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Drug Church | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Albany, New York, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2011-present |
| Labels | Pure Noise Records, No Sleep Records, Secret Voice, Ride The Fury Records |
| Members |
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Drug Church is an American post-hardcore band from Albany, New York, United States. The band has released four albums, as well as several EPs.
Drug Church started as a side project for singer Patrick Kindlon of Self Defense Family. After having released a three-song demo online in 2011, the band got signed by No Sleep Records by the beginning of 2012. The band's original lineup included Patrick Kindlon, guitarist Nick Cogan, bassist Cory Galusha, and drummer Chris Villeneuve. Their debut EP, Swell, was released in 2012, and it received critical acclaim for its raw and aggressive sound. This early work laid the foundation for Drug Church's growing reputation as an innovative and exciting band in the punk and hardcore scenes.
Drug Church's debut full-length album, Paul Walker was released in 2013 and was well received by music critics. The band's sophomore album, "Hit Your Head," released in 2015, continued to push the boundaries of their sound and featured lyrics that explored social and personal issues with a unique blend of wit and introspection.
In 2018, Drug Church signed with Pure Noise Records released their third album, Cheer which demonstrated the band's willingness to experiment with different styles such as grunge while retaining their punk ethos. The album received praise for its introspective and honest lyrics, as well as its willingness to tackle complex themes. [1]
The band's fourth album Hygiene was announced on November 10, 2021 with the release of the singles "Miles of Fun" and "Detective Lieutenant", and was released on March 11, 2022 through Pure Noise Records. [2] On March 1, 2023, the band released the single Myopic through Pure Noise Records.
Drug Church's music is characterized by its eclectic blend of punk rock, post-hardcore, and alternative rock. Their sound has evolved over the years, moving from a raw and aggressive punk style to a more diverse and experimental approach. Lyrically, the band explores a wide range of themes, often delving into social and personal issues with a unique combination of humor and thoughtfulness.
Musically the band mixes hardcore punk in the style of bands like Black Flag with alternative rock and grunge elements to create their post-punk/post-hardcore sound. The lyrics to their songs focus mostly on social matters and tend to be dark and/or satirical. In a Q&A Session on the website of his other project Self Defense Family, Kindlon has stated that he has no pre-written lyrics for his bands and rather writes the songs' lyrics while in the studio:
Completely different people write the instrument portion of the music. Leads to a very different feel, so, very different lyrics. Also, I write everything in the studio. So, there’s no bank of lyrics I pull from. This is made to order, not buffet. [3]
| Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Walker | 2013 | No Sleep Records |
| Hit Your Head | 2015 | No Sleep Records |
| Cheer | 2018 | Pure Noise Records |
| Hygiene | 2022 | Pure Noise Records |
| Name | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Demo | 2011 | Ride the Fury Records |
| Drug Church | 2012 | No Sleep Records |
| "Party at Dead Man's" b/w "Selling Drugs from Your Mom's Condo" | 2013 | Secret Voice |
| Swell | 2015 | No Sleep Records |
| Tawny | 2021 | Pure Noise Records |
Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.
Hardcore punk is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington D.C. and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically-charged lyrics".
Alternative rock is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge subgenre—during a period where many corporate rock, hard rock, and glam metal acts from the 1980s were beginning to grow stale in the Western music industry. The emergence of Generation X as a cultural force in the 1990s also contributed greatly to the rise of alternative rock.
The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of punk rock, indie music, folk, and hip hop. Nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.
Noise rock is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extreme levels of distortion through the use of electric guitars and, less frequently, electronic instrumentation, either to provide percussive sounds or to contribute to the overall arrangement.
Sludge metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that combines elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. The genre generally includes slow tempos, tuned down guitars and nihilistic lyrics discussing poverty, drug addiction and pollution.
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Deathwish, Inc. is an American independent record label conceived by Jacob Bannon of Converge and Tre McCarthy in 2000. Their first release was Deeper the Wound, a split album between Converge and Japanese band Hellchild on April 23, 2001. Deathwish established itself quickly, working with a diverse group of bands and eventually becoming one of the most respected and innovative labels in contemporary hardcore punk and aggressive music in general.
Cosmic Psychos are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1982 as Spring Plains. Founding members included Ross Knight on bass guitar and vocals; Robbie Addington on guitar and vocals; and Steve Morrow on vocals. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described their music as "arty kind of punk noise, somewhere between The Birthday Party and a more narcotic sounding Ramones". Late in 1984 the group was renamed as Cosmic Psychos. They issued their debut album, Down on the Farm, in December 1985. Several albums have followed and were backed by national tours and international tours to Europe and North America including festivals with Mudhoney, Nirvana, L7, Helmet and Motörhead. In 1990 Jones was replaced by Robbie Watts on guitar and vocals. By 2005 Walsh was replaced by Dean Muller on drums. On 1 July 2006 Watts died of a heart attack, aged 47, and the band continued with John McKeering joining.
A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. However, sometimes a particular trait is common in several genres, and thus punk genres are normally grouped by a combination of traits.
Stick to Your Guns is an American hardcore punk band from Orange County, California. Members of the band include lead vocalist Jesse Barnett, bassist Andrew Rose, guitarists Chris Rawson and Josh James, and drummer Adam Galindo. They are currently signed with Pure Noise Records.
Self Defense Family are an American rock band with members from across the United States and England. The band has released six full-length albums and several EPs and splits. Their sixth and latest studio album Have You Considered Punk Music was released June 29, 2018, on Run For Cover Records.
The Story So Far is an American pop-punk band from Walnut Creek, California, formed in 2007. They are currently signed to Pure Noise Records and have released 4 studio albums.
Landscapes was a British melodic hardcore band based in Somerset, England. Formed in 2009, the band released one EP and two albums. They played at Hevy Music Festival and toured throughout Europe several times.
Heaven Is Earth is a studio album by the American rock band Self Defense Family. It's the band's fifth studio album overall, and second effort after changing its name from End of a Year to Self Defense Family. The album was released on June 30, 2015 through Deathwish Inc.
Knocked Loose is an American metalcore band from Oldham County, Kentucky, formed in 2013 and currently signed to Pure Noise Records. The band released its debut studio album, Laugh Tracks, in September 2016 through Pure Noise Records which was followed by A Different Shade of Blue in 2019. Their 2021 EP ATear in the Fabric of Life incorporated elements of death metal and was released to widespread critical acclaim.
Prince Daddy & the Hyena is an American punk rock band from Albany, New York, formed in 2014. They have released three full-length albums and four extended plays.
Hygiene is the fourth studio album by American post-hardcore band Drug Church. The album was released on March 11, 2022, through Pure Noise Records.
Tawny is an extended play released by American post-hardcore band, Drug Church. The band's fifth overall EP, it was released on June 25, 2021 through Pure Noise Records.
Cheer is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band Drug Church. The album was released on November 2, 2018, through Pure Noise Records.