Exploding with melodic and pummeling industrial-tinged post-punk, Louisville dark punk stalwarts FOTOCRIME erupt in an unexpectedly aggressive tone on Security. Few bands sound this immediate and energized on their fifth album, yet Fotocrime tear through Security’s ten songs in just over thirty minutes with a surprising fervor. This more guitar-driven direction may seem like a pivot, but to those in the know it’s inherent in Fotocrime leader Ryan Patterson’s musical history and DNA.   Patterson is a musician, producer, visual artist, and creative force behind Coliseum, Cat Magic Punks, Black Cross, and Shirt Killer, amongst many other bands and endeavors. Formed in 2017, Fotocrime have released five EPs and four albums, and on their fifth LP Security, Patterson is joined by new members Benjamin Clark on guitar and David Cundiff on bass. The album features appearances from drummer Jay Weinberg (SLIPKNOT), legendary vocalist Barney Greenway of NAPALM DEATH, Aaron Turner (SUMAC, ISIS), Brian Cook (RUSSIAN CIRCLES, BOTCH) and a cavalcade of veteran Louisville artists. Musician and noted producer J. Robbins (JAWBOX) also performed on several tracks and traveled to Patterson’s studio, the House of Foto, to co-produce, engineer, and co-mix the album.   Filled with tales of overblown machismo at the nuclear chess board, mental instability in a time of crisis, and honest living in a corrupt world, Security is rife with sentiments of paranoia and impending doom. But unlike post-punk greats Killing Joke, Fotocrime never go full conspiracy theorist or espouse theories on the alien civilizations that built ancient Egypt. Security is very much influenced by Jaz Coleman & Co., and it serves as a celebration of that band’s musical output, alongside other recently passed heroes. “Killing Joke, Big Black, and Hot Snakes– these were all bands that all had musicians that passed away recently,” recalls Fotocrime frontman Ryan Patterson pensively. “Geordie Walker, Steve Albini and Rick Froberg were all so crucial to my musical growth, so I wanted to put these influences forward and channel them as much as I could, as opposed to keeping them in my back pocket and letting them manifest in less obvious ways.”     On Security, the band eschews their previous approach for a more aggressive and furious tone, one that matches the aforementioned bands along with the man-vs-machine churn of Godflesh and middle period Ministry, the down-picking stylings of The Marked Men, and even the anarcho leanings of legendary bands like Crass and The Mob. Historically a synth-forward band, these influences come to the forefront to reveal a new era for the Louisville, KY favorites. “There are synth textures, but for Security we had a different sort of goal,” explains Patterson. “We recorded most of the music live, and what you’re hearing is primarily guitar, bass, and drum machine. There are plenty of Soviet-era analog synths on the album, but not anywhere near the amount that there has been with Fotocrime previously.”

So Rebreather dates back to 1999 and there were a few phases with this band, as there has been a total of 6 members through the years. I came into the picture around 2007. The band has broken up or paused a few times throughout the years due to life things and whatnot. I think Barley (Rantilla) penned our motto “on your mark…get set…quit.” I met Barley through my dear pal Jeremy Koerber (Lake Lake) the super talented and OG drummer of Rebreather. Jeremy (who plays every instrument well) and I played in a couple Ohio bands previously, one being Favorite Action Hero and another Grandstands On Titan. GOT used to practice in Rebreather’s original practice space (Barley’s garage). Jeremy and I then formed the short lived band Low Divide with Barley. Low Divide really influenced the next phase of Rebreather. That started my awesome musical relationship with Barley up to this day.

Tj Duke Joe Boyer Juan Granda

Nate Eberhardt from Cleveland, Ohio known for playing in bands has taken production into his own hands. Formless is the latest material from Cleveland's Nate Eberhardt. "I've been trying to find a way to do what I love to do and help people in the process" says the artist behind the project. "That's the purpose of this project."