*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is New York!
If you’ve been keeping up with the heavy music scene, you’d know that Car Bomb is about to take it by storm. The experimental mathcore band from Long Island released what was widely considered one of the best released of 2016 in metal with ‘Meta’. The band has a very raw, but technologically advanced sound that very few bands have perfected. The forming of the band started as early as 2000 when two New York bands Neck and Spooge shared a studio together. Soon, two members from each band decided it was time for something new and Car Bomb was formed as a side project in 2002. Impressively, the band has managed to keep the same lineup throughout all these years. They build their own equipment which allows them to create a sound exactly how they want it. Car Bomb has definitely gotten some high recognition having played shows with the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan, Gojira, Meshuggah, Ion Dissonance, and Ulcerate. The quartet has slowly but surely made their way up and are ready to dominate 2017.
Car Bomb made their first demo in 2004 which consisted of three tracks that would be released on later records. They self promoted by handing out many promos of it at local New York shows and festivals. By 2007, they had been signed to Relapse Records and released their first full length album, ‘Centralia’. The world was not prepared for the sheer barbarity that this band was about to unleash. The onslaught of down tempo riffs, pick slides, and sounds with a whammy bar that are still unheard of by many grabbed the attention of underground listeners, making them headbang into an oblivion. The album received its name from a town in Pennsylvania that was left behind during an underground mine fire. Following the release of ‘Centralia’, Car Bomb was released from Relapse and became an independent recording band from there in 2011. ‘w^w^^w^w’, their second full length album, was released in 2012 to even more praise than the previous release. The utter ferocity of the band continues to tear through your soul with their sophisticated rhythms and outrageously aggressive vocals. It may be an acquired taste, but those that understand this band will love them the same way I do. Joe Duplantier of Gojira even makes an appearance on the song “Third Revelation”. Just last year, the biggest album of their career (so far) in ‘Meta’, was released in October. It was perceived by many websites as one of the best metal releases of the year. It was produced by Joe Duplantier of Gojira and guitarist Greg Kubacki. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur (Megadeth, Lamb of God, The Dillinger Escape Plan) so the fire power just increases even more. The first song released (‘From the Dust of This Planet’) was actually the first song I ever heard from Car Bomb and I’ve been hooked ever since. The time switches, weird whammy effects, dominating sound of drums and bass, and prominent vocals pulled me in from the very beginning. Right before the album dropped they went out on a few dates with The Dillinger Escape Plan. Next month, they will be making their second trip to open up on the tour with Gojira and Code Orange. You can buy ‘Meta’ on the band’s Bandcamp here. Below you can check out their upcoming tour dates and a few songs. Don’t forget to follow Car Bomb on Facebook.
Band Members
Michael Dafferner – Vocals
Elliot Hoffman – Drums
Greg Kubacki – Guitars
Jon Modell – Bass
European Tour Dates with Gojira and Code Orange
Mar 05 The Circus – Helsinki, Finland
Mar 07 Munchen Brewery – Stockholm, Sweden
Mar 08 Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway
Mar 09 Vega Main Hall – Copenhagen, Denmark
Mar 11 Academy – Birmingham, United Kingdom
Mar 12 Forum – London, United Kingdom
Mar 13 The Hairy Dog – Derby, United Kingdom (headline show)
Mar 14 Academy – Manchester, United Kingdom
Mar 15 Academy – Newcastle, United Kingdom
Mar 16 O2 Academy – Leeds, United Kingdom
Mar 17 ABC – Glasgow, United Kingdom
Mar 18 Academy – Bristol, United Kingdom
Mar 20 AB – Brussels, Belgium
Mar 21 Markhalle – Hamburg, Germany
Mar 23 Kesselhaus – Berlin, Germany
Mar 24 LKA Longhorn – Stuttgart, Germany
Mar 25 Rockhal Club – Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Mar 26 TivoliVredenburg – Utrecht, Netherlands
Mar 27 X-tra – Zurich, Switzerland
Mar 28 Fri-Son – Fribourg, Switzerland
Mar 30 Theaterfabrik – Munich, Germany
Apr 01 L’Olympia – Paris, France
Apr 02 L’Olympia – Paris, France
