DAN DEACON'S AMERICA.
I guess that could've been a smarmier title, something like "it's ... we just live in it.." but what does that shit mean anyway? Dan Deacon, a dude I consider a friendly, and a friend, just put out a record called simply America. And it's pretty good. Dan's 2007 record, Spiderman of the Rings is ingenious, a Marquee Moon or uh, Into the Vortex career-definer in a lot of ways. This new one is more of a grower, but because of that, it's got a depth that I think's gonna make it last a lot longer as a piece of art. I'm still just working my way around it, which is to say, I think I've listened through the record about two times as a whole, and to different songs a few more times.

I found the statement here, on his website kind of moving. Reminded me of my first real time abroad as a sort-of-adult of 25, heading to a pretty foreign place as a Peace Corps volunteer. You know you're not supposed to tell everybody your country's great and has everything figured out, but you also miss a lot of things about it, and I, personally, hadn't thought of myself as particularly from a country prior to that. And, good, bad and in-between,  I was proud to be an American, a guy from a community that has a lot going for it, has plenty of shit wrong with it, but you've got to be from somewhere. I don't like colonialism, and appreciate the sentiment that in a world as commercial as this one, and country at the forefront of that err, whole deal, it takes a more than minor act of resistance to actively equate one's Americanness with positive things like say: Shat Upon Zine, Humpy, the Fireballs of Freedom, Jay's Upstairs, Zoo City Apparel, the Ole Beck 209 VFW, the Lab, Disgruntled Nation, Ass-End Offend, Hammerhead, Needlecraft, Fugazi, the Missoula Art Museum, the river trail, Minor Bird Records, the Missoula Independent, the Rattlesnake Wilderness, Lightning Bolt, Shahs, fucking Lightning Bolt, Custody Battle and Dan Deacon rather than say, Coca Cola Budweiser, Tom Cruise and whatever other mass culture has got the better budget and is hugely vying for what the world sees as "America." By being an American who can represent a place, it's people, music, culture, food, festivals and all that, I think you kind of hack a little piece out of the commercial neo-colonialism that just creeps out of this place. So, I'm taking a huge leap in equating Dan's album explanation with all this, but it struck a chord. Sure, Pitchfork's fawning and NPR's gonna do a feature, but don't be a hater. The guy's legit, DIY and just made a great piece of art.

I normally go in for rock and punk records, but what I like about a band like Vaz, their visceral crush of energy and power, I also get off a record like this and performance like Dan's the first night of Total Fest XI. I saw Torche guys gleefully pulling Ben from Helms Alee and Harkonen into the sweaty pulse of folks going apeshit and dancing. And that made me stoked. It's also got a pretty couple of pictures of Lake Placid and Bryce Canyon on the record. (Josh V.)

HOLY FUCKING SHIT. NICE TOTAL, PEOPLE.
Sorry about taking the profanity gloves off you know, hopefully that's not alienating the all-agers and parents. I honestly only mean it for the emphasis, and not offensively. Here's the deal though: what a freakin' blast of a weekend. From Dan Deacon and the Best Westerns to Iron Lung, Gay Witch Abortion, Sedan to I don't know, Harkonen, we got slayed by great tunes, hugged by great friends and blew our cash on a pretty good pile of records we're only just getting into. Here are my (Josh Vanek's) in no way all-inclusive just-fest highlights:

1) Meeting Brain Tumors at the Thursday barbecue while Bryan Ramirez played noise rock and I had a cold Eddy Out from TF sponsors Kettlehouse. Nicest, shittiestly blown out and blasting band of Total Fest.
2) King Elephant. First band of the fest and they cranked out forlorn, high energy punk full-on. Love the way Booster drums.
3) Listening to the Best Westerns while I worked the door. Didn't see what was going on on stage, but I loved the way they sounded. I like this song in particular. Is that a tuba?
4) Picking up Dan Deacon from the airport, bringing him to the Good Food Store (Total Fest sponsor) and having a cup of Black Coffee (Total Fest sponsor also) and talking some shop. Dan organized Whartscape for years, knows what it's all about, and has been doing his thing seriously DIY-style for years. He just released a great new record called America too.
5) 5 unique copies of the Bugs' first LP Goin Places with hand-drawn covers, purchased at the Record Swap. Eventually selling 'em in the Wantage distro.
6) Lecherous Gaze. 
7) the 5 minutes of Swamp Wolf I saw. Jeezus.
8) Gay Witch Abortion. Dude, I felt like Bill Clinton was president again. And that the Cows might show up with blow up doll masks on, and a dented reveille trumpet.
9) Abe Coley at the Record Swap.
10) The fact that the Havoc distro was at the VFW and they had the Heratys and Mauser LPs, and a Direct Control 7".
11) The fact that the Iron Lung Records catalog traveled with Iron Lung, and that they had the Total Control LP and No Statik 7".
11) Harkonen. Jeez-luh-wheez, what a rad show.
12) Dreamdecay at the VFW.

