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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
For those of you who long for the days of “Blessed Black Wings” era High on Fire, this record is the
perfect trip down memory-lane. If you
dig thick and dirty riffs, you’ll dig Pale
Mare.
“Pale Mare EP” CS//DD track listing:
1). Descolada
2). Carthage
3). Hoplite
The Review:
Toronto’s
Pale Marehas finally
released their long awaited self-titled EP. After making a name for themselves
locally opening for acts such as Windhandand Weedeater, Pale Marehave unleashed
their well-honed brand of sludge metal. For those of you who long for the days
of “Blessed Black Wings” era High on Fire, this record
is the perfect trip down memory-lane.
The
EP comes out of the gate swinging with “Descolada”;
a song built upon a heavy riff that would make Matt Pike smile. Where Pale Marebreak from the
pack, however, is this jazz break they’ve fused into the middle of the song.
The clean shimmering guitar chords and wah-tinged bass give them a nuisance and
balance not often found in riff-driven music.
“Carthage”
is a straight out banger that page homage to early Baroness
EP’s “First” and “Second” while adding their own twists.
Luke Roberts’ drum fills on this track are particularly jaw-dropping. Given the
fact that he is also the guitarist and main creative force behind Ayahuasca, it begs the
question “Is there anything Luke Roberts can’t
do?”.
The
albums closer “Hoplite” is
continuation of all these elements mashed together in one riff-crammed magnum opus.
Pale Mareis a throwback
to the hey-day of the Savannah sludge metal of the early 2000s, only with a
twist. If you dig thick and dirty riffs, you’ll dig Pale Mare.
“Beyond The Sun, is overflowing with everything one
could want from a great stoner rock record, thick, rumbling bass tones,
sizzling guitar fuzz and infectious, mid tempo riffage, making this the kind of
album that is very hard to stop listening to
“Beyond The Sun” DD//LP track listing:
1.Beyond The Sun
2.The High Priest
3.Living In The Sand
4.Magnetic North
5.Lawless
6.Quest For Clarity
7.A New Hope
8.Foresee The Future
9.Chrononaut
The Review
“Beyond The
Sun”, the second album from Canadian trio Woodhawk, is overflowing with
everything one could want from a great stoner rock record, it is bursting with
thick, rumbling bass tones, sizzling guitar fuzz and infectious, mid tempo
riffage. Woodhawk may be a stoner rock band
before they are a metal band: guitarist/vocalist Turner Midzain soulfully
bellows strictly clean vocals, the band doesn’t use subterranean tunings and
tempos, as laid back as they are, are still brisk enough to outpace the Electric Wizards and Weedeaters of the world. That being said, “Beyond The Sun” still delves deep enough
into metal territory to stand on its own as an admirable stoner metal album, as
well as an exceptional rock album.
The album opens with its title track, a haunting,
ambient track that instantly conjures images of strange, alien deserts, like
the one depicted on the album’s cover. Dynamically, the track builds with a
wonderful and meticulous patience, creating an enveloping aura of sound for
listeners to lose themselves in. The spacey atmosphere of the album’s title
track is echoed in the tracks “Magnetic
North”, “Forsee The Future” and
the Star Wars themed “A New Hope”,
but “Beyond The Sun” is certainly not
a repetitive record. Each one of those tracks tackles their galactic aesthetic
in a unique and original way and the rest of the album pursues entirely new
musical avenues. Tracks like “Living In
The Sand” and the album’s closer, “Chrononaut”,
feature riffs crushing enough for any metal head’s standards and the entire
album is brimming with tight hooks effective enough to lodge into your skull
for days.
The standout track on “Beyond The Sun” is perhaps its sixth track, “Quest For Clarity”. Beginning with a deliciously chunky bass line,
“Quest For Clarity” roars through
absolutely irresistible riffs and effectively dark vocal harmonies. The result
is the doomiest, most memorable track on “Beyond
The Sun” and the best soundtrack to wandering an ancient desert to be found
anywhere.
“Beyond The
Sun” is the kind of album that is very hard to stop listening to. The songs
are diverse enough to maintain interest but just similar enough to make for a
very cohesive listen and gives the album an instantly recognizable sound. The
riffs are so catchy you’ll be humming them long after you remove headphones and
the songs are so good you will be craving the next chance you get to sit down
and listen to them again.
