Holy Molar

Holy Molar is much steeped in myth. Formed in 2001, the band released a 7-inch, which, for all intents and purposes, documented the five-piece playing a live set at a local prison and the subsequent bloodthirsty riot that raged on afterward. Or did it? "Live at the San Diego Metropolitan Correctional Center" (Three One G) created a heavy buzz in the various chat rooms and hang-outs of the punk world -- a low, grumbling din that demanded, "Did they, or didn't they?" Was it a real show or just another "great rock 'n' roll swindle"? It was actually all Bullshit...

Well, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" it was not, but the band didn't say one way or another. Sticking to their story, the band members went full-steam into other projects: The Locust for keyboardist Bobby Bray, guitarist Gabe Serbian and bassist Justin Pearson; The Get Hustle for drummer Ron Avila; and Das Oath and Virgin Mega Whore for singer Mark McCoy (dubbed "Mark McMolar" for this project).

A year later Holy Molar resurfaced with a batch of new songs on a 10-inch self-titled picture disc (Three One G) and a much-discussed statewide "prison facility tour."

With the recent reissue of its first two releases -- on double cut-down 3-inch CDs -- it would appear that Holy Molar is a full-time deal.

"At first it was just supposed to be a side project, but Molar is a way of life now," said Bray when asked about the band's status.

Pearson agreed, stating, "The main reason we weren't a normal, functional band is because Ron, our drummer, lives in Oregon with his band, The Get Hustle, and three of us are Locusts. It's hard to have time to play and tour. Plus, Bobby was in jail for a while."

Holy Molar's music, written off by some lazy critics as "just another Locust band," pushes things toward the future with squiggly, hacking time-signature sways, screaming post-hardcore vocals and keyboards that break with convention entirely, bonking, sputtering and blurting mid-song like Saturday-morning cartoon sound effects.

Now in the waning months of 2002, Holy Molar exists as a weird, cranked-up anomaly in San Diego's local music scene. The first Molar 7-inch, despite still being available from Three One G for its original price, is already fetching obscene amounts on eBay. And the rumor mill -- the great, half-bright gossip machine -- continues to pump out more and more Holy Molar "stories."

But rumors, hype and inflated resale prices aside, Holy Molar is one of San Diego's most vital and uncompromisingly brutal bands, a garish spurt of noise, passion and white-hot fury.

Holy Molar's double-CD set, "The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth," is in stores now.