This is a pretty un-inclusive list frankly, but you know, it's a start. Need also to make a serious nod to Josh Harteis and Paul Hanbarger, the new Total Fest head dudes. They did a good job, and made the transition all too seamlessly. Also, KBGA is our radio station. Let that be on the record. Without a station on which you can hear two straight hours of Total Fest bands, content, stories and interviews, Total Fest ain't what it is. They helped us get Torche and Dan out this year, and KBGA is a powerhouse of community-involved and oriented radio station, run entirely by UM students and volunteers. I wish KBGA.org had a show archive page, because between Tom Helgerson, Tom Daily, Dave Martens, Reggie Herbert, Niki, Julie, Dawn, Dane, Chris Justice, Kevin Sherwood and Hana Montana, you pretty much got your bases covered for all the great music you need in a week. Lots of the specialty DJs are using Mixcloud, so if you hear somebody you like on the stream, dig around on the internet and you might find something like this. Oh, and while we're giving mega-shouts, let's thank Biga Pizza, whose hosting of the Total Feast allows us to keep on our mission of doing Total Fest all-ages. It's a real big solid they do for us, and it's noticed. Pushing publish now, knowing it's way too short a re-cap. Like I said, one dude's only.

WHAT DO SWAMP WOLF, ZOMBIE TOOLS AND TIDAL HORN HAVE IN COMMON?
Other than we're talking about 'em here, and they've got something to do with Total Fest this year? Yes, that's the full question. Well, let's start at the begining: I was gonna say "metal" but I just read in the Missoua Independent that Tidal Horn don't consider themselves "metal." Well, Tidal Horn, that's tough, you're kind of what we'd (very flatteringly) call "party metal." You've got the riffs, you cover Dio. You gallop. That's the evidence. That's enough to us. Won't get all into the degrees of metallitude here, but that's what we'd call 'em. And they're a damn fine band, all that explanation of what they play aside. 

We're in for a dark, heavy, black treat with this Swamp Wolf addition to tonight's show. Check this shit out. Man, I need a shower after listening to this. It's like getting spit on by Cronos or something. How does Flagstaff continue to do this?

Finally, the bros of Zombie Tools, a first time Total Fest sponsor, are a feral lot. Often seen with black under their fingernails from working on the forge, bowler hats ala Clockwork Orange, and you know, (pretty good) scotch on their breath. You see, Zombie Tools to the uninitiated is Missoula's own full-on, un-ironic hand-crafted sword company. These guys take this shit so entirely seriously, it's actually pretty incredible. Their whole m.o. is based around the idea that when the shit goes down, eventually you'll run out of ammunition, and will need a reliable, simple weapon, that will effectively be your tool for surviving whatever harshness the world's throwing your way. Not terrible, if a bit err fatalistic, logic. They've got some great youtube vids of their katanas in acton, hacking the shit out of Pabst cans mostly. Thanks Zombie Tools.

 WESTSIDE STALWARTS: BURNS ST. BISTRO AND GARAGE TEES
Bou-yah-ka-shah. Check yourself, etc. Couple more notable sponsors we're gonna do a pretty aggressive online backslap to: Garage Tees and newcomer Burns St. Bistro. We'll keep it brief, just the facts and soforth. Missoula's westside is our mixted-est neighborhood. Lots of trailerparks, low-moderate income folks, and frankly a ton of spunk, culture and awesome weirdos. And deep among the weirdos are the fellers (mostly fellers) of Burns St. Bistro and Garage Tees, a bistro and screen printing shop, respectively. Where to start?

