New Noise Magazine is hosting an exclusive stream of the Electrical Audio-produced As Above, So Below – the first LP from Michigan’s caustic noise rock prophets GOD BULLIES in thirty years – ahead of its release tomorrow through Reptilian Records.
Originating in Kalamazoo, home of the state’s largest mental facility, the dark-edged satirists GOD BULLIES warped minds in the ‘90s by taking rock and garage-punk conventions and injecting them with massive overdoses of mental sickness, Midwestern perversion, backwoods hatred, and completely whacked-out speech sampling. Imagine Flipper crossed with Link Wray, fronted by a prison-bound Jim Bakker, and you might be close.
With several LPs and EPs on former label Amphetamine Reptile and various other independent labels, breaking up and shuffling members to return on West Coast’s Alternative Tentacles for their fourth LP in 1994, they again broke up. Mike Hard went on to perform in several bands including Thrall, Hand Over Head, and BrainSaw, with incestuous sharing of members between these bands, with the one constant through all this twisted output being the charismatic singer/psychopath, “Father” Mike Hard.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Father Hard and a core group of deranged Detroit disciples – guitarist Scott Kodrik, bassist Pat O’Harris, and drummer Cliff Carinci – have made the pilgrimage to Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio Studios to share their twisted, obsessive tales of conspiracies and fringe beliefs with the brainwashed masses! Boasting a much tighter, heavier and more sinister sounding GOD BULLIES, As Above So Below is set to rock the foundations of your faith; a dark, crude, and menacing attack that should appeal to fans of Jesus Lizard, Tomahawk, Easy Action, Melvins, Unsane, The Birthday Party, and the prime years of Amphetamine Reptile Records.
As Above So Below was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago, produced by Sanford Parker and the band, engineered and mixed by Sanford Parker, and mastered by Collin Jordan at Boiler Room Mastering in Chicago.
Father Hard proclaims, “As Above So Below; What was once a secret recipe of allegory and alchemy has now been revealed. This wisdom, hidden for centuries, has been rediscovered by Father Hard and is now available to you for a limited time in only twelve easy lessons. The incantation of this ancient mandala weds the frequency of matter with the vibration of sound creating a metaphysical transformation of mind and body into spirit and soul. Tired? Run down? Lonely and lost? Do you hide in the darkness afraid of the light? Come out of the catacombs and your mountain caves pay witness to the astonishing healing power of GOD BULLIES. Time to loosen up the bible belt and hit ’em where it hurts, in the belly of the beast.”
Guitarist Scott Kodrik adds, “The four of us have been playing together for many years. Mike, Cliff, and I for over thirty. Since the beginning, I have wanted to get into Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio and throw some thunder. The live B-room in particular, because it has the best drum sound I’ve ever heard. The studio also has one of the best microphone collections ever along with Neve mixing desks and all-around everything a musician could dream of. When I heard our friends’ band These Beasts recording they had done there with Sanford Parker behind the board I instantly knew that this album had to be done there and by Sanford. I wrote the drafted outlines for the songs and then we spent the next four months evolving the songs recording them in our studio. We’d play the demos back, add or subtract to the songs and Hard would work out the lyric placement as well as the words themselves. We worked harder than we ever have. When we got to Steve Albini’s, we recorded the entire album, overdubs, solos, and vocals in two days. Mike went back to Chicago to record two more vocal tracks and it was complete. The final result was nothing short of our expectations and this album is hands down the best sounding and best written album we have ever done. We are proud to call it a GOD BULLIES album.”
Stream GOD BULLIES’ thundering As Above, So Below first only at New Noise Magazine RIGHT HERE.
As Above, So Below will be available digitally and on vinyl LP – 250 on Red/Blue Split w/ White Splatter and 750 on Clear/Red/White/Blue Marble Mix – this Friday, October 4th. Find preorders at Reptilian Records’ webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE. In Europe find the record through Sounds Of Subterrania HERE. And if you missed it, watch the band’s “I Am Mighty” video HERE.
Additional videos from the album are to be expected shortly.
GOD BULLIES will take their endtime preachings on the road in support of the new album this Fall with As Above, So Below October 2024. A new show was also just secured in Louisville on November 9th. See all confirmed tour dates below and expect further live updates to post shortly.
GOD BULLIES Tour Dates:
10/11/2024 Smalls – Detroit, MI
10/12/2024 Liars Club – Chicago, IL
10/18/2024 The Lift – Dubuque, IA
10/19/2024 TBA – Madison, WI
10/24/2024 Westside Bowl – Youngstown, OH
11/09/2024 Planet Of The Tapes – Louisville, KY w/ Monsoon, Conan Neutron And The Secret Friends
“…’I Am Mighty’ picks up right where GOD BULLIES left off, bringing that classic AmRep sound right into the 2020s.” – BrooklynVegan
“…the band channels their signature blend of sludge and noise-rock with a tightness that feels both revitalized and dangerously unhinged… Their capacity to weave together jarring sounds with clever lyrics and a sense of urgency is unmatched.” – Amplify The Noise
“…a brawling dingy blast of noise and it kicks some serious ass.” – Aural Aggravation
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