Photo by Zach Zurn
Minnesota-based atmospheric rock/grungegaze unit COMATOSE – featuring members of Chrome Waves, Amiensus, and Fail To Decay – will release their A Way Back debut January 22nd, 2021 via Transcending Records.
Most musicians grow up idolizing rock stars, fawning over the glamor and glitz of the proverbial “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle, touring the world, playing music night-after-night in big cities to people of all cultures and backgrounds, where no material object is out of reach and the sky is truly the limit… It’s an alluring prospect but one that’s more often than not an unreality. The truth for most bands starting out is that they won’t sustain more than a year packed into a van, sleeping in parking lots, playing to empty bars, and making nearly no money at all.
COMATOSE began in the winter of 2019/2020 with a group of musicians — Jacob Carlson (Fail To Decay), Daren Menz (Fail To Decay, Chrome Waves-live), Adam Carroll (Fail To Decay, Lion Sight, The Boy Will Die), and James Benson (Amiensus, Chrome Waves, Fail To Decay) — who previously worked together for several years experiencing the true life and daily grind of the touring musician, gathering their shared experiences of long drives, cheap beer, and muff pedals to manifest a hazy, grungy, post-metal mix of audio paradise. Notes Benson of the name, “‘Comatose’ was chosen as the name of the band as a result of being a part of ‘the lost generation.’ Faced with multiple major global economic crises, domestic racism and terrorism, a pandemic, and climate change, it only felt right to choose something that reflected the mental health of an entire generation.”
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Zach Zurn at Carpet Booth Studios, A Way Back is the sound of the existential dread of musicians in 2020 who’ve had their way of life quite literally torn apart by the chaos of the year. Thankfully, one can easily melt into the lush melody and reverb, or fall into the despair of the delay laden vocals through the diverse, yet familiar album that will likely bring listeners back to the mid-1990s without sounding dated or derivative. .
In advance of the release of A Way Back, COMATOSE is pleased to unveil first single, “Inside.” Notes Benson of the track, “‘Inside’ is a reaction to the victim culture surrounding recovery from addiction and mental illness. Many of those in need of help are incapable of escaping the mindset that improving their health starts with a concerted effort to take responsibility for themselves.”
Stream COMATOSE’s “Inside” at THIS LOCATION.
A Way Back, which features the cover art of Todd Farnham, will see release on CD, LP, and digitally. For physical preorders, go to THIS LOCATION. For digital preorders, go HERE.
A Way Back Track Listing:
1. Circles
2. Gone
3. Alone
4. Skin
5. Spread
6. Inside
7. Further
8. Sinking
COMATOSE:
Jacob Carlson – drums
Adam Carroll – guitar, vocals
James Benson – guitar, vocals
Daren Menz – bass, vocals
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