Well, "BSB" as we'll call it to save time is the long-time brain child of Jason McMackin, Cameron Williams, Hunter and some other bitchin co-conspirators. They're located on Burns St., in the same building as the Missoula Food Co-Op. They do excellent breakfasts, serve Black Coffee (we think) and feature among other insanely delicious "scratch-made" sandwiches, all manner of things with their signature candied bacon. Have breakfast there. Stay for lunch.  Honestly, it's some of the best we got, and it won't crush the rest of your day like that chicken fried steak with J.J.'s.

Second up is Garage Tees, the printshop owned by Aaron Farseth and Christian Goss. Located in the Warehouse Mall, these guys are responsible for all Total Fest apparel printing. And they do a great job at it. They're always about helping bands get merch together affordably, know a good price-point when they see it, and do great, consistent and timely work. Bring 'em a job! This shirt on the right here's an example of some of their work.

There, now go see King Elephant.

Locals King Elephant Full of Pop, Love, & Angst

Out of the "Exhaust" of a dying van and the remnants of Total Fest Alumni Goddammitboyhowdy (Joey Running Crane and Booster Bustamante) emerges the fully engaging sounds of Missoula's own King Elephant. Joining forces with Ryan Bilunka (Suicide Victim) on bass and the new edition of the soda-and-lemonhead fueled Ethan " who cares who's watching" Uhl (The Whoopass Girls) on guitar and vocals, King Elephant throws down some of the most energetic and meaningful songs coming out of Missoula.

Currently out on a 30 day US tour, these Montanans are about to set the US a fire with their live, sing-a-long, raise your fist and dance along tunes. The tour is being documented by Tim Goessman, which you can check out here. A full length album out in the near future on Minor Bird Records will have these lads playing in bedrooms everywhere.

King Elephant represents the DIY punk heart of what makes Total Fest a totally awesome event. Make sure to catch one of Missoula's most prized gems before these dudes make way to new pastures.

VTO: HIGH IN THE MID 90S.

Named for octogenarian Montana broadcast legend, (pic below) Vi Thompson  (RIP), the Vi Thompson Overdrive -now simply "VTO"- sprang out of Charlie Beaton's need for a band that did something different than what his other band, the Banned, had done. The Banned were, for an 18 year old Knowles Hall  (dorm) resident named Josh Vanek in 1992, the first Montana punk group. I think the first Banned show I saw was them opening for Seaweed at UM's Copper Commons. It was excellently, awkwardly punk in every way from the cruddy mosh pit, to the mohicans, and docs and Skinyard shirts. The Banned were excellent, in a pretty theatrical, good at their instruments, rippin' crazy punk kind of way. And they had this kind of weirdo high pitched Jello-esque front guy who sangs songs like South Canada and Hippie's Got a Gun and who occasionally threw hot dogs at the (rather thin) crowd. The Banned had been around since the later '80s, released what I think is safely Montana's first punk 7". They probably had four or so pretty distinct lineups with the core of Charlie singing, Pat Phylmm/guitar and Mike Vanecek/bass being the band I'm most familiar with. They broke up at some point in the latish '90s when Pat moved to Seattle to pursue a dance/music/wild man career. Pat's another story, but I think the first time I saw somebody cut himself intentionally was Pat, at Jay's Upstairs, with a razor, ... across his forehead. Still gives me the shivers.

The Banned reunited for Total Fest IV, that sweaty affair at the American Legion Hall in 2005. During college, Charlie was the guy who'd organized shows for (touring behind Margin Walker) Fugazi, and (Kerplunk-era) Green Day. He'd get the bands like Schlong and the Too Many groups (two VTO songs reside on Too Many comps) to come to town. Charlie's always been that rare kind of dude in a place like Missoula who's excited about punk to the point where he took an active role in making it happen with shows, bands and releases. Between then and now he started up Big Dipper, the great ice cream place that's always hosted Total Fest's Saturday Record Swap, and a family, and some of the active punk stuff took a back burner.

But, a handful of months ago, VTO reformed, and with about half of their original lineup intact! It's rad to see guys in their 40s (or close) playing country punk in Missoula in 2012, it's the sort of lifer move that I think helps keep a place like Missoula unique compared with say, err, other similarly sized towns. I think "country punk," as much as I don't love saying it, is pretty apt handle. I know Charlie and Yale listened to a lot of Jonathan Richman's Goes Country record when they were starting. I went and saw them play in Helena the other weekend and it's thoroughly great, the same vibe as before, lots of fun, well rehearsed and a good time. Sounds like the '90s, man.

