Karma to Burn
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the stoner metal group. For the album by The Waterboys, see Karma to Burn (The Waterboys album).
Karma to Burn, sometimes known as K2B, is a desert rock
Palm Desert Scene
The Palm Desert Scene is a group of closely related bands and musicians from Palm Desert in Southern California. Their hard rock sound – which is often described as desert rock – contains elements of psychedelia, blues, Heavy metal and other genres, such as hardcore, as well as...
/stoner metal band from Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
comprising guitarist William Mecum, bassist Rich Mullins, and drummer Rob Oswald. The band are noted for their uncompromising, mostly instrumental sound.
First era (1997-2002)
After years of viral self promotion (such as phoning record companies pretending to be other bands who'd heard an interesting band called Karma To Burn), Karma To Burn was signed to Roadrunner Records in 1996. They were planning to release an entirely instrumental album, but Roadrunner insisted that the contract was only valid under the condition that they hired a vocalist. After a brief trial of then KyussKyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
frontman John Garcia, they hired a friend of theirs Jay Jarosz. Their first album Karma To Burn was released in 1997, and despite critical acclaim, sold poorly. The band decided to sack Jarosz and as such were fired from Roadrunner. The band continued, releasing 1999's, Wild Wonderful Purgatory and 2001's Almost Heathen as entirely instrumental albums.
The band unofficially disbanded sometime in mid-2002, when bassist Rich Mullins joined Speedealer. As of 2008, Mullins was playing in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
based band Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
, Oswald was the drummer in Nebula
Nebula (band)
Nebula was a psychedelic stoner rock band, formed by guitarist Eddie Glass and drummer Ruben Romano after departing from Fu Manchu in 1997. Rob Oswald later replaced Ruben Romano on drums in 2007....
, and Will Mecum was playing guitar for Treasure Cat.
Reunion (2009-2010)
On February 23, 2009, Karma to Burn reformed with the line-up being the same as when they disbanded. They toured extensively, hitting both the US and Europe. Their European tour included a second stage slot at the Download Festival, which has now become infamous for the wasp swarm above the crowd throughout. A year after reuniting, Karma To Burn were in the stages of finishing a fourth full length album, which was produced by Scott Reeder formerly of the stoner rock band KyussKyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
. The album, Appalachian Incantation, was released in April 2010, and included two vocal tracks: 'Waiting on the Western World', featuring Year Long Disaster vocalist and guitarist Daniel Davies, and 'Two Times,' featuring former Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
vocalist John Garcia. The rest of the album consisted of instrumental selections. The band toured Europe after its release, including a nine date UK run supported by bassist Mullins's other band, Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
.
Merger with Year Long Disaster (2010-Present)
In a May 2010 interview with Uber Rock, Daniel Davies commented on a planned merger between the bands Year Long Disaster and Karma To Burn:In June 2010, Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
toured Europe with all three members of Karma To Burn as part of the band. The favour was returned on Karma To Burn's European summer tour, with Davies stepping in as an occasional guitarist (and, when needed, vocalist) for the band. Karma To Burn then announced it plans to record a swift follow-up to Appalachian Incantation with an album featuring several songs with vocals by Davies, to be released in 2011, further blurring the boundaries between it and Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
. The speculation as to whether Davies had joined the band was confirmed by his inclusion in the band picture on K2B's website and, more solidly, by Rich Mullins himself in an interview with Rock Radio.
K2B headlined the Jagermeister stage at the UK leg of Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
2010., and supported The Sword on their 2010 winter US tour and in Europe the following November.
The follow-up to Appalachian Incantation, V, was recorded in February, 2011, at Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
's Studio 606, and includes Davies' vocals on three songs, although he has since started a project outside Karma to Burn and left the group, returning the band to a trio. V was released in June, 2011, followed by more extensive touring of the USA and Europe. The band were also set to record a song for John Garcia's solo project, Garcia Vs. Garcia. On September 7, it was said via twitter that Karma To Burn had finished recording 3 tracks with John Garcia, though for which projects was left unclear.
