Ohio-based atmospheric doom metal unit CLOSE THE HATCH recently unveiled a cover of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.” The rendition follows the recent release of the band’s lauded Modern Witchcraft full-length.
“The band has been actively working on bonus material for Modern Witchcraft,” issues the band. “This track by Talking Heads is just one of a handful that we are working on remotely during quarantine. We want to record covers that represent our influences as musicians but in a way that feels like our material. It is our goal to have people view these songs in a different light. ‘Psycho Killer’ was chosen first mostly in that it was completed first but with the chaos going on, it is sadly fitting. It is obviously up to the listener to find their own meaning. Stay safe out there.”
Stream “Psycho Killer” at THIS LOCATION.
Produced by the band with Micah Carli (Hawthorne Heights), engineered by Carli and CLOSE THE HATCH guitarist Shaun O, and mixed and mastered by Carli with cover art by Matthew Mills, the band’s Modern Witchcraft full-length was released on CD and digitally last month. For orders, visit the CLOSE THE HATCH Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION and all other streaming outlets HERE where the record can be streamed in full.
Independent of strict classification, yet beholden to the lineage of conceptual metal, CLOSE THE HATCH strides confidently in the footsteps of post and doom metal heavyweights like Neurosis and Isis yet emote with a conviction that’s distinctly their own. With six studio albums under their proverbial belts since their 2011 conception, CLOSE THE HATCH has shown continual evolution in sound and structure, exploring darker avenues of punishing riffs while seamlessly intertwining atmosphere, melody, and ethereal elements over the course of their musical output.
“Though ‘Attunement’ may bear the hallmarks of classic post-metal songwriting – the heavy/light dichotomy, emotional vocal stylings and a driving rhythm beneath bleak, doomy riffs intertwined with just a bit of melody, but the opening riff draws more comparisons to a twisted version of Deftones. It does not much help that vocalist/guitarist Steve of house B.’s vocals on the chorus resemble a distorted Chino Moreno doing a Chritus Lindersson impersonation. Help being a misleading expression, as the impression is one of CLOSE THE HATCH‘s strongest weapons, and quite easily sets them apart from their immediate peers.” – Toilet Ov Hell on “Attunement”
“The writing is rich and complex across the entire album, and the musical performances are at once spiritual and clinically precise. You don’t want to miss this one. Recommended.” – Flying Fiddlesticks
“If you’re unfamiliar, CLOSE THE HATCH kinda have one foot in Electric Wizard-style psychedelic doom and one in Neurosis-style post-metal, and just when you feel like you’ve already heard way too much music in both of those styles, CLOSE THE HATCH come along with an album that feels fresh and not really derivative of any one thing in particular.” – BrooklynVegan
“Glacial in scope and speed, the thunderous sludge metal grooves of CLOSE THE HATCH take a genre that can… become redundant and pepper it with unique subtleties that remain true to what past giants have achieved but also update the sound with adroit skill.” – Jersey Beat
“It’s not a soul shaking doom offering, nor is it a progressive masterpiece – it falls somewhere in the middle. It paints a picture of what growth in a band looks like.” –- The Void Report
“CLOSE THE HATCH follow the footsteps of post and doom metal heavyweights like Neurosis and Isis yet strike their own style. Their music blends effortlessly, casting spells with an ethereal output that focus on shorter less labored songs than other bands often struggle with. What sets CLOSE THE HATCH apart from many of their peers is their ability to emote with a conviction that’s distinctly their own.” – The Razor’s Edge
“….beyond all the comparisons, name-drops, and undeniable sonic similarities, CLOSE THE HATCH still sound very much like their own, distinct entity, and demonstrate such a fantastic grasp of dynamic flow, light and shade songwriting, and the subtle give and take between atmosphere and heaviness, that Modern Witchcraft truly is an absolutely spellbinding (pun intended) listening experience from start to finish.” – No Clean Singing
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