The Cracked Skull

Long time, no post...

2011-12-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a busy year cracking skulls and for music. Regular posting has been few and far between due to life raining down what it will both good and bad. With that said, The Cracked Skull has found many releases this year to yield quite the sonic load. No top ten or twenty list will be presented here, but rather a collection of releases that seem to find their way into constant rotation whilst bashing skulls. 2012 is looking up if for no other reason than Neurosis is recording a new album. In no particular order:

Oranssi Pazuzu--Kosmonument
Aelter II--Follow You Beloved
The Tropic of Cancer--The Sorrow of the Blooms
The Haxan Cloak--The Haxan Cloak
Ga'an--Black Equus
Mournful Congregation--The Book of Kings
Chelsea Wolfe--Apokalypsis
Barghest--Barghest
False--untitled
Bosse de Nage--II
Flourishing--The Sum of All Fossils
Craft--Void
Implodes--Black Earth
Atriarch--Forever the End
The Body & Braveyoung--Nothing Passes
Hell--II
Blut Aus Nord--777 Sects
Blut Aus Nord--Desanctification
Wolves in the Throne Room--Celestial Lineage
Cianide--Gods of Death
Disma--Towards the Megalith
Ash Borer--Ash Borer
L'Acephale--Stalhartes Gehause
Northless--Clandestine Abuse
Krallice--Diotima
Altar of Plagues--Mammal
Yob--Atma
Tombs--Path of Totality
Loss--Despond
Batillus--Furnace
Alaric--Alaric
The Men--Leave Home
Earth--Angels of Darkness Demons of Light
Wolvhammer--The Obsidian Plains
Rwake--Rest
Horseback--The Gorgon Tongue
Grails--Deep Politics
Morne--Asylum
Dark Castle--Surrender to All Life Beyond Form
Indian--Guiltless
Pyramids/Horesback--A Throne Without a King
Sortilegia--Pestilent Black Sorcery
Young Widows--In and Out of Lightness
Clinging To the Trees of Forest Fire/Nesseria--split release
Alpinist/Masakari--split release
Leviathan--True Traitor, True Whore
Crooked Necks--Alright Is Exactly What It Isn't
Young and In the Way--V Eternal Depression
Burial Hex--In Psychic Defense
Na'kay/Kata Sarka--split release

A sad day...

2011-06-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Indianapolis has lost a devoted, hard working, talented, and all around friendly member of the music scene. Jared Southwick (The Dream Is Dead, Harakiri, Whiskeytits, and Legion) passed away last night due to complications stemming from a liver and kidney condition. The Cracked Skull sends its condolences to Jared's family and friends. He will be missed, but remembered for his contributions as a musician and as a person that lived life on his terms. The Cracked Skull will raise a glass in his honor. Let the hammer come crashing down one last time on July 28 (7 p.m. at the Hoosier Dome for Dudefest) as The Dream Is Dead plays its last show ever in remembrance of their fallen comrade. R.I.P Jared Southwick.

The Dream Is Dead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1u1MUbHvIo&feature=related

Whiskeytits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk3zIAgMhBc

A snapshot: Midwestern Decline...

2011-04-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Midwestern Decline is a small DYI record label based out of Ft. Wanye Indiana. The label is participating member of the Black Heart Mountain Culture Collective. With a range of releases available either physically or digitally, it would seem the label is focused and committed to cultivating the collective craft of the bands associated with the label and other like minded artist within the collective. Offering music from a wide array of bands from Indiana and surrounding states (Michigan and Illinois to name a couple), there is a solid assortment of styles to choose from. Whether it's the thundering hardcore of Karloff, the churning grind of Cloud Rat, or the blackened atmospheres of Coffin Maker; Midwestern Decline provides a platform for its bands to develop and hone their chosen art. They are a home grown Indiana label to follow and support.

The following links are where you can find more information about Midwestern Decline, Black Heart Mountain Culture Collective, and the works of the artists and bands associated with them.

Midwestern Decline:
http://midwesterndecline.blogspot.com/

Black Heart Mountain Culture Collective:
http://blackheartmountain.com/

in heavy rotation... Coffin Maker's Invocation. Possession. Exorcism.
http://coffinmaker.bandcamp.com/album/invocation-possesion-excorcism

Blood from the Void: Coffinworm...

2011-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

There is a continual rumbling din ushered forth from the void whenever Indianapolis' Coffinworm gather to make their pulverizing blackened, death infused doom. The weight and heft in their brand of aural hopelessness is significant and powerful. Their music is a dark art form channeling the desperation in a failing and crumbling society. A bleak modern world view is all that is needed to act as a catalyst for inspiration. Detuned, feedback ridden, clamoring, aggressive, and harsh—the shifting and plying tones and movements Coffinworm generate are sonically corrosive.

The band received many accolades in 2010 for their debut release, When All Became None released on CD by Profound Lore Records and on vinyl by Seventh Rule Records. The Cracked Skull thought very highly of the record placing it as the third best release of last year. And when the band performed live the recorded power was immediately transferred into raw and surging misanthropic energy.

Last year was also a time of transition for the band as one of their original guitarists departed the band. Coffinworm was a four piece, only for a short time, as then drummer Carl Byers moved to guitar while World Eater’s drummer, Josh Schrontz, took command of drumming duties. Vocalist Dave Britts, guitarist Garrett O’Sha, and bassist Todd Manning continued in their original roles with the band. As with any functioning band, the newly revamped line up mastered current songs and began work on new material.

2011 is primed to be a good year for Coffinworm. With the new configuration working well and new material being written, the prospects of sustained devastation from the band are promising. The Cracked Skull caught up with Garrett O’Sha to discuss the process of transition within the band, the writing of new material, what the future holds, and what he listened to most last year.

What's happening in the Coffinworm dungeon of late? How's the shift in personnel coming along?

We are working on songs for our next album and more immediately, a split 7" with Unearthly Trance. We are also preparing to emerge from the catacombs for some live activity soon.

How are the new songs working out, and what can the world expect in terms of sound, tone, inspiration for the new material, and overall destructive qualities?

New incantations are steadily emerging from the void. Naturally, we are trying to create the most hellish and destructive music possible, so don't expect any ballads or sassy dance numbers. There is definitely more of an aggressive death metal attack to some of the new material. As for inspiration, life in our modern world provides more than enough hopelessness to go around.

How has Carl's move to guitar and new drummer, Josh, affected the new songs and the song writing process?

I think the changes have only made us more powerful. Carl and I have played guitar together in other bands, so that chemistry was present already. As for Chubbz (Josh), he and Dave have been raging together in World Eater for years. He fits right in on a personal level and is not only a beast behind the kit, but a stellar guitarist as well and has been making some major riff contributions. He's on fire with that shit right now.

Are you surprised at how well received When All Became None was last year? It made it all the way up to the third spot The Cracked Skull's year end list and many other lists. Not that means all that much in terms of art, but it is great record on many levels. Has there been any pressure to finish up the writing for a new record while in a transitional period of sorts for the band? Are you planning on working with Sanford Parker again on the next release? Any studio experimentation planned?

Thank you. The attention the album received was definitely flattering and we are indeed grateful for the tremendous support we have been shown. The only real pressure for finishing up a new album is that which we've placed on ourselves. If given the choice we will most certainly be recording with Sanford again.

When is the new album due out? I would imagine it's coming out on Profound Lore. Are you planning on working with Seventh Rule again for the vinyl release of the new album? Are there any copies of When All Became None left, or if not are you all thinking about repressing it?

We still have a lot more writing to do, so no release date any time soon. We're shooting to have the album written by the end of this year though. We haven't discussed anything with Seventh Rule yet, but they did a killer job with the vinyl and we would love to work with them again, Goat willing. Profound Lore still has copies of the CD available, but Seventh Rule is all out of the vinyl. Those things went fast! We still have a handful left that we will be selling at upcoming shows. The vinyl will not be repressed.

Feel like dropping any hints on the title of the new album or coming out with it? Maybe some hints on what the cover art will look like?

No album title yet. That's usually one of the last things to be decided on, but it looks like Dusty Neal (http://dustyneal.blogspot.com ) is going to be doing the album art. We're all pretty excited about that.

What's your upcoming show schedule like for 2011? Someone should get a Profound Lore fest going here in Indy with Coffinworm and Apostle of Solitude as a start.

Well, we should be playing here in town with Apostle of Solitude really soon. They have Bob Fouts in their band now. He used to play drums in The Gates of Slumber, so it'll be a very Profound Lore related event. If anybody from Portal or Hooded Menace is reading this, you're welcome to jump on the show. We're playing a few select local shows this spring as well as Bloomington, and we're doing Dudefest again this summer. There might be some road action too, but nothing I can speak about just yet. These are the shows coming up in our immediate future.

March 6th (Indianapolis) @ The Dojo with THOU and OVERPOWER
April 16th (Bloomington) @ The Bishop with Slam Dunk and probably somebody else
June 1st (Indianapolis) @ The Melody Inn with Anhedonist (We're all really digging that band right now.)

What five records from last year really stand out to you? What new releases are you looking forward to this year? Maybe Craft will hit us with a nasty slab of long overdue hate.

Man, honestly, I spent the majority of last year listening to Black Sabbath, but Last Sunrise by Apostle of Solitude was definitely album of the year for me. The new Deathspell Omega, Unearthly Trance and Killing Joke albums all totally kicked my ass too. I am still playing them on the regular and probably will be for a long, long time. Let's see... The Drear by Anhedonist is killer, can't wait to see that band live. And I am absolutely looking forward to new albums from Craft and Rwake.

A Mid-winter's Face Melt...

2011-01-20T12:17:00.001-08:00

What makes the snow and cold of January more enjoyable? How about the ripping hardcore of Chaotic Neutral? This Indianapolis band is everything enjoyable in a hardcore band: no pretense, fast, angry, deliberate, and aggressive. There is enough hate and self-loathing infused in their music to load anyone with the revved up fury and energy of a possessed badger. Having seen them live, The Cracked Skull can vouched for the energy and emotional exchange the band exhibits in a live setting. They give the energy out freely like warm blood flowing from noses and facial lacerations after a hardy boot stomp. Care to hate them, it probably won't end in a pretty manner. Their two song demo courtesy of their Bandcamp site, showcases the band's speed and venom. Strangers is an immediate dousing of fire, syncapated and fast, with gnashing vocals. According To Plan opens up with a distorted bass as the gnarled vocals and drums soon enter the fray only to give way to the guitar assault at the twenty second mark. According To Plan (aptly titled) follows a similar song structure as Strangers and continues to demonstrate Chaotic Neutral's flame-thrower--all guns blazing style. Chaotic Neutral is not rewriting the hardcore song book, but they produce a racket that is true to riding a knife's edge down a toboggan run and not giving fuck while sliding painfully down.

http://chaoticneutral.bandcamp.com/

Chaotic Neutral's upcoming shows:
1/21 @ Ghost House in Bloomington with In The Face of War, Full Rainbow, Vernal Pike
2/6 @ The Dojo with Cloudrat, Disconnected, Rat Storm
2/17 @ Rock Lobster with Downtown Struts and Brothers Gross
2/26 @ The Vollrath with The Dockers, Radiation Sickness, Kata Sarka

A Promising Find...

2011-01-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Coffin Maker deliver a very cold and bleak reverb drenched blizzard of black metal. And in true fashion, their very limited EP is only available with the first fifty copies of Esoterica by Dusty Neal released on Sistine Press. The book's sole focus is a black and white photographic exploration of the occult, religion, and esotericism. The song, Possession, is the perfect backdrop and soundtrack for a snow filled day while exploring the power captured in the images of Neal's work. Possession is the lone instrumental track made available on the Coffin Maker's Bandcamp site, and the three minutes of music are expansive, droning, and swimming in ether. Hopefully, Coffin Maker will decide to continue releasing further material outside of this highly limited EP. As it stands, Possession is quite promising, and it is always a positive thing to see like minded artists collaborating in different mediums.

Coffin Maker:
http://coffinmaker.bandcamp.com/

Esoterica (Sistine Press) by Dusty Neal:
http://sistinepress2.bigcartel.com/product/esoterica-no-love-could-exist-here

Top 15 Metal albums of 2010...

2010-12-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

Overall 2010 was a good year for heavy music. Everyone makes a list, and this list is filled with some hard decisions. Here is the The Cracked Skull's.

1. Agalloch--Marrow of Spirit
2. Ludicra--The Tenant
3. Coffinworm--When All Became None
4. Deathspell Omega--Parcletus
5. Sailors With Wax Wings--Sailors With Wax Wings
6. Unearthly Trance--V
7. The Body--All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood
8. Drudkh--Handful of Stars
9. Burzum--Belus
10. Salome--Terminal
11. U.S Christmas--Run Thick in the Night
12. Thou--Summit
13. Horseback--The Invisible Mountain
14. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
15. Kvelertak--Kvelertak

2010 releases of interest...

2010-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief list of bands that dropped slabs of cacophonous goodness this year. There is no order to this list other than The Cracked Skull enjoyed them and thinks you might too. There will be some releases that inevitably get left off due to forgetfulness.