Track by track these rusted broke-down
tractor boys weave a landscape that is reminiscent of the groovier parts
of Grief or perhaps an even more slowed down and swampy take on some Weedeater.With a natural emphasis on groove and
natural timing and feel, this album moves like a sloth with a spliff in its
mouth.
“Self Titled”
DD track listing:
1).
Blackened
2).
Fever
3).
Hate
4).
Snakes
5).
Knives
The Review:
A
simple internet search on "Manchester, KY
demographics" reveals the catalyst in order to produce such a
suffocated and frustrated brand of Southern sludge from the gloom merchants
that go by Hawkbill.
According to the County's facebook page; under sightseeing- one of the main
attractions next to the BaptistChurch is the Clay County
Correctional Facility. Charming, wouldn't you agree? Become a pill-billy,
praise Jesus or do what these fine young Southern Gentlemen did- channel your
frustration and despair into a trance-inducing, hypnotic groove anti-hymnal for
the dejected.
Track
by track these rusted broke-down tractor boys weave a landscape that
is reminiscent of the groovier parts of Grief or perhaps an even more
slowed down and swampy take on some Weedeater, with a natural emphasis on groove
and natural timing and feel. I've always been a proponent that if it's from the
South, it moves like a sloth with a spliff in its mouth. With track titles such
as "Blackened", "Hate", "Snakes" and my personal favorite "Knives"...this stoned sloth has been left out in the rain for
a week and ran into some train-hopping crust kids and is babbling incoherently
about the vicious nature of a ClayCounty existence. The
abstract, albeit psychotic metaphor of that last sentence may be an indicator
of where this band's first self-recorded and produced effort puts you after a
listen or two.
Inspired
guitar work, precise and tactful rhythms carried upon the rhinoceros that
lives in the low-end via bass are drizzled and poured all over by psychotic and
tortured howls that drip and melt all over the aural landscape. Imagine a stack
of pancakes, made of solid hash and then pour a heroic dose level of some kind
of maple syrup mind-fuck mushroom concoction that some mountain wizard bartered
for with some ammunition a few years ago and that's what you're getting into
with this Hawkbill
endeavor. No...Manchester
I will not be stopping by to see your highlighted social media suggestions
anytime soon. I'd rather admire what social quagmires and abject level poverty
have produced from your denizens from a safe viewing and especially listening
distance. Hat's off to Hawkbill. Grim Trashcan definitely approved!!!
Date Released: 01/01/2017 Label: Independent | Emetic Records (LP)
Toke seamlessly blends the precise
amount of head crushing, belly thumping riffs with greasy, bluesy lead breaks
and melody. This band has struck a balance between tried and true classic
archetypes within this genre and has pushed the envelope in so many forms of
noticeable nuance.
“Orange” CS//DD//LP
track listing:
1.
Within The Sinister Void
2. Weight Of The World
3. Blackened
4. Weak Life (Feat. T-Roy of Sourvein)
5. Legalize Sin
6. Four Hours For Hours
The Review:
There
just has to be something about living in the South that makes you understand
swing, groove, timing or "feel". Some folks are born with natural
rhythm and it seems like second nature, a mere afterthought. Others train
themselves meticulously to metronomes and calculated foot tapping. Toke;
hailing from North Carolina
fall seismically in the first camp.
When
I hear "North Carolina" my immediate thought
is Weedeater,
and when I hear the band name "Toke"
my immediate thought is "well, I'll
be damned". That thought is heard in my head with a southern drawl. A
lazy, laid-back southern lilt of inflection that coaxes one into a natural
state of ease, ready to hear more from that friendly Southern inner voice.
That's when the opening riff from "Orange"
fires up and its glowing heat draws you further in. Solidified by natural and
solid drumming this experience just keeps on warming up. Definitely more of a
guitar-oriented affair in comparison to something akin to Weedeater, where bass is the
star at the frequency buffet, Toke seamlessly blends the precise amount of
head crushing, belly thumping riffs with greasy, bluesy lead breaks and melody.
The vocalists timbre and range can only be described as an old rotary phone
echoing through the silence somewhere in the desolate woods.
This
band has struck a balance between tried and true classic archetypes within this
genre and has pushed the envelope in so many forms of noticeable nuance. The
seemingly calculated choices when it came to where the drums sat in the mix,
the bass owned and held upright the fluid frame of the masterful guitar work
over which mid-ranged, musical raspy howls cried out were overall the feature
of this release. Songwriting is so solid; I'd send it out to sea without fear
of capsizing. This album more than floats, it navigates.
