Mongrel
MONGREL MARKS ITS TERRITORY WITH ‘FEAR, LIES, AND PROPAGANDA’
Rock n’ roll circa 2008 is becoming an increasingly predictable affair. So whenever a new band comes along that refuses to be aligned to a single style, it certainly makes the ears perk up. Case in point, the eastern Massachusetts-based quartet, Mongrel. Freshly signed to Screaming Ferret Wreckords, the lads – which includes singer Drew Barker, guitarists Adam Savage, bassist Rev, and drummer Ed Loguercio – are aiming to leave their mark with a newly re-released version of their debut full-length, ‘Fear, Lies, and Propaganda.’
“Recording ‘Fear, Lies, & Propaganda’ was a very busy but rewarding time,” recalls the group’s leader and main songwriter, Savage. “Mongrel doesn't really know how to take time off, so during the period of time we were recording, mixing, mastering, we were also playing 6-10 shows a month as well. Our nights off from shows more often than not meant an afternoon and/or evening in the studio to do some tracking, over-dubs, or mixing whenever the studio was available over a couple months time. The great thing was that despite the busy schedule, no matter who was at the studio on a given night doing some work we always were productive and had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, including our engineer.”
Balancing old school punk intensity and energy with hard rock hooks and riffs (and also including elements of grunge and metal), ‘Fear, Lies, and Propaganda’ captures a hungry, young rock band ready to take on the world, as evidenced by such standout tracks as “Bound to Crash,” “Dyslexic Alchemist (Fucked it all Away),” “No Gods, No Masters,” and especially “West Memphis Hell,” the latter of which focuses on the highly controversial West Memphis 3 case (on which the ‘Paradise Lost’ documentaries were based).
But the album is only part of the equation, as a Mongrel concert is certainly an unforgettable experience, admits Savage. “Once we're on stage, it's no holds barred with the always possible risk of injury with 3 people up front in near constant motion. It's high energy, intense, and fun, interactive with the crowd, we love it when the crowd sings along and allows us to feed off that energy between the performance and the people up front. Fans can expect a band that is always willing to hang out and chat because we're all music fans too and are always eager to talk to the bands that we love so it is very important for us to interact with anyone who wants to at our shows.”
Despite ‘Fear, Lies, and Propaganda’ causing some major waves, Mongrel is already keeping an eye on their future. “We are looking to tour more extensively both here in the US and with any luck in Europe as well. We are looking to record and release our next full-length album within the next year, with most of it already written and tested out live. Continuing to build upon our strong work ethic and strong connection with our fans, spreading the word, getting more media exposure, and hopefully never resorting to using the cliché ‘Our new album is heavier yet more melodic’.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
http://www.myspace.com/Mongrel or http://www.sonicbids.com/Mongrel
TRACKLISTING FOR ‘FEAR, LIES, AND PROPAGANDA’:
1 I Refuse
2 Who Would Jesus Destroy
3 Shut Your Mouth (Open Your Eyes)
4 The World Loves a Tragedy
5 Bound to Crash
6 Shut Up, Get Dead
7 West Memphis Hell
8 Houdini Act
9 Immolation
10 Attribution/Retribution
11 Watching Myself Die
12 Without Mercy
13 No Gods, No Masters
14 Dyslexic Alchemist (Fucked It All Away)
Bonus Track:
15 Coma America (AMEN cover)