Indianapolis bands dropped some real quality on the collective eardrums of us all this year.
*Coffinworm--When All Became None
*Sleepbringer--Compendium
*Apostle of Solitude--Last Sunrise
*Deadmen--Possession of the Void
*Read Shadows--Red Shadows CD
*Kata Sarka--demo
*The Dockers--Tales From The Dock

Other releases:
*Ludicra--The Tenant
*Agalloch--Marrow of Spirit
*Killing Joke--Absolute Dissent
*U.S. Christmas--Run Thick in the Night
*Year of No Light--Ausserwelt
*Horseback--The Invisible Mountain
*Zoroaster--Matador
*Burzum--Belus
*Salome--Terminal
*Locrian--The Crystal World
*The Body--All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood
*Thou--Summit
*Enslaved--Axioma Ethica Odini
*Nails--Unsilent Death
*Deathspell Omega--Paracletus
*Swans--My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
*Celestiial--Where Life Springs Eternal
*Lantlos--Neon
*Triptykon--Eparistera Daimones
*Sailors With Wax Wings--Sailors With Wax Wings
*Drudkh--Handful of Stars
*Unearthly Trance--V
*Dax Riggs--Say Goodnight to the World
*Circle of Animals--Destroy the Light
*Ehnahre--Taming the Cannibals
*Woe--Quietly, Undramatically
*Broughton's Rules--Bounty Hunter 1853
*High on Fire--Snakes for the Divine
*Yakuza--Of Seismic Consequence
*The Austerity Program--Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn
*Alcest--Ecailles De Lune
*Suma--Ashes
*Kvelertek--Kvelertek
*Fell Voices/Ash Borer--split release
*Velnias--limited tour EP
*The Howling Wind--Into the Cryosphere
*White Moth--White Moth
*Negura Bunget--Maiestrit
*Altar of Plagues--Tides
*Kowloon Walled City--Gambling on the Richter Scale

Indiana bands that ruled 2010 in some way or another...

2010-12-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick list of bands from all over Indiana that The Cracked Skull either enjoyed live, recorded, or both. There are several bands left off this list that The Cracked Skull has heard good things about. Get out and see these bands, and buy stuff from them.

*Coffinworm (Indy)
*Sleepbringer (Indy/Bloomington)
*The Gates of Slumber (Indy)
*Racebannon (Bloomington)
*Medusa (Bloomington)
*World Eater (Indy)
*The Dockers (Indy)
*Daisycutter (Ft. Wanye)
*Kata Sarka (Indy)
*Apostle of Solitude (Indy)
*Slam Dunk (Bloomington)
*Rat Storm (Bloomington)
*Humans (Bloomigton)
*The Dream is Dead (Indy)
*Demiricous (Indy)
*Livermortis (Indy)
*Chaotic Neutral (Indy)
*Hail Architeuthis (Bloomington)
*Christ Beheaded (Indy)
*Tunguska (Indy)

Hopefully The Cracked Skull will catch these bands in 2011.
*Overpower (Indy)
*Still (Indy)
*Na'kay (Ft. Wanye)
*Parasitic Twins (Ft. Wayne)

RIP
*Deadmen
*Red Shadows
*Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity

A little break...

2010-11-09T06:28:00.001-08:00

It's been some time between posts, and there have been no upcoming show posts for October and November, nor will there be one for December. That's not to say there are no good shows coming up. You'll just have to be more creative in the ways you find out about them. The Cracked Skull will be taking an indefinite break from attending shows, but with one exception. December 6 at Birdy's in Indianapolis will host Eyehategod, Goatwhore, Phobia, Coffinworm, and Daisy Cutter. Go to this show. This should be the only stop this far north on this tour, and a chance to see three very good touring bands with two of Indiana's finest. The Cracked Skull will be up and running at full force in 2011.

Pummelling Transcendence

2010-09-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Riding crests of seething bleakness and filth finds Indianapolis’ merchants of blackened crust, Kata Sarka, plumbing the depths for life consequences and chaotic clarity. Oblivion is impersonal and non-negotiable. There is violence, questionable introspection, and confusion in daily life. Sorting through one’s own chaos is the conceptual backbone that fuses Kata Sarka with wrath and blistering energy.

Manufacturing music fueled by venom and molten shards of shrapnel is a task the men of Kata Sarka take seriously. Vocalist Nate Bracey (Summon the Destroyer), guitarist and vocalist Adam Walker (World Eater, Wasteland D.C., Graves of the Endless Fall), bassist Nick Tully (Denogginizer, Feasting Arena), and drummer Frank Forbes (Lamb’s Breath, Turncoat Serenade) fashion Kata Sarka’s music around misanthropic subject matter leeching into the music from their personal lives. Once rendered, the music is a gnarled amalgamation of conceptual matter given an impersonal voice and anonymity.

The bulk of Kata Sarka’s song writing is handled by Walker and then presented to the rest of the band for arrangement and refinement, with Bracey contributing the majority of the lyrics. As the song writing process continues, Walker outlines future material and its progression. Chaos and confusion are demanding constants in Kata Sarka’s musical quest for purpose and lucid introspection. Their music is a machine gun of chaotic churning that swells with ritualistic feeling and perception meant to convey a shared catharsis. This catharsis can be witnessed in their live set as the band purges all their collective energy into what can be viewed as a ritual seeking transcendence of physical and mental states.

Kata Sarka’s music is pulse racing and bent on inducing self-reflection. Their songs are intended to make the listener ponder the state they are in and what that means within their surrounding environment. Whether the listener is in a state of confusion or self-loathing does not matter as long as a path to clear introspective purpose is sought. As such, Adam Walker delved into the ideas, concepts, energy, inspiration, history, and progression of his band at the behest of The Cracked Skull.

1. How did the members of Kata Sarka get together and when?

Kata Sarka formed in summer of '09. The band was initially discussed between myself and Nate our vocalist. From then on, we recruited Nick, our bassist, who had been in local crust/grind band Denogginizer and had been a personal friend for a few years. We had second guitar duties filled in by Ryan Green of Amongst the Swarm and Summon the Destroyer infamy. Finally, we got in touch with Frank, our drummer, who had been in a short-lived, but nonetheless potent outfit called Lamb’s breath. Ryan had to leave the band soon after forming due to his commitments to Summon the Destroyer.

2. What is the idea(s) or aesthetic(s) behind Kata Sarka's music? Is there a particular meaning behind the band name? Obviously, Kata Sarka's music is not based on happiness. Where does the inspiration for the songs come from?

At this stage in the evolution of the band, the music is a synthesis of ideas that I personally have been accumulating for an outlet for basically 10 plus years. We as a collective have tried to tie these ideas into a unified, progressing concept that the name of the band is used as a signifier. The name Kata Sarka comes from the theological writings of St. Paul. I guess the translation has become confused over history (as is apt to occur) but in essence it means "of the flesh”, "according to the flesh", "by human standards", or "sinful nature". In the confines of theology, I believe it applies to the life and works of Christ prior to his crucifixion and ascension. I enjoy using Christ oriented metaphor, so I reframed the ideas behind this to apply to one's own struggles with being born into a world (or into flesh) without one's choice, and through trial, tribulation, and ultimately introspection and personal mastery "transcending" to realizing one's utmost potential physically, as well as psychically.

Although there may be a positive conclusion to how the ideas of the band unfurl, in a conceptually linear sense the songs we have written and are writing now deal with subjects of insanity, confusion, feelings of self-loathing, misanthropy, and being essentially ethically and morally myopic.

The inspiration for the songs comes from my life and the band's individual lives, but the lyrics are being given an impersonal narrative voice. They are not meant to be viewed as our own personal sob stories projected into the world as a cry for help. That is one of the reasons we are trying to maintain a feeling of anonymity to the band.

3. How are the songs written? Is there an organic writing process or does one person contribute most of the writing?

The bulk of what has been written thus far has come from ideas that I have had for 2 years. In fact, "Lukewarm Depravity" was originally a song that was written and performed briefly when I was in World Eater. I write all the songs as of now, but the band aids in the arrangement process. I generally demo ideas on my 8-track and computer, and then refine them as I present them to the band. The majority of the lyrics thus far have been written by Nate, but I have started to contribute my own lyrics for the newer material. Since we are trying to work within a clear conceptual framework, Nate and I have to work together to make sure our respective ideas fit the songs that are being written. I have outlined what manner the songs should progress up to three E.P.'s worth of material. It helps to guide me in my writing process.

4. The demo, Riding a Wind of Knives, is bleak and pummeling. The pace rarely slows down. Is there a direct intent on being unrelenting and confrontational, or is it more an expression of the dark places of the human psyche and thought via force? The songs will affect the listener. Is there a desired effect from such an approach? I would imagine everything ties back into the aesthetic that Kata Sarka is trying to achieve.

This relates to what I discussed in the previous question. The songs that have been presented so far are of that pace because they correlate to the current subject matter that we are exploring along our conceptual outline. The first 5 songs (3 of which are on the demo) deal with what I consider Existential Oblivion. This is a state that lacks clear introspection and sense of purpose that is given to one's life: i.e. being oblivious to your relationship to your surroundings, and therefore living in a second to second state of chaos and confusion. This has repercussions that manifest in emotional and mental problems which introduce themselves through compulsion and impulsion. When in this state, if one lacks introspection and self-control, they have a tendency to blame others, their ancestry, God, Satan, the universe, etc., or just bad luck for their woes. This idea is dealt with in the first song of the cycle which is not on the demo. It is called "Wearing The Rings of Saturn As A Halo". That being said, the songs are meant to be fast and somewhat chaotic to represent the lyrical content.

5. Your live set is blistering. It seems very cathartic and physical. How important is it to present the music as raw and unabated as possible in a live setting?

I personally have tried to convey this sort of energy in every band I have been in. I believe the rest of the band are on the same page as me because we understand that there is nothing more irritating than seeing violent music played in the most disinterested and passive manner. This kind of music is supposed to get your blood boiling at times, and at others bring you to stop and reflect on what state you and your surroundings are in. We are trying to achieve a ritualistic vibe with the music. The atmosphere we are trying to establish still needs to be refined, I feel, but we are getting there.

6. You have had the opportunity to play with some fairly notable bands of late from Ludicra, Phobia, to Altar of Plagues and some very good local bands. How has it been playing with such bands, what are your feelings on Indy's collective scene overall, any place you like to play over the next spot, and does anyone show stick out to you?

Playing with every one of the above mentioned bands was truly an amazing and humbling experience. For me it meant a great deal because all of those bands are some of my personal favorites. Phobia has been a big inspiration for years, and the newest outings from Ludicra and Altar of Plague are some of the best metal albums to come out in quite some time. We have been lucky to have a scene that affords us the opportunity to play with such bands. We have a high level of admiration for several of the locals we have played with, notably Coffinworm, Ratstorm, Deadmen (RIP), and Picked Clean (RIP).

Indy's scene is like most, in that it has its ebbs and flows of activity. We prefer the all ages, DIY. scene, which was pretty health when we started, but has since went through a bit of upheaval. Now it seems to be back on track with the establishment of the new Dojo on College Ave. The old Dojo was a regular and favorite spot of ours to play, and until September 11th we have yet to play the new spot, but I am sure it will be another fantastic place to play and book shows. We have not had much opportunity to play out of town yet, but of the times we have all of them have been memorable. Our shows at 1624 N. Harrison St. and the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne were both great shows, and the show we have thus far played in Bloomington with Ratstorm was great. We have some more out of town dates coming up, so stay tuned.

7. There's a strong sense of DIY ethics still present here, and it seems to maintain a reasonably high amount of talented musicians and artists even if it's on a smaller, more insular scale. Where do you see Kata Sarka going in terms of touring and local shows, and maintaining DIY ethics?

We are a fully DIY band, and intend to continue that way. DIY sensibilities have been established in me for years both from a musician's and show booker standpoint. We book our own shows, create our own art and layouts, and print our merch through my brother's small printing company In Case of Emergency (out of Bloomington), and PRN Graphics. We intend on touring based on DIY booking as well.

8. You have a self-released demo out. Are there plans for a full length? If there is, are you still planning on going back to Clandestine Arts to record it? Has there been any interest from inquiring labels?

Yes, we plan on doing some sort of full length in the near future. We are preparing to record our second demo soon, and have discussed working with Carl Byers and Clandestine Arts again. The experience with him was amazing on all levels, from recording and engineering to a personal one because he is a great friend of ours and a highly admired local musician. No interest from any labels as of yet, I would say mostly due to the fact that we have not shopped it to any. All copies of the first run have been either sold at shows or given to friends and acquaintances. We hope to issue another run soon that will go out to labels we're interested in.

Your next chance to catch Kata Sarka is on 9-30-2010, 9 p.m., at The Vollrath with Still, Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, and Zoroaster ($8).

katasarka.blogspot.com/

september shows of interest...

2010-08-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

*9-3-2010, the melody inn, about the fire--last show (indy), sex before marriage, off balance, and maravich, 10 p.m., $7.

*9-3-2010, the dojo, zann (germany), black kites, overpower (indy), and morrow (bloomington), 7 p.m., $7.

*9-4-2010, the bishop (123 south walnut street, bloomington in), racebannon (bloomington), good luck, and tba, 8 p.m., free 21+.

*9-9-2010, the vollrath, young widows (louisville), still (indy), and full rainbow, 9 p.m., $7.

*9-11-2010, the dojo, the dream is dead (indy), kata sarka (indy), world eater (indy), deceiver, rat storm (bloomington), and wormrot, 6 p.m., $7.

*9-12-2010, rachel's cafe (300 e. 3rd street, bloomington, in), kata sarka (indy), rat storm (bloomington), landbridge (bloomington), and humans (bloomington), 7 p.m, free but band donations excepted.

