ANATOMY OF HABIT: Invisible Oranges Premieres “Black Openings”

Repost from EarsplitPR

ANATOMY OF HABIT: Invisible Oranges Premieres “Black Openings” From Experimental Post-Punk/Doom Collective; LP Nears Release + Band To Play Record Release Show This Saturday

Invisible Oranges is currently streaming “Black Openings” from long-running experimental post-punk/doom collective ANATOMY OF HABIT. The track comes by way of the band’s fourth full-length of the same name, set to drop February 24th.

Elaborates vocalist Mark Solotroff, “‘Black Openings’ is the opening song, as well as the title track, of our new album. It could easily be a closing track, as its journey towards obliteration takes some of my more recent writing to a dreadful new space. This location is a terminus point. It’s a literal dead end. It’s a black hole. When we were composing the song in our practice space, I had a very cinematic image in mind of a life passing by in both forward and reverse order and crossing or maybe even crossfading, along the way. I wanted the song to progress to a point where it becomes a beckoning aperture, like a great mouth, which opens up and swallows you as you float into it. You’re in control of this trajectory, though. You made the decision. You are bound to the consequences. If it’s not already obvious to people who know our music, I have a thing for these long pieces that take up one side of a record. While the song ‘Then Window’ from Ciphers + Axioms blasts out into the atmosphere at the halfway point, this storyline resolves itself in a much different manner. The song starts out calmer, as the first section builds its way towards that crossfade, an undulating impressionistic instrumental segment, which then gives way to a mounting slab of colossal substance. In a live setting the song can go on and on and on. It can last as long as I last. It expires when I expire.”

Adds Invisible Oranges, “It’s power that truly defines the ANATOMY OF HABIT sound across time and personnel changes, and ‘Black Openings’’ own muscular sound, appended by junk percussionist Isidro Reyes’ rhythmic counterpoint with Rowe’s heavy pulsing and guitarist Alex Latus’ slack-tuned atmospheres, truly shines as one of Chicago’s finest active live acts.”

Stream ANATOMY OF HABIT’s “Black Openings” HERE.

Thematically, Black Openings continues to elaborate on Solotroff’s expressions of love and loss, the abstracted and vanishing self, and complexities within the creative process. It further explores the concept of obliteration, and it propels the idea to a dreadful new terminus point. The concept of the inner drive that keeps pushing a person forward, which Solotroff explored on Even If It Takes A Lifetime takes on a new meaning here, when the harrowing black hole of the title track opens up and swallows you.

Black Openings was recorded with Sanford Parker, who has been working with the band in the studio for over a decade, including on their 2014 Relapse Records-issued Ciphers + Axioms. Parker also handled mixing duties while Collin Jordan (Boiler Room Mastering) took care of mastering.

Black Openings, which comes adorned in the artwork of Solotroff, will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digitally. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION where first single, “Breathing Through Bones,” can be streamed.

ANATOMY OF HABIT will celebrate the release of Black Openings with a record release show this Saturday, February 11th at Cobra Lounge in Chicago with additional performances to be announced in the weeks to come.

ANATOMY OF HABIT:
2/11/2023 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL * Record Release Show w/ Kill Scenes, Twice Dark [tickets]

Formed in Chicago in 2008, ANATOMY OF HABIT has been described as a hybrid of doom metal, post-punk, death-rock, early-industrial, psychedelic, and shoegaze. Although they’ve experienced significant membership changes since forming, today’s band, which includes Alex Latus (guitar), Isidro Reyes (metal percussion), Skyler Rowe (drums), Mark Solotroff (vocals), and Sam Wagster (bass, lap steel), represents their longest-standing and most prolific lineup. The band credits their treasured chemistry to their intertwining histories as friends and collaborators. Rowe and Latus have made music together since they were teenagers, growing up in Indianapolis’ heavy music scene, while playing in the band Still. Rowe and Wagster create sweeping, pastoral instrumental music together in Mute Duo. Reyes and Solotroff are old friends who’ve played together for many years and they continue to record and perform in both BLOODYMINDED and The Fortieth Day. This deep connective tissue contributes to what the band describes as consistently effortless writing sessions and innately unified live performances.

“…a long, lovely journey that you can settle into, trusting that you’ll be alternately unsettled, soothed, creeped out, pummeled, and exalted… Sheets of shimmering guitars appear like torrential rains, giving way to a quiet interlude and a sinister sense of ritual catharsis…” – The Chicago Reader

ANATOMY OF HABIT:
Alex Latus – guitar
Isidro Reyes – metal percussion
Skyler Rowe – drums, vibraphone
Mark Solotroff – vocals, analog synth
Sam Wagster – bass, lap steel, piano, keyboard

The Inarguable on the Anatomy of Habit LP

The Inarguable has posted the first review of the AoH LP.  Our thanks to Jon Rosenthal for the very positive words!

It was really only a matter of time now. After three years of constant live activity and no studio recordings, Anatomy of Habit is finally releasing their debut album of heavy, experimental doom metal tonight. As I've said in reviews before, I normally don't get too stoked when it comes to "supergroups," but Chicago's Anatomy of Habit is a definite exception, perfectly blending various members of our fair city's experimental music subculture. Not convinced? Well, a band boasting Plague Bringer's Greg Ratajczyk, who has also done studio work with Modest Mouse, on guitar, Animal Law's Blake Edwards on metal percussion, Dylan Posa, formerly of Cheer Accident, on drums, Kenny Rasmussen, formerly of No Funeral, on bass, and fronted by Chicago's most prolific (and best dressed) experimental vocalist and noisemaker Mark Solotroff (chances are you've heard something he's on, trust me) is bound to do something unforgettable, and Anatomy of Habit has definitely succeeded with this first release.

