The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
Encyclopedia
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is a rock
band from Chilliwack, British Columbia
, Canada
. Their music largely consists of often tongue-in-cheek homages to the works of H. P. Lovecraft
, specifically the Cthulhu Mythos
.
in Abbotsford, British Columbia
.
Their live performances include various costumes, usually Cthulhu Mythos-themed. They have toured across North America a few times over their career, performing with such bands as GWAR
, They Might Be Giants
, Dayglo Abortions
, MC Frontalot
, Freezepop, Bad Brains
and Nomeansno
.
In 2008 as part of a Penny Arcade
download pack, their song titled "Shhh...." was chosen for inclusion as a downloadable track for the video game Rock Band. http://www.rockband.com/news/pr/416447
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' song "Blackout" was nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards
for Hard Rock/Metal Song of the year.
The current line-up of the band consists of vocalist and lyricist Toren Atkinson, guitarist Warren Banks, guitarist/bassist Mario Nieva, drummer Jordan Pratt (former drummer for the band Mystery Machine
), and bassist/backup vocalist Merrick Atkinson.
Outside of the band, Toren Atkinson is also an artist, having illustrated books for role-playing game
s including Dungeons & Dragons
, Call of Cthulhu
(and Delta Green
), as well as the Lovecraft-inspired collectible card game
Mythos. Warren Banks and Toren Atkinson also co-wrote (along with contributions by John Tynes
and Monte Cook
) the roleplaying game Spaceship Zero
, published by Green Ronin Publishing
.
outfits to the red jumpsuit/astronaut motif for their Spaceship Zero concerts, to their Satyr costumes, and most recently, their early twentieth century nautical styles featuring excellent mustaches.
themed CD produced in association with Wizards of the Coast
to promote their new d20
edition of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game
. If the CD is played during a roleplaying session, there are rules for die roll modifiers depending on what song is currently playing.
(June 21) 2007. Their second theme album (after Spaceship Zero). The title is a play on words from the H.P Lovecraft short story The Shadow Out of Time
and a rock opera
based on said.
s:
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Their music largely consists of often tongue-in-cheek homages to the works of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, specifically the Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
.
History
The band's name is drawn from a phrase in Lovecraft's story The Tomb: "I will tell only of the lone tomb in the darkest of the hillside thickets." The band formed in January 1992 after meeting at Fraser Valley CollegeUniversity College of the Fraser Valley
The University of the Fraser Valley , is a Canadian public university with campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission and Hope, British Columbia...
in Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
.
Their live performances include various costumes, usually Cthulhu Mythos-themed. They have toured across North America a few times over their career, performing with such bands as GWAR
GWAR
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, Dayglo Abortions
Dayglo Abortions
The Dayglo Abortions are a Canadian punk band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics are informed by a complete disregard for societal norms. They formed in 1979 and released their first album in 1981...
, MC Frontalot
MC Frontalot
Damian Hess , better known by stage name MC Frontalot, is a Brooklyn-based hip hop musician and self-proclaimed "world's 579th greatest rapper". He is best known in nerdcore hip hop and video game culture, for naming the nerdcore subgenre, and performing at Penny Arcades annual Penny Arcade Expo...
, Freezepop, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
and Nomeansno
Nomeansno
NoMeansNo is a Canadian progressive punk rock music group originally from Victoria, British Columbia and now located in Vancouver.The band has never had, nor have they seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America and Europe...
.
In 2008 as part of a Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
download pack, their song titled "Shhh...." was chosen for inclusion as a downloadable track for the video game Rock Band. http://www.rockband.com/news/pr/416447
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' song "Blackout" was nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
for Hard Rock/Metal Song of the year.
Members
The original three members of the band, at the January 1992 formation, were Toren Atkinson, Warren Banks and Quentin Rogers. Quentin, though, never appeared on any of their releases, nor played at any of their public performances. The first bass player to appear with the band at a show was Devon Presseau. The band has gone through several bassists and drummers since its inception. The discography below details band member history.The current line-up of the band consists of vocalist and lyricist Toren Atkinson, guitarist Warren Banks, guitarist/bassist Mario Nieva, drummer Jordan Pratt (former drummer for the band Mystery Machine
Mystery Machine (band)
Mystery Machine are a Canadian alternative rock band, mainly active in the 1990s. Based in Vancouver, the core of the band consisted of Jordan Pratt, Luke Rogalsky, Bean and Shane Ward....
