Tucson is a breeding pool, or rather pit, for an array of curiosities, shapes in the dark that feed on natural desert grit, under the inviting glow of 24-hour Mexican restaurants. It is a special place by night, a stark inversion of the shimmering hell of the day. It is in the sheltering night that this Arizona city’s storied scene emerges. Active, impassioned, creative, generational—Tucson has it all, including a menagerie of venerated, heavy bands.
Territory is not just one of those bands, they are, perhaps, the legacy band of Arizona hardcore. There are others, for certain, like The Beautiful Ones, Sex Prisoner, or Step Aside, but Territory boasts a reputation unlike any peer. Their title, “Lords of the Dark Mosh,” might be self-proclaimed, but it is more than earned through the fury and violence of their sets. Practically a local fixture, Territory’s 15 year run in an ephemeral genre is a rarity, one that they have used to their creative advantage following hiatuses and the space between releases.
“Inspiration for these songs came pretty easily for us, all things considered. The state of the world right now is unbelievably fucked. Well beyond where we had imagined we'd be at years ago,” elaborates guitarist and producer Ryan Bram on Territory’s half of the split. “The song
we're debuting first is directly about the ongoing Palestinian genocide as well as the broader conflicts, power struggles and proxy wars in the Middle East.
“Our other song is much more inward focused, in the realm of existential nihilism. Musically, our main inspirations for these songs came from a number of bands, each contributing pretty specific things to our songwriting style,” Bram adds.
“On these songs, we mainly drew from Triptykon, His Hero Is Gone, Earth Crisis, and Blut Aus Nord. These songs also debut our new current lineup, with Juan (Tucson’s War Prison) now drumming, and Josh (Phoenix’s Skin Ticket) on bass. They brought a mutual understanding and fury to these songs that I’m excited for people to hear.”
Such is the quality of today’s offering, “Deeply Concerned (Bent Knee Diplomacy),” a helping from Hope Is Disease / Paranoia Is Salvation, their upcoming split with Winnepeg’s own monstrous outfit, Withdrawal:
Their first new material since 2017’s Blackhole Blues EP, Territory return to their sound with the ease of a seasoned executioner donning his hood. Guitars growl like cascades of molten steel. The drums ever escalate, a shapeshifting wrath ebbing with each malicious snare hit. The mosh parts are indeed dark, but also exacting in placement, precise in barbarity.
It is a species of hardcore that long ago went the way of A389 Recordings, cold, melancholic sounds jolting to life once more, not unlike definitive bands like Catharsis and Gehenna. Wrung dry of repetitious songwriting, Territory is as serious as the grave here, and it is refreshing to hear bands like this again.
“All of Withdrawal's songs on the record are excellent, but I'd have to say 'Corpseflower' in particular is just so well crafted,” Bram said of the split’s other half from Withdrawal. “The intro hooks you immediately, the tension and pace are kept high, and it all pays off in a way that gives
you that kind of stank face while you're headbanging. If there were one song to show people what Withdrawal is all about, I think 'Corpseflower' is a great choice.”
While Territory prepares their new full-length album for release, be sure to satiate yourself with “Deeply Concerned (Bent Knee Diplomacy)” here, and shortly on your preferred streaming service.
Check back in September for a premiere off Withdrawal’s side of Hope Is Disease / Paranoia Is Salvation, in addition to pre-orders.
Tagged: territory
