Cali’s CHROME GHOST Pack Emotional Punch in Haunting New EP, ‘Shallows’
~By Billy Goate~
Album Art by Not
Get ready for one of the most moving experiences from one of the most remarkable bands to have emerged from the Sacramento heavy underground in recent years. I give you CHROME GHOST, the collaboration of Jake Kilgore (guitar, vox), Jacob Hurst (drums), and Joe Cooper (bass). You should know I’ve been a ceaseless champion of this act since first running into them last summer by way of their incredible EP, ‘Reflection Pool’ (2017), at which point I wrote:
There are bands who play in well-trodden territory and there are those that really own their material, producing music that is nuanced, even innovative, and at times quite striking. Chrome Ghost is most definitely among the latter. I just got through listening to 'Reflection Pool’ and now I am listening to it again. This is just outstanding. What makes it so? The rhythm section is relentless and Hurst’s drumming absolutely on point. The horse truly is driving the cart here, not struggling to catch up. Tight. The recording is likewise outstanding, with a real sense of presence. However, the true standout is without question the harmonic collaboration of Kilgore and Thompson, who have a real penchant for melody, taking what could very easily have been another overwrought (and quickly forgotten) contemporary sludge number and turning it into something unique and eminently replayable.
At the time, the band described Reflection Pool as a “trek through shallow moonlit waters” with lyrics “inspired by the image of an overgrown and decaying garden scene,” expressing “themes of acceptance in the face of the hopeless, gazing into dim reflections.” If you’ve not had a chance to listen to it, I highly recommend you do so now, as the new EP is a kind of follow-up to the last release, making the two effectively one album.
“Further straying from the light,” the band says (speaking of their latest effort), “Shallows is a companion piece to the Reflection Pool EP. Two songs, wading further into self-exploration, finding little good to be shared. This EP was a bittersweet experience, and the air of frustration and doubt is a driving force behind the songs.” Anyone bearing the scars of life’s nastier side will immediately identify with this sentiment and, I suspect, be curious enough to check Shallows out.
Today, I’m excited to present your first listen to what may be Chrome Ghost’s most powerful record to date. You can pre-order it before then here to show the band your support for this extraordinary outpouring of pure doom sturm und drang. I’m going to give you a chance to listen to it and, if you like, follow along with my review below and the interview that follows.
Give ear…
Shallows by chrome ghost
The Mirror
Hollow Drained Again
As Shallows opens, you feel surrounded by crushing sense of anguish. Roaring vocals (of the kind you might expect from an Indian, Coffinworm, Cult of Occult) seethe with lament: “Life, so precious, is wasted on this. I’m so sick of me.” This is accompanied by the concentrated fury of the drums and a manic cacophony of feedback, crackling fuzz, and toxic guitar play. As its namesake suggests, this is a deeply introspective work, not in the quiet, contemplative way, but with an urgency that suggests losing one’s soul to the hard knocks of life. The man looking in the mirror sees “No more reflection.” Life is bleak, empty, sucked dry of meaning.
This is the first time I recall hearing a track this harsh, this despondent, this unhinged in any of the previous Chrome Ghost records. And I have to say, it resonated with me quite powerfully on a gut level. Listen for a special vocal appearance by Eva from fellow Sacto band CHRCH, who winds down this torrential rainfall of spite, self-pity, and borderline madness with a calming moment of dispassionate reverence that brought to mind another favorite act of mine, Oxford quartet Undersmile.
The Whip
The weight is too heavy I’m ready to give in
What follows next is nothing shy of pure passion. It’s a natural flow from “The Mirror” to “The Whip,” even though we’re now in clean vocal terrain and progressing at a slower pace. The feeling of sorrow bleeding from these incredible verses (“Fear turns to shame…Bring me to pain”) is simply unforgettable. Trademark Chrome Ghost, in fact, with a captivating harmonic sequence, unfurled in a chord progression (G-D-D#-B) that is curiously moving – almost to the point of provoking tears. The layered vocals make it seem like we’re witnessing some kind of strange, wonderful, ethereal super-chord being forged into creation. “I’m dreaming of it, I’ve waited so long for the whip.” What is the whip? You will find out soon enough. It will certainly haunt you and I doubt this song – or the EP – will leave your playlist, as a result.
If you’re looking for stylistic point of comparison, think Slomatics or Torche, though I dare say Chrome Ghost delivers greater emotional heft than even these. Tonally, this song certainly makes a great companion to Unsea’s latest, 'Portals Into Futility’ (2017 - Relapse Records) – especially that last track, “A Crown of Desolation.” After a brief reflective moment on guitar, “The Mirror” comes to a crashing close – a return to the misshapen vocals and gnarled dissonance that opened the two-song journey.