*9-16-2010, rock lobster (820 broad ripple ave), howl, valient thor, junis, and bulletwolf (indy), 9 p.m., $10 advance or $12 day of.

*9-19-2010, the dojo, nails, another mistake, and crippled minds (indy), 7 p.m., $8.

*9-27-2010, the dojo, american cheeseburger, misled youth, and clean slate, 7 p.m., $6.

*9-30-2010, the vollrath (118 e. palmer street) kata sarka (indy), still (indy), zoroaster (ga), the atlas moth (chicago), and dark castle (florida), 9 p.m., $8.

august shows of interest...

2010-08-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

*8-3-2010, clubhaus z (4810 e. new york street), religious police, indianapolis forever, and will power, 6:30 p.m., $1 or more donation for the new dojo.

*8-6-2010, the basement (1132 n.tibbs avenue), coffinworm (indy), kata sarka (indy), tunguska (indy), velnias (colorado), and altar of plagues (ireland), 7 p.m., $8.

*8-7-2010, the melody inn, apostle of solitude (indy), cocaine wolves, and mach II (ohio), 7:30 p.m., $6.

*8-7-2010, the melody inn, down-fi (indy), the distractions, and flamingo nosebleed, 10:30 p.m., $5.

*8-8-2010, the melody inn, slam dunk (bloomington), humans (bloomington), and beyond agony, 8 p.m., $5.

*8-14-2010, the basement, summone the destroyer (indy), cannabis corpse (va), mobile deathcamp (ohio), 7 p.m.

*8-15-2010, the dojo (2207 n. college avenue) , chaotic neutral (indy), rat storm (bloomington), misled youth, and weak link (canada), 7 p.m., $6.

*8-18-2010, the casa del kotex, world eater (indy), sea of shit (il), vile intent (canada), and overpower, 7 p.m., $5.

*8-20-2010, the dojo (2207 n. college avenue), coffinworm (indy), tombs (nyc), and planks (germany), 7 p.m., $8.

*8-21-2010, es jungle (6151 central avenue), about the fire (indy), deceiver, it's all happening, 7 p.m., $7.

a new spot...

2010-07-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

It would seem that The Dojo is saved. It will be relocated to 2207 N. College Avenue Indianapolis, IN. This is a very good thing for Indy's DIY scene. It is good to see people take initiative and keep an affordable, all ages, community based space open and viable. Spaces like this are often not permanent fixtures within a given community, but an ongoing outlet for an idea or belief in DIY ethics. Hopefully, this new location will not have similar problems that plagued the original Dojo. For a space like this to succeed there needs to be a collective effort of support. Whether that comes from donations of money or time, or just supporting shows, this new incarnation of The Dojo is yet to be up and running. There is a benefit show on 8-3-2010 with all the proceeds going towards the new space. This show features Religious Police, Indianapolis Forever, and Will Power at Clubhaus Z (4810 E New York Street) at 6:30 with a minimum dollar at the door donation. When new information becomes available on the new space, then you'll see it here. Let's hope this space has a healthy and productive lifespan.

New Dojo contact info:
www.diydojo.com
dojoindiana@gmail.com

show review: Deadmen 7" release show--7-25-2010

2010-07-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

To begin it must be known that mother nature's dirty rag has been draped over the entire state of Indiana in terms of sweltering heat and almost impenetrable humidity this summer. But this did not stop the faithful from coming out to support and bask in the raucous uptempo thrashing that the Cocaine Wolves, Chaotic Neutral, Sweet Cobra, and Deadmen provided the Melody Inn's patrons on an easy going Sunday night. This was a grown folk affair between bands and followers. It was a cathartic occasion to celebrate the Deadmen's 7 inch release, Possession Of the Void, as well as to see them off as band for their second to last show as a band. The Man can wait one more day. This was a time to raise beer cans high, work up a sweat, enjoy some drunken antics, pump fists, and revel in the energy being transmitted from bands to audience back to the bands. A break in the heat and humidity saw a positive atmosphere grow from the pre-show cookout and metal dj sets until the Cocaine Wolves took the stage. The Cocaine Wolves played a lively set of hard rock, Thin Lizzy style, easily warming up the crowd. Next up was Chaotic Neutral. A newer band from Indy, Chaotic Neutral did not disappoint with their brand of hardcore bluster. Their on stage energy was dynamic as the musicians pulsed and churned with each ringing note and percussive hit. The music relented only at the end of each song. By the end of their set, Chaotic Neutral had worked themselves into a frenzy of sweat and swagger, and primed the audience for one of Indy's favorites: Chicago's Sweet Cobra. As always, Sweet Cobra stepped up and did what they do best. They laid down a raw blend of hardcore and metal with the intent to stack riff upon riff as they tried to peel the audience's collective face off. Playing without their recently deceased and missed guitarist, Matt Arluck, Sweet Cobra ran through a set of new material and few older favorites. The crowd was more than happy to pay homage to the band as only they could by singing along, ebbing and flowing with the music, and finally demanding more songs from the band as they finished their set. Happy to oblige, Sweet Cobra played a one song encore to cheers and drumming applause. Finally, the Deadmen took the stage with the audience ready to explode, and made a fast start by ripping into a set filled with their complete catalog of songs. With the Grave Opener in hand (a customized pick ax with web detailing and bottle opener at one end), vocalist, Nate Olp preceded to shred his vocal chords and hurl himself into the crowd as his band mates focused all their efforts into pummeling the audience with their brand of hardcore infused metal. Their set was a towering riff fest of raging pleasure only outdone by each subsequent song. With the band thoroughly feeling all the energy in the room, the crowd writhed and begged for more. At the end of their set and convinced by the audience, the Deadmen ushered in an encore of the entire 7" release in the order that the songs appear on the vinyl. This was an encore of songs that neither band nor audience had not grown tired of. The Deadmen could have played their set over in its entirety without one complaint as onlookers groaned for more music. At the completion of the four song encore the crowd was spent and pleased. After all, this was a night for grown folks to indulge and see a band off as only a hyper-charged group of mutual friends and fans alike can. The Deadmen will be missed. The Melody Inn was left standing, but all in attendance witnessed the Deadmen at the top of their game capping the night's festivities in a rowdy and rompingly intense way.

something unfortunate...

2010-07-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

It would seem that the still fairly new DIY all ages space, The Dojo, is doomed. Disgruntled, insidious, and flat out bitchy neighbors have likely pressured and complained enough to the owners of the space to shut it down. This means if, as of now, that all shows booked there will need to be moved, or run the risk of being canceled. If anyone out there can help with moving or rescheduling shows, then that would be a great asset to save some all ages shows in Indy. Also, this may be a good time for a younger generation of DIY musicians and artists to step up and open another space to keep an all ages DIY space open in Indianapolis. With so many spaces dying off in 2010, The Cracked Skull truly hopes the situation at The Dojo can be resolved or the shows find slots at other venues. Ultimately, if The Dojo goes, then it would be a great thing for this city to see another all ages DIY space open and continue in the tradition of The Dojo. When news about The Dojo's future is known then it will be posted.

The Dojo is officially dead. RIP.

www.myspace.com/diydojo

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diydojo?ref=ts

july shows of interest...

2010-07-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

*7-3-2010, the tip top tavern (1341 n. captial ave), sleepbringer (indy/bloomington), the gates of slumber (indy), and place of skulls, 9 p.m., $10.

*7-4-2010, the dojo--collective benefit show, world eater (indy), livermortis (indy), rat storm (bloomington), and chaotic neutral, 4 p.m.--food, 6 p.m.--bands, $5.

*7-7-2010, the dojo, kata sarka (indy), just die, and religious police, 7 p.m., $5.

*7-9-2010, the melody inn, stand and deliver (indy), maravich (indy), no enemy (chicago), 9 p.m., $5.

*7-9-2010 and 7-10-2010, dudefest, http://festdude.com.

*7-14-2010, the casa, medusa (bloomington), the dockers (indy), bezoar (ny), and wizardy (ny), 8 p.m., $5.

*7-14-2010, the melody inn, christ beheaded (indy), maxx (muncie), hod (tx), gravehill (ca), and cardiac arrest (il), 7 p.m., $8.

*7-23-2010, the hoosier dome (1627 Prospect, indianapolis, in 46203), black arrows of filth & impurity (indy), kata sarka (indy), rat storm (bloomington), graves of valor (sc), and phobia (ca), 7 p.m., $10.

*7-25-2010, the melody inn, deadmen (indy--7" release show/cookout), sweet cobra (chicago), the cocaine wolves (muncie), and chaotic neutral, 5:30 p.m., $5.

*7-30-2010, the melody inn, apostle of solitude (indy), earthride (maryland), bible of the devil, and valkyrie, 9 p.m.

*7-30-2010, the vollrath, red shadows (indy), beings, and torche, 9 p.m., $10.

*7-31-2010, the casa, deadmen (indy--last show), the dockers (indy), and slam dunk (bloomington), 7 p.m., $3.

a snapshot: sleepbringer --compendium

2010-06-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sleepbringer's name tends to evoke images of a slow, down-tuned head crush. With Compendium, Sleepbringer brings forth their latest release of eerily earth shaking doom. A charged swelling of misanthropy is the backbone for Sleepbringer's distrust and gloomy tumult. Willing to take their time, Sleepbringer purge lost souls with gravel throat vocals, the clamor of war drums, abyssal bass bombardment, and the demolition of dual guitar passages bent on nuclear winter. This is a lament in pursuit of descending desolation. At times bluesy, cold, and forlorn, Compendium is a haunting and stark collection of grimy dirges. At just over an hour, Compendium is a continual transition from one song to the next that relies on patience and a lingering sense of ruin. Sleepbringer build layers of riffs, tempo changes, and solos only to drop you to the depths of humanly woe. At the end of it all, you will know their morose tale of suffering and ultimate redemption: everything you know is a lie.

You can download Compendium at this link.
http://sleepbringer.bandcamp.com/
www.myspace.com/sleepbringer

Raining black arrows of extinction...

2010-06-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

There is a rumor, a grimy rustling that stirs only a few times a year down the crumbling streets of Indianapolis. It is the building rumble of a band that simply cares not for the collective existence of humanity in its current condition. They are a band that only springs forth a few times yearly to anoint their followers with nihilistic live rituals. This band is Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity.

Their name alone sets the tone for the band, conjuring immediate images of all things negative doused with depravity. The members of the band, vocalist Dave Britts (Coffinworm, World Eater), drummer Dustin Boltjes (Demiricous, The Dream is Dead, Transgression), bassist Todd Manning (Coffinworm), and guitarist Tony McGuire (Coffinworm) assault anyone listening with their blend of experimental grind and death metal rooted firmly in hardcore punk.

Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity’s sound is potent, defiant, and filled with sonic dissonance. It is a visceral challenge to the listeners. It is music spawned from the musicians trying to challenge each other within the band. It is the unexpected that keeps the Black Arrows' annihilation machine rolling forward. If they clear a room along the way, then the listeners failed the challenge.

Coming together as equals, the member of Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity take their time when writing new material. In March 2009 their debut album (1984 (Eternal)), was rereleased on CD by Gilead Media. The Cracked Skull spoke to Tony McGuire about the inner workings of the band, their writing process, and the band’s future.

How long have Black Arrows been around, and how did you all get together? Was (is) there a central idea or aesthetic you’re trying to achieve? If there is a particular aesthetic then how close do you feel that you’re getting to it?

We’ve been playing together since sometime in 2003. I had known Dustin from going to shows, and then I answered an ad that he and Todd placed online looking for a guitarist. We got together in late 2003, and the rest is a sweet romantic poem that we have all lovingly crafted since. I don’t know if there is a specific aesthetic other than pushing things as far as we can musically while all keeping our sanity, which rarely happens while we are writing. As far as the lyrics go, Dave is pretty straight forward, so they are all self-explanatory. I guess, overall, we agree that the current state of humanity is one that needs to be extinguished, but that tends to be the norm with most grind bands past or present. The stuff we are working on now is going to be more concept-oriented, and I feel like we have been paying more attention to cohesion while writing the music. We do take our time while writing. I feel our new releases are actually going to delve deeper into the human experience, specifically the future of human experience. But then again that could all change.

There seems to be a political slant to the music. How much does local, national, and international politics influence the music?

I think we, as most bands of the hardcore/punk/grind variety, are products of our environment. I know it sounds cliché as fuck, but the things that we have all witnessed growing up in an environment like the Midwest come out in our music and especially Dave’s lyrics. We didn’t exactly grow up being fostered for our differences and unique outlooks on life, and modern day politics seems to try to keep these same ideas and status quo in place. We will hopefully be there to jab a rusty fork in its eye.

Is there a sense within the band that Black Arrows is always pushing for the most extreme reaches with the band’s music? The music is a continual onslaught. Any plans on slowing down or speeding up?

Honestly, we all just want to piss each other off when we are writing. We are always trying to do the unexpected. Anything to challenge ourselves while playing. Challenging the listener is definitely a plus. I’ve always kind of wanted to play in a band that clears the entire room out while we are playing. Maybe we need to get a show at the VFW? As far as speeding up or slowing down, that will just be decided as needed. Ideally, our fast shit will get faster and our slow shit with get slower.

Who are the main song writers within the band? Or do the songs come together as a collective group effort?