), and bassist/backup vocalist Merrick Atkinson.
Outside of the band, Toren Atkinson is also an artist, having illustrated books for role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s including Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
(and Delta Green
Delta Green
Delta Green is a setting for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game created by Adam Scott Glancy, Dennis Detwiller, and John Tynes, aka the Delta Green Partnership, of the Seattle gaming house Pagan Publishing...
), as well as the Lovecraft-inspired collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
Mythos. Warren Banks and Toren Atkinson also co-wrote (along with contributions by John Tynes
John tynes
John Tynes is a writer best known for his work on role-playing games such as Unknown Armies, Delta Green, Puppetland, and for his company Tynes Cowan Corporation. Under its imprint Pagan Publishing, Tynes Cowan Corp...
and Monte Cook
Monte Cook
Monte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
) the roleplaying game Spaceship Zero
Spaceship Zero
Spaceship Zero is the title of a role-playing game and an indie rock CD.- Role-playing Game :The role-playing game was written by Warren Banks and Toren Atkinson including contributions from John Tynes and Monte Cook and Andrew J Lucas and published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2002...
, published by Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing
Green Ronin Publishing is an American company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2000 by Chris Pramas, they have published several role-playing game–related products...
.
Costuming
A large part of The Thickets live shows involves the band members in costumes. This has gone through various iterations over the years, from plush gug and fungi from YuggothMi-go
The Mi-go are a race of extraterrestrials in the Cthulhu Mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft and others. The name was first applied to the creatures in Lovecraft's short story "The Whisperer in Darkness" , taking up a reference to 'What fungi sprout in Yuggoth' in his sonnet cycle Fungi from Yuggoth...
outfits to the red jumpsuit/astronaut motif for their Spaceship Zero concerts, to their Satyr costumes, and most recently, their early twentieth century nautical styles featuring excellent mustaches.
Gurgle! Gurgle! Gurgle! (cassette)
Recorded 1992. Three songs recorded using an 8 track recorder at an associate's studio. Using their own equipment, they made 50 cassette to cassette copies to give to friends and to sell. The original master has been lost.- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Chris Woods (guitar), Devon Presseau (bass), and Josh Pratt (drums).
- Tracks: 1. Digging Up The World; 2.Cthulhu Dreams; 3. Three Hour Log
Hurts Like Hell! (cassette)
Recorded 1993. Nine songs recorded using an 8 track recorder at an associate's studio. Using a cassette reproduction company this time, 250 copies were made to sell at shows and to use as demo tapes for record companies, radio stations, and clubs.- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar/bass), Chris West (bass/guitar), Jordan Pratt (drums).
- Tracks: 1. Tarred and Feathered; 2.My Tank; 3. Battered; 4. One-Gilled Girl; 5. Jimmy the Squid; 6. Chunk; 7. Diggin' Up the World; 8. Screams From R'lyeh; 9. Stitching Uranus
Cthulhuriffomania! (cassette)
Released 1994.- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Bob Fugger (bass), Jordan Pratt (drums).
- Tracks: 1. Colour Me Green; 2. Space Ghosts; 3. A Thousand Fists; 4. Big Robot Dinosaur; 5. Rocket Science; 6. Flee!; 7. Everyone Calls Me Ted; 8. Mustard Gas; 9. Diggin' Up the World (Acoustic); 10. Yog-Sothoth
Fraser Valley Champions (CD compilation)
1994 Compilation uses tracks "A Thousand Fists" and "Big Robot Dinosaur"Closet Collections and Conceptions for the Critically Confused (CD compilation)
1994 Compilation by Closet Rock Entertainment used track "Space Ghosts"Cthulhu Strikes Back (CD album)
Released 1995. Reissued 2003 as a Special Edition with two extra tracks.- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Bob Fugger (bass), Jordan Pratt (drums).