I’ve listened to this EP endlessly since I first became aware of it. Dozens and dozens of times over, in fact, often in quick succession. Somehow it stamps its image upon your psyche, like that moment you’ve awaken from an unusual dream with a sharp awareness of all that is ugly and beautiful with the world. This, in my humble opinion, is one of the best records of the year and certainly stands out as a strong contender, with its companion Reflection Pool, to join company with the best records of the decade.
As seriously as I can impart this to you, dear reader, Chrome Ghost deserves not only a vinyl release for its output, but proper label support, as well. Whoever signs them will easily have the next Torche, Floor, Comet Control, or The Sword on their hands, with a uniquely melancholy flavor that I believe will appeal to a wide swath of heavy music listeners. I can imagine Chrome Ghost opening for an act like Mastodon or even Alice in Chains and winning a staunchly loyal following, but perhaps I’ve now fully ingested the Kool-Aid.
What is certain: the treatment of melody and harmony and sense of balance between light and dark makes the Roseville trio one of the most distinguished acts of the new generation of heavy hitters coming from the doom-stoner underground. Chrome Ghost will shake you physically and emotionally to your core.
Photo by Patrick Spain
CHROME GHOST REVEALED
Interview By Billy Goate
Some folks may be wondering, what’s with the name Chrome Ghost? So let’s start there, with both the name and an introduction to the band and its history.
Kilgore: I’m not really sure where it came from. The name was floating around in my head for three or four years, and when I picked up playing the guitar again, I needed a name for what I was doing. I had moved to Los Angeles to work for a video company and was incredibly lonely. For the first time in my life, I made a real effort to write original music, and that’s where the majority of Choir of the Low Spirits came from.
Hurst: Kilgore came up with that one; it just came to him. I’ll say that I only agreed to start playing with him because he actually had a pre-prepared band name that didn’t suck. It’s got a very visual and ethereal quality to it.
Choir of the Low Spirits by chrome ghost
In ‘Choir of Low Spirits’ (2016), you noted you were “trying to strike the balance between heavy and light.” How would you describe that manifesting musically and instrumentally and is this still a key stylistic priority for Chrome Ghost?
Kilgore: The heavy/light thing is incredibly important to what we’re doing. The dynamic on the first album feels a little “closer” than our newer stuff, in that as we’ve written more, the heavy parts are getting way heavier and the light parts are getting way lighter. So the layers are separating more, if that makes sense. We’re trying to get much darker and much prettier all the time.
Hurst: It will always be a stylistic priority for us, at least as far as I can see. It’s the essence of humanity, in a way, the yin and the yang. Life can be crushing, brutal, messy, and insufferable: heavy riffs, thundering drums, labored rhythms, and feedback. But, of course, there are also plenty of moments of happiness, levity, calm, and beauty: clean vocal harmonies, wet guitar tones, soaring leads, and heroic chord progressions. I like to think we try to achieve some form of honest musical harmony.
Reflection Pool by chrome ghost
I discovered you last year via your summer two-tracker, ‘Reflection Pool’ (2017) which was an outstanding EP. You really banked heavily on the power of vocal harmonies to differentiate this 17-minute record and I think it worked. How do you find this sound translates to the club or festival stage environment?
Kilgore: The live vocal harmonies was definitely a point of pride for us in that it was something we weren’t seeing a lot of other bands doing. Nowadays I’m handling all the vocals by myself, which can sometimes feel like we’re missing something, but it’s also forced me to become a more dynamic and passionate vocalist. I think seeing a Chrome Ghost show this year is a more intense experience than last year. I’ve just been giving up being self-conscious on stage.
I understand this release has been one of those “through hell or high water” experiences for the band. What all has transpired since the release of last year’s release?
Hurst: On a personal level, I had a rough 2017 outside of the band. My girlfriend of five years was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (a form of cancer in the immune system), I was working two jobs and going to college full time, and I had to deal with the loss of a couple of family members (one death), my family home, and my family business. My whole life was doom and gloom. Even during the recording of Reflection Pool early last year, I was studying for midterms immediately after I finished my drum tracks.
Kilgore: It was fucking brutal to watch Hurst go through all of this, but I’ve never met someone so determined to finish what they start. Another obvious problem is that we lost one-third of our band unexpectedly. The short truth of the matter is that there were some real problems behind the curtain that Hurst and I were doing our best to help with, but ultimately couldn’t really fix. We had a date booked during this that we refused to bow out of, and we ended up playing so powerfully together as a two-piece that we knew we’d be able to soldier on.
Cooper: We’re all neurotic balls of stress in general, but it was apparent that Jake and Jacob were more so than usual after all this. Lucky for us, we get to play in a band whose sonic presence is as cathartic physically as it is emotionally.
Photo by Shelby Lydon-Kilgore
What kind of toll do these trials and tribulations have on the spirit of a band, and you as a composer?
