BASSOON’s crushing instru-metal onslaught has been called “the Melvins colliding with Melvin Sparks” and hailed as “Brooklyn’s heaviest and most challenging” trio, delivering hand-hammered stoner-metal-fusion chamber odysseys since 2008. Their “eviscerating eponymous debut” of 2012, dubbed “an unholy union of high-brow fusion and low-end sludge”. Originally the brainchild of Stuart and Harvey Milk’s Steve Tanner during Stuart’s collaboration with Harvey Milk on the Special Wishes album, heavy bass/keyboard riffs over a drum machine gave way to the current power trio with guitarist Sean Moran and drummer John Mettam. The group heads Northeast in Spring 2017 for a brief tour before entering the studio to cut a second record.
“For fans of intelligent metal, any project attached to Stuart Popejoy and Steve Tanner of the Athens, Georgia noise rock outfit Harvey Milk is certainly worth investing a moment of your time to check out. But what if said project emerges without the input of its primary principles? Truth be told, Bassoon is only Tanner’s group in theory, conceived during their collaboration with journeyman avant-jazz bassist Stuart Popejoy, who participated in the creation of Harvey Milk’s 2006 LP Special Wishes. However, Popejoy turned the concept into a full-fledged vision with the help of guitarist Sean Moran and drummer John Mettam with this eviscerating eponymous debut (released August 2), with nine compositions that sound like the Melvins colliding with Melvin Sparks in an unholy union of high-brow fusion and low-end sludge. Call it ‘Bash and Bop’ with all apologies to Tommy Stinson.” — Dirty Impound
“The power trio is one of Brooklyn’s heaviest and most challenging, bringing to mind a mixture of Melvins-style avant-sludge and daredevil ’70s fusion.” – Time Out NY
“The riffs are interesting, original post-Zep, post-Zap, post-Maha sorts of things… the band takes no prisoners” – Grego Applegate Edwards
CD Available now at bassoon.bandcamp.com!
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