We come together pretty equally on all fronts. We’ve always said that if one of us quits the band then it’s over. I can’t imagine trying to write any of these songs with any other people than these three dudes. We all understand how each other thinks now when it comes to writing. It’s almost kind of scary. Todd, Dustin, and I write all the music together, and then Dave comes in and usually has ideas for structure and the overall feeling of the song. Then the lyrics are all Dave.

The record has been out for some time now, and released on CD by Gilead Media, but is there anything coming up recording and release wise?

If we can ever find the time to make it in the studio between all the other shit that we do, then we have more than enough unrecorded material to put out a pretty massive release or a couple of different things. The dates tend to keep getting pushed back, but hopefully we can make it in the studio this year.

In terms of Indy’s music scene, what are some of the bands you feel you have a kinship with or have similar views?

The Dream is Dead and World Eater, not just because we share members, but I feel like we are all sonically and lyrically raw as fuck. Plus, we tend to view society and politics in the same light. That’s not to say that there aren’t other bands around that we share these views with. There are so many awesome bands here that it’s silly. I could sit here for a good ten minutes listing bands that we feel a kinship with.

Black Arrows is a band that rarely plays out. Is there a specific reason for this or is it due more to conflicting schedules?

It’s more just because we all have too much other shit going on. Unfortunately, life tends to happen in the meantime. I wish I could devote everything to bands, as do all of us, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Plus, it seems that when a local band plays out all the time people tend to lose interest. This works in our favor because when we do have a chance to get out and play people will make an effort to come out since it doesn’t happen too often.

**Your next chance to see Black Arrows of Filth and Impurity comes at 2010’s Dudefest July 9 and 10.

www.myspace.come/blackarrowsoffilthimpurity
http://www.gileadmedia.net/
http://www.festdude.com/

june shows of interest...

2010-06-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

*6-4-2010, the dojo, black breath, give, stick together, lion of judah, and thought crusade, 7 p.m., $10.

*6-5-2010, upland radfest (bloomington, upland brewery), coffinworm (indy), deadmen (indy), humans (bloomington), bible of the devil, webcam teenz, and kiss army, 5 p.m., $25 in advance $30 at the door.

*6-6-2010, bear's place (1316 e. 3rd street, bloomington, in), junker (indy), rat storm (indy/bloomington), and lockstep, 8 p.m., $5.

*6-11-2010, the melody inn, sleepbringer (indy/bloomington), devils of belgrade (indy), devil to pay (indy), and lo pan, 9 p.m., $5.

*6-13-2010, the vollrath (118 e. palmer street, indianapolis), junker (indy), off with their heads, and dear landlord, 9 p.m. $7.

*6-16-2010, the dojo, chaotic neutral (indy), coerced (boston), and veloz, 7 p.m., $5.

*6-23-2010, the dojo, floor, and slam dunk, 7 p.m.

*6-25-2010, the melody inn, racebannon (bloomington) wrap the body release show with jill from we are hex, red shadows, and small arms fire, 9 p.m., $5

mix tapes...

2010-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

maybe the cracked skull is a bit nostalgic, but what happened to the art of the mix tape? a good mix tape could get you by in a rough spot. a good mix tape made you listen to the songs in the order of the person that gave the tape to you. one side straight through then flip it and a person could convey whatever they were feeling or trying to get across via song and band selection/order. a good mix tape had a life expectancy, but when it died you remembered it. a good mix tape came with hand written fold outs with song listings and maybe even a drawing or sketch. a good mix tape would often make you think. and sometimes those thoughts were not pleasant. often a good mix tape had a theme, and that theme could range from the changing of the seasons to drunken thrash ragers. lately the kvlt among us are turning out small batches of enigmatic music back on cassettes, and independent labels are releasing records once again via cassette in limited quantities. so here's the deal: let the mix tape resurgence shine. dust off those tape player, scour the streets for blank cassettes, and start making mix tapes.

the cracked skull mix tape exchange is now official. if you're interested then leave a comment with your email or send an email to the cracked skull's email (thecrackedskull@gmail.com). once a healthy list of people are gathered then we'll pair off, and make a one off themed mix tape to exchange with whomever you're paired with. you'll have a month to complete the tape and get it to the other person. the theme will change monthly as well as the person you make it for. the first tape is for june. there is about a week in may left, so if you're interested then let the cracked skull know soon. here's the first theme: atlas holding the crushing weight of the world on his shoulders. so start thinking about that tape...

upcoming shows in may of interest...

2010-04-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

*5-1-2010, the dojo (4640 E. 10th St., indpls), coffinworm (indy), velnias (colorado), batillus (nyc), and kata sarka (indy), 6:30 p.m., $6.

*5-4-2010, the dojo, black breath, sleeping in gethsemane, deceiver, and sick world, 7 p.m., $8.

*5-6-2010, the tip top tavern (1341 n. capitol ave., indpls), demiricous (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), cattle decapitation (ca), and revocation, 8 p.m., $10.

*5-8-2010, the dojo, demiricous (indy), no regard (indy), deceiver, vital error, and picked clean, 7 p.m., $6.

*5-16-2010, the melody inn (3826 n. illinois st., indpls), apostle of solitude (indy), necropharmacon (indy), black pyramid (ma), and let the night roar (ga), 7 p.m., $6.

*5-26-2010, the melody inn, red shadows (indy), rat storm, capitalist casualties, verbal abuse, and fang, 7 p.m., $12.

*5-27-2010, locals only, demiricous, red shadows, and plaguesayer, 9 p.m., free 21+.

Lair of the Minotaur review... Evil Power

2010-04-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Chicago’s Lair of the Minotaur has never had their metal credentials challenged. They are a band that exudes love of all things metal on their previous releases. Their fourth release, Evil Power on The Grind House Records, is no different. Instantly, the blood soaked skull fragments and inherent lyrical violence are penned against Lair of the Minotaur’s sludgy brand of thrash.

Their previous release, War Metal Battle Master, crashed metal’s front line with sharpened battle axes. Evil Power smashes straight ahead with the band’s raw brand of no nonsense metal. This is a call to arms wielding mighty war hammers instead of blades. It’s unapologetic and as always testosterone fueled.

Evil Power is loaded with thick riffing. The record has an old school feel to it, with a nod to death metal and subtle hints of grind. Lair of the Minotaur’s thrashing sense of groove is immediately felt. The rhythm section, drummer Chris Wozniak and now with Demiricous’ bassist/vocalist Nate Olp on bass, churn out grimy heaps of low end rumble and thunder to match guitarist/vocalist Steve Rathbone’s guitar gnarl and guttural laments.

As to be expected with Lair of the Minotaur the elements of fantasy in the lyrics provide the imagery to meet the savagery of the music. Though not as urgent sounding as previous releases, Evil Power is backed by muscle and heft. This is a record bent on taking its dense sound and emotion to the listener. This is street level metal from and for the underground. It is not pretty or overly technical, but it is a record that will ravage all put before it. The deep grooves hoist riff after riff through the ground, cracking foundations as it pushes skyward, all the while blending varying sub genres of metal into one slab of destruction and rampage.

**Next chance to see Lair of the Minotaur is 4-16-2010 at The Melody Inn for their dual release show with Coffinworm. Red Shadows and Slam Dunk round out the evenings line-up.

upcoming shows of interest in indy in april...

2010-04-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

*4-8-2010, the 1511, garrote (indy), torch runner (north carolina), and brainwreck (tennessee), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-10-2010, the dojo, apostle of solitude (indy), deadmen (indy), and bulletwolf (indy), $6, 8 p.m.

*4-11-2010, the melody inn, worldeater (indy), kata sarka (indy), and ludicra (california), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-16-2010, the melody inn, coffinworm (indy), lair of the minotaur (chicago/indy), red shadows (indy), and slam dunk (bloomington/indy), $6, 9 p.m.

*4-19-2010, radio radio, red sparowes (california), caspian, and fang island, $10 8 p.m.

*4-22-2010, the dojo, the dockers (indy), abstract artimus (new york), and daikajiu (alabama), 7 p.m.

*4-28-2010, the melody inn, kata sarka (indy), bulletwolf (indy), and music hates you (atlanta, ga.), $5, 9 p.m.

A Feast: When All Become None

2010-03-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Coffinworm is coming. Hell, they’re already here, but this April will bear witness to their debut release When All Became None on Profound Lore Records. This beast of a record promises the deliverance of dereliction and filth via six soundly hewed slabs of blackened doom-death.

The band, vocalist Dave Britts (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity, World Eater), guitarist Tony McGuire (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), bassist Todd Manning (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), drummer Carl Byers (Deadmen, The Dream is Dead), and guitarist Garrett O’Sha (Deadmen), formed in 2007 and immediately started to work on the songs that would eventually become The Great Bringer of Night demo. The quintet quickly established themselves in Indianapolis’ heavy music scene for their intense live shows backed by a solid three song demo recorded at Basement Rage Studio with Bob Fouts. Before the demo was even mixed, Fouts passed it along to Chris Bruni of Profound Lore Records. This handoff of still raw demo recordings led to Coffinworm’s inevitable signing with the label.

Coffinworm, now signed to Profound Lore, set out to complete the writing of When All Became None before heading north to Chicago in late 2009 for their session work with Sanford Parker. Known as master in the studio, Parker’s reputation precedes him when concerning bands he has recorded and the overall production value that he brings to every recording. And by the sounds of the one released track from the record, “Start Saving for your Funeral,” neither Parker nor the band disappoint.

As the release date approaches, Coffinworm have their sights set on series of shows at the long-standing SXSW music fest. As one of the most anticipated releases of 2010, When All Became None has Coffinworm poised to unleash their brand of ferocity on the world. The Cracked Skull caught up with Garrett O’sha upon returning to Indy after the Coffinworm recording sessions with Sanford Parker, and picked his brain about the overall recording experience.

What were the overall feelings within the band leading up to recording with Sanford Parker for your debut on Profound Lore Records? Were you all fully prepared headed into the studio or were there a few loose ends, musically, that needed to be tied up?
We were all very excited to work with Sanford. If you are reading this right now, then you should already be familiar with his reputation. While all of us have been playing and recording music for many years, none of us had ever worked with someone of his caliber. I mean, shit, the motherfucker was in Buried at Sea. So yea, we were a little intimidated as well. We’re not professional entertainers. We’re just some hicks from Indiana, you know? We also have the utmost respect and reverence for Profound Lore. Chris has just released so many mind blowing albums by some incredible bands. This whole thing is just a dream come true for us.

What was Sanford Parker’s preferred method of recording Coffinworm: digital, analog, a mix?
Everything was recorded digitally and ensorcelled with Pro Tools magic.

How long is the album? How many tracks, and what’s the name of the record?
The title of the record is When All Became None, and it’s a full length album. There are six tracks (the shortest of which clocks in at just under six minutes), and while two of the songs appeared on the Great Bringer of Night demo, you will feel like you’re hearing them for the first time. Believe that.

I’m assuming the majority of the record was tracked. How did the tracking of the songs go, and were there any snags during the recording process? Was there any one song that gave you fits? Did you do any live recording as a whole band?
Well, the first day of tracking got delayed a little due to a mysterious issue with Todd’s bass. Luckily, Charlie from Lord Mantis came through and let us borrow one. Actually, he dropped off two basses, but we only used one. Thanks again Charlie and many hails to the mighty Lord Mantis! Once we got started we found these new songs were a bit of bitch to record, since they have some of the fastest and slowest riffs we’ve written. I found myself getting frustrated and asking, “Why the fuck did I write this part?” a few times. But by the end of the week I was glad we decided to take shit to that other damn level.

Did you do any studio experimentation or is the material you recorded basically what you already had written prior to entering the studio?
The arrangements were complete before we got to the studio. We were only up there for eight days, so there wasn’t really time for too much experimentation.

Are there any strange instruments on the album? Did you any different amps compared to your live rigs, and if you did, what was their overall effect? I’m assuming you liked it.
Well, there are some 808 bass hits on there, and we also made use of some plate reverb thing. The end result sounds like someone finally dropped the nukes on your ass. For the guitars we used our usual amps and a Marshall JMP. We did some overdubs with an octave fuzz pedal and some real nice vintage shit like a Leslie rotary speaker unit, Roland Space Echo, and a Fender Twin reverb amp. We ran the bass through an Ampeg V4, Piercing Moose pedal, and a Sunn cab (same as the one Todd usually plays) for some serious balls. I don’t know. I’m the least gear oriented dude in the band, and I don’t usually pay attention to this kind of stuff. Ask one of the other guys and they could probably talk to you all day about this kind of shit.

Since Coffinworm is straight out the Nappy Dugout, how did recording in Chicago influence the overall vibe, mood, and tone of the recording sessions? Were there any studio hijinks that ensued? Any bootleg, kvlt, or hidden tracks recorded late at night?
Well, there are pretty much no windows in the studio. It was cold as fuck up there, so maybe a little extra grimness crept into the mix. Our late night activities were pretty tame. Down time usually involved a bottle of whiskey or vodka and a case of beer. Sometimes we’d watch a movie, but I’d usually pass out halfway through. Wild shit, I know.

How is everyone in the band feeling about the end product from the sessions? Is everyone on the same page and pleased with the outcome?
I think we came home with a very heavy record. We are all very happy about it. Or maybe just less angry…

Your next chance to catch Coffinworm in Indy is March 15 at the Tip Top Tavern with The Gates of Slumber and Pentagram. Then they are off to SXSW March 18-20 for three shows and back to Indy for their album release show on April 16 with Lair of the Minotaur, Lord Mantis, and Slam Dunk at the Melody Inn.

www.myspace.com/coffinworm

coffinworm.blogspot.com

http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=858&Itemid=2

upcoming shows of interest in indy in march...

