WEB EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: AN ALBATROSS—WHY THESE SPAZZCORE MANIACS ARE STEERING CLEAR OF MARSUPIALS THIS WEEK

Every An Albatross concert stands the chance of being their last—or at least, getting shut down by the authorities. Notorious for a dangerously convulsive stage show to match their spazzy, organ-driven grindcore, the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, sextet has had its share of run-ins with concert security men. A couple of years ago, during Austin, Texas’s music-industry festival, South by Southwest, the group found itself banned from the outside club they were playing. “I honestly don’t remember so much about that night, due to many intoxicants over the span of many hours,” says vocalist Edward B. Gieda III (pictured below, far right). “Some harsh words shared between us and the sound guy nearly resulted in a fight, and I was nearly bit by a small marsupial during a psychedelic climbing adventure in the club’s landscaping.” This week, the band—currently recording its follow-up to 2006’s Blessphemy…of the Peace Beast Feastgiver and the Bear Warp Kumite—is returning to the festival. The group will be playing the Solid PR, Sailor Jerry, and Obey Your Brain party at the Scoot Inn on March 14 with the likes of Unsane, Fucked Up, Paint It Black, and others. Marsupials get in free.

REVOLVER What can you tell us about your forthcoming album? What are you doing differently from Blessphemy?
EDWARD B. GIEDA III We’re employing the usage of massive layering, like the wall of sound, coupled with significantly more improvisation in the studio for the album. This is something we’ve never had the opportunity to do, and what we feel has been the missing link between our live show synergy and our studio albums. The production will be significantly more listenable and have a heavy emphasis on the power of the performances. The songs recorded thus far are a bit lengthier and slightly less parts-per-second, I suppose.

Your music sounds like it’s pretty challenging to write. Tell us about an especially difficult moment you had to work through.
We are producing this record on our own—which is a significant challenge in itself. Daniel, our new guitarist, is engineering and co-producing and had me lay down about 10 or 12 hours of vocal work for a little less than 14 minutes of music thus far. That’s more vocal takes and hours used than all of our previous records combined!

How do you explain what your music sounds like to someone your parents’ age?
I usually tell the guys I work with on the construction site, who are in their 40s and 50s, that I play in a band that sounds like “if Deep Purple, ELP, and ’80s thrash had a genetic hybrid,” or something to that effect.

Your last album had a song called “Lysergically Yours, My Psychedelic Bride” on it. What have been your worst and best experiences using psychedelics?
Permanent psychological damage.

There’s a picture on your MySpace page from a New York show in late December of last year. Your guitarist, Jake Lisowski, is talking to a bouncer before you’re booted out. What happened there?
To sum it up quickly, the same sort of problems that lead up to what happened at South by Southwest a few years ago. I blacked out for the entire performance, but I have been told I was repeatedly warned against hanging from the sprinkler system, and continued to do it. Next thing, after performing for 10 minutes, bouncers take to the stage and we’re gone!

What’s the hardest part about being in An Albatross?
Overcoming procrastination and being late to everything, fans and friends stepping on our gear when they’re not spilling beer on it, and perpetual hangovers on tour.

What’s something that would surprise people to know about An Albatross?
Every last one of us are mama’s boys. KORY GROW

An Albatross are playing “Solid PR, Sailor Jerry, and Obey Your Brain Presents: A Barnburner”
Friday, March 14, 8 P.M. (Free show, open to the public)
The Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street, Austin, Texas)

OUTSIDE STAGE:
Unsane 1:10 A.M.
Man Man 12:10 A.M.
World/Inferno Friendship Society 11:20 P.M.
Fucked Up 10:30 P.M.
Paint it Black 9:40 P.M.
Fatal Flying Guilloteens 8:50 pm
Foxy Shazam 8:00 P.M.

INDOOR STAGE:
An Albatross 1:30 A.M.
Team Robespierre 12:30 P.M.
Pit Er Pat 11:30 P.M.
Icy Demons 10:30 P.M.
The Chandeliers 9:30 P.M.
Buffalo Stance 8:30 P.M.

Giveaways and surprises courtesy of Revolver Magazine, Burning Angel, DivisionEast.com, Heroine Clothing, IssueOriented.com, Hole in the Sky Tattoos, and Seraphicus Publishing. Shout-out to Eyeball Records.


Photo by Katie Murray