SEDAN Cruises into TFXI

It's difficult adequately describe a band like Olympia's Sedan. Sedan released an amazing split with Thrones, a full length CD on Hamburgereyes, and self-released an awesome single "Patronized."

Simply put, Sedan is Scott Seckington on piano, weaving together tunes that are oddly ambient and agitated at the same time. It's a one man show "with a more spacious vibe kinda going on."

Instrumental music gets a bad rap -- maybe it's attention spans or laziness, but the lack of lyrics leads people to think that instrumental music is inherently melodramatic and repetitive. That's a little shortsighted. For one, instrumental music takes on the daunting task of crafting a story without words. Sedan accomplishes this through the piano with some electronic accents here and there. It's a vivid and moody journey. Ambiance, however, remains an even more difficult cat to herd. At its finest, it erases the lines between background and foreground. It's an event that surrounds us and solicits us to participate within it. Once we start thinking about the experience, we lose it. Don't get me wrong, I dig all the stuff that comes with a traditional band -- the flailing, screaming, hair thrashing, sweaty banter, etc. -- but it relies upon a distinct audience / band relationship. They're on stage; we're on the floor (or on chairs, tables, barstools). But, along the lines of Brian Eno, Sedan not only offers us a highly individual experience where we can lose ourselves for extended moments but also forces us to share that experience with a host of people.

Like a fun house, Scott leads us through mirrored and off-balanced hallways, smoky rooms, and spontaneous leaps, while we hear the laughter and shrieks echo on the other side of the wall. With that, we welcome Sedan, and invite you to come out and play this August. Bring your cotton candy, your caramel apples, your fried dough. Sedan will be there waiting.

(this video features Sedan's old drummer. Scott will be flying solo for Total Fest, but he promises that the set will still be killer)

UNNATURAL HELPERS

Relenting only for the occasional drum fill, the drums are all hi-hat/crash trash. Guitar chords are cranked through what sounds like a cheese grater on top of a Marshall Stack (lol wut?). The bass is that classic pick-pounded 80s thrash following the guitar around like a rabid puppy. But the vocals--man, the vocals. It's the thing that makes Unnatural Helpers so instantly satisfying. Not in a nostalgic way that some modern punk-garage treads garbage in, riff-recycling and attitude assembling, but in the sense that you still love hearing so-sweet kiss-offs hollered (not screamed) atop a loud-fast band that doesn't sound heavy, but impossibly, irrepressibly scrappy--hell, almost skinny. Like the smallest-smartest kid in gym class out benching every jock fuck before kicking the teacher in the balls and storming out triumphantly to go read Origin of the Species. Or something like that.

And we stand back, totally impressed. We, the lucky attendees of Total Fest XI of course, where Unnatural Helpers are gracing us with their presence this year. They even have a new album coming out this fall on Hardly Art appropriately titled "Land Grab," because--as previously addressed--their music has a kind of rock-conquerer feel to it, invading a continent of hungry ear-drums and freeing them from the tyranny of bad rock writing (my sincerest apologies). I'll let the pros handle this kind of damage.

Go here to listen to a track off their new album, or look below to watch an in-studio from KEXP.

SPICE-ROCK PERSONIFIED: HARKONEN

Everybody at Total Fest knows Ben Verellen from his ripping current band Helms Alee who've played a handful of times, and who rage full-on, undeniably. They also know him from his rad amplifiers and pedals and stuff, sold under the handle Verellen Amps.

But before all of that there was Harkonen. I think we'll say a bit more about them in a minute, but why don't you please just click play down below and get treated to some ragin'.

Harkonen are officially broken up, but have agreed to melt the collective un-conscious of Total Fest-goers for a very special, one-off deal. It'll be a freakin' huge treat to see these rippers. I guess the only other thing I'll say (the internet's full of information, man) is that this year marks a first, I'm positive in Montana history, and perhaps festival history across the world: we've got two bands in Harkonen and Sandrider whose names are direct references to Frank Herbert's Dune. Think on it. Dress like Feyd Rautha if you're feelin' it. We'll let you in free that night.

HAMMER OF ROCKY MTN. THOR-CORE.

Denver, with its plains-state grid and and sun-baked yellow-greyness, is the weirdly perfect place for a futuristic, kosmische gloom group like MJOLNIIRDXP. Yeah, all caps. Sort of fucked up Kluster-like, Italian horror dirtier John Carpenter space noise-scape, with that kind of internet non-presence that makes you appreciate a group that has no need for any of this internet nonsense.

