Mindrot - Dawning

Mindrot
Dawning
Relapse

It's a brutal, grainy, overcast, nasty, depressing day here in Austin and we only get about 15-20 of these days each year, so what better time than now to dive into some harrowing-yet-elegant gloom metal. Orange County, CA doom band MINDROT is one those "they shoulda got big" stories. Musically speaking, the Dawning LP is the middle ground between TYPE O NEGATIVE and DYSTOPIA (ironic because both guitarist from Dystopia were originally members of Mindrot. They left in 1992 but Dawning was released in 1995. Go figure...).

Mindrot was dominating the LA metal/punk scene back in the early 1990s. Appealing to both punk rockers and metalheads, the band was opening for all the big shows in Southern California and had signed to Relapse Records. Alas, the inability to stay out of jail coupled with (alleged) substance abuse issues led to this band's premature demise when drummer Evan Kilbourne split to join ska-punks SAVE FERRIS in 1998.

Yeah, if these guys could have kept it on the rails, Mindrot could have played the Ozzfest, had a video on Headbanger's Ball, and generally ate from the tree of rock success. It wasn't meant to be but at least this SoCal powerhouse left us all with some kick-ass music.







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The Wasteland (Vol. 4)

"It's better to be in Metallica than to not be in Metallica." - Lars Ulrich

Lars dropped that nugget of wisdom in Some Kind of Monster and it has become the band's mantra ever since. They came dangerously close to breaking up and (at least I'd like to think) the world is a better place with Metallica in it than without.

I had a good year. All the pieces fell into place. I have a loose outline for what I hope to accomplish in the new year and, most of all, I feel grateful to still be in the thick of this swamp called underground rock music.

It's better to be in the game than to not be in the game.

Today's album is the doom/sludge classic Dawning by Mindrot. I'll post a proper review of the record after the New Year's holiday.

Mindrot
Dawning
Relapse

That, right there, is the central motif of No Funeral. Each and every record has a story behind it. Let's discover them together.

It's better to live in Austin than to not live in Austin.

This was the year where everyone showed their true colors. This country is at a point in its history where riding the fence is no longer permitted. How will history judge you?

Choose your side. There is a war. This is a weapon.

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