Heavy-duty Anatomy of Habit practice this week. We have really been nailing the new song, "Then Window," and I am quite excited to play it on October 16. We also ran through "Overcome" for the first time in a while, which was a pleasure for me, and we have some subtle updates to bring to that song for the next show. We have a quick practice scheduled for next week, so that some of us can run over to Bottom Lounge in time to see Swans.
After a quick burrito, Isidro and I had a really interesting The Fortieth Day session last night, and his bass and my guitar locked into a cool, extended sequence that has to be the result of playing together week after week, for so long, at this point. We definitely had one of those moments where you know things are working nicely in harmony. I will playback the recording after a bit more espresso. I have been continuing to strip down my FX pedal chain, sticking to delays and distrortions, and using less and less of the latter. I think the results have been good, thus far.
After we got done, we hauled ass to the South Loop to Reggie's, making it in time to see part of Drug Honkey's raw, heavy, slow dirge of a set. That was actually my first time seeing them and I am looking forward to more opportunities. Indian were quite simply spectacular. Bleak. Harsh. Crushingly loud. They are the soundtrack to what happened before the resulting ashy, gray scorched-earth landscape emerges in the film version of "The Road." The addition of Will's guitar and gut-wrenching vocals continues to add strength to strength. That was a tough act to follow, and Buzzov-en got off to a rocky start, as the sound guy had to swap out a series of cables and microphones before the cult crusty sludge metal crew could achieve full running speed. I do not think that I have seen the band since BLOODYMINDED played a festival with them, Eyehategod, etc., way back in late 1997, so it was great to see them back in "top" form... quotation marks for, you know, always expect the unexpected... and well, within a few minutes, they were chugging along like a finely honed machine. Their style is in such contrast to Indian's --- dare I say that Buzzov-en are in some ways more human in their approach --- and they cranked out an intense set, topped off by a Big Boys cover as their encore. 2010... Chicago... Eyehategod, Buzzov-en... and still to come, Swans, Einsturzende Neubauten, Killing Joke... WTF?!? It was fun to run into so many friends there last night... I am so bummed to be missing Dark Castle (hey to Stevie!), The Atlas Moth, Zoroaster, and Nachtmystium at Reggie's on Saturday, but I will be out of town. Fuck!!!
