Skull Persuasion by Casket Architects

Topped by Shaw's urgently grating vocals, the trio unleashes a torrent of musical emotion when they play, pushing the audience into that territory of ecstatic anguish which most of us dare not experience. The Casket Architects live for performing, literally: the day jobs for which they get up at 6 in the morning invariably take a backseat to the band. They work all day and come home only to further exhaust themselves at practice or, even more exhausting, driving for hours to play these gruelingly energetic shows.

This inexhaustible energy can be traced back to the beginning of the band's history, when an uncommon devotion to music brought Evan and Mike together in the noise/chaos group called Mandala. Out of the chaos was born a persistent synergy that led the duo through multiple musical projects, most notably the punk/metal band called Niri Taten backed by longtime friend Annie Terror on guitar. Though Niri Taten would not last long, the trio found an unprecedented confidence and energy in playing as a threesome. The power of this particular trio of artistic synchronicities emerged all the more clearly as one fateful night, dazed by caffeine and driven by Misfits fanaticism, Mike and Evan lucidly envisioned a band built on dedication and drive, on unnerving inspiration fueled by other-worldly energy and impassioned punk rock roots. The Night Terrors were born with Annie Terror on drums, Evan on bass and Mike on guitar/vocals. The triumvirate was complete; the band pushed their way into the world, bombarding the upstate NY scene with the release of the Cocktail of Ravage Delight and a supporting tour of over 50 shows during that first 6 months alone.

Though looming legal issues forced the band to change their name (other Night Terrors lurk at the edges of the underground scene the world over) to The Casket Architects, who refused to be deterred from the warpath and threw themselves headfirst into a new album, "Dance On The Death Nerve", out now on Glacial Records. The Casket Architects continue to let loose their unique brand of aural insanity on unsuspecting audiences up and down the east coast. Live, they become an irresistible spastic frenzy, crashing into crowds, forcing the audience to become part of the performance. Herein lies the captivation behind The Casket Architects' live show: they don't play at you, or for you. They play with you. They flail and fly across stage, moved by their untamable music, crashing into you and forcing you to feel their frenetic and overwhelming energy. Always on tour, this musical maelstrom will soon be churning its way to a venue near you. In early 2006 the "electrical/skeletal" 7 inch was released, adding keyboards to these new songs pushed the casket architects sound into heavier and more twisted musical regions. This was followed by the altercation tour, which included some sxsw dates, and the premiere of a new keyboard player and old friend jon duelks.

In November 2006 'Skull Persuasion' was released on new home Altercation Records, and promises to be an eclectic sonic death ray. Witness it for yourself. Go see them play. Stop reading. Stop the stagnation. Thrash or be thrashed.

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