2010-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

*3/4/2010--the dojo (4640 e. 10th st. indy), junker (indy), vital error, and worn in red (virginia), $5, 7 p.m.

*3/5/2010--the dojo, red shadows (indy), maravich (indy), sorley trying days, and trophy wives (louisvile), $5, 7 p.m.

*3/6/2010-3/13/2020--various venues in bloomington in., the pit shop music marathon, schedule: http://pitstopmusicmarathon.com/pit_stop/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=6.

*3/14/2010--the dojo, the dockers(indy), transgression (indy), and bluck, $5, 5 p.m.

*3/14/2010--the bishop (123 south walnut st. bloomington, in 47404), young widows (lousiville), phantom family halo (louisville), thank god, learner dancer, and dreamers of the ghetto. $7, 8 p.m.

*3/14/2010--213 south clark st. bloomington, in., sleepbringer (indy), cloud burial (illinois), rat storm, and kata sarka (indy), $5, 6 p.m.

*3/15/2010--tip top tavern (1341 n. capitol ave. indy), the gates of slumber (indy), coffinworm (indy), and pentagram, $15, 7 p.m.

*3/18/2010--locals only, bulletwolf (indy) and maravich (indy), free with valid 21+ id, 9 p.m.

*3/22/2010--the dojo, deceiver (indy), wide eyed (kokomo, in), and title fight (pennsylvania), $7, 7 p.m.

*3/23/2010--the dojo, kata sarka (indy), howl (rhode island), and javelina (philly), $6, 7 p.m.

*3/25/2010--tip top tavern, apostle of solitude (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), gigan (florida), and bison b.c., $6, 7 p.m.

show review: bulletwolf, struck by lightning, and coffinworm...

2010-02-21T08:26:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday night (2-20-2010) The Melody Inn was privy to a straight up eardrum bashing courtesy of Bulletwolf (Indy), Struck By Lightning (Columbus, Ohio), and Coffinworm (Indy). There was a certain swagger in the air of The Melody Inn that relayed the forthcoming release of the week's tension via cranked amplifiers, howls, crashing drums, and maybe a few too many drinks. The night's action was quickly started by the beer infused and whiskey shot set of raucous good time metal parlayed by Bulletwolf. Their set was filled with ample solos, deep grooves, and an immediate connection to the packed crowd. Heads moved up and down, as many sung along with vocalist and bassist, Worm. The band only let up to wish their guitarist a happy birthday and to continue their raw rocking metal gospel. Bulletwolf seemingly wanted you to lick the floor of The Melody Inn and feel good while doing it. Their set provided the bluster and foul-mouthed opening for the entire night. Next up was Struck By Lightning. This band of Ohioans are no joke. They stack the their amps and cabinets high, strap on their instruments, and proceed to take their form of metal tinged hardcore to the faces of the audience. A looped piece of ambient music opened the set just before the feedback from the amps signaled the beginning of SBL's high octane music. Struck By Lightning are a band that simply never let up. Their sound is huge, bold, and energetic. This energy was immediately transferred from the onstage writhing of the band to the crowd as fists where thrown in the air and shoulders loosened. Their riffs were piled on top of riffs singeing the audience's collective head of hair as heads nodded enthusiastically with each successive pummeling. Between songs the ambient piece played while the band tuned and readied for their next onslaught. After Struck By Lightning's final notes rang out, the crowd clapped and shouted for more setting the stage for Indy's Coffinworm. Coffinworm are a band preparing for their debut release on Profound Lore Records, and on this night they gave their best performance in Indy to date. They took the stage bathed in green light, feedback churning, as a compilation of various gore films played on The Melody Inn's video screen. The crowd was at capacity close to the stage preparing themselves for the ritualistic purging that Coffinworm's brand of blackened doom unleashes. From beginning to end Coffiworm did not disappoint and coalesced into a menacing beast of thunder. Tempos changed from slowly creeping to furious and everything in between as the room's mood grew happily sinister with each song. Vocalist, Dave Britts, took the center of the stage leading the audience as his congregation for the night, while Coffinworm collectively plumbed the dark depths of the human psyche. The total effect was crushing, solemn, and very well received. As Coffinworm played the audience was willing to follow them down every twist and turn, even as their music hit harder and delved deeper into the gloom wrapping up a solid night of heavy music.

www.myspace.com/struckbyfuckinglightning
www.myspace.com/coffinworm
www.myspace.com/bulletwolf

In case you're wondering...

2010-02-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here's what The Cracked Skull sounds like via algorithmic sequencing accomplished through CODEORGAN. Jesuesque? That's mighty hopeful and ambitious.

http://www.codeorgan.com/?url=thecrackedskull.blogspot.com/

upcoming shows of interest in february...

2010-01-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

*2/1/10--the dojo, deadmen(indy) and fight amp (nj), 8 p.m. $5.

*2/5/10--the vollrath, junker (indy), stand and deliver (indy), the slow death (minneapolis), and off with their heads ( minneapolis), 9 p.m. $5.

*2/11/10--the bishop (123 S. Walnut St. Bloomington, IN 47404), coffinworm (indy), medusa (bloomington), and os (bloomington), 9 p.m., $3.

*2/12/10--the vollrath, mavarich (indy), rooms (indy), the perennials, and impure jazz, 9 p.m., $5.

*2/20/10--the melody inn, coffinworm (indy), bulletwolf (indy), and struck by lightning (ohio), 10 p.m., $6.

*2/21/10--the dojo, red shadows (indy), expire, and rattletooth, 7 p.m, $6.

*2/25/10--the melody inn, summon the destroyer (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), magrudergrind (baltimore), misery index (baltimore), 10 p.m., $8.

upcoming shows of interest in indy in january...

2009-12-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

*1/7/2010--The Dojo, Kata Sarka (Indy), Sorely Trying Days (Kokomo), Damages (Michigan), Cut Short (Delaware), and Heartless (Pittsburgh), 7 p.m., $8.

*1/15/2010--The Dojo, Defeatist (NYC), and Psychic Limb, time and $ TBA...

*1/24/2010--The Melody Inn, Coffinworm (Indy), Racebannon (Bloomington, IN), and Raise the Red Lantern (Chicago), 8 p.m., $6.

*1/25/2010--The Melody Inn, Nidus (Indy), Velnias (IL), Seidr (Louisville), and Peregrine (PA), 8 p.m., $5.

*1/28/2010--The Dojo, Drogas (Indy), Aseethe (Iowa), and Shores of the Tundra (Iowa), 7 p.m., $5.

Welcome to Racebannon's Terror...

2009-11-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

During its ongoing thirteen years of existence, Racebannon perseveres as a quartet based on continual evolution and conceptualization. Always on the verge of a sheer maniacal descent into the void with each release, guitarist James Bauman (Medusa), bassist Chris ‘Sal’ Saligoe (Rapider Than Horespower, Magnolia Electric Company), drummer Brad Williams (Medusa), and vocalist Mike Anderson (Medusa, Rapider Than Horsepower) have crafted another concept album filled with venom and seething turmoil.

This new actualization, dubbed Six Sik Sisters, is an excursion into the minds of a 1700’s era family where the son is forced to deal with his plagued sisters. Their parents’ dabbling in witchcraft brings about the sisters’ illness, and their brother is charged with the sisters’ disposal. This is not a tale with a joyful familial reconciliation. This is a story based on dread and ill-fated human circumstance with an added touch of necromancy.

To execute such a lofty story, Racebannon stripped down their sound. With shorter, faster, and more concise songs the band presents Six Sik Sisters in a more streamlined fashion. Trying to capture the terror ingrained in the story as well as their live show, Racebannon left the prior studio experimentation at the door of the studio, opting instead for a direct injection of intensity via guitar to amp pummeling, thunderous drumming, pulsating bass, and throat ripping vocals. Six Sik Sisters finds the band focusing their efforts into a form of thrash that never lets up.

Racebannon is a band that has never let trends or status compromise their gnarled art or song craft. With Six Sik Sisters waiting for release, Racebannon is poised for a speed metal incursion into abrasion. James Bauman recently discussed with The Cracked Skull the making on of Six Sik Sisters, working with Kurt Ballou, and what is coming up for the band.

A new Racebannon record is on the horizon. How long has that been in the works? Is it going to be a concept album like ‘Satan’s Kickin’ Yr Dick In’, and if so what’s the story behind it?

We started writing Six Six Sisters a while ago. I think we even had it written before Acid or Blood was released. It’s a concept album in the vein of Satan’s with another story line created by Mike. It takes place in the 1700’s and involves a brother forced to get rid of his six sisters. The sisters are plagued with disease as a result of their parents’ interest in witchcraft. Making the record in Witch City, USA (Salem, Mass.) provided a nice setting and ambience for us. You can’t go anywhere in that town without thinking about the Salem witch trials. Surprisingly, they display it proudly.

What can the world expect from the new record? I would imagine it sounds more streamlined and straight to the point of melting faces.

It’s definitely more streamlined and stripped down. On this record we just kind of wanted to be a thrash band with speed metal parts that don’t let up. We tend to be long winded on our records, and we decided to go for a more short, sweet, fast approach this time around. A lot of the tracks have that classic speed metal riffage happening that we’re hoping listeners will be able to appreciate. Also, Mike’s vocals totally rip and sound scary as hell. While we were listening to the first round of mixes in the God City basement I said to Mike, “Whoa, this sounds really fuckin’ scary.” Everyone immediately agreed. For the first time on a Racebannon recording the element of terror, that we seem to have at our live shows, has finally been captured.

How was working with Kurt Ballou? How did the recording go at God City? I know things were financially a little tighter for the band going out there.

It went really well. Besides Sal having to deal with an injured hand he hurt loading his 8 x 10 cab a week earlier, it was probably the easiest recording we’ve ever done. Kurt is pretty easy to work with. He does things correctly from the start, so there is no need to fix anything later. In fact, he even made us go buy a new cymbal since he didn’t like the condition of Brad’s ride. While mixing we just let him do his thing and didn’t really have any concerns that he wasn’t already aware of. He knows what he is doing. It’s obvious. It’s not so easy to make him laugh though, and we’re pretty damned hilarious most of the time. He’s a very focused dude. As far as finances go, we made due with what we had. We had to do some camping, which was fun and sort of kept us in the zone for the next day in the studio. Really, we didn’t care how hungry or dirty we were. We just wanted to make the record.

I’ve heard he likes to track the songs as opposed to recording live. Did that make the recording process a bit less organic and emotive? It probably made the sound cleaner.

I was a bit surprised that he wanted to do it that way, but we quickly realized that tracking everything there makes sense for the room and the setup. In order for him to get the drum sounds that he wants, there’s no better way to do it. But, you’re right, it’s hard to feed off of each other the same way as recording live as a band.

Did you play around with any different instruments, amps, or toys in general while in the studio for this record? Or was it straight SG to amp?

No. It was a pretty stripped down setup. I used the same guitar and setup that I use live. Kurt has a nice collection of amps and cabs, but I used my Emperor 6 x 12 on top of one of his Emperor 6 x 12 cabs. It made for quite a mountain of Emperor worship. But most of our recordings I usually like to use a toy or some sort. I used a theremin in the studio on our second record, In the Grips of the Light, and I used an old rack mount delay during Satan’s Kickin’ Yr Dick In and Acid or Blood sessions. On this recording I used a cheap octave distortion pedal on some of the songs. I’m not usually a fan of pedals other than the channel pedal for my amp, so using a pedal like that one was a little different for me. But I like the gnarly and nasty sound I got from it, even if Kurt made fun of it. I think he was even encouraging me to throw it away. He probably went out and bought one as soon as we left.

Overall, are you happy with the recording and mixing of the new record?

For the most part, I am happy with it. I am never really a hundred percent satisfied with our recordings. Everyone is their own worst critic, right? There are always a few things I wish would have been played differently or just came together the way I thought they would originally. But, yes, I’m generally happy with how this records sounds. It’s blazing and abrasive. I definitely always wanted that from Racebannon.

When can the world expect this beast to be unleashed on the world, and what label(s) is releasing it?

I can’t answer that yet and can’t wait to know myself.

Hopefully, there is a tour or two in the works in support of the new record when it’s released. Is it too early to think about that? Maybe an U.S. tour or tour of Europe…?

Hopefully, yes. Probably an U.S. and European tour will ensue, and maybe a tour of Japan if we’re lucky. We need to make that happen finally. But we do have another record coming out before the new album called Wrap the Body on Joyful Noise Records. We’ll do some touring for that. It’s completely unlike the new album. It’s actually a DJ 12” complete with instrumental and acappella tracks that will probably take some fans by surprise. We had Jilly from We Are Hex do some guest vocals on it as well as a remix by Yea Big and Kid Static and Stak. It came out great. That will most likely drop at the beginning of next year. We’re pretty pumped for it.

www.myspace.com/racebannonrocks
www.racebannon.net

upcoming shows of interest in indy in november...

2009-10-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

*11/7/09, The Dojo (4640 E. 10th Street), The Dream is Dead (Indy), Garrote (Indy), Wetnurse, and Struck By Lightning, 7 p.m., $6.

