Guest mix by Roy Culver
Working in the music industry is a fascinating profession. It’s kind of like the circus except you’re trapped in a clown car full of narcissists, megalomaniacs and social outcasts all trying to validate their existence while scrimping out some kind of living. And I’m not even talking about the bands yet. Despite how oddball it is, everyday is different. Usually a different kind of crazy but different nonetheless.
I’ve been charged (hustled?) with offering you some highlights from the four years (March 2000 – Jan 2004) I was the head of A&R at a label called Solid State Records. First of all, let me begin by apologizing for everything the label has released since I left in 2004. Honestly, I haven’t listened to much of the label’s output since then but, judging by all that swoopy hair the label seems awash in these days, I’m going to venture a guess that I’m not missing much. So, yeah, sorry about that.
Before working at Solid State I peddled records to record store buyers at a major distributor in the south. Tooth and Nail / Solid State was one of the labels we distributed. I think I was brought in because I knew something about metal. Most of the folks on staff at Tooth and Nail didn’t. My personal goal was to get the label out of the Christian ghetto and into the hardcore and metal scene. With a few exceptions, I apologize for that as well.
My life is filled with nothing but regret.
But I don’t regret my time at Solid State. We released a few good records and here is a selection of some of my favorites with a little bit of info about them.
Cryogenic Husk #5 – Solid State Records
2. Extol – Inferno 3. Figure Four – Kill and Deceive 4. Zao – Five Year Winter 5. Embodyment – Belly Up 6. Living Sacrifice – Local Vengeance Killing 7. Stretch Arm Strong – For the Record 8. Beloved – Aimless Endeavor 9. Norma Jean – Memphis Will be Laid to Waste 10. Eso Charis – The Narrowing List
1. The Agony Scene – Shotgun Wedding
As far as I know this was the first and last song released on Solid State about getting a blowjob. I signed The Agony Scene and still stand behind the self-titled debut record this song came off of. The Agony Scene was the first band to break the Tooth and Nail curse – a term used around the office to describe the inability of any band to leave the label and go on to outsell any of their Tooth and Nail releases. The Agony Scene broke that curse with their sophomore release on Roadrunner Records. Felt good, man. Though it was never said out right, signing this band ultimately lead to my time at the label coming to an end. No big deal.
2. Extol – Inferno
Extol were an awkward Norweigan band that didn’t fit in anywhere at the time. They weren’t easy to pigeonhole. Bands like Porcupine Tree, Opeth and their prog-metal brethren were still on the fringes of metal. Maybe Extol was ahead of their time. They certainly were talented.
3. Figure Four – Kill and Deceive
I don’t remember the specifics of the ordeal in getting Figure Four on Solid State. There was quite a bit of money involved and a clause in their contract about a side project called Comeback Kid, a project the band said wasn’t really a priority. We put out the Figure Four record, which was really good, and then the band broke up to do Comeback Kid. Lame. Welcome to the record business.
4. Zao – Five Year Winter
There really is not enough room to write about all of the drama associated with Zao and their time on Solid State. Go watch the dvd “The Lesser Lights of Heaven” and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what working with Zao was like. Despite all that drama, Zao released some damn good music during their time on the label and were one of my favorite bands. “Five Year Winter” is off their self-titled record (lots of stories on the recording of this record as well) and is still a favorite when the band plays live.
5. Embodyment – Belly Up
Embodyment started out as a pretty crazy, technical minded heavy metal band on the label in the late 90s. With aspirations to actually make a living at music (the nerve!) the band switched gears, got a new singer and began writing edgier rock music. Not the smoothest move because heavy music was about to make a huge comeback. They alienated their fan base and proceeded to get lost in the crowded sea of other edgy rock bands that no one cared about. It’s a shame because the band wrote some great music. “Belly Up” is one of my favorite songs by the band during that period.
6. Living Sacrifice – Local Vengeance Killing
I first heard Living Sacrifice as a teenager. Their debut self-titled record was a magnificent collection of full bore Slayer worship songs. After three full lengths of the band dabbling in both thrash and death metal they went into hibernation. With the renewed interest in heavy music in the late 90s the band got their act together and released Reborn, a collection of songs that reflected the scenes penchant for breakdowns but they didn’t forsake being Living Sacrifice. The Hammering Process was the band’s first record under my watch and, if my memory isn’t totally forsaking me, the band’s highest selling record during its first week. Heavy music was selling again! The song “Local Vengeance Killing” is a good example of what that record was. It’s heavy, precise and has one of the best breakdowns the band ever wrote.
7. Stretch Arm Strong – For the Record
Of all the songs that Stretch Arm Strong wrote, “For the Record” is probably the band’s most popular and best embodies the band’s attitude and sound. Shortly after the release of the record this song was on, Revolution Transmission, it looked like SAS had the potential to become a very big band. The genre of melodic hardcore they specialized in was getting recognition as bands like New Found Glory and others were doing big tours and selling a lot of records. Due to families, careers and other things the band just couldn’t make it full time. Always the weekend warriors the band never got the sort of attention they deserved.
8. Beloved – Aimless Endeavor
There are a lot of things to consider before signing a band. A band can be great but have bad attitudes, a shitty work ethic and make enemies wherever they go. I didn’t want to sign Beloved. It had nothing to do with their attitude or work ethic – everyone who met them loved the band as people and as musicians and they played out all the time. So, why didn’t I want to sign them? They weren’t br00tal, dude. I still had dreams of making Solid State a really heavy label and had a closed mind about bands I felt didn’t fit in that narrow window. Thankfully better heads prevailed at the label and Beloved was signed. After being signed the band released an incredible record, Failure On, toured their ass off and then broke up. Again, welcome to the music business!
9. Norma Jean – Memphis Will be Laid to Waste
Once upon a time there was a band from GA called Luti-Kriss, a GA band of young kids seriously into Deftones, Korn and bands on the Solid State label. Plagued by (apparently) being mistaken for another GA musician, a rapper by the name Ludacris (never heard of him), the band opted to change their name to Norma Jean. While the band was on the road I sent them some cds by Botch, Coalesce and Converge. Those cds completely changed the direction of Norma Jean’s music. Fast forward a year or so and we were delivered the monster called Bless the Martyr & Kiss the Child. While the change in sound certainly didn’t hurt the band, the constant touring (even one tour without a vocalist) and live show is really what made these guys so enormous. “Memphis Will be Laid to Waste” features additional vocals by Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou.
10. Eso Charis – The Narrowing List
Released independently in the late 90s, Eso Charis’ debut album was a great combination of hardcore and off-time post rock. The band played a bit around the south but folded not long after a couple of the guys went on to join Living Sacrifice. I loved this record and didn’t want to see it disappear so we released it on Solid State. I think the band played a couple reunion shows around this time to support it but I don’t remember the exact timing. Either way, this record still rules!
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“While the band was on the road I sent them some cds by Botch, Coalesce and Converge. Those cds completely changed the direction of Norma Jean’s music. ”
lololololol I love it!
PS where is UNASHAMED?!?