photo by Chris Wozniak
“…ÇÖKÜŞ bask in rock/metal glory-days in a way that nonetheless manages to be more about looking forward than back, and most of all about serving their songs.” – The Obelisk
“Hit The Mattresses” from Chicago, Illinois-based doom metal outfit ÇÖKÜŞ, is the latest single from the band’s debut album, An Hour Of Lies, nearing September 13th release on Qumran Records. A visualizer video for the new song is now playing exclusively through a premiere hosted by The Obelisk today.
ÇÖKÜŞ’ An Hour Of Lies was captured in three states – Illinois, Washington, and Texas – the drums and vocals recorded by John E. Bohmher, Jr. at Berwyn Recording, the bass recorded by Patrick Green, and the guitars recorded by Jason Muxlow, the finished recordings were mixed by Chris Wozniak and mastered by Chris Hanzsek (Melvins, Soundgarden, Helms Alee). The visual elements including the logo, cover art for the album and its singles, and video content was handled by Tom Denney (Soilent Green, Weedeater, Rwake).
With the release of the “Hit The Mattresses” track, vocalist Mark Weiner reveals, “As the Dark One was left at the altar and betrayed by the Bright One, the spells had been cast onto the Earth. What was good is now bad. Lives were changed forever, and no one had control over anything. The War of Wars began. From the smallest of families to the most powerful organized families, everyone had to bear arms and Hit The Mattresses–a term used in organized crime…”
With the premiere of the song, The Obelisk’s article reads in part, “…if you hear some Eric Wagner influence in the vocals of ‘Hit The Mattresses’ or the post-intro opener ‘As It Falls,’ I don’t think you’re wrong, but while led mostly by guitar and voice, the material throughout An Hour Of Lies — again, not really an hour — digs into early Dio-style metallic riffing on ‘Leave It Behind,’ which Wozniak turns propulsive with the kick drum, and centerpiece ‘Midnight Sun,’ which skirts the line between metal and rock.” The review continues, “Put altogether and mixed for impact, the record isn’t trying to sound like a fly-on-the-wall live-taped performance, but it is vibrant just the same, and has energy that hints at a live show that’d be worth seeing… ÇÖKÜŞ bask in rock/metal glory-days in a way that nonetheless manages to be more about looking forward than back, and most of all about serving their songs. One never knows what the real-life future will bring, but hopefully it’s the beginning point of an ongoing progression for the band.”
Watch ÇÖKÜŞ’ “Hit The Mattresses” visualizer now playing at The Obelisk RIGHT HERE.
An Hour Of Lies will be released on CD and digital platforms on Friday, September 13th. Preorders are live at the Qumran Records webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE. Watch the visualizers for “Wolf Moon” HERE and “Midnight Sun” HERE.
Arising from the heart of the Chicago underground metal scene, ÇÖKÜŞ is the product of ten years of mostly virtual collaboration between former Earthen Grave bandmates, vocalist Mark Weiner (Earthen Grave), drummer Chris Wozniak (Vanishment, Earthen Grave, ex-Lair Of The Minotaur), and guitarist Jason Muxlow (Witchcryer, Earthen Grave, The Living Fields). Even though Muxlow and Wozniak had moved thousands of miles away after the abrupt conclusion of Earthen Grave in 2013, the three stayed in touch, trading riffs, beats, and lyrics from their respective corners of the United States. The material that emerged saw influences from the usual suspects — Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Trouble, Dio — as well as old favorites like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Kyuss.
Shortly before the pandemic, the group started meeting periodically in Chicago to write and record. Embracing a shorter, more polished format than their previous engagement, they privately released a demo under the moniker WMW in 2020, which generated a lot of buzz and positive feedback among those who had access to the recording. In 2021, the group re-branded as ÇÖKÜŞ (pronounced cho-koosh; Turkish for “decline” or “collapse”) and recruited bassist and longtime friend Patrick Green to complete the lineup and the material which will become the band’s debut album. Soon after, they were joined by another old friend, Steve Ligeza (Torg, Makahiya), on second guitar, and ÇÖKÜŞ began playing live.
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