I haven’t put anything on the blog for quite sometime, I’ve been expanding my own musical taste for a bit as anyone my age does (or at least I hope), but I thought a good return post would be something that is of personal note to me. Torture Music is still more than willing to feed you some music, this time it’s of mine own creation along with some close friends of mine. Gangrene my second band, it had solid stint of at least four to five years. I believe it was at the end of my sophomore year in high school that my good friend Zac (drum extraordinaire) and myself (guitar and vocals) started jamming after school, of which consisted mostly sessions of Misfits and Metallica covers. The sessions also consisted of dorky musical arguments as to how certain structures to certain songs by these musical artists went. But eventually it became a full band. I don’t recall the first show that we played publicly but our live appearances were many.
The core members were Zac and myself. We ran through a few bass players, and even played a few shows as a two-piece just drums and guitar. Finally, Fitz (bass extraordinaire) started to jam with us. It was the tightest band I’ve ever played with, and as a whole we shared a great musical/electrical connection. These recordings span the career of the band as a full project. From the early tape cassette demo jams to the four track analog recording (which Zac taught himself how to use) to the live recordings of our last live show, which was also M.I.A.’s last. Although rough and trebly they represent a great amount of hours and a great deal of fun. Each of us honing skill in our own personal role in the band. We never officially broke up so the future will tell…
Tracks appear in chronological order:
These were recorded straight onto cassette and given away at early shows (Myke Gylmore on bass guitar).
Dead You can hear me say bridge into the microphone at 1:12, classic.
Stepping Stone A cover of The Monkees standard.
National Anthem This jam quickly became the set closer song for live shows, it was one of the first we learned as a group
Fostex 4-track basement recordings (Fitz Doubet on bass guitar!!!)
Hell’s Last Angel Although the vocals aren’t audible they can be heard, as they were recorded over onto another track.
There were a few other songs from these sessions that have been eaten up by musical history.
Another from the era:
Sonic Reducer Dead Boys cover, also done in Zac’s basement. Fitz singing the harmony.
The rest of the songs were recorded live at the Washington, IL Legion or VFW hall.
I Wanna Be An Idiot (Live) This along with Hell’s Last Angel were my favorite songs we penned. (Lyrics by Zac)
Slipping Through the Cracks [Again] (Live) A version of this existed at one time in 4-track fashion.
Although the sound may not be of highest fidelity the levels of each instrument in the “mix” is actually pretty damn good considering the different methods of recording.
Check back soon for new music adventures!
Tags: Gangrene, Hardcore Rock and Roll, Illinois, Manlius, Peoria
