Concept Album “Stranded In Hell” Out Oct 2026 + Launch Pre-Order New York-based metal project QUEMASANTOS has officially opened digital pre-orders for its forthcoming second album, “Stranded […]
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It has been a minute since I have been to a small, all-ages show. The lack of venues in Orange County makes that difficult. However, Octopus vs. Bear has been sporadically putting on shows. Located on the opposite side of the block from Garden Amp, Octopus vs. Bear is a stone’s throw away from Garden Grove’s Main Street nestled in the basement of The First Baptist Church of Garden Grove. It was dimly lit with white Christmas lights strung around the tops of the walls. There was no barricade, but a giant pillar stands in front of the stage, which was initially built for something else.
The poster and flyers for the show listed the name as Inpost; however, all of their socials have this band named as First State. Whatever the case, this band kicked ass. They played songs that were definitely a love letter to the emo bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s, going as far as to cover Braid. I say this a lot, but these kids have done their homework. If you threw one of their songs into the middle of a mixtape from 1995, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. After playing a set that would make fans thirty years their senior cheer, the band ended with a cover of the Ramones’ version of “Do You Wanna Dance?” While trying to figure out the band’s name, the Chudson guitarist/singer said they were a ska band the last time he played with them. That is a pretty cool flex in 2026.
It is hard to pin down a genre for most of these bands, although mixed bills are not unusual, especially in a county with a handful of venues. Willowbark! came out with a ton of energy. Sometimes they had a member of the band playing keyboard and sometimes they did not. They seemed to be quite content with not fitting into one genre. They were much more experimental with sound than most bands I have seen. Almost everything blended together and did so well, even if it did feel like a mash of sound. One song started slow and almost morphed into a Misfits-like song. Willowbark! knew how to get the crowd to move. I do not know exactly what I saw, but by the reaction of the crowd of kids, it was working.
I have been a fan of Chudson since I saw them at Chain Reaction last year, but I haven’t been able to see them since for good reasons. They were either on the road or had set up a house show that sold out before I had a chance to get tickets. As always, they started explosively and did not stop for the first few songs. While they have definitely improved in the fifteen months since I last saw them, there wasn’t too much to improve on. They still come out with the same energy, but they are able to harness it a lot better, preferring to play in smaller rooms than bigger venues. They played some newer songs that leaned a bit into pop punk but definitely still sounded like Chudson, although some new songs didn’t stray from the formula, like their song “I Hate Live Nation.” In the last year, they’ve had the experience of playing bigger venues. Chudson recognizes the level up but still sees the inherent bullshit that comes along with it. I haven’t seen a band push back on leveling up this hard since the Replacements, and I respect it.
There doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between punk, ska, or even metal or emo kids. The styles just seem to meld together like this newer generation’s taste in music. I don’t know if this was meant to be a mixed-genre show, but it ended up being one. If you were hoping this could be a regular spot for shows, this venue had been shut down previously by the city of Garden Grove, but had somehow re-opened. Who knows if and when this will happen again This county needs spaces like this. Bands like this need a place to play. Each of these bands should be out there more than they are.
Following on from Phil Collins’ memories of his early days and how Genesis became a streamlined musical organisation, he tells Prog about the era in which it seemed he couldn’t be escaped.
Were you surprised at the enormous global success of Face Value and the ensuing solo stardom?
Certainly. Don’t get me wrong, I took a lot of care over it. I don’t want to go cosmic on you and say, “I was just channelling something” – but it just came so easily. Because of my mental state probably. The house was empty [after his divorce]. That time wasn’t a barrel of laughs, but the more music I did, there was no stopping it.
If Leaving Me Is Easy is one of my favourites. I asked Eric Clapton to play on it. I’ve known him since before he knew I was a musician. I was just a friend of his wife Patti and would go over to theirs for drinks with them and his schoolmates. We used to drink ourselves to the point of stupidity back then!
Anyway, he came over and I pressed record. It ran through and he only played one note. One. I said, “What’s wrong?” He said, “I didn’t want to spoil it.”
Would you agree that Face Value shares musical DNA with John Martyn’s Grace And Danger album, which you played on, and Glorious Fool, which you produced?
Ah, I wish some of John’s albums had sold millions around the world too. Grace And Danger was lovely – we bonded strongly. He was in the middle of his divorce with Beverley and I was in the middle of mine. Yes, we both drank a lot, but he could drink anybody under the table. The album was full of really touching songs. Chris Blackwell thought it was too personal. I later helped John get another record deal and we did Glorious Fool, which is edgier than people realise.