I know about MjolniirDXP because one of its members is Mike Reisinger from the excellent thuggy hardcore group Leather Sky and Sleeping Giant Glossolalia label that's responsible for the new Vaz record, Oldest's LP and few more obscuro gems. Here's some more info about them from WFMU, the best radio station in New Jersey.

Yeah, and a Mjolniir is Thor's hammer, made of antimatter, I think.

BACON. EGG.

The excellent, weird world that Bacon and Egg inhabit is a hard thing to completely grasp. It's part jams. Part beats. Part falsetto screams. Part a lot of things. All of it, grounded in riffs, poppy metal and prog, and a weird fascination with all that awesome fantasy imagery.

This year, Bacon and Egg made the ballsy move of going into the studio for months on end to create a record that attempted to put some kind of enclosure around the hundreds of ideas that are generally contained in a single song. The resulting All In One Basket is a surprisingly cohesive, expansive piece of work. And I say that as a fan who's enjoyed Bacon and Egg since they first started 10 or so years back. I thought they were more a live band, you know. Not always translating super well to a record. But this All In One Basket, with its Priest inspired cover art, is good. It'll suck you in, and you can tell these guys worked at this, forced some edits, made hard decisions, but didn't make a spare album whatsoever. Anyhow, Bacon and Egg, man.

One of my all-time favorite moments at Total Fest was when Bacon and Egg played at Jay's Downstairs at Total Fest II. They told everybody they knew, got a crowd and started the night. They began exactly on time at 8pm, I think (which bands never really did at Jay's) and got people stoked. Said it gave 'em more time to party.  Consummate professionals.

BIG EYES.

Getting east coast bands to come all the way out to Missoula, Montana is a bit daunting at times. So with a move from Brooklyn to Seattle, daunting changes to definite when Big Eyes take the stage this August.

Big Eyes seem to get grouped in with so many bands these days, who are unnecessarily, labelled as "pop punk". Saying this may seem to be in the same manner as generalizing past TF alumni such as Todd Congelliere, RVIVR, The Arrivals or Tacocat. All distinct bands with varying sounds.

Big Eyes play straight forward, catchy rock n' roll in the vein of The Replacements, The Muffs or even more contemporary bands like The Measure. It's 3 piece energetic music with DIY roots and a real earnest midwest sound. With recent releases on Grave Mistake and Don Giovanni Records, it can not help but lead to bigger things for Kate, CJ and Chris. 
They tour extensively and are no strangers to Missoula, having played several memorable shows here in the past, including a set this past fall at Zoo City Apparel. Their non-stop touring schedule has been sprinkled with opening slots for heavyweights such as Dillinger 4 and, TF alumni, Pierced Arrows. 


We look forward to sharing Big Eyes with you this August at Total Fest XI!

DRINKING OUT OF CUPS.
Dan Deacon's first tours were done using the Greyhound. That's the first time I saw him, I think. He played a show at Area 5 in maybe 2003, probably to 20 people grand total. I think Tyson set it up. He had a small table. Small PA. Pile of electronic stuff. MP3 player. Keyboard. Drum machine, sampler pedal and a creepy green plastic skull. I think he was carrying it all in a plastic garbage bag. And, somehow, he turned it all into surprisingly cohesive and extremely powerful set of jams, squeezing more, and more totally bent sounds out of his gear than most full bands that I could remember.

And where electronic music is generally the most passive of musics to watch, with Dan you kind of forget it's a guy with a pile of toys, suspend disbelief and enter into his psychedelic-creative world for a handful of minutes. For a kind of unassuming guy, he also goes apeshit wild, had an awesome and hilarious presence and worked the crowd like few people I've seen. He's toured like a man possessed, often with fellow-Baltimore freaks with full-on sonic carnival/comedy/play shows in tow.

Roll forward around 9 years and the guy's toured China, released Spiderman of The Rings and Bromst (recorded at Snow Ghost in Whitefish) LPs, is all over Pitchfork, tours with orchestras, and released the Ultimate Reality DVD with this 23 minute Conan montage over a soundtrack of excellently spasm-inducing loops and beeps and beatz. All that's under his belt, and now there's a new record too. Jeesh.