The Finnish quartet deal in a potent blend of
filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty
gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up the sound of a bar room brawl
between Weedeater and Colour Haze.
“Seaweed” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Taxbear
2). Heavy Chase
3). Seaweed
4). Cavity
5). Backwoods
6). Pure Cold
7). Saturnday
8). Peninkulma
The Review:
There’s
nothing better than a boatload of no-frills, weapons-grade riffage to blow away
the January blues. Demonic Death Judge deliver the goods in fine
style on new album “Seaweed”. The Finnish
quartet deal in a potent blend of filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by
hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up
the sound of a bar room brawl between Weedeater and Colour Haze.
“Taxbear”
kicks things off in punishing fashion. Gargantuan riffs pummel the listener
into submission until they are enveloped in waves of swirling guitar noise and
menacing samples. The pure low-end dirt of “Pure Cold” and the
dangerously addictive “Heavy Chase” run “Taxbear”
close for heaviest track on the LP but quality riffs abound throughout “Seaweed”.
Demonic Death Judge demonstrate that they
don’t need to rely on constant hard-riffing to be effective. The title track
begins the introduction of more melodic elements into the mix with suitably
aquatic effects-laden guitars providing a hazy calm before the storm of the
band’s arrival at full bore. “Cavity” sees the band explore this
relaxed side further to achieve powerful psychedelic results while the brooding
first half of closer “Peninkulma” creates an almost
post-rock slow-burn before being crushed under one final tonne of leaden
riffage.
“Seaweed” is a killer effort from Demonic Death
Judge that strikes a good balance between no-nonsense sludge and
minor excursions into more tuneful territory. In an often overcrowded genre,
the band stick out by rocking hard while bringing their own distinct character
to the fore.
Album Type: EP Date
Released:
24/06/2016 Label: Outer Battery
Records
This
is a fine example of well executed rock, with an excellent blend of influences
that don’t overstep anywhere to make the band sound like rip offs of any kind.
“Arctic”
DD//LP track listing:
1.Over
Smoked (08:36)
2.Cryptic
Black Sun (04:07)
3.Burnt
Ice (08:05)
4.Daewon
(04:57)
5.Higher
(03:23)
The Review:
I’m
well aware that every time your intention is to read a review, your expectation
should be that subject matter will trump personal opinions. You want to know
what the album is about, prior to putting it on the device of your choosing for
listening, or measuring your proper judgment of said album against a peer of the
realm, namely a reviewer from whatever your source of information is. That
said, I find myself perplexed with this band, more by the individuals that play
the actual sounds they taped. This being a debut EP, I did some research on who
these guys were, as I only had the EP to go by, which was given as a gift from
a fellow Sleep
fan. Digging beyond the cool as fuck cover art from Arik Roper (Sleep, Earth,
Weedeater) I hit a wall when I found references for these people on
skateboard related articles. These three dudes are pro-skaters. Pro-skater
defined as sponsored athletes, backed by a brand named Volume 4
(sound familiar?). And of all places, they come from California. Oceanside, to be precise, dating back to
2011. So, by definition you would expect them to sound like they belong on a
Tony Hawk game soundtrack, right? Prepare to have your archetypes broadened.
A
blizzard of flangered white noise along with numbed cymbals gusts in to prepare
us for what’s to come. Reverbed guitars that remind us of cavern echoes
compliment the intro before allowing the fuzz pedals to take over and reveal
the beginning of this 30 minute trek. “Over
Smoked” then gives way for the initial riff to further develop, as well
layered production from Jordan Andreen (Earthless, JOY) provides quite the lysergic
experience over the course of its almost 9 minutes. And I say almost, as the
band hits the brakes and shift gears mid-track to steer us towards stoner rock
pastures. “Cryptic Black Sun” lures
you in with 70s infused classic rock, cornering the listener to bathe its ears
in slow burning acid, leaving us charred with psychedelic euphoria.
As
we continue to dwell on the Arctic soundscape we can appreciate the
tripping textures on “Burnt Ice”,
which features heavily distorted vocals, a first on the record. The LSD-dipped
melodies mangle riffs with blues roots and fry them in blown-out amplifier tar.