*11/13/09 Casa del Kotex, Slow Motion Enslavement (Indy), Order of the Black Hand (Indy), Mad Minute (Chicago), and 9 Foot Worm (Butthole Surfers Tribute), 7 p.m., $5.

*11/14/09 Locals Only, The Heinz (Japan), The Dockers (Indy), Mad Minute (Chicago), and The Mediocres, 9 p.m. $5.

*11/20/09 the 1511, Deadmen (Indy), Medusa (Bloomington), The Sorely Trying Days (Kokomo), and Disconnected (Toledo, OH), 7 p.m., $6.

*11/20/09 Melody Inn, Yuki (Indy), We Are Hex (Indy), and Blackheat, 10 p.m., $5.

*11/24/09 the Vollrath (118 E. Palmer St), Dark Castle (Florida), The Atlas Moth (Chicago), Order of the Black Hand (Indy), 8 p.m., $5.

*11/28/09 the Dojo, Racebannon, Transgression, Stand & Deliver, 7 p.m., $6.

Deadmen video 3...

2009-10-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

From Iron to Rage... part 2.

2009-10-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

Do you track most of the bands that come through or do you recording in a living setting or both?

I do a bit of both. It really depends on the vibe. I like tracking as live as possible. But it is hard doing that with death metal or something when you have to use a click track and all that. I would say ninety five percent of the recordings usually start with the drummer and rhythm guitar scratch tracks, then it’s on to final guitars and bass. Of course the vocals are always the last thing to track. It just depends.

Do you have a particular mic or mics that you like to use when recording various instruments? Do you have any other favorite pieces of equipment or instruments you like use when recording?

I pretty much use the industry standard stuff, but I have to say I do love my Rode Nt1 mics. They’re super versatile, and I use them for everything from drum overheads, secondary guitar, and vocals. I have two of them. Also, the Sunn Beta Lead comes in handy on a lot of occasions. Thanks Karl!

What was the first official Basement Rage recording or rather what band was first to be recorded? How did it go?

Other than my own stuff I think it was the Bulletwolf demo. That was back in 07, and it was a huge learning experience and a ton of fun. I love those dudes! They have a song called “100 Beers.” We damn near drank that many doing that demo. I think the final count was 92 or so. Shit. I’m a bit more pro these days. I did that recording for free after all.

How has it been working with the various Indy bands and their differing projects?

Awesome! We have so many killer bands in this city, man. I have learned so much from just having them down and having them want to work with me. I started this for the sole purpose of working with new bands, and so far it’s really been cool. I have no real formal training, and aside from reading a few books, I’ve learned all of this on the fly. It’s because of the bands in this city and through word of mouth and personal recommendations that keeps me doing this. I have nothing but praise and mighty hails for the Nap!

Is there one recording that stands out to you more so than another in terms of really capturing what the band was/is trying to do?

I dig all the bands I’ve worked with so far. I think most of the stuff captures the vibe the best it could at the time. If I had to pick one, then I would say the Coffinworm demo. I was just immediately floored by their material. I really immersed myself in that project as did the band. The all around vibe of those sessions were amazing, and I have to say its my proudest moment so far. They got a deal with Profound Lore Records on the strength of that recording, and that got me really stoked. I also love the Bulletwolf full length. That was my first big project. It was very cool to get that cd from the dudes after it was pressed, and I’m holding a real, pro pressed and distributed cd in my hands that I had worked on. That is a big accomplishment for me.

I would imagine with each recording session allows you to tweak and continually develop and refine you recording process. Is there a recording session that sticks out as more challenging and why?

Totally. It is all a huge learning experience. I learn something new every time. It’s really like anything else. The more you do it the better you get at it, or at least I try to. I’m always picking up on new things, and most importantly on things not to do. Production and engineering is still really fascinating to me, and there is so much to learn and experience. It also allows space for artistic expression, freedom, and experimentation. It is not as strict as a lot of people might think in terms of following some type of rule book. I still have a ton to learn. It’s never ending. All my sessions have been challenging for numerous reasons. Whether those reasons are time constraints, recording bigger projects like the Bulletwolf record, or gear issues. They’re all very challenging.

Do most bands approach you for demo work and smaller projects, or is there starting to be more interest in recording full lengths? Do you have a preference in recording either? I would imagine time constraints and scheduling could both be problematic.

Yeah, there is interest for both. I’m pretty much up for anything these days. I still only choose to work with people that have mutual interests, and I pretty much stick to the hard rock, metal, punk thing simply because that is what I’m into. Call me close minded, but I want to work on stuff I dig with people I like being around. I really don’t think Indy has that “go to guy” for those styles. Hopefully, I can be that guy one of these days. As far as preference, I’m cool with all of it. I try to keep at least three to four songs, but it really comes down to what the bands want, can afford, and how long we have to spend on it. I’m also on tour quite a bit these days with either The Gates of Slumber or Nachtmystium, so sometimes I can be the biggest scheduling conflict.

Who is lined up for some time in Basement Rage?

This is all before the end of the year. I have Apostle of Solitude coming in to do some new demos, and after I get back from Europe in November then I will be working with Demiricous. Then there is a project with Jeff from Nachtmystium in the works that I will be playing drums on as well. Christ Beheaded will have some new jams to record soon. Also, I just finished recording a cool doom—experimental band called Nidus.

Contact Bob Fouts at www.myspace.com/basementrage or basementrage@yahoo.com. To listen to music recorded at Basement Rage Studio go to its Myspace page or visit these bands’ Myspace pages:
www.myspace.com/christbeheaded666
www.myspace.com/tunguska317
www.myspace.com/bulletwolf
www.myspace.com/coffinworm
www.myspace.com/rejicide
www.myspace.com/summonthedestroyer
www.myspace.com/niduskills

From Iron to Rage... part 1.

2009-10-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

To many in Indianapolis’ music community Bob Fouts is known as a preeminent drummer. He is a man that many musicians and fans alike recognize locally, nationally, and internationally for his prior accomplishments and ongoing success in such bands as Burn it Down, Amongst the Swarm, About the Fire, Christ Beheaded (albeit on guitar), Nachtmystium (a Chicago based experimental black metal band), and the seminal The Gates of Slumber. The latter two are actively recording, touring, and releasing new material. Fouts has been around the block musically and never rests for too long before answering the siren cries of the road in search of further musical exploration.

With any veteran musician comes a solid resume of studio time. Fouts has logged countless hours in numerous studios and hammered his war like drums into submission in a variety of places, but in the cold clutches of February of 2007 his very own Basement Rage Studio commenced. The aptly named Basement Rage Studio was at first an outlet for his own bands to demo and record new ideas. It wasn’t long there after that Fouts started to record projects outside of his own bands.

Fouts maintains a free flowing approach to recording bands, interjecting where needed, and offering suggestions based on mutual respect. Choosing to work with bands cut from a similar ilk as his own bands or tastes, Fouts displays a deft touch behind the screen manning the digital realm which is the basis for his recordings. With a true DIY spirit, each recording is a learning experience that adds to his ever expanding bank of knowledge when it comes to recording and what works.

Several Indianapolis based bands have benefited from working with Fouts. Whether the end product is a thoroughly recorded demo or a full length release, each band offers Fouts the opportunity to hone his craft between tours, support his local music community and friends. With that in mind Fouts would genuinely like to make recording his other gig when not on the road. At the time of this interview Fouts had just finished recording a local Indy band and was preparing for an upcoming tour with The Gates of Slumber. What follows is The Cracked Skull’s exchange with Bob Fouts about his evolving Basement Rage Studio, previous and upcoming projects, and working with differing Indianapolis bands.

What made you decide to start a studio? Did it start with you recording your own band(s)?

Yeah. I work for a music retail store here in Indy, so I decided on a whim to pick up a few things to help my bands at the time. I was looking to demo our new stuff, and it just grew from there.

What’s your recording platform or set-up?

I work on a Mac with Cubase DAW software currently. I’m using Studio 4, but I just got the upgrade to 5 in the mail. I will install it before my next project. I also upgraded my interface to MAudio Profire 2626.

Since you are a drummer, how important is capturing a quality drum sound along with the other instruments? Quality sounding drums are always a big plus in any recording.

O yeah, very important… I spend quite a bit of time on drums. I mean, I have to be realistic about the room I’m using. Nothing is going to make a bad kit sound good no matter how much processing and shit you try to throw on it. In my opinion a good kit tuned properly with new heads is where I always try to start. Sometimes guys will bring kits that might sound ok live, but I usually talk them into using one of mine instead of spending half the session tuning and changing heads. Good mics are important as well. Guitar and bass tones seem to come quicker for me. I try not to color the players’ tone too much especially the in heavy, distorted type of tones. Most of the guitar and bass players I’ve worked with have good to great gear, and already have their sound dialed in the way they want it. My job is to try and capture that and make it as huge sounding as possible. I always have four or five amps lying around the studio to help guys that need them. We will drag something else out just to add a bit of depth if needed. I love doing guitars as well. It’s fun, and I like to experiment when we have the time.

What is your overall goal when recording bands? Do you like to let the bands take the reins or do you interject your own take on things?

I interject to a degree, but at the end of the day the band has the final call. It is their music after all. I guess it really depends on the band and the people within it. I have been lucky enough to work with a lot of friends, and I’m a fan of a lot of the bands I work with. We have this whole mutual respect thing. If I have a suggestion, then they will normally be open to it or at least give it a listen. I will definitely interject when I get an inspired idea. That happens quite a bit when you’re working with great bands.

upcoming shows of interest in indy in october...

2009-09-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

*10-2-09, 1511, 7 p.m., $5, Slow Motion Enslavement (Indy), Deadmen (Indy), Red Shadows (Indy), Expire, and The Human Condition; a benefit for the Dojo.

*10-6-09, Murphy Building Studio 8, 7 p.m., $10, Burst (Sweden), Zoroaster (Georgia), The Dream is Dead (Indy), and Drogas (Indy).

*10-9-09, The Melody Inn, 9 p.m., $5, The Dockers (Indy), Bulletwolf (Indy), and Livermortis (Indy).

*10-17-09, The Alley Cat (part of Broad Ripple music fest), 10 p.m., Demiricous (Indy), Phoenix Bodies (Indy), Drogas (Indy), and Slam Dunk (Bloomington).

*10-23-09, Locals Only, 9 p.m., $5, Devil to Pay (Indy), Nidus (Indy), Sleepbringer (Indy), and Hail Architeuthis (Bloomington).

*10-25-09, The Melody Inn, 6 p.m., $8, Demiricous (Indy), Worldeater (Indy), You Will Die (Indy), Coffinworm (Indy), and Medusa (Bloomington); a benefit for Mat Arluck of Sweet Cobra.

Deadmen video 2...

2009-09-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the second video of the Deadmen throwin' down at their practice space. A big thank you goes to Mike Naish for the helping The Cracked Skull with the videos.

Deadmen video 1...

2009-09-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

There will be a series of videos of the Deadmen posted in the following days. For now we'll leave you with this.

show review: keelhaul, sweet cobra, and coffinworm...

2009-09-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now here at The Cracked Skull we do enjoy a good show, but on 9-12-09 at the always sticky Melody Inn three bands tore the place down. With that said, only one band that night was from Indy: Coffinworm. The 'worm opened the show bathed in green light and waves of blackened sludge. Worthy of praises of the damned, Coffinworm unleashed its collective fury on the crowd, and the crowd responded. Many a solemn head nod, raised fist, and strained neck was to be seen as the down beat to full black metal charge blasted eardrums. This is a band honing in on where it wants to take any listeners; straight down in a locked pine box filled with dirt and grime, that ultimately ends in suffocation. Their 2010 release on Profound Lore Records can't come soon enough. Chicago's Sweet Cobra hit the stage next, and delivered a set dominated by new material. Proving to be on point every time they grace a stage in Indy, the band did not disappoint. Sweet Cobra possess the raw energy of a amphetamine jacked long haul trucker looking for the most direct way from one spot on a map to next. If you have seen Sweet Cobra before, then you know what to expect. That expectation is a high octane eruption that melds metal and hardcore into a straight ahead purging of night terrors and open roads. By the end of their set they left the crowd demanding and wanting more. Keelhaul took the stage next to finish the night's show. One of Cleveland's finest bands switched on their amps and proceeded to blister the slightly diminished crowd's ears with a staggering display skill. Keelhaul twisted, turned, and skewed their way through old and new material alike throughout the entirety of their lengthy set. The people that stuck it out witnessed a dizzying array of math metal with continual peaks, valleys, and progressions. Keelhaul only let up briefly when their drummer had a mishap with his snare. No worries once a replacement snare was secured, and the guitar, bass, and drum torture continued. By the end of their set, Keelhaul had finished off a crowd already happily pummeled by Coffinworm and Sweet Cobra. All in all, a three band line up like this one is good way end a week.

Profound vision...

2009-08-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Artistic vision is the backbone of any musician, artist or band. There is a certain integrity that must be upheld and sought to continually progress and adhere to the artist’s vision. This is the central precept of Profound Lore Records: integrity within artistic vision. The label’s dedication to artistic license and vision has helped establish Profound Lore Records as an uncompromising independent label willing to work with artists to fulfill their highest potential.