There's definitely a lot into which I've had to sink my teeth when it comes to this massive, two-song LP. From the chiming, gothic-tinged beginnings of "Overcome" to the plodding standalone drums that close "Torch," Anatomy of Habit thrives upon unique genre fusion to create their own peculiar brand of doom metal. Like Joy Division on quaaludes or mid-era Swans taking cues from Sunn O))), Anatomy of Habit takes the listener on a journey through sparse post-punk, layered guitar polyphony, jarring percussion and crushing, discordant doom metal. Channeling the late Ian Curtis, frontman Mark Solotroff's mournful baritone acts as a sort of guide through the malevolent, disturbed music, spouting repetitive, cryptic text. This band's brilliance lies not just with their genre fusion, but with their brilliant arrangements, filling in every blank, silent area, with a different sound, however subtle, to create a full, fulfilling sound, no matter how sparse a section of a song may be.

Patience is key with this album; with two songs each orbiting the 17-minute mark, every listen yields some new texture or layer that went completely unnoticed before. In a way, Anatomy of Habit is the closest I've ever heard a band get to achieving the massive sound of Swans's Children of God, and yet it is entirely different and unique in it's own right. Brilliantly melding the wide array of influence between its band members, Anatomy of Habit is by far worth the sum of its parts. An astoundingly powerful and unique album, definitely deserving of your attention.

-Jon

The Inarguable on Anatomy of Habit

Here is a review of our last show, with thanks to Jon Rosenthal/The Inarguable, for the very kind words and the enthusiasm! The original article has the AoH video that was posted earlier, along with clips of Metz and Iceage:

http://www.theinarguable.com/2011/08/live-review-metz-anatomy-of-habit-and.html

Sunday, August 28, 2011 

LIVE REVIEW: Metz, Anatomy of Habit and Iceage at the Empty Bottle; August 6, 2011

So, as after parties go, choosing this concert as an official Lollapalooza after party was definitely a poor decision. To have a bunch of people who normally aren't concert goers go from seeing Lady GaGa, Noah and the Whale, and the Foo Fighters to a noisy hardcore and doom show could only spell for disaster and, at times, it did. No, I don't mean to criticize the Empty Bottle, who put on some of the best shows of all genres in Chicago, for making this decision, as the show happened to be scheduled the same weekend as Lollapalooza and was a means of getting people to attend and make them money (shut up, they're a business and need to survive), but I can't help but feel like this show was a little...tainted by what was mostly an uninterested, already drunk crowd. Yes, some of these bands have qualities that could very well appeal to most of the crowd that came straight from Lollapalooza, but at the same time Iceage did play an apartment show the night before. Show promotion is a peculiar beast. I definitely enjoyed the show, though.

METZ

For some odd reason I hadn't shuffled through Canadian noise rock trio Metz's discography before this show, but I immediately went to their Bandcamp upon returning home to download their (free) music. Following in the footsteps of Sonic Youth's "no wave" days in which they frequently shared the stage with Lydia Lunch, Metz's abrasive, aggressive noise rock was definitely an experience. Their reckless disregard for volume and tone breaks the mold set by most modern noise rock bands who would never think of going beyond a "4" or a "5" on their amplifier's volume knob for fear of damaging their precious, boutique speakers. Destructive, fun, and featuring a bass player who has the uncanny looks of a younger Bruce Campbell (think Evil Dead, not Burn Notice), and you have a newer noise rock band that I actually like. Neat.

ANATOMY OF HABIT

After four years of hearing about their spectacular live shows I finally got to see Anatomy of Habit. A supergroup of the Chicago underground, featuring members of Plague Bringer, Cheer Accident, Vertoren, No Funeral and the infamous Bloodyminded, Anatomy of Habit "sped things up" a bit via crushing the audience with a distinct mix of death rock, noise, mid-80s industrial and all-encompassing doom metal. Utilizing bizarre, deep tonalities, found-object percussion, odd rhythm metrics and menacing vocals from one Mark Solotroff, Chicago's busiest experimental artist, Anatomy of Habit acts as the middle ground between early Swans, Joy Division, and Einsturzende Neubauten. Solely playing two songs ("Radiate and Receive" (in the video) and "Torch"), Anatomy of Habit's presence was undeniable and set apart from the rest of this lineup. Expect their debut album later next month.

ICEAGE (or is it Ice Age? It always varies)

Ever since I saw the crude video these young Danes made for their song "New Brigade" back in October or November, I knew I had to see Iceage live. Bringing punk back to the days where it was a bunch of snotty kids (frontman Elias brandishes X's on his hands for being underage in a bar), Iceage's apathetic, noisy approach to hardcore punk is a harsh reminder as to what punk has become - controlled by bigger record labels, completely lacking any of the anger or feeling that earlier bands held. Everything was exactly as I had hoped, out-of-tune guitars, various band members falling in and out of time, and, of course, Elias's aggressive but careless vocal style; this is punk rock. Having been caught up in the energy of the moment, I stopped filming and ended up in what ended up being a rather pitiful mosh pit. The venue might have been packed to the brim, but everyone seemed far too interested in getting smashed than enjoying the music they paid to see. The biggest bummer was some ass wearing a red shirt and a braided, thin mustache (ugh), who found the need to clear the area in front of the stage and grab at Elias or his microphone. At one point, during the epic singalong chorus of the closer "You're Blessed," Elias ended up punching said jerk in the chest, culminating in a "fuck you" before he leaped from the stage and left. People suck, but Iceage's set was definitely something to be hold and should be thought of as a paradigm of sorts for punk bands to come. Stop caring so much and start playing.

-Jon

Anatomy of Habit video from Iceage show

Anatomy of Habit "Radiate and Recede" - Live - August 7, 2011 - The Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL. Video courtesy of Jon Rosenthal/The Inarguable