He's coming. Playing our opening night, Thursday August 16 at the Top Hat. Thanks to KBGA (Missoula's only radio station) which is responsible for getting Dan here!

Lozen: Punchy, Sludge.

photo by Chris Fuller

Hozi (Hozoji Matheson-Margullis) and Juice (Justine Valdez), the ladies of Tacoma, prove that smart lyrics, pounding melodies and menacing rock are not mutually exclusive.

Lozen, as a band, has been around since 2005, but their friendship extends further back to those ever so foundational bonds of high school. Taking their name from the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache warrior, the duo melds an isolating vocal cacophony with some well-tested droning sludge. Straight up reinvigorated riot grrrl.

Somehow this all does them a disservice. They're more unique than reviewers give them credit, and their song writing is more innovative than the easily applied Melvins, Unwound comparisons suggest. As women artists go, we're still in the habit of trying to make them fit into some pre-established mold. Performative contradictions aside, sure the influences are there and nothing is created in a vacuum, but after almost eight years of playing together and evolving their sound, it's somewhat degrading to keep throwing out comparison after comparison, as if that somehow legitimates what they're doing.

Back to the vacuum: listen to Enemies Against Power (2007) followed by oona (2009) on their own merits. While I'm still partial to the rawness of EAP, the obvious progressions to oona evidence a subtle yet powerful evolution of a sound that generates its own aggression. Live, Lozen is a fucking blast. The intensity quickly builds as Hozi and Juice build off one another, smiling, scowling, flailing, screaming, laughing, slaying ....

An anti-establishment wrecking crew at its best. Intuition says wake the fuck up.

GAZE. LECHEROUS GAZE.

Man,  I don't get how these Oakland bands channel the seventies hard guitar rock into their punk so well. It's gotta be in the water or something. I saw the Lazy Dogs in Austin a year ago at Chaos in Tejas, and it was 100% Thin Lizzy/ZZ Top and James Gang worship, done so fucking incredibly well that you wondered what year you were in. It wasn't some ironic jokey homage to seventies excess or anything, it was just a shredding, power-rock buffet. Served up with total passion, energy and insanity. There was a pit. It was pretty bluesy. "Pot rock," or maybe "acid rock" wouldn't be a bad way to describe it. People went apeshit. I can't really describe it. Probably it's the fact that the Flag/Sabbath worship balances the blues stuff out, like a hearty red wine, cutting the richness of cheese. There are no jogging shoes, tucked in shirts, or Wilson Pickett covers either.


Lecherous Gaze is part of that California scene (Saviours, High On Fire, Howlin' Rain, Earthless, Drunk Horse...) that's been among the most generative in the country at this hard rock renaissance. They've put out a handful of records, toured Europe with Danava, and the coast with Red Fang in their pretty short band-life.


Ex-Annialation Time too. man. Prepare.

Breaking Bread with the Dragon: Sandrider Returns

We're happy to welcome back Seattle's Sandrider to Total Fest this year. They were a freshly assembled band back in 2009 that melted more than a few unsuspecting faces. Why people were so surprised was a bit baffling. The three members, Jon Weisnewski, Nat Damm, and Jesse Roberts have quite the pedigree beneath them. Jon and Nat hail from (the all too fresh ashes) of Akimbo, and Jesse from Ruby Doe. The band is extremely solid and sound like they've been playing together for more than just a few years.

For a variety of reasons, their self-titled, and highly anticipated, debut LP didn't come out until 2011 on Good To Die Records, but Sandrider built-up a solid reputation based on their thunderous live performances. For my money, it's one of the best albums of last year, and the tastemakers have been flipping their heads with new adjectives to describe the band. They've been dubbed approachable stoner rock and described as slightly less violent chaos, but it's hard, and ultimately unnecessary, to find an adequate definition for a band that meanders and crushes all at the same time.

The tempered screams are tracked by forceful riffs and punctuated with colossal drums. It's more than just a genre, Sandrider exposes all the raw nerves and muscle that makes you realize that heavy music is best when it's felt. They're still one of the most fun, well-rounded, volcanic bands that I've seen. The band has erupted from its once dreaded "side project" status into one of the most hard hitting, power trios in the north west. In one way, Sandrider marks a resurrection of Seattle's heavy heydays, but, much more so, the band is building on that sound, taking it in new and exciting directions that should force us all to realize how damn lucky we are to have them return.

You have your warning this time; don't look so surprised when they slap you in the face.