While recently browsing around Bandcamp, an image of a woman with grotesquely distorted facial features caught my attention. It was the cover art for a new record for a band out of a Grand Rapids, Michigan called Dog Skull.
After clicking the link, I was met with a barrage of big fat guitar riffs, snarling vocals, and slithering rhythms that brought to mind everything from hardcore to Helmet to post-hardcore. It's undoubtedly aggressive but there's a catchy quality to it that balances it all out.
"The band started with [vocalist] Jack [Hervela] making his own industrial noise music circa 2021," Dog Skull wrote me via email. "After meeting [drummer] Chance [Reyes] at a kitchen job we decided to take it to the next nevel. Chance and [bassist] Brad [Jahr] go way back to high school and were previously playing in an indie group called Hyser. After finding [guitarist] Jackson [Filion] through a mutual friend, we were complete."
On the subject of Dog Skull's sonic stew, here's what the guys had to say: "We share a love for all genres while each having our own personal tates, so we say it's metal music that isn't rooted in any one specific subgenre. We prefer to draw influence from both inside and outside of the hardcore box. Heavy rhythm sections, sporadic guitar, punching bass, abrasive vocals. It's loud."
Released back in July, Dog Skull was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Richard Johnson at Cold War Studios in Grand Rapids. "It's got 9 tracks that were written over the course of 2 years in multiple dirty basements and 1 extremely hot 15x10 storage unit," the band said in their email.
"The record does not solely touch on one topic but is more of a culmination of our thoughts on the current atmosphere we are living in."
Dog Skull have shows booked through the rest of the summer, including an opening slot at the Conan show at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids on August 23rd.
"Grand Rapids is full of cool people doing cool stuff and we can feel the tide rising here in every genre. Heavy music has a massive following currently and bands like MDOP, Bimbonic Plague, Tunnel of Love, and Novice are leading the wave. DIY venues have been becoming more common with people offering up their garages and basements to hold underground shows. Shoutout to FreakIt Shows, Killroy's Garage, and Hard Case Booking."
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Dog Skull on social media: Instagram
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