- Girth (band)
Infobox musical artist
Name = Girth
Img_capt = Live at theStork Club ,Oakland , Spring 2005
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = flagicon|USASeattle, Washington , USA
Genre =Avant-garde metal
Years_active =2003 –present
Label =Hector Stentor
Associated_acts =The Abodox Sean (band)
Lesbian (band)
URL = [http://www.houseofgirth.com/ Official Site]
Current_members =Peijman Kouretchian Dave Webb
Past_members = Andrew McGinnis
B.R.A.D.
Mark
Blane
Girth were a
avant-garde metal band from Seattle, Washington. Dave Webb (guitar ) and Peijman Kouretchian (drums) began the band in 2003.Girth duo
Initially the band was simply the duo of Webb and Kouretchian. The played frequently in Seattle throughout 2004 and 2005. They would often perform on the floor of the venue, directly in front of the bar, as opposed to the stage. Their performances garnered them descriptions such as "mercurial, unpredictable dynamics and time signatures; caustic guitar tones that sting like lye." (Segal, Dave, "The Stranger", 7/25/05)
In 2004 they released their first album, "Living in Truth," on local
Hector Stentor records. Many of the album's song titles were references toMilan Kundera 's novel,The Unbearable Lightness of Being . The album was recorded byRandall Dunn (has also worked withCritters Buggin ,Earth (band) , Sunn 0))) & Boris'Altar (album) ,Eyvind Kang , Lesbian (band)). The artwork was done byStephen O'Malley . The record received positive reviews and comparisons to bands such asSlayer ,The Fucking Champs ,Don Caballero , and Black Flag.In the Spring of 2005 the duo successfully toured the West Coast.
Blackened Psychedelic Trio
In 2005, the band added
Andrew McGinnis (formerly ofGolgothan Sunrise ) on keyboards. They began to puruse a new direction, often improvising the entirety of their live sets. Kouretchian also took the chance to fill sets with political speeches.In November 2005, the band performed a concert with Sean and
The Abodox at Seattle's ReBar. The three bands were set-up simultaneously and would play songs in turn. Eventually all three bands began performing together.Performances were centered around the piece, "Free Jazz," which Kouretchian wrote on drums and then Webb added guitar parts. The band recorded the piece with Dunn at Aleph. It also featured
B.R.A.D. (Crack Sabbath ,Master Musicians of Bukkake ,ASVA ) on vocals. Webb was quoted in "The Stranger" as saying, "The playing is much more emotional and on the edge than the last record. This should be a killer headphone record, but it'll still bite your head off." The album, titled The Sleeper Awakens, will be released onWeb of Mimicry Records in late 2007.Girth-Hordes
Webb and Kouretchian parted ways with McGinnis in 2006. They added Mark and Blane from legendary Seattle metal group,
The Swarming Hordes on guitar. The lineup now featured three guitars and drums. Turning from the experimental phase of the previous lineup, the group now played relatively straight-ahead metal.In April 2006, "The Seattle Weekly" nomiated Girth for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Band" in the 2006 Seattle Weekly Music Awards, though the honour went to Kinski. The magazine said, "In early April, Girth added to their considerable two-man breadth by taking on two members of Swarming Hordes. Pulverizing progressions times breakneck speed plus ultraheavy layers of thick, dark sludge—with some acoustic guitars, perhaps, thrown in here and there for good measure? Whoa. These purveyors of new-math metal-core splunge (that’s like grunge, but with more spleening) have built a name on making plenty out of not too much. Just imagine what they’ll do as a four-piece."
Other Activities
Webb also records and releases music on his personal label,
1/2 Ass Universe . He performs and plays throughout the West Coast, playing guitar with theprogressive rock groupWah Wah Exit Wound , drums in bar rock bandBeer Sandwich , and as a member of the noise/experimental collectiveWolf-Horse/R.I.G.E.L. . Webb released a black metal single under the moniker, Nam-Shub of Enki, in 2006. He is currently recording on a self-produced solo record in which he also performs all the instruments.In Spring 2007, Kouretchian joined
Secret Chiefs 3 as their touring drummer for North American dates. He also performed inLemons & Stallions , a guitar/drumsavant-garde jazz duo, with McGinnis.A third Girth album, to be recorded with the three guitar line-up, is rumored to be forthcoming.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.