| Karma to Burn | |
|---|---|
Karma to Burn performing in Pittsburgh on 4-24-2009 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Morgantown, West Virginia, USA |
| Genres | Palm Desert Scene Stoner rock Instrumental rock |
| Years active | 1997–2002, 2009- |
| Labels | Roadrunner Records Spitfire Records Napalm Records |
| Associated acts | Speedealer Year Long Disaster Dragon Ass Treasure Cat Nebula |
| Members | |
| William Mecum Rich Mullins Rob Oswald |
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| Past members | |
| Daniel Davies Nathan Limbaugh Jay Jarosz Chuck Nicholas Jim Davison |
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Karma to Burn, sometimes known as K2B, is a desert rock/stoner metal band from Morgantown, West Virginia comprising guitarist William Mecum, bassist Rich Mullins, and drummer Rob Oswald. The band are noted for their uncompromising, mostly instrumental sound.
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After years of viral self promotion (such as phoning record companies pretending to be other bands who'd heard an interesting band called Karma To Burn), Karma To Burn was signed to Roadrunner Records in 1996.[1] They were planning to release an entirely instrumental album, but Roadrunner insisted that the contract was only valid under the condition that they hired a vocalist. After a brief trial of then Kyuss frontman John Garcia, they hired a friend of theirs Jay Jarosz. Their first album Karma To Burn was released in 1997, and despite critical acclaim, sold poorly. The band decided to sack Jarosz and as such were fired from Roadrunner. The band continued, releasing 1999's, Wild Wonderful Purgatory and 2001's Almost Heathen as entirely instrumental albums.[2][3]
The band unofficially disbanded sometime in mid-2002, when bassist Rich Mullins joined Speedealer. As of 2008, Mullins was playing in the Los Angeles based band Year Long Disaster, Oswald was the drummer in Nebula, and Will Mecum was playing guitar for Treasure Cat.[4]
On February 23, 2009, Karma to Burn reformed with the line-up being the same as when they disbanded. They toured extensively, hitting both the US and Europe.[5] Their European tour included a second stage slot at the Download Festival, which has now become infamous for the wasp swarm above the crowd throughout.[6] A year after reuniting, Karma To Burn were in the stages of finishing a fourth full length album, which was produced by Scott Reeder formerly of the stoner rock band Kyuss. The album, Appalachian Incantation, was released in April 2010, and included two vocal tracks: 'Waiting on the Western World', featuring Year Long Disaster vocalist and guitarist Daniel Davies, and 'Two Times,' featuring former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia. The rest of the album consisted of instrumental selections.[7] The band toured Europe after its release, including a nine date UK run supported by bassist Mullins's other band, Year Long Disaster.[8]
In a May 2010 interview with Uber Rock, Daniel Davies commented on a planned merger between the bands Year Long Disaster and Karma To Burn:
"The bands are starting to kind of merge together. We wrote that song together and we liked it so we're thinking that maybe we should write some more songs together. I think that is where it's leading to now."[9]
In June 2010, Year Long Disaster toured Europe with all three members of Karma To Burn as part of the band.[10] The favour was returned on Karma To Burn's European summer tour, with Davies stepping in as an occasional guitarist (and, when needed, vocalist) for the band. Karma To Burn then announced it plans to record a swift follow-up to Appalachian Incantation with an album featuring several songs with vocals by Davies, to be released in 2011, further blurring the boundaries between it and Year Long Disaster. The speculation as to whether Davies had joined the band was confirmed by his inclusion in the band picture on K2B's website[11] and, more solidly, by Rich Mullins himself in an interview with Rock Radio.[12]
K2B headlined the Jagermeister stage at the UK leg of Sonisphere Festival 2010.,[13] and supported The Sword on their 2010 winter US tour[14] and in Europe the following November.
The follow-up to Appalachian Incantation, V, was recorded in February, 2011, at Dave Grohl's Studio 606, and includes Davies' vocals on three songs, although he has since started a project outside Karma to Burn and left the group, returning the band to a trio. V was released in June, 2011, followed by more extensive touring of the USA and Europe. The band were also set to record a song for John Garcia's solo project, Garcia Vs. Garcia.[15] On September 7, it was said via twitter that Karma To Burn had finished recording 3 tracks with John Garcia, though for which projects was left unclear.[16]
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