The first time I saw Chemtrail, they sort of pissed me off. My band, The Obvious, met the guys a few years ago at a mutual gig and when I saw their set I was a little bewildered. Their epic songs had no vocal component, and while the fellas had grown up listening to artists like Mogwai, I hadn’t had the privilege. After seeing them again, though, it clicked. I got it. And I was hooked for LIFE on their Immense Wall-Of-Sound. The Obvious and Chemtrail quickly formed an easy musical and personal friendship, sharing the stage at many an area venue including The Paramount Theatre this past January, where the two bands scored a historic silent film with intense, live, behind-the-screen sets. I’m proud to call them my brothers and even prouder to report that the musicianship, songwriting and dedication to their craft make them second-to-none in their brand of artistry.
The latest offering by Chemtrail, titled Youth Obsessed Death Culture, is set for release on April 8th, 2011 and will mark the band’s third full-length album in their four and a half year career. After listening to an advance copy of the release I can assure fans that they are in for a refined, expansive, and flawlessly executed endeavor which speaks of the band’s accomplishments in exploring both precision and accuracy. This Wall Of Sound is an unforgettable accomplishment in artisan masonry, though it does the opposite of what walls normally do–it pulls you in and surrounds you in a visceral, abstract and fluid dimension.
That “sound” is forged in succinct, tightly-knit rock instrumentals laced with intersecting melodic guitar riffs, haunting piano lines, and washed in walls of ambient tone. Chemtrail’s compositions employ raw emotion rather than lyrical messages, utilizing dynamic song structures and inspirational build-ups as their medium. As John Pfeiffer from the Aquarian Weekly put it: “I think one of the major strong points of this band is the way they communicate superbly without being typically vocal, using their instruments to tell you what you need to know”.
Chemtrail proudly hails from Asbury Park, and our community has recognized these boys as something very unique in the music scene. They’ve been awarded “Top Avant Garde Act” at the Asbury Music Awards twice in the past four years, and after this release drops on our heads, they are surely a force to be reckoned with in this year’s awards as well.The official Record Release, in partnership with Shore Alternative, will be held on Friday, April 8th, at one of our favorite AP venues, The Asbury Lanes with my band, The Obvious ( see below; look how cute we are!) and Old Nick, comprised of former members of Delft.
In promotion of the upcoming release show, Chemtrail is currently offering a free download of the track “Escape Artist”, which is one of my all time personal favorite songs by the group. Pick up your copy of Youth Obsessed Death Culture at the show, because I KNOW you’re too smart to miss out! Alternately, it’s available for pre-order now and on iTunes, Amazon, and CDBaby on May 3rd, 2011. But the show’s going to be a game-changer ( we’ll be bangin 7 gram rocks and being our total bitchin rockstars from Mars selves, after all) so your best bet is to get to the show. Epic, brahs. It’s gonna be EPIC.
XOXO
Ang + Chemtrail