Founded in 2004, by Chris Bruni (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada), Profound Lore Records is a label bound to the underground. Bruni searches for the extremes and eclectic in multiple genres and styles, but is always seeking to mold the label into a cohesive collective with a similar aesthetic. It is a collective based on provocative, enticing and often transcendent music that affects him directly. Whatever style a band works in, Bruni maintains that a band must truly believe in their overall aesthetic from album artwork to musical expanse. From one band to the next, Profound Lore Records presents a flowing roster of artists that resonates with Bruni.

As a label, three Indianapolis bands (The Gates of Slumber, Apostle of Solitude, and Coffinworm) have found a home on Profound Lore Records currently or with recent releases. The Gates of Slumber was the first band to work with the label when it released ‘Conqueror’ in 2008. Viewed by Bruni as a milestone for the label, ‘Conqueror’ gained widespread praise and recognition as a prominent release from the metal community. Due to its success, Profound Lore experienced greater exposure from the release of ‘Conqueror’, and it secured the label an exclusive U.S. distribution deal.

Profound Lore Records is an ever-evolving label with a fierce diversity of bands. Never settling for the middle ground, Bruni is intent on holding firm to the extreme recesses of music. The Cracked Skull spoke with Bruni recently about his label’s vision, integrity, continuing progression within his label’s aesthetic, and Profound Lore’s connection to Indianapolis.

There are bands on Profound Lore from all over the world. Do you think that any region or particular place(s) has their ear to the pulse of underground, eclectic, and extreme music?

I guess it depends on what kind of style. The west coast for example has a good sense of eclectic and unique formidable artists, each of whom are of a distinct nature, and overall have always had a cool creative surge. That’s a region I am quite fond of, especially since the atmosphere and overall vibe of the west coast is quite distinct. On the other hand, New York is another region stateside in which I am very fond of when it comes to the underground and its overall culture. As for overseas, I’m fond of Australia, since some of the most crazed and brutally extreme bands currently hail from there. There is a great creative surge happening in the U.K. and France as well.

Is there a preference for bands with a particular style over other perceived styles? Or is it more important for the band or artist to truly believe in the vision and scope of their music?

I guess it depends on what I want to bring to the fold. I mean, there’s no preference of style per se, even though it seems these days I lean a lot towards doom metal. I definitely want to build the death metal contingent of the label even more. Overall, I think the most important thing is for the band to truly believe in
the vision and scope of their music not matter the style.

What’s the overall aesthetic you’re trying to achieve for the label?

I guess something artistically potent no matter what the style I release, and for each artist and release to correlate with each other. Basically, it shouldn’t seem odd to see a band like Portal next Amber Asylum. It’s the aesthetic the links the two together. Of course the artwork and the way a release is presented also plays an important factor in helping shape the label’s aesthetic too. But essentially, the overall aesthetic should come across as alluring, provocative, transcendent, and enlightening at the same time.

Profound Lore as a label seeks a cohesive collective for its roster of bands and artists. How close do you think you have come to achieving this, or is this goal or notion an ongoing process?

It’s an ongoing process to keep this goal at least consistent and building. The main thing for me is that I release music that I can relate and resonate with like an extension of my personality. It’s basically a feeling within that has to trigger for me to decide if I want to include a specific artist amongst my roster. Even though I present many different styles within my releases, I think the roster seems very cohesive more so now than ever. Of course I go through certain mood shifts on what I like to present, but it’s cool to see people notice that I have maintained a cohesive collective with the different styles I present with my releases. Basically, there should be no such thing as “this seems weird or out of place to be on Profound Lore.”

There are three bands on Profound Lore from Indianapolis. Which band did you work with first, and did you approach them or the other way around?

The Gates of Slumber were the first, and they approached me to help them get more ground within North America. The album I did with them, ‘Conqueror’, I see as a milestone for the label because not only is it a landmark release in metal, but it was the first release of mine to really get widespread exposure. It was the first release that my U.S. distributor took on when I officially went exclusive with them. And it is through The Gates of Slumber where I discovered other bands like Coffinworm and Apostle of Solitude; both are close confidants of the band. So I guess when Gates broke out, it gave me the opportunity to check out these other bands they are close with through their recommendations and close connections.

In terms of label direction, Profound Lore remains rooted firmly in the underground. With that in mind, what has it been like working with the three bands from Indianapolis? What was it about the bands that made you excited ad willing to work with them?

It’s great. These three bands are very appreciative, enthusiastic, and really cool individuals to work with. It’s cool because Indianapolis wasn’t really known to have any breakthrough metal bands, and with The Gates of Slumber helping to lead the charge, I think it will be good for bands like Apostle of Solitude and Coffinworm to help strengthen the metal scene in Indianapolis. I mean, not only is The Gates of Slumber a cool side of the doom metal coin that I enjoy, but they are one of the few real metal bands which I think should be one of the leaders in waving the flag of true metal today. And now with The Gates of Slumber signing with Rise Above, I’ve managed to fill that void with Apostle of Solitude. Again, it is through The Gates of Slumber which lead me to work with Apostle and Coffinworm.

What do you know about or rather, what do you think is going on in Indianapolis that seemingly produces sincere and dedicated heavy music?

I think with bands like The Gates of Slumber making a name for themselves and gaining recognition, through their sincerity and dedication to heavy music, on top of being some of the coolest and respectable guys in all of metal is a reflection of what is happening in Indianapolis. It’s their entire aura, dedication, and good attitude.

Could you see Profound Lore working with other Indianapolis bands in the future as well?

Since The Gates led me to work with Apostle and Coffinworm, who knows…? Maybe these two bands could lead me to working with other bands in Indianapolis through their connections since I trust these bands’ judgment and their knowledge on heavy music.

Is there any potential for a Profound Lore fest or showcase with a good sampling from the label’s roster?

Well, if this were to happen, it sure as hell won’t work in Toronto (essentially where the label is currently based or at least that closest major city where the label is based). But I don’t know. I guess something out on the west coast could work out or even a showcase at such events like South By Southwest would be a worthwhile venture to undertake.

For current releases, full band roster, band and label merchandise, upcoming releases, tours, band news, and label updates check http://www.profoundlorerecords.com and www.myspace.com/profoundlore .

upcoming shows of interest in indy in september...

2009-08-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

there are still plenty of good shows coming up to finish off august, but it never hurts to plan early for next month's crop of shows.

*9/6/09, The Dockers (Indy), Deadmen (Indy), Fight Amp (New Jersey), and Millions (Chicago), at the Casa, 5 p.m., $6.

*9/12/09, Coffinworm (Indy), Sweet Cobra (Chicago), and Keelhaul, at the Melody Inn, 10 p.m., $8.

*9/18/09, Bulletwolf (Indy), Lord Mantis (Chicago), Sleepbringer (Indy), Tunguska (Indy), and Poor Bastards Revolt! (Michigan), at the Murphy Building, 7 p.m., $8.

*9/21/09, the Melvins, Down, Weedeater, at the Vogue, 8 p.m. $25.

*9/22/09, Slow Motion Enslavement (Indy), Weekend Nachos (Chicago), Hate (Chicago), and Sea of Shit (Chicago), at 1511 E. 49th Street, 7 p.m., $7.

*9/24/09, Apostle of Solitude (Indy), Hull (New York), Salome (Virginia), and Batillus (New York), at the Melody Inn, 8 p.m., $6.

*9/25/09, Deadmen (Indy), Devil To Pay (Indy), King Deuce (Indy), and The Cocaine Wolves, at the Melody Inn, $5, 10 p.m

*9/26/09, The Gates of Slumber (Indy), Lair of the Minotaur (Chicago), Bulletwolf (Indy), and Sleepbringer (Indy), TGoS CD release at the Emerson Theater, 6:30 p.m, $8.

*9/28/09, The Dream is Dead (Indy), Slow Motion Enslavement (Indy), Livermortis (Indy),and Tombs, The Murphy Building, 7 p.m., $6.

*9/30/09, Monotonix (Israel), Thunders (Indy), and Turbo Fruits, at the Murphy Building, 7 p.m., $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Sleepbringer Part II: practice video...

2009-08-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Bare with us as this is our first in, hopefully, a long line of video interviews with bands. The video is an informal discussion about Sleepbringer's arsenal of gear and in general practice space.

Never running from the Reaper...

2009-08-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Deadmen. It is a name that draws a swift conclusion. It is an acknowledgement of the final destination. It is urgent and direct. This is what the members of Indianapolis’ newest whiskey and beer soaked hell-raising five piece evoke. Urgency.

Veterans of a multitude of current and former bands, vocalist Nate Olp (Demiricous, Whiskeytits, Lair of the Minotaur), guitarist Garrett O’sha (Coffinworm, Salvation, Angelville), guitarist Carl Byers (Coffinworm, Salvation, The Retreads, The Dream Is Dead), bassist Bob Peele (Whiskeytits, Suicide Note), and drummer Patrick Driscoll (Red Shadows, Salvation, Angelville) came together in the summer of 2008. After the demise of Salvation, O’sha, Byers, and Driscoll still wanted to pursue a more aggressive musical path together. This formed the core of the band. Olp and Peele were soon asked to join and round out the lineup.

Summoning their collective powers, the band down stroke their way into a brand of metal that infuses hardcore and punk into a brutish malaise. This is urgent music fueled by the mutual love of metal and hardcore punk between friends to bring about a unified sound. It is meant to be loud and rowdy. If a party springs up along the way, then it makes life that much better.

Making no bones about it, Deadmen’s music is not the wheel reinvented. Rather, it is a direct boot to the head. It is a blast furnace turned up to melt faces and cause a ruckus. Like their song title suggests, ‘Been there, still there,’ Deadmen invoke their collective consciousness to come together in stamping out weak riffs with a steadfast resilience backed by experience. Carl Byers spoke with The Cracked Skull about motives, inspiration, being from Indianapolis, and running from the reaper.

Why Deadmen? What’s the motives and inspiration behind the band and name?

The band name doesn’t have much intended meaning, but I think it’s as good as any other we could have picked. I was listening to the Dead Boys, and I was thinking about how snotty it sounded to call themselves ‘Boys.’ Dead Boys to men… Deadmen. The name isn’t exactly a nod to them, nor is the music specifically, but I thought it sounded cool. Everyone liked it enough to go with it. I think the main inspiration for me with name and approach to the band is to blend what we all love in the realms of heavy metal and hardcore—punk into one cohesive sound. It’s not anything new, but it ain’t broke so why fix it? I’d say that all of us in the band are aligned in that thought. To be more specific, regardless of how cliché this sounds, but it’s just friends making music together that we all like. Turn it up and party!

It would seem that the songs on the demo have a sense of urgency. Where is this urgency coming from, and are you all running from the reaper or what?

Haha! Not exactly, but that makes a good source of inspiration. I guess the best way to sum it up is that the majority of the riffs we come up with won’t sound good played at slower speeds. We slow it down from time to time, but usually it’s a down stroke picking, d-beat party.

What’s a typical writing session like for Deadmen? Does one person contribute more than another, or is it a collective effort?

Everyone contributes to the writing process, but generally the songs come together from riffs that Garrett and I bring to practice. We build from there. All of us put our two cents in though, and if a song seems even mildly weak we trash it.

As far as being straight out of Naptown, what do you think makes Indy’s collective heavy music scene so diverse and productive?

I think this city is easily one of the best examples of what an underground music scene should be. Granted, the outside community is generally not very supportive and the amount of people involved directly is on a smaller scale, but I like it that way. People can’t afford to get too cliquish, the hipster contingent is almost nonexistent, and people here are proud of what we have going on.

What other Indy bands at the moment are you all feeling?

Honestly, I wouldn’t say there are any that I’m personally not feeling, at least from the hardcore and metal scenes. Those scenes continue to produce great bands.

As a relatively new band with veteran members of numerous bands, what is on the agenda for Deadmen (recording, obviously shows, tour)?

Deadmen is strictly a fun thing for us. We have no plans to tour. Hopefully, we can make it out of state soon on some weekend warrior excursions to play with friends in surrounding cities, but that’s about as much as we want to do. Everyone in this band is busy with their other bands, jobs, or whatever. The shows we have coming up should be great. Our first show will be a Punk Rock Night at the Melody Inn on August 22. I can’t think of a better place to birth the band into a live setting. We also have two other shows booked in September. We may be playing a benefit show for the new collective DIY space, The Dojo, too. As for recording, I’m happy with the way the demo turned out. It was my first attempt at recording a full band. Not sure what we’ll do for anything after this, but eventually there will be a legit release of some kind. We’ve got six songs finished, and we’re currently writing at every practice. I’d really like to do a 7 inch if we can find a label to put it out. Regardless, we should have enough songs for a full length by the end of the year. We’ve talked about recording with Bob Fouts at Basement Rage Studios here in town if our schedules will allow, or possibly continuing to record further material ourselves. I’ve got some new recording gear on the way that should produce better results, so hopefully we can keep everything in-house.

Speaking of dead men, who are three that you would like to meet if you could raise their cold corpses from the ground and why?

I can only answer this question for myself, but if I had to pick three former living humans to resurrect and chat with over a beer it would have to be Nicola Tesla (to hear all the great ideas he probably had that were never brought to fruition), Phil Lynott (probably the best storyteller in rock ‘n’ roll history and never toppled from that throne in my opinion), and Thomas ‘Pig Champion’ Roberts (for obvious reasons).

What does a group of dead men drink to stave off the grave or get that much closer?

The simple answer is whatever adult beverage you put in front of us. Whiskey and beer make the good times even better, and when it’s free…

First chance to see the Deadmen: 8/22/09, The Melody Inn, $5, 10 p.m.
www.myspace.com/deadmencomesripping

upcoming shows of interest in indy in august...