A face-melting solo stretches well over half of the track, which serves as a
conduit between chunky power chords juxtaposed against hallucinatory hooks. “Daewon” bridges over the drum fill from
“Burnt Ice” and sways over to colourful
psych-doom for a minute, or 3, as organized chaos brakes out to throttle your
senses as the song progresses, throwing a spotlight on ‘Figgy’ who shreds solo
after solo as if he was hitting a perfect line of park benches, sidewalks and
the occasional obstacle. Much like a buffalo stampede “Higher” rolls in with the kind of bravado and muscle that was
apparently the norm for well-respected bands back in the day. That does not
last long, as the band surprises us with a turgid mass of crushing filth. Not
much is left on this hike and as we soar to the peak of the proverbial
mountain, a final sprint is made by the guys in an effort to conclude the
ascent.
This
is a fine example of well executed rock, with an excellent blend of influences
that don’t overstep anywhere to make the band sound like rip offs of any kind.
Definitely keep them on your radar, I would not be surprised if Heavy Psych
Sounds Records picks them up and issues a split with Karma to Burn?
One can only wish.
Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 25/06/2016 Label: Snake Charmer Coalition
A potent mix of
the epic vision of Yob and the no-nonsense sludge aggression of Weedeater,
these tracks are more than capable of holding their own against the
heavyweights of modern doom.Pulverising
riffs worthy of Bongripper beat the listener into submission, repeated until
breaking point, before moving onto a higher plateau of heaviness.“Suzerain” is an awe-inspiring release from Merchant
and all the more impressive for being a debut
“Suzerain” sees Merchant emerge into the world
as a fully-formed psychedelic doom powerhouse. The Melbourne quartet may be a new name to most
but this monumental debut album will soon put paid to that.
Over the
course of “Seed & Soil” and “Mourning Light” the band perfect their
heady blend of filth-encrusted riffs and spacey bursts. A potent mix of the
epic vision of Yob
and the no-nonsense sludge aggression of Weedeater, these tracks are more than capable
of holding their own against the heavyweights of modern doom.
These two
slabs of destruction are merely an appetiser ahead of the
earth-shattering title track. Over the course of 20 mind-expanding minutes, Merchant
take everything that has gone before and crank the dial all the way into the
red. Pulverising riffs worthy of Bongripper beat the listener into submission, repeated
until breaking point, before moving onto a higher plateau of heaviness. The
tension and intensity continuously ramps up over the song’s mammoth duration,
building to a pummelling finale reminiscent of Mastodon’s seminal “March of the Fire Ants”.
Following
the title tracks’ epic assault on the senses, “Black Vein” brings the album to a close in hard rocking fashion. Merchant
raise the tempo and bring some dirty stoner grooves to the table, demonstrating
another side of their sound, while still retaining gut-churning heaviosity.
“Suzerain” is an awe-inspiring release
from Merchant
and all the more impressive for being a debut. The massive potential documented
here will have Merchant’s
peers looking over their shoulders in fear for what this band will unleash
next.
A
synonym of “Noise” refers to a din, racket, clatter and blast, indeed to
describe the sound of today’s featured artist Fight Amp, those words would not
be out of place. Hailing originally from
NJ, but natives to Philadelphia for the last 5 years, Fight Amp have been creating their own brand
of off kilter dissonance for the last 8 years, noise rock as their music is
affectionately known, is nothing new of course, indeed the genre perhaps
garnered notoriety due to the influx of more popular bands during the early
90’s, with bands commonly known in the AmpRep style stemming from the formation
of the influential label, where many of the purveyors of the off kilter style,
found their home during perhaps the scenes most influential period.
Bands
such as Helmet
would eventually sign to major labels and as was the case back in the day, with
any specific trend of music, other labels followed suit, signing up bands such
as Barkmarket,
featuring renowned producer D. Sardy.
Of course bands such The Jesus Lizard would have their day with Duane Denison,
perhaps gaining wider recognition years after their split for his contribution
to Mike
Patton side project, Tomahawk.
But
for me on a personal level Steve Albini is synonymous with the scene and
his work with Big
Black, Rapeman and latterly Shellac, who continue to produce some of their
best music to date has had perhaps the biggest influence and his/their
influence can still be heard in new bands today. Indeed whilst it would be unfair to specially
credit those bands for creating the “noise rock” sound or style alone, what is
true is that those bands especially Albini are often name checked by many or
most people when referring to “noise rock”.
All in all, whilst I do not profess to be an expert on this scene, it is
clear the sound is in the ascendency once more, with artist such KEN mode,
Great Falls, Whores. and
Fight Amp
helping to continue the tradition of producing superior and yet off kilter music,
latterly you could also add Kowloon Walled City into the group, indeed the
list is endless. Just this month Grizzlor and Kowloon Walled City featured in
our very own “Sour 16” feature, so clearly top quality music is still being
produced and remains an integral part of the heavy rock/metal scene.
