic melodies and pummeling hooks.
Drawing influences from
contemporaries like Kylesa, Torche
and Every Time I Die as well as
pioneers from Helmet to Unsane,
Ghastly Sound’s debut EP is
here to remind listeners of a time when bands and people lived authentically
and loud. Welcome Ghastly
Sound and prepare to worship at the altar
of volume, as we invite them to take us through their top 5 noise rock records, as we take our weekly
trip into the extreme and turn the volume all the way up to 11. Why do we go to 11, because “It’s one louder, isn’t it?” Over to
TJ Maynard for all the details
I’m TJ, and I play bass guitar for Ghastly Sound.
When The Sludgelord approached us about
doing a piece on Noise Rock, we all got really excited and sat down to come up
with this list of bands. Since we recently our EP, we thought it would be
fitting to select other EPs to talk about. While this isn’t really in any
particular order, I’m going to talk about my personal favorite first.
These Arms Are Snakes
– “This
Is Meant To Hurt You”
Off the shelf, this record draws you
in. With a title like that, how could you not want to listen? One of the great
things about this band is how bold they were willing to be; they don’t sound
like anyone but themselves. It’s completely genuine. They’re able to craft such
dense songs that it takes a few passes to really pick up everything. As a
listener, this band can take you as deep as you’re willing to go with them, and
it’s a rewarding experience. Right up to now, Brian Cook remains one of the
most stand-out working musicians.
Cave-In – “Planets
of Old”
We’re citing this album, but let’s
be honest — Cave-In is
one of the most widely influential bands in heavy underground rock. Even if
you’re not still listening to Cave-In
records specifically, you’re likely listening to Mutoid Man,
Old Man Gloom,
or Clouds.
If you’re not, you’re screwing up. Hard. Cave-In’s
use of effects and willingness to go from atmospheric post-rock to hardcore to
doom-caliber heavy riffs make them one of those bands that can serve as a
default no matter what your current mood might be.
Daughters – “Canada
This might be cheating because there
are 10 tracks on this record, but with a total run-time of 11 minutes, 11
seconds, we’re calling this an EP. When talking about Daughters, we’ve got
to address presentation. I was a sophomore in high school when this record came
out, and we were all lucky enough to see them perform it at the iconic 242 Main . I remember they loaded in a shit-load of cabs
wrapped in animal prints instead of tolex. They started to perform, and it was
the most tightly-knit mess we had ever heard. In between songs, Alexis has this
just complete-asshole character. Again, the willingness to be that bold and
committed is something we all admire. The atmosphere in the room that night
still sticks with all of us.
United Nations – “Never
Mind the Bombings, Here’s Your Six Figures”
This is another example where presentation
becomes just as important as content. When you first hear this band, you
immediately think “Geoff Rickly.” Then you look a little deeper and find that
none of the other members are actually able to reveal their identities. The
mystery of it is kind of captivating! From a songwriting standpoint, United
Nations’ ability to fuse ugly-to-pretty passages together is something that has
a big influence on what we try to do. Especially vocally. Again, this is one of
those bands that you hear, you know it’s familiar-sounding, and you know you
like it, but you can’t really stuff them into one specific genre. I think
that’s how most bands end up with the “Noise Rock” moniker, haha.
Glassjaw – “Our
Color Green”
Glassjaw
is instantly recognizable, another band that can only sound like themselves.
For this EP to be as great as it is as a follow-up to - and with the gap in
time between - “Worship and Tribute” is nothing short of extraordinary. I have
no idea of the details of what went on between Glassjaw
and Roadrunner Records,
but whatever it was cost modern Rock & Roll in a huge way. Had Glassjaw gotten the
support they needed, I think it would’ve completely changed the landscape as we
know it today. We would have genuine, scary, rock bands. Instead, alternative
rock radio basically consists of a bunch of bands that either sound like
they’re recording b-sides for the lion king soundtrack or NASCAR commercials.
