Shrinebuilder
Encyclopedia
Shrinebuilder is a heavy metal supergroup consisting of various established musicians, particularly of the doom metal
subgenre. Their first album, Shrinebuilder
, was released in October 2009.
of the band Om contacted Scott "Wino" Weinrich
and proposed that they form a new collaborative three piece group with Om drummer Chris Hakius. Cisneros named the band, and it was intended that Wino would be the only vocalist. A few years later, and after sporadically working on some music together, Cisneros enlisted Neurosis
frontman Scott Kelly
on guitar and vocals to round out the band to a four-piece. Of the request to join Shrinebuilder, Kelly added "He [Cisneros] told me that this would be the name when he asked me to join and I thought it was great. It makes sense to me. I think music is shrine, music is religion, music is a way of life. It has its own mythology, it has its own theology, it has its own gods."
As time passed, word and anticipation began to gather on the internet about this new act. Shrinebuilder were becoming well known, yet nothing had been heard regarding the act. In early 2008, drummer Chris Hakius decided to retire from playing music, and as a result, Dale Crover
of Melvins was brought in to replace him. Over the next year the band sent computer files to one another, refining their material, and rehearsed when possible in various configurations of two or three in Baltimore, San Francisco, Ashland and Los Angeles.
record was recorded in three days, with Crover and Toshi Kasai (collectively known as The Deaf Nephews) producing. Commenting upon the recording experience, Kelly stated, "The sheer weight of it all pushed this thing into another realm the moment the decision was made to do this. The fifth member of Shrinebuilder is the godhead. This record honours the traditions set forth by all those that walked through these endless halls before us."
Wino later added some additional guitar overdubs, and the album was released in October 2009. Following the album's release, the band announced a string of concerts, and the first Shrinebuilder track, "Pyramid Of The Moon," was added to the band's Myspace
page. On November 11, 2009, Club My War
arranged and hosted the band's first live show in the United States at The Viper Room. The band played two sets and the show was praised by Scott Kelly as a success.
Since that time Shrinebuilder have played sporadically as and when the members schedules have allowed. Whilst unable to fly over to Europe to tour during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption of 2010, the band returned to LA and completed the writing stage of their second record. One year later the band performed on the main stage at the 16th Roadburn festival in Tilberg, Holland which they had been set to appear at in 2010 had the volcano eruption not hindered flights.
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
subgenre. Their first album, Shrinebuilder
Shrinebuilder (album)
Shrinebuilder is the first album by American band Shrinebuilder, released in October 2009 on Neurot Recordings.- Track listing :All songs written by Shrinebuilder.#"Solar Benediction" - 8:44#"Pyramid Of The Moon" - 7:35#"Blind For All To See" - 7:27...
, was released in October 2009.
Founding
The band's origins were established around 2003–04, when Al CisnerosAl Cisneros
Al Cisneros |Sleep]], Om, Shrinebuilder, and Asbestosdeath.-Biography:He began his musical career in 1989 by founding a local punk metal band, Asbestosdeath, along with Chris Hakius , Matt Pike and Tom Choi . Cisneros performed bass guitar for the band, and they released two EPs in 1990...
of the band Om contacted Scott "Wino" Weinrich
Scott Weinrich
Robert Scott "Wino" Weinrich is a doom metal guitarist and vocalist. Active since 1976, when he started his first band War Horse, Weinrich is best known for being the frontman and guitarist of the doom metal bands The Obsessed and Saint Vitus...
and proposed that they form a new collaborative three piece group with Om drummer Chris Hakius. Cisneros named the band, and it was intended that Wino would be the only vocalist. A few years later, and after sporadically working on some music together, Cisneros enlisted Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
frontman Scott Kelly
Scott Kelly (musician)
Scott Michael Kelly is one of three founding members of Oakland, California experimental metal band Neurosis, in which he is a vocalist and guitarist. He has been writing and publishing music since 1985 with Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Blood and Time and his solo acoustic project. He is also...
on guitar and vocals to round out the band to a four-piece. Of the request to join Shrinebuilder, Kelly added "He [Cisneros] told me that this would be the name when he asked me to join and I thought it was great. It makes sense to me. I think music is shrine, music is religion, music is a way of life. It has its own mythology, it has its own theology, it has its own gods."
As time passed, word and anticipation began to gather on the internet about this new act. Shrinebuilder were becoming well known, yet nothing had been heard regarding the act. In early 2008, drummer Chris Hakius decided to retire from playing music, and as a result, Dale Crover
Dale Crover
Dale Crover is an American rock musician. Crover is best known as the drummer for Melvins and Men of Porn, Shrinebuilder, and for a brief time, drummer for Nirvana. He is also guitarist and vocalist for Altamont...
of Melvins was brought in to replace him. Over the next year the band sent computer files to one another, refining their material, and rehearsed when possible in various configurations of two or three in Baltimore, San Francisco, Ashland and Los Angeles.
