U.S. Christmas

Last updated
U.S. Christmas
Origin Marion, North Carolina, United States
Genres Psychedelic rock, sludge metal, folk
Years active2002–present
LabelsR.A.I.G
Neurot Recordings
MembersNate Hall
Meghan Mulhearn
Josh Holt
B.J. Graves

U.S. Christmas is a psychedelic rock band from Marion, North Carolina, founded in 2002. After Neurosis guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly heard their debut album Salt The Wound, he signed the band to Neurot Recordings, the label he owns with fellow Neurosis members.[ citation needed ] Their sound features elements of Americana, sludge metal, psychedelic rock, space rock and folk.

Contents

The first two albums focused on the repetition of distorted riffs - many of the songs off Eat The Low Dogs feature only a handful of them. The follow-up, Run Thick In The Night had a broader sonic palette, with violinist Megham Mulhearn added to the band, along with Hall using more clean singing. The record was produced by Sanford Parker of Minsk, while the artwork was created by renowned artist Jeremy Clark, a.k.a. Hush. The follow-up to this record was a 40-minute single-song album, The Valley Path, which received critical acclaim and was chosen as the Album of the Day on Roadburn's website. [1] They have supported the likes of Yob and Neurosis.

Eat of The Low Dogs was heavily influenced by the book Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy., [2] and for the last two albums Hall says that he has "been inspired a lot by the natural world. I live right in the middle of a national forest and that's where I get a lot of my inspiration. When you live in a place like that, you sort of feel it. I'm pretty connected to this place. My family has been here for a long time. It's a real inspiring place". [3]

Singer/guitarist Nate Hall, also released a solo album in 2012 entitled A Great River. His vocals range from a hoarse scream to clean singing. Bassist Josh Holt and drummer Billy Graves are also founding and current members of Translation Loss "punk/sludge metal" band Generation of Vipers. Graves is also the drummer for Neurot label mates A Storm of Light, of which Holt has also performed with as a touring guitarist. Violinist Meghan Mullhearn also performs as a solo artist under the moniker Divine Circles in addition to having her hands in many other experimental music projects.

Discography

Studio albums

Splits

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurosis (band)</span> American avant-garde metal band

Neurosis is an American avant-garde metal band from Oakland, California. It was formed in 1985 by guitarist Scott Kelly, bassist Dave Edwardson, and drummer Jason Roeder, initially as a hardcore punk band. Chad Salter joined as a second guitarist and appeared on the band's 1987 debut Pain of Mind and then Steve Von Till replaced him in 1989. The following year, the lineup further expanded to include a keyboardist and a visual artist. Beginning with their third album Souls at Zero (1992), Neurosis transformed their hardcore sound by incorporating diverse influences including doom metal and industrial music, becoming a major force in the emergence of the post-metal and sludge metal genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Weinrich</span> American singer and guitarist

Robert Scott Weinrich, better known as Wino, is an American singer and guitarist. He has been highly influential in helping develop and codify doom metal's trademark sound, and is also considered an influential figure in the stoner rock and punk rock genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cult of Luna</span> Swedish post-metal band

Cult of Luna is a Swedish post-metal band from Umeå founded in 1998. They are known for post-metal music similar to the contemporary bands Neurosis and Isis. The band was signed to Earache Records in the early 2000s and released five albums, including the commercially successful albums Salvation (2004) and Somewhere Along the Highway (2006). After an extended period of inactivity, Cult of Luna returned with its Indie Recordings debut Vertikal (2013) and companion EP Vertikal II (2013), both drawing inspiration from Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis. In 2016 the band released their space-themed collaborative album, Mariner, featuring American vocalist Julie Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yob (band)</span> American doom metal band

Yob is an American doom metal band from Eugene, Oregon, composed of singer/guitarist Michael Scheidt, bassist Aaron Rieseberg and drummer Dave French. Their most recent studio album Our Raw Heart was released in June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Sparowes</span> American post-rock band

Red Sparowes is an American, Los Angeles-based post-rock band, comprising current and former members of Isis, Marriages, The Nocturnes, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced experimental rock, with an otherwise uncommon extensive use of a pedal steel guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Kelly (musician)</span> American guitarist and singer

Scott Michael Kelly is an American former musician. He was one of three founding members of California experimental metal band Neurosis, in which he was the band's lead vocalist and guitarist from its formation until his firing in 2019. Kelly retired from music in 2022 after admitting to abusing his family.

Neurot Recordings is an American independent record label founded by members of avant-garde metal band Neurosis in 1999. Gradually expanding, it has showcased a variety of artists including a number of sludge metal, post-rock, and noise bands.