Hurst: Personally, my spirits have been [pauses] low – pun halfway intended. I had to be patient and head strong to get through everything in 2017. I was miserable, but it makes me drum more aggressively and take risks. I hope both my patience and aggression come through in Shallows.
Kilgore: There definitely was a toll. “The Mirror was written after a particularly bad expression of anger that I had, and how terrible and pathetic I felt in the wake of it. It was recorded about 6 months after "The Whip” and it was in-between those recordings that our friend went on a trip that he never returned from. I felt a profound frustration and basically had a bit of a nervous breakdown after the dust had settled. I had put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to keep the band together, and it didn’t work. Now our good friend Joe is on bass and the energy and creativity he’s brought has been a great affirmation. We actually tried to get him in the band back in 2015, but it didn’t work out for whatever reason. He’s been a great fit.
Before I forget, who recorded this? The sound is pristine.
Kilgore: Well, “The Mirror” was with Pat Hills at Earthtone, who we kind of see as a collaborator at this point. He has also recorded CHRCH and King Woman, etc. Working with Pat is effortless, and we always leave with recordings that sound fucking crazy. We will be recording a full length with Pat at the end of the year. “The Whip,” which features contributions from Cole Thompson on bass guitar and vocals, was recorded and mixed by Joe Cooper at J Street, then mastered by Pat Hills.
Can you please take a few moments to introduce us to the new album, any concepts underlying it, and walk us through each track, making observations about the lyrical content or any musical moments you are especially proud of?
Kilgore: Shallows is meant to be a companion to the Reflection Pool EP. It’s two tracks, nearly the same total length, but emotionally it’s on the other side of the spectrum. Reflection Pool is more contemplative and vague with the imagery. Shallows is far more confrontational in its content and presentation. Production-wise, we hadn’t really experimented with feedback before, but this time around, it felt necessary to inject the songs with some chaos. Again, we can’t publicly thank Eva of CHRCH enough for pretty much coming in blind to the studio and belting out some powerful screams and some gorgeous clean vocals as well. I’m so grateful for her.
Hurst: “The Mirror” is about self-reflection. Of course, it’s angry. Sometimes when you look back at who you are, you can’t help but feel like a waste of skin. Musically, it’s based around one riff, mostly, and it’s the tempo and note divisions that help move the song along. I tried to keep the drums driving and full of movement. I was trying to create a straight line through the song.
“The Whip” brings to my mind images of self-flagellation, bondage, pain – all sorts of things. It was recorded live in a few takes after six hours of drum fiddling; I wanted to keep the song slow, minimal, and plodding. Austerity was necessary to accompany the other instruments here; it contrasts quite a bit from my playing on the last EP.
Cooper: If you listen to the tracks in order, then read the lyrics, you’ll feel and see an obvious progression. There’s the manic chaos of self-disgust of “The Mirror” and the guilt it brings, leading to relief in self-punishment on “The Whip.” I had the pleasure of recording “The Whip” and a demo of “The Mirror” before joining the band, so I’ve felt close to the material prior to playing it.
Photo by Shelby Lydon-Kilgore
I almost forgot! I wanted to ask you about the album art for this release.
Kilgore: So the art is by a friend named Peter Eckes. He performs guitar-based ambient music under the name Not. The drawing is based on a Wayne Barlowe painting that I love, but it’s pretty transformative.
It’s seems like such a crapshoot these days whether a band will be noticed or not, with the ready availability (and oversaturation) of music on Bandcamp, YouTube, and a hundred different outlets. What’s your strategy for getting your sound out there?
Kilgore: It’s something I think about too much. It’s tough to feel like anyone is paying attention to this thing that we’re pouring ourselves into, but we’re trying. Just focusing on playing good shows, and making friends with the right people.
Hurst: The best we can do is to make sure our music is available everywhere: YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, etc. We don’t have any label backing us, and because Jake and I both have full time jobs, it’s not always possible to get ourselves out there.
Would you tour if you could?
Hurst: There are no official dates announced now, but we are going to try for a weeklong west coast tour this summer. We’d love to get outside of the west coast, but it’s not feasible at the moment.
Kilgore: We will hopefully hit LA, Tijuana, the Bay Area, Eugene, Portland, and Seattle. That’s the plan for now. If you live in one of those places and like what you hear, pay attention to us on Facebook or Instagram. Right now, we have a show coming up in Sacramento with Whores. and Helms Alee on Tuesday, April 17 at The Blue Lamp.
Hey, thanks for taking a few moments to visit with Doomed & Stoned. We’re stoked to be debuting the new record and wish you all the luck in your future endeavors! Hopefully we’ll have a chance to see you at a show in the near future.
Kilgore: We’re honored to be talking with you, and to have our music up on D&S. Your curation and coverage is always thoughtful and sincere.
Follow The Band.
I did art for my friends' thing and Doomed and Stoned wrote about it, cool.