Years later, I’d moved to Geneva and was very happy with my new lady. And John rang while I was just about to go into the dentist. He wanted me to produce another album, but I said, “I don’t think I can, John. I’ve got a new life here and I’m pretty busy setting up a house.”
He said, “I’ll come over!” I said, “Don’t come over!” ’Cos I was thinking of what my girlfriend might make of him; and, well, you couldn’t just dip into John. I loved him dearly but I couldn’t handle that then.
We worked out something where he sent me tapes and I’d put stuff on them, and it got him a new deal. Last time I ever saw him I presented him with an award at the Folk Awards. By this point he’d lost a leg and was in a wheelchair and looked like Orson Welles. But yeah, there’s a comparable intimacy, lyrically, on Face Value and Grace And Danger.
Do you understand why some elements of the public, or at least the press, got the hump with you when both yourself and Genesis were huge and ubiquitous?
I look back and realise I was never out of everyone’s eyeline, y’know? I was just omnipresent! But I can honestly say, on my children’s lives, it was simply enthusiasm. It wasn’t ambition; just one thing led to another. Same thing with Genesis – we thought playing the Marquee meant we’d made it. Then it was the Lyceum. Then the Rainbow. Then you think, “Hey, there’s a whole continent we haven’t played yet!” We’d keep gathering fans. But there was never really one moment where it changed: it changed gradually.
Nic was totally embraced by Genesis. And there was this 19-year-old coming into Genesis, just as I had
And as for me, I was being asked to do things by people whose records I’d bought – Robert Plant, Eric – and if you say no, I thought, they might not ask again. People choose to believe there was an ulterior motive or goal; but no, no, no, it wasn’t ego. I didn’t even want to be the Genesis singer! It happened by default. These things were just happening. There was no masterplan.
What’s your favourite Genesis album or period?
I enjoyed the last one, We Can’t Dance. But for me it’s more about memorable moments, pockets here and there throughout the whole thing. I used to love playing The Lamb live every night, singing along with Peter. I guess ...And Then There Were Three… wasn’t one of our best; it didn’t stay with me.
Your last tour and Genesis’ The Last Domino? gigs were emotional for audiences. How were they for you?
Well, I thought I’d done my solo farewells, but I guess… I missed it. And it was wonderful to see my son Nic playing drums behind me. Then Tony and Mike said, “Oh, he’s rather good, isn’t he?” So that was a no-brainer really. Nic was totally embraced by Genesis. And there was this 19-year-old coming into Genesis, just as I had at roughly the same age. Full circle. Hollywood couldn’t have written it better!
Any regrets?
I guess from a personal side I could say I’ve had regrets, and I should’ve done things differently. But then if I’d done that then I wouldn’t have the five great kids I’ve got today. So I can’t think like that. My glass is completely full. My kids all do what they want to do, and they’re good at it, and they’re happy. If I’d changed direction somewhere, all that might not have happened. It’s a win!
Will you be making any new music, do you think?
Kidneys and liver were waving the white flag. I was close to dying and I hadn’t realised
Um, I’m never gonna say no now. I’ve got my little studio still, and I’d like to get down there and just mess about and see what happens. There are some things I could finish. And other things which are finished. So, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
You’re looking well. The improvement in your health must encourage you.
Oh yeah, getting better. I went through some pretty dark times. Drink has come up a couple of times in this interview, but I was never “falling over” drunk. That wasn’t it. It was just drinking “normally,” as one would drink water. I’d wake up, have a glass of wine. Watch TV, read a book, have a glass of wine. And suddenly, some people’s insides can’t take it. Mine broke down.
My manager, Tony, called all the kids to Switzerland to have a meeting about me and my future. Because at one point it was kind of life support. Kidneys and liver were waving the white flag. I was close to dying and I hadn’t realised – I just thought I was sick. Well, really dark times. Spent a lot of time in hospital.
Then, pulling through that, I’ve had five operations on this knee. And drop foot. That’s why I have the crutches, just to make sure – I don’t want to fall over. But physically, now, I reckon I’m A-1, 100%. I’ve worked at it. Haven’t drunk for three years. I do physio three times a week, to bring me up to speed. All is good!
It’s been 10 years now since your autobiography Not Dead Yet. You should do a sequel.
Still Not Dead Yet, yeah! It’s all turned around completely. I’m closer to my children than I’ve ever been. We’ve seen together how fragile it can be. They’re proud of me for pulling through with flying colours, and everything – domestically, professionally – is all great. I’ve got no complaints. I’ve been very lucky. I never stop remembering that.