Having
released their strongest album to date with “Constantly Off”, Fight Amp is certainly a band who needs to be
heard and having stumbled across them back in 2012, following their
contribution to the awesome Hell Comes Home 7inch package, I have been
following them ever since. Therefore I
am stoked that guitarist Mike McGinnis agreed to talk to us about his love for Melvins,
Kowloon
Walled City, Gibson SG’s and his response to folks who ask
him “how much pussy you got on tour” So
check it out and thanks for reading.
SL). Mike, welcome to Amped
& Doomed, could you perhaps give us a brief history of your playing
career?
Mike
McGinnis)It’s a little hazy, but I started playing
guitar when I was around 13. It all stemmed from skateboarding and being
exposed to the music surrounding that culture and from liking Nirvana
and digging deeper into their influences like Black Flag and The Melvins.
At some point playing guitar started cutting into my time skateboarding and it
eventually took over. I took maybe 3 guitar classes and two years of music
theory/history in high school, but the book always bored me and I found a lot
of flaws in my peer’s use of music theory in that they would generally use the
rules to write music instead of writing what they heard in their head and using
theory to transcribe it and communicate with other musicians.
From that
point on I was self-taught and playing guitar was just a means to an end;
writing the riffs and music that I was hearing and still hear, in my head. I
played in some weirdo hardcore punk bands with friends in high school in the
late 90s (Pride
of Youth) being the first and only that really played shows),
bounced between a couple metal/grind type bands shortly afterwards in the early
00s, and spent a couple years doing short tours in a punk band called The Funeral
Bird (which had members of Creepoid, Into It. Over It., Ladder Devils, Gunna Vahm).
After a short lull I started writing what would become the first Fight
Amputation riffs sometime in 2003, played our first show in 2004,
and really didn’t start putting out real albums and doing any real touring
until 2008 when we became something a little more “serious” than a part-time
band.
SL). Are
there any bands, guitarists, currently on the scene that continue to inspire
you and push you to try new things?
MG). The obvious answer for me is always The Melvins /
Buzzo. Their / his approach has always been extremely influential to
me. It’s never anything but honest and my playing/writing style is very similar
to his. Steve
Albini is another obvious answer for me. It’s weird because those
guys are classic examples yet they remain on the scene currently because of
their prolific nature, which is exactly why they’re so hugely inspirational to
so many musicians. Lately I’d have to say Scott Evans and Jon Howell of Kowloon Walled
City. Yeah, they’re my buddies, but they put together some of the
best dual guitar interplay I’ve heard lately, and it’s tonally on point yet
simple.
SL). Whilst we’re on the subject of inspiration or
heroes, do you have 5 records that stand out as favorites, what influence did
they have upon you and what is it about those records in particular that
resonates amongst others?
MG) Man, top 5
of all time? That might be impossibility for me. I’m not a fan of top lists in
general because they’re so steadfast and concrete. My moods often dictate my
taste and my favorites list probably changes every day. I’ll use this as an
opportunity instead to tell you my five favorite albums of 2015 because
all-time is gonna dig back decades and turn into a top 20.
So my 5 this
year are:
Cherubs –“2 Ynfynyty”
Kowloon
Walled City – “Grievances”
The Hex Dispensers
– “III”
Ecstatic Vision
– “Sonic Praise”
Spray Paint – “Punters On A Barge”
SL). Can you remember your first electric guitar?
MG) A black Squier
Stratocaster. The only Fender-ish guitar I've ever owned. Still had
its remains until recently.
SL). What guitar(s) are you using today and how did
you gravitate towards the guitar you currently use?
MG) I play a Gibson SG.
I gravitated towards SGs early in life, love the way their necks feel,
how lightweight they are and their simple setup. I don’t exactly know why, but
I’ve never been comfortable playing most other guitars. I also use a rebuilt Epiphone SG
that I’ve owned since maybe ‘99. I generally only play that on songs that are
tuned below drop C# and as a backup guitar/extra tracks in the studio. I do
like Jaguars
and Les
Pauls though and if I feel like adding guitars in the future it’d be
one of those next.
SL). What amps and pedals do you currently use?
Do you use a combination of amps, or a full/half stack? Talk us through
your set up both in the studio and in the live environment.