- Tracks: 1. Goin' Down To Dunwich; 2.Ogdru Jahad; 3. Shoggoths Away; 4.Unstoppable; 5.Yig Snake Daddy; 6. Hookworm; 7. Wrath; 8. Rock Lords; 9. Protein; 10. HVW; 11. Burrow Your Way To My Heart; 12. Sloth; 13. Worship Me Like A God; 14. Cthulhu Dreams; 15. Gluttony; 16. Slave Ship (Special Edition reissue only); 17. House of Clocks (Special Edition reissue only)
Great Old Ones (CD album)
Released 1996, rerelease of material from Hurts Like Hell and Cthulhuriffomania, with a few additional tracks.- Band: as per release on which material first appeared; new material by Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Bob Fugger (bass), Jordan Pratt (drums).
- Tracks: 1. Tarred and Feathered; 2. My Tank; 3. Battered; 4. One Gilled Girl; 5. Jimmy The Squid; 6. Chunk; 7. Diggin' Up The World; 8. Colour Me Green; 9. Space Ghosts; 10. A Thousand Fists; 11. Big Robot Dinosaur; 12. Rocket Science; 13. Flee!; 14. Mustard Gas; 15. Everyone Calls Me Ted; 16. Diggin' Up The World (Acoustic); 17. Yog-Sothoth; 18. Hookworm (Live); 19. Burrow Your Way To My Heart (Live); 20. Please God No!; 21. Walking On The Moon; 22. Six-Gun Gorgon Dynamo
Fight Prime Time (CD compilation)
1996 Compilation from Kathode Ray Music used track "Burrow Your Way to My Heart"Tombstone Park (CD compilation)
1998 Compilation from Reanimator Records uses tracks "Ogdru Jahad" and "Goin' Down to Dunwich"For Lucio Fulci: A Symphony of Fear (CD compilation)
1999 Compilation from Graveside Entertainment uses track "House of Clocks"Spaceship Zero: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (CD compilation)
Released 2001. For more information on the marketing of the CD, see Spaceship Zero CD section for more information.- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Bob Fugger (bass), Jordan Pratt (drums), Merrick Atkinson (background vocals/bass), Thomas Falk (electronica).
- Tracks: 1. Theme to Spaceship Zero; 2. 20 Minutes of Oxygen; 3. The Innsmouth Look; 4. Power Up; 5. BTL Drive; 6. Frogstar; 7. The Math Song; 8. Dies ist Unverschämtheit; 9. Oblivion; 10. The Chosen One; 11. Slave Ship; 12. Requiem for a Clone Hunter; 13. KABLAM!; 14. Sounds of Tindalos; 15. End Credits
Weird Fiction Horror Comp (CD compilation)
Valiant Death Records (date unknown) uses tracks "The Innsmouth Look" and "1000 Fists"Let Sleeping Gods Lie (Special issue CD compilation)
Released 2002, featuring tracks from previous albums. An all-MythosCthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
themed CD produced in association with Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
to promote their new d20
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
edition of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
. If the CD is played during a roleplaying session, there are rules for die roll modifiers depending on what song is currently playing.
- Band: as per release on which material first appeared.
- Tracks: 1. A Thousand Fists; 2. Colour Me Green; 3. Goin' Down to Dunwich; 4. Shoggoths Away!; 5. Yig Snake Daddy; 6. Please God No; 7. Six-Gun Gorgon Dynamo; 8. The Innsmouth Look; 9. Sounds of Tindalos; 10. The Chosen One; 11. Yog-Sothoth; 12. Cthulhu Dreams
The Shadow Out of Tim (CD Album)
Released Summer SolsticeSummer solstice
The summer solstice occurs exactly when the axial tilt of a planet's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the star that it orbits. Earth's maximum axial tilt to our star, the Sun, during a solstice is 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also...