Northern Irish Pagan Metal pioneers WAYLANDER will release their new album, “Mac Tíre – Son of the Land“, on November 6th, 2026 via Rockshots Records. The band […]
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+ New Video “Technical Aggression” + Alberta Tour Dates No List Records announces that brutal minimalist noise rock duo Bat Leather’s new album “Dark Arts” is officially available today […]
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French melodic heavy/power metal band KINGCROWN releases their new album “Moonfall” today, September 4th, 2026, via Rockshots Records, accompanied by the official video for “We Are Kingcrown”. For […]
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The good doctor, Seuss, that is, also considered the burden of antlers. In his signature rhyming voice, Dr. Seuss tells the story of a boy imagining himself with “deer horns.” He could wear more hats! He could hang school supplies from them! He’d be the star of the football team! Yet their burdensome nature soon became apparent. With unwieldy antlers, he could no longer ride the bus, and his mom couldn’t possibly let someone with deer horns live in her impeccably clean house. In the end, he learned to accept his own body for what it was.1 Portland, Oregon’s Sea Sleeper tell their own tale of a Burden of Antlers, and they convey their message in just about an anti-Seussian a way as possible. No easy morals or rhythmic storytelling here. Gardenstale found their debut, Nostophobia, underwhelming, with its laughable lyrics and lack of memorable hooks. Yet, the debut received high year-end accolades elsewhere and was a top seller on Bandcamp in 2021. Burden of Antlers sees a honing of their “mileage may vary” approach to songcrafting, for better or worse.
In contrast to the pleasing cadence of Dr. Seuss, Sea Sleeper play an impenetrably dense, harsh brand of progressive death metal. Zoom in from the forest to the trees and you’ll hear some psychedelic influences from Mastodon as well as Gojira-style harmonics and riffs. Distortion adds layers of density, creating a maelstrom of noise early on opener “Machines of the Bombing Runs.” Their goal, it seems to me at least, is to keep listeners uncomfortable and off-guard from start to finish, and they accomplish this with frequent tonal and tempo shifts, rarely allowing musical passages to develop into anything resembling melodicism. The lengthy “Manifestor” contains many such shifts. This song mixes high energy blast beats, melodic riffs, discordant riffs, a great bass bit, an awesome solo, and significant passages where the tempo slows to allow for some grungy cleans that are kind of catchy but also kind of bad. It’s an approach that’ll leave you breathless trying to figure out whether you like it or not.
Much as Sea Sleeper love the arrhythmic approach, they do reveal a knack for some melodic death, at least in small chunks. “Burden of Antlers” most memorably establishes these melodic hooks in a very cool opener and even has a catchy chorus, sung in Jesse Cooley’s warbly, off-key cleans. “They’ll Miss You” displays some early Mastodon-style riffs, and there are more sightings of melody later on “Abysmal Trench.” Yet these melodies disappear into a morass of noise before they have time to properly develop and worm their way into your brain. They’re just one ingredient among countless others in Sea Sleeper’s varied guitar diet. Where the melodic riffs quickly fade away, Sea Sleeper has no issue allowing slower segments with melodic cleans to linger. However, the enjoyment of these portions comes with an asterisk—Cooley’s off-pitch performance leaves one cringing rather than wanting to sing along.
Burden of Antlers utilizes harsh tones and loud production values to unnerve their listeners. Cooley growls in a pained rasp that’s discomforting, yet also admittedly effective. Combined with dissonant and constantly shifting riffs, Sea Sleeper nail a style of music that’s purposely meant to deliver pain rather than pleasure. Their quest to challenge is admirable, though I wish I had a better idea as to what, thematically, they’re attempting to accomplish. When the vocals are incomprehensible and the lyrics sheet is missing, it’s difficult to know exactly what I’m being made uncomfortable about. Yet the larger problem is the production, whose loudness negatively contributes to the cacophony. While the harshness delivers pain and discomfort in more interesting ways, the high volume is just unpleasant.
While I do tend to gravitate towards more melodic music, that’s not to say the dissonant stuff doesn’t work for me. Veilburner creates weird yet entertaining music, and this year’s Dysgnostic has made a strong impression. What these acts succeed at that Sea Sleeper misses is that they write focused, well-developed songs. It’s a frustration to hear the talent from these musicians marred by purposely obtuse music and poor production choices. Sprouting a pair of deer horns, for me, wouldn’t be a burden, but a boon so long as they protect my ears from the onslaught that is Burden of Antlers.
Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026
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Posted on September 22nd 2026, 12:35pm