<i>Souls at Zero</i> 1992 studio album by Neurosis

Souls at Zero is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. On February 15, 2010, the album was reissued on CD and digitally with new artwork by Neurot. On February 14, 2012, a fully remastered version was released on vinyl by Relapse Records. The album was deducted into Decibel Magazine's Hall of Fame in August of 2016.

<i>Through Silver in Blood</i> 1996 studio album by Neurosis

Through Silver in Blood is the fifth album from the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. The album was released on April 2, 1996, and was their first record to be released through Relapse Records. The album was reissued in July 2009 on the band's own label, Neurot Recordings. Since its release, Through Silver in Blood has been recognized not only as the band's critical and popular peak, but as one of the sources of post-metal and as one of the best metal albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Made Out of Babies</span> American sludge metal band

Made Out of Babies was a sludge metal band from Brooklyn, New York formed in 2004 that disbanded in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Misery</span> Japanese doom metal band

Church of Misery is a Japanese doom metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1995. Church of Misery's musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock; most of the band's songs are about serial killers and mass murderers.

Battle of Mice was an American post-metal supergroup consisting of Julie Christmas, Josh Graham, Joel Hamilton, Tony Maimone, and Joe Tomino. The band was formed when vocalist Julie Christmas and guitarist/keyboardist Josh Graham met in Austin, Texas while touring with their respective bands in 2005. Graham and Christmas were in an on-again-off-again relationship during the recording of the band's debut album, A Day of Nights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kylesa</span> American heavy metal band

Kylesa is an American heavy metal band that was formed in Savannah, Georgia. Their music incorporates experimentalism with heavy riffs, drop-tuned guitars and elements of psychedelic rock. The group was established in 2001 by the former members of Damad, with the addition of guitar player Laura Pleasants who is from North Carolina. The band has since undergone line up changes; the remaining original members are Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants. In 2006, the band added two drummers. Eric Hernandez joined in 2008 to replace Porter. The dual drum tracks are often panned strongly to the right and left.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Storm of Light</span> American heavy metal band

A Storm of Light is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ufomammut</span> Italian doom metal band

Ufomammut is an Italian doom metal band formed in 1999 by guitarist Poia, bassist and vocalist Urlo, and drummer Vita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrinebuilder</span> American stoner/doom metal band

Shrinebuilder was an American stoner/doom metal supergroup consisting of various established musicians, particularly of the doom metal subgenre. Their first and only album, Shrinebuilder, was released in October 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Year of No Light</span> French post-metal band

Year of No Light is a French post-metal band formed in Bordeaux in 2001. On their 2006 debut album Nord, the band combined a dark and aggressive sludge metal sound with psychedelic atmospheres inspired by post-rock and shoegazing. In 2008, they underwent a significant line-up change, replacing their vocalist by a third guitarist and a second drummer to become an instrumental sextet. Thereafter, Year of No Light integrated black metal, doom metal, drone and dark ambient influences on the albums Ausserwelt (2010) and Tocsin (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Christmas</span> American vocalist

Julie Christmas is an American musician from Brooklyn, New York. Christmas is her legal middle name; she was named so after the fact that she was born on Christmas day. She is the former lead singer of defunct Brooklyn-based noise rock band Made Out of Babies and the former lead singer of defunct post-metal supergroup Battle of Mice. In 2010, she released a critically acclaimed solo album titled The Bad Wife, and in 2016, she became a featured member on the Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna's album Mariner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amenra</span> Belgian band

Amenra is a Belgian metal band from Kortrijk. It was formed in 1999 by vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove, who now perform alongside drummer Bjorn Lebon, guitarist Lennart Bossu and bassist Tim De Gieter. Among a number of other works, they have released six studio albums in the Mass series, the latest of them through Neurot Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satan's Satyrs</span>

Satan's Satyrs was an American band originally formed in 2009 in Virginia by lead vocalist and bassist Clayton Burgess. The band's lineup as of 2016 included Burgess, Jarrett Nettnin, Stephen Fairfield and Nate Towle. Originally influenced by groups such as Electric Wizard and Black Flag, Burgess mailed a demo tape to Electric Wizard and recorded their first album Wild Beyond Belief, which began with Burgess performing all the instruments while still being attending high school. The group began their follow-up album Die Screaming and were invited by Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard to perform at the Roadburn Festival in 2013. Burgess was then offered to join Electric Wizard in 2014 which he accepted. The group has recorded two follow-up albums since along with a split EP with Windhand which charted in Billboard's Top Heatseekers charts.

References

  1. ↑ "U.S. Christmas | Roadburn - Album of the day 01.06.2011". Roadburn.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  2. ↑ "Interview with Nathan Hall, U. S. Christmas, September 2009". Night Seminar. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  3. ↑ "USX Interview A Conversation with Vocalist/Guitarist Nate Hall". About.Heavy Metal/. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.