Radian Premiere “Not Dying” Video from Chapters LP
I know I’ve said it before, but Midwestern sludge — Ohio sludge in particular — is a special kind, and anytime Fistula‘s ultra-dysfunctional family tree gets a new branch, a certain amount of chaos is bound to ensue. Well, Radian boast the presence of drummer Jeff Sullivan, who did time in that outfit, as well as bassist Chris Chiera of Sofa King Killer and two former members of Rue in vocalist Jeff Fahl and guitarist Mike Burns, and sure enough, their debut long-player, Chapters, smashes and crashes with just that extra bit of aggression one finds underlying the most satisfying of sludge metals. Samples and clean vocals add flourish to the nine-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Stonier,” and even the three-minute centerpiece “Beast” of the five-track offering has launches with a sense of atmosphere before unleashing its full bludgeon, but the crux of Chapters is roaring and pissed off and the formative dynamic in the tracks serves as much to highlight that as it does to contrast it.
To wit, the chug of “Nothing Gets Through” opens up to a more winding progression and semi-clean finish on vocals — not quite living up to its title — and the drum-led “Hearts of Metropolis,” which appears right ahead of closer “Not Dying,” tempers its first-half assault with a post-midpoint slowdown that, while still mad, mad, mad, at least seems to change up the manner of its destruction. Hey, these things matter. When it comes to finishing the job, though, “Not Dying” is a pummel just about the whole way through from its opening gallop to its final nod. Yeah, there’s a bit of a dip before they begin the last push, but it doesn’t stick around, and when they finish with feedback, it’s more than well enough earned, both by pedigree and by the work being done here, which, while obviously schooled in the ways of sludge metal and Buckeye sludge specifically, is also looking to branch beyond those confines in scope. Chapters, in that sense, retains the energy of a debut offering despite the experience of those involved in making it. They’re undertaking a new exploration in a new configuration, though I’ve no doubt these dudes have played shows together for years and are by no means strangers coming into the project.
Fistula are still out there somewhere performing surgery without a license, and maybe you do or don’t remember the likes of Sofa King Killer or Rue — my abiding memory of the latter is doing a house show with them in Michigan and watching as everyone else checked out the bands while Rue hung in their van and listened to Iron Maiden; not exactly positive, but they were a good band nonetheless — but whether you do or not is secondary to what Radian are doing here, which is clearly the start of their own path.
Happy to host the video premiere for “Not Dying,” made by Dave Brenner of Gridfailure. Find it below, followed by more from the PR wire.
Enjoy:
Radian, “Not Dying” official video premiere
Official video of Radian’s “Not Dying” off debut album Chapters. Created by Dave Brenner.
Akron, Ohio-based doom/sludge metal merchants RADIAN — featuring former members of Fistula, Rue, and Sofa King Killer — have unleashed their devastating debut full-length, Chapters.
Like matter in space knows no gravity; like the thunder above that shakes the Earth below, RADIAN exists unbound. Chapters was recorded by Dave Johnson AKA Big Metal Dave (Midnight, Axioma, Brain Tentacles) at Bad Back Studio in Cleveland, Ohio and mixed and mastered by Sean Sullivan (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck) at Sound By Sully in Los Angeles, California. At once gargantuan sounding and unsettling, Chapters delivers five heaving tracks of relentless hardcore-infused, doom sludge. “We just wanted to experiment with different tones and take listeners on a journey,” issues the band, “From heavy vibes to emotional vibes. They are chapters. Stories. Musical voyages as well as songs.”
Chapters is out now digitally. For orders go to THIS LOCATION.
RADIAN — the standard unit of angular measure — was forged in the winter of 2017 when bassist Chris Chiera (ex-Sofa King Killer) and guitarist Mike Burns (ex-Rue) united, experimenting with ideas that would swell into the core of RADIAN’s planet rupturing sound. With the addition of drummer Jeff Sullivan (ex-Fistula) and vocalist Jeff Fahl (ex-Rue), RADIAN entered Bad Back Studio in October of 2019 and recorded their debut, Chapters. “Although we are relatively new to the scene, we are all stalwart veterans of all things doomed and stoned and are prepared to unleash our hazy fury and glory to all.”
RADIAN:
Jeff Fahl – vocals
Mike Burns – guitars, samples
Chris Chiera – bass, samples
Jeff Sullivan – drums
