Make the Scene has featured quite the range of bands and musicians, from indie, to electronic, to acoustic soloists, but none are quite like Gilbert’s Drone Throne.
“Twelve songs. Pure hell,” is how Alex Bank Rollins, the band’s guitarist, describes their new album.
Drone Throne will be releasing their first full-length album after three years together. They’ve been playing musical chairs with members for a while, but now the lineup is set and they like it that way.
Drone Throne is Garrett Ranous (vocals), Rollins, Andy Leemont (bass) and Taylor Kienzle (drums). In the summer of 2008, Ranous and Rollins started the band with Rollins’ brother for fun, and they ended up recorded five songs. After adding and subtracting members, Leemont joined the group. It took a while to get in sync.
“Andy joined, and he started playing guitar, then bass; then I played bass and then switched to guitar,” Rollins recalls.
Kienzle joined the band shortly after, completing the team.
Gilbert-based metal band Drone Throne will play at Revolver Records on Saturday, January 29.
A couple days ago, they started recording for the new record in Leemont’s living room.
Kienzle says they had just listened to a rough mix in the car right before the time of interview. Their goal is to have it out by end of March or early April.
“It’s not as slow as it used to be,” Ranous says of their sound. “It’s still pretty doomy, but kind of crusty and kind of punk.”
Yet the band’s influences are quite a surprise.
“Our biggest influence is Mindless Self Indulgence and then it’s Atmosphere,” Ranous says, prompting Rollins to shout, “WHAT?!”
“All in all, Black Flag and Black Sabbath,” Ranous admits after the uproar.
With each new song comes a new writing process.
“Garrett will write it on piano. Sometimes he’ll just write the lyrics,” Leemont explains.
Rollins adds, “Sometimes he’ll rap it to us.”
Now that’s not something you hear every day about a band’s writing process. Ranous proceeds to rap possibly the dirtiest lyrics since the Ying Yang Twins’ last hit single. Just by the sounds of it, Ranous’ chances of being tomorrow’s next big rapper are out the window.
But with the new record comes touring. Drone Throne hopes to tour the South and Midwest during the summer, but for now, the band will do weekend trips to LA to play shows. One thing that is guaranteed to be packed in the Drone Throne van: a fog machine, which Kienzle refers to as the band’s fifth member.
“I’m getting used to playing drums not being able to see 2 inches in front of my face,” Kienzle says of the fog machine’s output.
So, beware, you may not actually be able to see the band next weekend at Revolver Records. Drone Throne will rock the store’s confines on January 29 with Pigeonwing. There’s no way you can leave without a once-in-a-lifetime experience after seeing this band.
Revolver Records is located at 918 N. 2nd St. in Evans Churchill (light rail at Roosevelt station) — 602.795.4980
