Minsk (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Minsk | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genre(s) | Doom metal[1] Avant-garde metal[1][2] |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Label(s) | At a Loss Recordings Relapse Records |
| Website | thesoundofminsk.com |
| Members | |
| Christopher Bennett Timothy Mead Sanford Parker Tony Wyioming |
|
| Former members | |
| Jeff Hyde Anthony Couri Drew McDowell |
|
Minsk is a doom metal/post-metal band from Chicago, Illinois founded in 2002. They are signed to Relapse Records on which they released their second full-length and most recent relase, the 2007 album The Ritual Fires of Abandonment. Self described as "psychedelic metal", their songs tend to start out as slow and simple, and become heavy and complex towards the end. Their sound draws equally from sludge metal, doom metal, hardcore punk, ambient and noise music, with a highly psychedelic attitude achieved through tribal drum patterns, thick layers of synthesizers and keyboards, and echoing vocals. They are named after the capitol of Belarus, and the idea of survival through suffering is a recurring theme in the lyrics and musical style. Infact, regarding the origin of their name, their official biography states: "Drawing its nominal inspiration from a remote Belarussian city nestled deep amidst the in-betweens of the East and the West, a city that has been burned to the ground on several occasions only to be rebuilt like a Phoenix rising from its ashes" [[1]]. The sounds and atmpspheres they evoke in their songs are complex and psychedelic and have lead many critics, and mostly the band members them selves, to describe their music as "deeply spiritual and emotional" [[2]].
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Minsk was formed in 2002 between the cities of Peoria and Chicago. They soon produced a demo CD entitled Burning, released by Lisa Falzone Recordings around the time of a United States tour and appearance at the Templars of Doom Festival in 2004.[3] In late 2004, Minsk was featured on the compilation If It Plays…, which consisted solely of artists in the Peoria region (hence the title).[4]
The band's first full-length album, Out of a Center Which Is Neither Dead nor Alive, was recorded in late 2004 and released in 2005 on At a Loss Recordings, following appearances at the South by Southwest and Emissions from the Monolith festivals. During the recording of the album, Drew McDowell left the band leaving them without a bassist. Sanford Parker,a big fan of Minsk and the guitarist for doom metal band Buried at Sea, who was producing the album at the time, decided to join Minsk as a full-time bassist to replace McDowell and also resumed his production work. He is still today a full time member of Minsk and a notable underground producer. To support the album's release, the band embarked on a nationwide tour supporting many popular metal artists, notably Brutal Truth, High on Fire, Boris, Sunn O))), and Pig Destroyer.[3]
Following the tour, Minsk prepared to record their second album, The Ritual Fires of Abandonment, which was released February 2007. The record was recorded with a different line-up from their previous one as founding member and guitarist Dustin Addis left the band sometime after the release of Out of a Center Which Is Neither Dead nor Alive, leaving Christopher Bennett solely in charge of guitar duties. Another founding member, drummer Anthony Couri left the band during this period as well, but was replaced by Tony Wyioming. The band then moved to Relapse Records because of their growth in popularity, to release their new effort as a four-piece.[5] After its release, Minsk went on another United States tour in support, reappearing at the South by Southwest and Emissions from the Monolith festivals in addition to several east coast stops.
Recently the band has toured through spring of 2008 with Zoroaster, and has been working on material for a new album that they hope to release by the end of the year.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- Burning demo (Lisa Falzone Recordings)
- Out of a Center Which Is Neither Dead nor Alive (2005, At a Loss Recordings)
- The Ritual Fires of Abandonment (2007, Relapse Records)
[edit] Splits
- Split with Unearthly Trance 7" (2007, Parasitic Records)
[edit] Compilation appearances
- If It Plays… (2004, Thinker Thought Records) (contributed "White Wings of Death Scatter Our Days")
- For the Sick tribute compilation (2007, Emetic Records) (contributed "Ruptured Heart Theory")
[edit] Members
[edit] Current members
- Christopher Bennett – guitar, vocals
- Timothy Mead – synthesizer
- Sanford Parker – bass guitar, vocals, keyboards
- Tony Wyioming – drums
[edit] Previous members
- Jeff Hyde – bass guitar[3]
- Dustin Addis - guitar
- Anthony Couri – drums[6]
- Drew McDowell – bass guitar[7]
- Joel Madigan – bass guitar (live)[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Belcher, Tony. REVIEW: Minsk - Out Of A Center Which Is Neither Dead Nor Alive. Tartarean Desire. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Rafferty, Stephen (2007-05-25). Minsk - The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment. The Metal Observer. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ a b c Minsk --- Artist Biography. Relapse Records. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ V/A "If It Plays…". Thinker Thought Records. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Minsk interview. Lords of Metal. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Old news update at thesoundofminsk.com (2003-08-21). Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Old news update at thesoundofminsk.com (2004-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Old news update at thesoundofminsk.com (2003-10-02). Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
