Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Theory Of Ruin - Front Line Poster Child


Label: Escape Artist
Year: 2004

Ipecac posted the Theory Of Ruin full length some time ago, but I was listening to this ep in the car today and had completely forgotten how much it smokes. Great shit.
You already know that it's Alex Newport from Fudge Tunnel and Nailbomb (and producing a million good records [and a few crap ones]), and you know that this band sounds way less metal than you had originally expected and way more like Unsane meets Killing Joke meets Rapeman. You knew that. Got it. Maybe you knew that drummer Ches Smith was in Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, and Xiu Xiu. Possibly. So you know this is super good then.
I was in a band once who were not very popular (go figure) and we played a show with Theory Of Ruin and Totimoshi. When we played there were literally 6 paying customers in attendance. Awesome draw. But then, when Totimoshi took the stage, our 6 "fans" (who had come simply out of obligation and were by no means there to hear loud music) began filing out. Yikes. Then, when Theory Of Ruin played, there was literally nobody there but the other bands the people that worked there. Ouch. No fun. They still powered through their set, and were still very impressive, but I felt terrible that no one was there to see it. 
Oh well

* Link fixed 09.19.09

at

13 comments:

  1. 1009June 9, 2009 at 1:08 PM

    Love Ches Smith but ToR is new to me. Very much looking forward to hearing this. The full-length link is dead, though; could that be re-upped? Thanks in any case.

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  2. AnonymousJune 9, 2009 at 4:27 PM

    An old band of mine also played with Theory of Ruin and the same exact thing happened, except there were maybe 10 people there. Also, had the pleasure of being one of the "crap bands" Newport recorded!

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  3. MikeJune 9, 2009 at 7:25 PM

    This is the band I miss the most. There was always less than a dozen people at their shows. I saw them live 5 or 6x and they were powerful, crushing, tight, and on point. I guess they weren't around long enough to get more fans. One of my favorite of all time bands. Check out Good for Cows if you like Ches' drumming...great stuff.

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  4. IckyJune 9, 2009 at 10:32 PM

    Where was the 6-person audience show?
    NYC?
    I was the driver/roadie for both ToR & Totimoshi back then...

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  5. GrayJune 10, 2009 at 8:15 AM

    Small world...
    The show was in Atlanta at the Earl. i was in the opening band, called Black Venus.

    Totimoshi were awesome too, I should get some of their records up here for folks to hear.

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  6. Mega-legJune 10, 2009 at 8:45 AM

    Theory of Ruin ruled and the fact that there was no one there to see them is a travesty! I never got the privilege of seeing them live unfortunately. Does anyone know what Alex Newport is doing musically now? Fudge Tunnel always ruled as well.

    Hey Gray, how about posting some Black Venus? I'm curious anyway...

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  7. IckyJune 10, 2009 at 11:12 PM

    I barely remember The Earl show, we got in so late, and it was fuckin' C-O-L-D!
    What's up with that?
    I do remember getting some good food in the restaurant; red beans & rice w/ BBQ chicken, & the merch area had the biggest hole in the floor I thought I was gonna break my ankle for sure. I stashed some beer in there to keep it cold ;)

    I believe Alex moved to LA after he left SF & I think he is in NYC, er, Brooklyn now along with all the hip kids, haven't talked to him in a long-ass time...

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  8. ipecacJune 11, 2009 at 5:56 AM

    the counter culture nosebleed link is all fixed

    go and prod it

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  9. FruitBooterJune 11, 2009 at 3:58 PM

    Alex moved to Brooklyn

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  10. FruitBooterJune 11, 2009 at 3:59 PM

    My old band was the band that played with them with around 10 peeps in Glendale, California. What a great band.

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  11. teedotjaydotJuly 16, 2009 at 6:31 AM

    damn, i opened for them in Des Moines, Iowa

    roughly the same attendance

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  12. Mr. AmsterdamnedSeptember 17, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    Ouch..came a bit late to this party...any chance of a re-up, pretty please?

    captcha=dulla

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  13. Mr. AmsterdamnedSeptember 19, 2009 at 10:45 AM

    Thanks for re-up, mate!

    ReplyDelete