Debut album
In January 2009 the full band met together for the first time to set about recording the material they had previously sketched out. Kelly documented the recording sessions via his blog site "We Burn Through The Night". The debut ShrinebuilderShrinebuilder (album)
Shrinebuilder is the first album by American band Shrinebuilder, released in October 2009 on Neurot Recordings.- Track listing :All songs written by Shrinebuilder.#"Solar Benediction" - 8:44#"Pyramid Of The Moon" - 7:35#"Blind For All To See" - 7:27...
record was recorded in three days, with Crover and Toshi Kasai (collectively known as The Deaf Nephews) producing. Commenting upon the recording experience, Kelly stated, "The sheer weight of it all pushed this thing into another realm the moment the decision was made to do this. The fifth member of Shrinebuilder is the godhead. This record honours the traditions set forth by all those that walked through these endless halls before us."
Wino later added some additional guitar overdubs, and the album was released in October 2009. Following the album's release, the band announced a string of concerts, and the first Shrinebuilder track, "Pyramid Of The Moon," was added to the band's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page. On November 11, 2009, Club My War
Club My War
Club My War ))) is a platform for underground metal and punk bands to play at intimate venues in the greater Los Angeles area, notably Hollywood. Formed in 2009 by Eddie Solis of Southern Lord Records, events are held on a weekly or monthly basis at venues such as The Viper Room, Dragonfly, and...
arranged and hosted the band's first live show in the United States at The Viper Room. The band played two sets and the show was praised by Scott Kelly as a success.
Since that time Shrinebuilder have played sporadically as and when the members schedules have allowed. Whilst unable to fly over to Europe to tour during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption of 2010, the band returned to LA and completed the writing stage of their second record. One year later the band performed on the main stage at the 16th Roadburn festival in Tilberg, Holland which they had been set to appear at in 2010 had the volcano eruption not hindered flights.
Members
- Al CisnerosAl CisnerosAl Cisneros |Sleep]], Om, Shrinebuilder, and Asbestosdeath.-Biography:He began his musical career in 1989 by founding a local punk metal band, Asbestosdeath, along with Chris Hakius , Matt Pike and Tom Choi . Cisneros performed bass guitar for the band, and they released two EPs in 1990...
(OmOm (band)Om is a duo formed in 2003 by the rhythm section of the disbanded Stoner doom metal band Sleep. The band's first three albums feature Al Cisneros on vocals and bass and Chris Hakius on drums. Their music is similar in structure to Tibetan chanting....
, SleepSleep (band)Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...
, AsbestosdeathAsbestosdeathAsbestosdeath was an American sludge/doom metal band from San Jose, California, and the precursor to the highly influential Sleep.-History:Asbestosdeath started life as trio consisting of Al Cisneros on bass, Chris Hakius on drums, and Tom Choi on guitar. Matt Pike later joined as a second guitarist...
) – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Scott "Wino" WeinrichScott WeinrichRobert Scott "Wino" Weinrich is a doom metal guitarist and vocalist. Active since 1976, when he started his first band War Horse, Weinrich is best known for being the frontman and guitarist of the doom metal bands The Obsessed and Saint Vitus...
(The Hidden Hand, Spirit CaravanSpirit CaravanSpirit Caravan was a Maryland doom/stoner metal band featuring the guitarist and vocalist Scott Weinrich.-Biography:Scott "Wino" Weinrich formed Spirit Caravan after the breakup of The Obsessed. The remainder of the band consisted of Dave Shermann on bass and vocals; and Gary Isom on drums...
, Saint VitusSaint Vitus (band)Saint Vitus is an American doom metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1978. They consist of founding members Dave Chandler and Mark Adams , alongside sporadic singer Scott Weinrich and recently added drummer Henry Vasquez...
, The ObsessedThe ObsessedThe Obsessed is a doom metal band from Maryland led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, who also fronted Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, Place of Skulls, The Hidden Hand and W.I.N.O.. Formed in 1976, they first split up in 1986 when Wino Saint Vitus, but reformed four years later...
) – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocals - Scott KellyScott Kelly (musician)Scott Michael Kelly is one of three founding members of Oakland, California experimental metal band Neurosis, in which he is a vocalist and guitarist. He has been writing and publishing music since 1985 with Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot, Blood and Time and his solo acoustic project. He is also...
(NeurosisNeurosis (band)Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
, Tribes of NeurotTribes of NeurotTribes of Neurot is an experimental ambient band that infuse tribal-like sounds into their music.-Biography:Tribes of Neurot is a side project of Neurosis that consists of all the members of Neurosis along with additional musicians. The music explores many of the same themes that Neurosis does but...
, Blood and Time) – guitar, vocals - Dale CroverDale CroverDale Crover is an American rock musician. Crover is best known as the drummer for Melvins and Men of Porn, Shrinebuilder, and for a brief time, drummer for Nirvana. He is also guitarist and vocalist for Altamont...
(Melvins, AltamontAltamont (band)Altamont is a rock band from San Francisco, California. It was formed in 1994 as a side project by Dale Crover of Melvins, along with Joey Osbourne and Dan Southwick of Acid King...
, The Men of PornThe Men of PornMen of Porn, sometimes typeset as Porn and now simply known as Porn, is a San Francisco band consisting of founder Tim Moss, Dale Crover, and Billy Anderson....
, NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....