An unshakable story is spelled out
British Columbia metal passed through a doom, stoner and sludge filter can only stir up a legitimately lethal substance. This is a story of a side project’s rehearsal-demo tape with two members of stoner trio, Mendozza playing musical chairs. In chapter one, Norm jumps from bass to guitar and Deuce wants to get back to some drumming.
Chapter two: enter Kevin from Northern onto bass. “Kevin was a natural choice for us because he had the exactly the sound we wanted and we played a bunch of gigs with him, he had the style we were looking for and we just lucked upon Cam. He fit right away,” explains Deuce. Cam from Black Lotus and Reaver would alter the speed and tempo on drums. Their style started to shift once their influences came on board. “It opened the doors to play a little faster and slower at the same time,” says Deuce who settled back onto guitar/vocals, which made sense since that is how the demo was recorded.
Norm brings old school metal and a faster picking style to table and Deuce’s fondness for Kyuss and Melvins funds the sludge and stoner assets. Kevin has a taste for doomy hardcore and Cam for the newer metal. “We mesh and clump it together and make it work,” says Deuce. Playing as a four-piece with shared parts makes for room to experiment. “[Before] it was either singing or soloing at all times. With this, Kevin does half the singing and I do half… it’s nice to be able to step back and enjoy what’s going on instead of concentrating so hard all the time,” he explains and “having two guitar players opens up all sorts of doors to the harmonies and everything.”
In chapters three and four: because band mates live in different towns, their gigs became practices. “It was the right group of guys and everyone in the band has been playing for a long time. When we got together it sort of clicked right away,” says Deuce, despite the distances. That demo, way back in chapter one, found its way around with a copy into the hands of Vancouver promoter, Chris Dyck, who suggested a release show for the material. “Heavy riffs” would creep into the songs while the playing clubs and bars amongst the dank alleys of the downtown eastside. “Hard not to get doomy,” he says and “that’s what happened with Black Sabbath coming from an industrial neighborhood.”
The fifth chapter is being written as Azodanum has five new songs and with a DIY approach, a search for a mixer and a desire to lay tracks to tape, it’s sure bet to wager on a proper record. “We’ll be going into the studio in the next few months,” says the guitarist and “nice to finally have my music on vinyl.”
With a live date tailor-made to their sonic core, they are absolutely stoked to hit the stage with Corrosion of Conformity and Brant Bjork. “We’ll bust out a new song at this show!” exclaims Deuce and stay tuned!
Azodanum play the Rickshaw Theatre September 1st supporting Corrosion of Conformity and Brant Bjork, as well as the Anciients tour kick-off October 24th at Hindenburg, 23 West Cordova.
-By More Betty