(June 21) 2007. Their second theme album (after Spaceship Zero). The title is a play on words from the H.P Lovecraft short story The Shadow Out of Time
The Shadow Out of Time
The Shadow Out of Time is a novella by Americanhorror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written between November 1934 and February 1935, it was first published in the June 1936 issue of Astounding Stories.-Plot summary:...
and a rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
based on said.
- Band: Toren Atkinson (lead vocals), Warren Banks (guitar), Mario Nieva (guitar/bass), Jordan Pratt (drums), Merrick Atkinson (background vocals/bass).
- Tracks: 1. Prologue: Theme to an Earthquake; 2. Chapter I: A Marine Biologist; 3. Chapter II: Blackout; 4. Chapter III: No Way; 5. Chapter IV: Strange; 6. Chapter V: Return to Melanesia; 7. Chapter VI: Cultists on Board; 8. Chapter VII: A Need-To-Know Basis; 9. Chapter VIII: Operation: Get the Hell Out Of Here; 10. Chapter IX: Ride the Flying Polyp; 11. Epilogue: Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know; 12. Footnote: Downtown (In the Cenozoic); 13. Footnote: Sleestak & Yeti; 14. Appendix: Nyarlathotep
Child's Play CD 2008 (CD compilation)
Penny Arcade Merchandise (2008) uses track "(We're Gonna) Kill the Chupacabra (Tonight)"Hymns From the House of Horror Vol. II (mp3 compilation)
Rue Morgue (2011) uses track "Shhh..."Videography
The band also has several music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s:
- Diggin' Up the World (Director: Bob Fugger)
- Worship Me Like A God (Director: Bob Fugger)
- Colour Me Green (Director: Bob Fugger)
- Walking on the Moon (Director: Bob Fugger)
- Sounds of Tindalos (Director: Scott Winlaw)
- 20 Minutes of Oxygen (Director: Mike Jackson)
Trivia
- "Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know" appears in the credits of the video game Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 2
- An instrumental version of "Ride the Flying Polyp" appears in the PC video game Fort ZombieFort ZombieFort Zombie is an RPG video game developed by Kerberos Productions. It was released on October 30, 2009. The game takes place on a version of Earth that is being invaded by an evil force which warps reality and creates zombies. Players control Ben Riley, a young man who has survived through the...
, for which lead singer Toren Atkinson also supplied voice acting. - Among the songs recorded during The Shadow Out of Tim sessions were "Shhh...." and "(We're Gonna) Kill the Chupacabra (Tonight)." They were not included on the album as the subject matter was unrelated to the album narrative.
- "The Sounds of Tindalos" and "Slave Ship" appear in the trailers for the video game Sword of the StarsSword of the StarsSword of the Stars is a space 4X game developed by Kerberos Productions. In the game the player chooses one of four unique races to form an interstellar empire and conquer the galaxy...
, for which Toren Atkinson also supplied voices. - "Slave Ship" appears in the SciFi Channel original movie "Bloodsuckers" AKA "Vampire Wars"
- Chapter ten of Gary Hill's "The Strange Sound of Cthulhu: Music Inspired by the Writings of H.P. Lovecraft" is titled "The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets: Lovecraftian Humor Set To Music". http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/cthulhubook.htm
- According to the introduction of My Tank Is Fight!, author Zack Parsons says he took the title from a song by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (a verse of the song "My Tank").
- American independent rock band Jessica's CrimeJessica's CrimeJessica's Crime is a sporadically active American independent rock band. Founding member and lead vocalist Aaron Bishop has cited the band's "day-jobs in professional academia" as the primary reason for their occasional, long periods of apparent quiescence....
have announced that their next record, PROJECT : GHOLA, will feature a cover of 'The Innsmouth Look' by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. - Lead singer Toren Atkinson co-hosts popular science/comedy podcast Caustic Soda. www.causticsodapodcast.com
- Drummer Jordan Pratt, former bassist/video director Bob Fugger, and former guitarist Chris Woods host comedy podcast Speedway Squad. speedwaysquad.com
- "Shhh.... is featured as downloadable content in the Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series.
External links
- The official web site
- The band's MySpace site (includes four free songs)