Girth (band)
| Girth | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Genres | Avant-garde metal |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Hector Stentor |
| Associated acts |
The Abodox Sean (band) Lesbian (band) |
| Website | Official Site |
| Members |
Peژ Mon Dave Webb |
| Past members |
Andrew McInnis B.R.A.D. Mark Blane |
Girth were an avant-garde metal band from Seattle, Washington. Dave Webb (guitar) and Peژ Mon (drums) began the band in 2003.
Girth duo
Initially the band was simply the duo of Webb and Peژ Mon. The played frequently in Seattle throughout 2004 and 2005. They would often perform on the floor of the venue, directly in front of the bar, as opposed to the stage. Their performances garnered them descriptions such as "mercurial, unpredictable dynamics and time signatures; caustic guitar tones that sting like lye." (Segal, Dave, The Stranger, 7/25/05)
In 2004 they released their first album, "Living in Truth," on local Hector Stentor records. Many of the album's song titles were references to Milan Kundera's novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The album was recorded by Randall Dunn (has also worked with Critters Buggin, Earth (American band), Sunn 0))) & Boris' Altar (album), Eyvind Kang, Lesbian (band)). The artwork was done by Stephen O'Malley. The record received positive reviews and comparisons to bands such as Slayer, The Fucking Champs, Don Caballero, and Black Flag.
In the Spring of 2005 the duo successfully toured the West Coast.
Blackened Psychedelic Trio
In 2005, the band added Andrew McInnis (formerly of Golgothan Sunrise) on keyboards. They began to pursue a new direction, often improvising the entirety of their live sets. Peژ Mon also took the chance to fill sets with political speeches.
In November 2005, the band performed a concert with Sean and The Abodox at Seattle's ReBar. The three bands were set up simultaneously and would play songs in turn. Eventually all three bands began performing together.
Performances were centered around the piece, "Free Jazz," which Peژ Mon wrote on drums and then Webb added guitar parts. The band recorded the piece with Dunn at Aleph. It also featured B.R.A.D. (Crack Sabbath, Master Musicians of Bukkake, ASVA) on vocals. Webb was quoted in The Stranger as saying, "The playing is much more emotional and on the edge than the last record. This should be a killer headphone record, but it'll still bite your head off." Sleeper Awaken! was released on Web of Mimcry in 2008. In Crucial Blast's review, the album was described as "insane, disorientating speedskronk composed in intricate structures of fast thrash riffing, chaotic jazz seizures, stretched out slabs of ambient threat, skittering free improv percussion and whiteouts of blazingly fast blastbeats, deformed, dissonant guitars echoing through space, and hyperactive Moog solos."
Girth-Hordes
Webb and Peژ Mon parted ways with McInnis in 2006. They added Mark and Blane from legendary Seattle metal group, The Swarming Hordes on guitar. The lineup now featured three guitars and drums. Turning from the experimental phase of the previous lineup, the group now played relatively straight-ahead metal.
In April 2006, The Seattle Weekly nominated Girth for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Band" in the 2006 Seattle Weekly Music Awards, though the honor went to Kinski. The magazine said, "In early April, Girth added to their considerable two-man breadth by taking on two members of Swarming Hordes. Pulverizing progressions times breakneck speed plus ultraheavy layers of thick, dark sludge—with some acoustic guitars, perhaps, thrown in here and there for good measure? Whoa. These purveyors of new-math metal-core splunge (that’s like grunge, but with more spleening) have built a name on making plenty out of not too much. Just imagine what they’ll do as a four-piece."
The final Girth album featuring the triple guitar line-up was released on Trademark Recordings in late 2009. The record features guest spots from keyboardist Luke LaPlante (Sean) and guitarist Joe Moore.
Other activities
Webb also records and releases music on his personal label, 1/2 Ass Universe. He performs and plays throughout the West Coast, playing guitar with the progressive rock group Wah Wah Exit Wound, drums in bar rock band Beer Sandwich, and as a member of the noise/experimental collective Wolf-Horse/R.I.G.E.L.. Webb released a black metal single under the moniker, Nam-Shub of Enki, in 2006. He is currently recording on a self-produced solo record in which he also performs all the instruments.
In Spring 2007, Peژ Mon joined Secret Chiefs 3 as their touring drummer for North American dates. He also performed in Lemons & Stallions, a guitar/drums avant-garde jazz duo, with McGinnis.