Current Line-Up
- William MecumWilliam MecumWill Mecum is the lead guitarist for the malternative band Karma To Burn. He also plays Guitar for Year Long Disaster, who feature an identical line up to K2B. During K2B's seven year absence, he also played guitar for instrumental band Treasure Cat. He also played drums in the band Admiral prior...
– guitar - Rich MullinsRich Mullins (bassist)Rich Mullins is the bassist of the malternative, desert rock band Karma To Burn and the rock band Year Long Disaster. Both of which share the band mate Daniel Davies He is known for his slouched gait whilst playing his bass...
– bass - Rob OswaldRob OswaldRobert Oswald is an American drummer. Oswald currently plays drums for Karma To Burn. He also plays in the band Year Long Disaster, who feature an identical line up, as well as recording as Crack Angel. He has previously been a member of various bands, including Mondo Generator, Nebula, ...
– drums
Former members
- Daniel DaviesDaniel Davies (musician)Daniel Davies, son of Dave Davies of The Kinks, is an English and American singer, guitarist and songwriter.He is best known for his work in the rock band Year Long Disaster as front man and lead guitarist...
– guitar, vocals - Jay Jarosz – vocals
- John GarciaJohn Garcia (singer)John Garcia is a vocalist who has been a member of Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida and Hermano. His vocals have become synonymous with modern stoner rock and the desert rock sound.-Kyuss:...
– vocals - Ronnie Garcia – vocals (unconfirmed)
- Jim Davison – guitar
- Chuck Nicholas – drums
- Nathan Limbaugh – drums
Studio albums
- Karma To Burn (Roadrunner Records, 1997)
- Wild, Wonderful... PurgatoryWild, Wonderful PurgatoryWild, Wonderful Purgatory is the second full length album by Stoner Rock band Karma to Burn. It is their first fully instrumental album after the departure of former vocalist Jay Jarosz, a style they would keep for all subsequent releases...
(Roadrunner Records, 1999) - Almost HeathenAlmost HeathenAlmost Heathen is the third full length album by stoner rock band Karma to Burn. It is their second fully instrumental album after the departure of former vocalist Jay Jarosz. This is also the last album the band released before their seven year disbandment in 2002...
(Spitfire Records, 2001) - Appalachian IncantationAppalachian Incantation- Cat Got Our Tongue EP, Limited Edition bonus disc :- Trivia :* Forty-Six features a recording of a yelping dog at the beginning. This is drummer Rob Oswalds' chihuahua. It was used as Oswalds' ringtone, which went off during the album recording...
(Napalm Records, 2010) - VV (Karma To Burn Album)V is the fifth studio album released by the traditionally instrumental stoner rock band Karma to Burn. It is their second studio release since reforming from their 7-year hiatus in 2009. It was released on May 27, 2011, via Napalm Records. Unlike their previous releases since Karma to Burn, this is...
(Napalm Records, 2011)
EP's
- Split 7" with ASGASG (band)ASG is an American rock band signed to Volcom Entertainment, originating from Wilmington, North Carolina. It is a four-piece band, with Jason Shi on vocals and guitar, Andy Ellis on bass, Scott Key on drums and Jonah Citty on guitar...
(Volcom EntertainmentVolcom EntertainmentVolcom Entertainment, officially founded in 1995, in Newport Beach, California, and currently based in Costa Mesa, CA is the brainchild of Volcom founder Richard Woolcott and theLINE's singer/guitarist Ryan Immegart. Ryan being Volcom's first sponsored snowboarder and having a love for music...
Vinyl Club, 2009) - Incantation's Ingredients (Napalm Records, 2010)
Compilation albums
- Mountain Mama′s – A collection of the works of Karma to Burn (Roadrunner Records, 2007-Limited Edition to 2000 copies)
- Live in London & Chasing the Dragon (DRP Records, 2009-Limited Edition to 250 copies)
Videos
- Live 2009 - Reunion Tour (A collection of 2009 footage, also includes bonus videos shot between 1997 and 1999)