Pyramid Mass Reveal Influences Behind Their Sick New EP
Earlier this month, Richmond, Virginia’s Pyramid Mass dipped a ladle into their cauldron of blackened sludge, progressive metal, thrash, black metal, hardcore, avant-garde—Jesus, need we go on?—and poured a heaping helping of their lethal stew into a bowl beautifully named Gargling Rot. The wretched EP, issued by Ossien Records, contains five songs that would make for great house music in Guantánamo Bay. In other words, it’s killer.
Mastered by the legendary James Plotkin of Khanate, Gargling Rot is the chaser to 2023’s Monolith, the debut by the band consisting of Matt Wild (drums/vocals), Nick Crider (guitar/vocals) and Joey Anderson (bass/vocals/synth). The EP commands strict attention from start to finish, even though no matter how hard you concentrate on what Pyramid Mass are doing, you won’t be able to make sense of it. What better way to guarantee repeat spins of a record.
Still captivated by the release, The Bad Penny recently checked in with the cretins not to elaborate on their approach to making the EP—that’s way too boring of a discussion topic for a band this complex—but rather to pick their scabs brains about what bands were responsible for inspiring them to create the monstrosity that is Gargling Rot.
Here’s what they said in reply:
Crider:
Plebeian Grandstand – “It’s rare a band conveys actual emotion. Most emulate emotion. But Plebeian Grandstand is just actual desperation.”
Mortiferum – “I saw them live before listening to anything, and it was the first time in years that I felt that delicious dread and anger you get at a good metal show. Production on the newest record [2021’s Preserved in Torment] is perfect as well.”
Gravesend – “So gristly and nasty. Also a fan of that Magrudergrind[-style] throw-up vocal.”
Wild:
Mastodon – “This band is the reason I like metal music in general. The song ‘Ol’e Nessie’ off Remission was what inspired me to learn more about the genre back in 2002. That album stayed in my car’s CD player the last two years of high school. The way Brann [Dailor] and Brent [Hinds] write together as drummer following the guitarist [respectively] reminds me a lot of how Nick and I write Pyramid Mass material.”
Isis – “This was another band introduced to me by a close friend at an early age (shoutout to [drummer] Nate [Roseberry] from Dumb Waiter). This is another band that totally changed my life musically. Their ability to create atmospheric beauty with waves of crushing guitar tone, heavy riffs and emotional percussion has always impressed me. The vocal approach of Aaron Turner with his powerful delivery and poetic lyrics influenced me a lot when I wrote lyrics for both Monolith and Gargling Rot.”
Hella – “If I’m being honest, pretty much anything I hear Zach Hill play drums on, I’m usually interested in. With the head-crushing mayhem of Death Grips or the melodic fizz dream chaos of The Ladies, it’s hard to go wrong, but Hella was it for me for a very long time. I think the material we wrote before we became Pyramid Mass really speaks more to this influence, but I still have a special place in my heart for this type of chaos. It’s roomed right next door to my still-healing inner child.”
Anderson:
The Police – “I never really paid them much attention my whole life until we were gearing up for this album. We have some amazing musician friends and have had a fourth member in Pyramid Mass before. We have considered bringing in a fourth member [again] many times. I think about the depth and sounds that are covered with a three piece. The Police execute this so well, they have a technically proficient guitar player [Andy Summers] using fun sounds, a busy drummer [Stewart Copeland] (more room to be this identity in a three-piece) and a solid bass player [Sting] to hold it down. I have been attracted to keeping our outfit minimal but also finding more sounds even though we are limited. I think we are tapping into this more for Gargling Rot and we want to continue this trajectory.”
“Anything [producer] Colin Marston touches. This guy is just connected to the coolest dark music. I think we all can relate to one of his projects more than another member. For instance, Gorguts’ Colored Sands album has his prints all over it, and it is absolutely incredible. This bridged the gap for me listening to inspiring heavy music compared to nostalgic heavy music. He continues to do that for me in anything he is putting out. The new Krallice album, Inorganic Rites, is so dense yet so refreshing that they don’t stray from extremely long songs with even more complexities that exist within them. I don’t think we could ever be that technical if we tried, [and] it is done so scarily tastefully.”
Robert Fripp – “The emotions this artist derives without his other rotating members of his famous band [King Crimson] is inspiring. His soundscapes from the ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s are hopeful, dark and mysterious. All of those qualities visually and audibly stand out to us.”
Nails – “This band is as heavy as it gets. I admire the tones and the short songs so much. This influences how Nick and I think about slam parts (likely indirectly). Everyone can write a breakdown, but how members interpret it is really what makes it good or not. This band executes that, and it doesn’t feel just like a timepiece that won’t age well. What an incredible feat.“
Snag a copy of Pyramid Mass’ Gargling Rot EP on their Bandcamp page.
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