Frodus’ Reunion Brought About Partially by Bank Failures

There was no single event that was a catalyst for the reformation of Frodus. It was actually three separate incidents: an improvised attempt of an old song, an economic disaster and the re-release of an album that mockingly foretold of the financial failure.

"Some people made us out to be bigger than we actually were," vocalist/guitarist Shelby Cinca told Noisecreep from his home in Sweden. In 2008 Thrice did an interpretation of the spazz core band's track 'The Earth Isn't Humming,' giving a mythical allure of a great following during Frodus' heyday in the '90s. But it wasn't until jumping onstage during a show at the Swedish embassy that the reunion took its first form.

"The embassy appearance was why we were a band," Cinca said. Due to PA problems, Division of Laura Lee stormed off the stage and left fans disappointed. Cinca and drummer Jason Hamacher stepped up for a "a spontaneous DIY thing" attempting 'Invisible Time Lines.' Having been years since performing the 'Conglomerate International' track, they crashed through the song giving it a clear beginning and end with a whole lot of chaos in the middle.

"It seemed crazy. It was visceral, no big stage and in your face. A D.C. punk show," Cinca laughed. "That captured our spirit of being goofballs and screwing things up. Jason would always be the joker of the hardcore scene. He'd dress up as a wolf man and be in the pit. All these macho guys couldn't take it. They'd either be angry and want to beat him up or they'd love it."

The vinyl re-release of 'Conglomerate International' hinted that it was not only was the time right to play again, but that the album's satirical look on corporate culture was more relevant than before. "It coming out again last year as the banks were collapsing, basically the result of the excess of the '90s, made sense. It was the total context of Frodus doing something again."

Under the new banner of corporate and government failings, the band's return fit their ethos more than cashing in the resulting curiosity that comes from a song covered. "It meant more encapsulating what Frodus was kind of about, being outsiders and seeing things crumble," Cinca explained. "You watch the whole world buy SUVs and the whole time you're thinking, 'These people are crazy. Why are they doing this? This is nuts.' Then the banks crashed, and you're like, 'Yeah I'm not surprised.' We didn't have to make a new record about it. The same record still works 10 years later."

Already with seven-inch/digital release 'Soundlab One' out, and a few shows with Dillinger Escape Plan's Liam Wilson and former Decahedron member Jake Brown pulling bass duties, there still might be more for this reformation. "I actually have a conceptual idea for a full-length," Cinca revealed, "which I never thought I would have with Frodus ever again." Let's keep our fingers crossed.