2009-08-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick list of a few shows that are going down in Indy. These all have the makings for a good bit of ear ringing and face melting.

August:

*8/7/09, Bloody Panda (Brooklyn, NY), Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity (Indy), and Tunguska (Indy), $6, 7 p.m., at the Casa (if you don't know, you better ask somebody).

*8/14/09, The Gates of Slumber (Indy), Demiricous (Indy), Apostle of Solitude (Indy), Coffinworm (Indy), Zoroaster (Georgia), and Serpentcult (Belgium), $10, 6 p.m., Emerson Theater.

*8/15/09, Devil To Pay (CD release show), The Cocaine Wolves, Lopan (Columbus, OH), and Chapstik (Detroit, MI), 9 p.m., Zanies Too

*8/22/09, Deadmen (Indy, first show), Punchups, Typos, Pigtail Crooks, $5, 10 p.m., the Melody Inn.

*8/22/09, Yuki (Indy, shoegaze EP release show), Dark Halo Matters (Indy), Red Light Driver (Indy), and Tiger Spirit (Chicago), $5, 9 p.m., Locals Only.

*8/23/09, Slow Motion Enslavement (Indy), Dead Issue (Milwaukee), Bored Straight (Milwaukee), $5, 7 p.m., The Dojo.

*8/28/09, Drogas (Indy, first show), Summon the Destroyer, Spero, and Lorenguard, $5, 7 p.m., The Murphy Building--studio eight.

An Uneasy Night's Rest... Sleepbringer

2009-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Heroes Laid to Rest was a former Indianapolis rust metal band of doom and heaviness. From the demise of Heroes Laid to Rest sprung Indianapolis’ Sleepbringer. Sleepbringer, three fourths of the original HLTR, is a full tilt, smash your head against the wall band of metal purveyors. Comprised of guitarist—vocalist Mike Downton (Emotion Zero, Curb, and Heroes Laid to Rest), bassist--vocalist Mike Naish (Necropharmacon), guitarist Colin Richard (Heroes Laid to Rest), and drummer Rob Lemen (Heroes Laid to Rest and Nidus) all come together in a collaborative effort to bring a wash of color to their brand of organic sonic dissonance.

True to their origins, the band’s sound is reminiscent of bands typically categorized as doom or stoner, but there are added nuances due to changes in song writing and structure. Whether those nuances come in the form of slick guitar solos or disparate then conjoining parts, it is certain that new direction in song writing is more expansive and shifting. There are still detuned guitars, slow and creeping tempos, and off kilter time changes, but there is a new depth and complexity to their music. This depth is in part due to, newest member and bassist, Mike Naish’s playing . Naish joined HLTR at the end of its life replacing then bassist Bill Scott and playing Scott’s bass lines. Naish is in full command of his writing within Sleepbringer. With the lineup solidified the band was able to fully explore the shifting directions in song writing and progression.

Awash in an eerie mix of denseness and at times ghostly sounds, Sleepbringer deliver music that lives in the moment. Recently both Mike Downton and Mike Naish discussed with The Cracked Skull musical rejuvenation and depth, Indianapolis’ musical climate, and what the future holds for Sleepbringer.

Heroes Laid to Rest... What Changed? Musical directions, Naish's addition to the band, a musical rejuvenation...?

Mike D: Basically we had come to the conclusion that it wasn't the same band. We found ourselves not playing the Heroes stuff. Not because we didn't like it, but because the other stuff we were writing came together quickly. So we go together and said, "No more Heroes, we'll start over." Plus, with the addition of Mike (Naish) we didn't feel it was right to have him play something else someone else wrote. Mike's playing is quite different from Bill's.

Mike N: Mike (Downton) called me one day and said Heroes was done. I was a little shocked and surprised. He wanted to start a new band to leverage the current talent pool. I really enjoyed Heroes, but I love playing in Sleepbringer. There is a different dynamic to it as opposed to Heroes.

Certain elements of Heroes Laid to Rest seem to remain intact (the core band members, the dropped tunings, the weightiness of the music), but there also seems to be a new depth. Why the shift?

Mike D: I think it's because of Naish. His playing is vastly different from Bill's. Mike has always played bass, where as Bill was a guitarist playing bass. Mike just approaches the song writing process differently. Mike likes to work around the guitar riffs to add new depth. He has a different approach to the bass all together.

Mike N: Style. That's about all there is to it. The tunings provide the color or backdrop to this band. I think the depth comes from all the members of this band as opposed to just one. Downton was the single biggest element in Heroes when I was there, but I could see him shifting from that position the longer I was in the band. Within a year it had changed from Mike (Downton) being a conductor to a collaborator. Everyone told me that Downton was a hardass when it comes to writing, but I've never seen that.

What are the band's influencing factors in the most recent son writing process?

Mike N: For me it has been the complete freedom to do what I want. Sometimes, Mike will mouth the notes to me while we are playing, but I have complete control. We all kind of noodle around while we're writing, and eventually someone plays a riff. Once everyone hears it is when the collaboration really begins. The is where Downton shines. He can pull together what we think are riffs, notes, or pieces of songs and produce something we all love by the next practice. The creative process in this band is simply stimulating for musicians.

Mike D: The process itself hasn't really changed all that much. We mainly go in and one of us will have a riff, and we'll know pretty quickly if it will work. We'll build upon that from the recordings of practices because sometimes parts of songs are scattered. I'll take the audio from practice and start piecing together parts and see what works.

Within the song writing process, who are the main contributors? Is the writing process more organic?

Mike D: It's pretty organic. We just start playing, and eventually we'll all clue into what one of us is doing. We don't lay it out like "Ok, this is the verse. This is the chorus." At our last practice we were all noodling around and Naish comes up with a riff, so Colin and I will stop playing to listen to what he is doing. We try it a few different ways. We'll play it sort of soft, and then build up to the same riff just heavier with full chords and drums. Everyone contributes, which is a change from the norm. Rob has been known to structure songs based on riffs he's heard and who should play what, and Colin we'll even throw in a riff every now and then. It's not that they couldn't before, but I was sort of a taskmaster at times. "You play this here, you play this beat until I nod, and then we'll come in with this riff." I like instant results, and if it's not working I like to move on. We've dumped plenty of riffs because they just didn't seem to work.

Mike N: Everyone contributes. Bottom line. Downton can put together solo and lead parts like nobody's business. I sometimes get lost watching him play. Colin has an ear for what sounds good and when. Rob can keep time better than an atomic clock. I think everyone brings a lot to the table with it comes to song writing. I think it's pretty organic.

As far as Indy's music scene is concerned, where do you feel your place is within it (not status or stature), but rather whom do you feel a sort of kinship musically?

Mike D: You know the scene in Indy has always ruled, and it doesn't really matter who is playing. I mean, we always seem to get hooked up with Apostle of Solitude or The Gates of Slumber, so if there were some sort of musical kinship then it would be with bands like that. Our last show we played was with Coffinworm, and goddamn, rip your fucking eyes out and piss on your brain. That shit ruled. Like with most bands in Indy, they just play because they love to play. There is no competition. No bullshit. They record and put out demos because they want to and not for some idealistic noton of 'making it.' I'm comfortable with our 'place.' We don't play out a lot, mainly because of all of our schedules, but the Indy scene rules so much that you can just contact anyone that is setting up a show. Ask them to play, and they'll make it happen. Not because of who we are as a band, but that's just how Indy is.

Mike N: I think the heavy music scene has caught fire in the last few years. There are bands that are more digestable than others, but the musicians themselves are a close, tightly knit bunch. Some bands the I've gotten to know better are Apostle of Solitude, Nidus, and Order of the Black Hand. All those guys are awesome musicians and people too. We tend to get lumped into the 'metal' category, which is fine, but we are a doom band. Slow, heavy, with alternating time signatures... It is not like the typical fast metal song structure that we see a lot of.

With that in mind, how healthy of an environment is Indy for cultivating and producing meaningful muisc? Do you feel that Indy is representative of a city that for whatever reason(s) seems to produce some of the most forward and challenging heavy music in the Midwest currently? Or would you say the music being made in Indy and around Indy is more of a reflection of current times?

Mike N: Yes. It's healthy here. Sometimes we see a lot o f the same people at shows, but those are the true fans. I like going to heavy shows because I will always know someone. Honestly, I have not looked elsewhere too much. The shows I've played out of town have been ok, but I always like coming home to the Melody Inn or Zanies to see a show.

Mike D: In my opinion, Indy has always ruled. The best part is that people that I met back in 1990 or 1991 are still around, in bands, booking shows, putting out demos, and making zines. There really is amazing going on from Rev. Payton, Yuki, Mavarich, Worldeater, The Dockers, The Gitmo's, The Gates of Slumber... Every style seems to be represented. I think that because people in Indy do give a shit allows an opportunity for bands to be heard no matter the audience size. Just go to Rippy's basement for a show, the 1511 house, or the Melody Inn. You'll see new bands all the time because the people that put on these shows actually give a shit. They want to give back somehow, and that rules. The Dojo will be up and running soon. It's a new collective that I think will have a huge impact on the DIY music community in and around Indy. When places like this can survive, then only good thing can happen for everyone.

What's on the horizon for Sleepbringer? Recording, shows, releases...

Mike D: Good question. The plan is to record at the beginning of August. What we'll do with those tracks are unknown. We know one, possibly two songs will go to the Droning Earth compilation series. We'll most likely send the rest to At A Loss and Seventh Rule, and see if they might be interested in releasing them. Regardless, a DIY type of demo will be made for the masses. As far as shows... Whenever, wherever really... Our schedules can be hectic at times, namely mine since I'm in graduate school at IU Bloomington and moving down there this fall. That might slow things down.

Mike N: I'm looking forward to recording because it's high time we have a record. We will probably have enough music for two records, but like a big penis contest you only want to show enough to win. With Mike (Downton) working on his Ph.D., we take things as they come. I can't say that we have any other real plans other than to play shows when we can, practice, and continue to write music that makes us happy.

Contact Sleepbringer at myspace.com/sleepbringer

vibes music broken into...

2009-07-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sometime late in the evening of July 29 to early morning of July 30 Vibes Music on 54th Street (Indianapolis) was broken into. The front door was smashed in, and several vintage guitars are reported as stolen. The guitars ranged from various vintage Gibson and Hagstrom models. No serial numbers have been released yet, but keep an eye out in the greater Indianapolis area for the suspect guitars. Stealing, burglary, thievery, or any manner of theft is pure cowardice. It is a shame that it happened to an independent music store with a sincere following within the community. Hopefully, all the pilfered guitars are returned and the thieves are found and prosecuted.

coffinworm demo review...

2009-07-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Cracked Skull is not just another online music review site, but Coffinworm's (Indianapolis, Indiana) demo, 'Great Bringer of Night', is just the kind of homegrown demo worth tracking down and listening to repeatedly at a suitable volume hoping for brown note bliss. The various molten hammers being poured through the speakers of your stereo will reaffirm what metal is all about. 'Great Bringer of Night' is heavy in all the right ways: guitars tuned to the depths of the Mariana Trench, gravel throat blaspheming, subversive bass growls, and war drums. Slow, mid tempo, deft time signature changes, and some well placed feedback adds to the churning of this demo. Basically, if the listener's face is suddenly pulverized into dust against the nearest hard surface while listening to this, then the goal of this demo would seemingly be achieved. Recorded at the aptly named Basement Rage Studio in Indianapolis by Bob Fouts, Coffinworm has managed to capture what lies in the blackened hearts and deep recesses of the minds of those whom don't shy away from the dark and shadows. Instead of having one song that sticks out, 'Great Bringer of Night' is best approached in terms of movements. Each song break signaling the next step, the next push into the ground to ultimately end up as a feast for the creeping things that live on the south side of terra firma. This is quite the initial outing for Coffinworm as their debut full length should be out in '10 on Profound Lore Records. Until then, one fist raised and excessive head nodding will suffice while spinning this disk at top volume.

For information on buying Coffinworm's 'Great Bringer of Night' and other merchandise head to their Myspace page, and catch them at their next show. They won't disappoint.
www.myspace.com/coffinworm

a new space...

2009-07-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Indeed that is the word. There is a new community centered music and arts space opening up on the east side of Indy (4640 E. 10th Street) designated the Dojo. This is a good thing. Indy is long overdue for a space with a sincere DIY ethic that fills the gap left behind from such beloved spots as the Sitcom. It would seem that unlike a collective, this new space will try to operate as a co-op. It may have some form of membership and hierarchy to help establish the space as a viable and permament fixture in Indianapolis as a whole. Low cost language classes, art exhibits, and shows are a few things that could potentially be expected to happen at the space. Well, definitely shows as there is one going down July 27th featuring three Indy bands (Worldeater, Order of the Black Hand, and Livermortis) and one touring (Force Fed from Pennsylvania). This is a solid line up for the inaugural show benefiting the new space. It will be interesting to follow the progress of the Dojo. Hopefully, it turns into a space with a positive and lasting effect on its east side neighborhood and further establishes a genuine sense of community in Indianapolis.

first up... Sleepbringer

2009-07-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Sleepbringer from this past January at Zanies Too. Interviews and up to date video footage of the band are forthcoming. Until then, I leave you with this video and link to their Myspace page.

www.myspace.com/sleepbringer