MG) I really
subscribe to a bare-bones (yet oddball) philosophy when it comes to rigs. I
play two half stacks currently, a Peavey Classic 100 tube amp through a Marshall 4x12
and an Acoustic
Model 450 solid state amp through an Ampeg 2x15 loaded with EV 100s.
I’ve always tried to pair a tube amp with a solid state amp to get the best of
both worlds; some warmth from one and some attack from the other. I basically
get the best clean tone I can out of them and then run a RAT and an MXR Micro Amp to boost the
signal. I occasionally use a delay pedal for certain riffs but I’m not a big
pedal guy and focus on tone and riffs more than effects or bells and whistles.
I use the same setup in the studio but generally go back with accent riffs and
a third guitar track with different combo amps and/or a Musicman HD150 through a 2x12.
SL) What’s one pedal you could not live without and
why?
MG) My tuner.
And I’m still out of tune sometimes because I strum hard naturally. Kill
me.
SL) What tunings do you use and why, and as a
result is there a specific brand / gauge of string you prefer?
MG) Mostly in
drop C#, lately some songs have been way down in double drop G#.
I like D’Addario 11s.
SL). Do you have any advice for up and coming guitar
players, bands?
MG) Yeah, a ton,
but I doubt they’d listen, and maybe they shouldn't. Do what makes you happy,
not what other people are telling you you’re supposed to do. Anyone that tells
you there’s a strict set of rules for bands has an agenda and can fuck right
off.
SL). Do you feel there are deeply held
misconceptions about being in a band?
MG) Yes. The
next person that wants to know “how much
pussy I got” on the last tour can take a fuckin hike.
SL). Moving on a little then, what can you
tell us about any of your current projects, tours, CDs, etc you’re currently
promoting, completed and anything else band related we should know about?
MG)Fight Amp
put out a new album, ‘Constantly Off’, in June on Brutal Panda
Records, we also released a new two song 7” on Reptilian Records in September.
We recently wrapped up a west coast run with KowloonWalledCity
and currently have no shows scheduled and are pumping out new material for
future releases. I was also part of a self-released EP last year with a band
called Pale
Shelter with the guys from Bubonic Bear, but that's now defunct.
SL). What springs to mind when you think about the
completion of your new/current record and how is the mood in the camp at
present?
MG) We’re
happier than ever with our new releases and view it as a jumping off point for
our future sound and albums. Personally when I listen to “Constantly Off” I hear the album I’ve wanted to make for the last 8
years. We hit the nail on the head with the new stuff and now we’re ready to
make more. Hopefully people get as excited as us about it, but either way we
make the albums we want to hear and if it doesn’t please people then that’s
just a by-product of us having off-kilter taste I suppose. Every second on “Constantly Off” was calculated.
SL). What are your favorite songs to play live? What
is it about them that makes them so good to play live? Anything from your
catalog that you wouldn’t play and why?
MG)
Currently all the songs from “Constantly
Off” and the new 7” have made their way in heavily. We’ve never made an album
that was front-to-back so much fun to play live. Every other album has some
songs that ended up being “studio” songs that we’ve never played live. Other
than that, personally I love playing “Dead
is Dead” from “Hungry For Nothing”
and “Fly Trap” from “Birth Control”. There’s probably
nothing we’d ever take off the table for playing live depending on the
circumstances.
SL) Who are some of your favorite bands you have
toured with and what has been your proudest moment and/or performance of your
playing career?
MG) We’ve
seriously formed such great relationships with almost every band we’ve toured
with and there’s not a single band we’ve toured with that we don’t enjoy
musically. I’d have to say standouts are definitely Black Tusk, KEN Mode, Weedeater, Whores.
and Kowloon Walled City.
Proudest
moment…. Hard to say, first thing that comes to mind is playing the Naked Raygun
reunion show in Austin
in 2008. Crazy show and an honor to play with such an influential punk
band.
SL). What can fans look forward to from you over the
next 12 months? How is your schedule shaping up?
MG) We’re
writing heavily. Maybe some shows in 2016 but we’re not hell bent on playing
live unless the circumstances point towards killer shows for the bands and the
crowd. We’re focused on new material above all else, but it’s too early to talk
release schedule especially with how current production times are so lengthy
because of pressing plant backups.
SL). Right on man, thanks for taking the time to
talk us. Before we sign off, do you
have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?
MG) Don’t
believe everything you read on the internet.
