5 Favorite Frontmen From Chicago by Eddie Gobbo of Jar’d Loose
In the press materials Noisecreep was sent for Chicago-based noise rock merchants Jar'd Loose, their publicist described the band's sound as, "totally new yet aligned with the spirit of their musical ancestors, from The Jesus Lizard to Entombed." We can't argue with his assessment.
Jar'd Loose is getting ready to release their debut album, Goes to Purgatory, and it features kickass vocal performances from frontman Eddie Gobbo. The dude does some serious throat-shredding on "Rotten Tooth" and "Last Living Roach," which you can listen to over at Decibel Magazine's online home.
Noisecreep asked Gobbo if he would write a top five list for us and he suggested a piece on his favorite frontmen from Chicago. Perfect!
Toney Vast-Binder (7000 Dying Rats, Harpoon, Eunuchs)
"A Chicago vocalist by way of the Motor City. Fronted the OG experimental grind band 7000 Dying Rats. I've found that a lot of vocalists in grind music always try to have their vocals as low as possible, or as high and whiney as possible, probably out of insecurity. TVB lives in the mid-range. He once admitted to me that there were no real lyrics to any 7000 song. Ironically, once he started writing lyrics for his later projects like Harpoon, they were great. An f'n beast on the mic."
Corporate Death (Macabre)
"An absolute Chicago metal legend. Macabre have been doing their thing for upwards of 25 years. They've totally carved their own niche in death metal, and a lot of it has to do with Corporate Death's unique vocal style. It's part death metal growl, part guy telling a scary story over a campfire, part guy imitating a girl screaming. He rocks a headset mic on stage (the kind that Britney Spears and Garth Brooks use). I also heard his parents own the Rock 'n' Roll McDonald's in Downtown Chicago. I can't confirm or deny that though."
Todd Pot (Apocalypse Hoboken, Traitors)
"Infamous vocalist in the Chicago punk rock scene. Vocally, he reminds me a lot of GWAR's Dave Brockie. Knows how to set off a crowd with a stare, as opposed to yelling at them to mosh every two seconds. Jar'd Loose's old band, The Muzzler, was lucky enough to play an Apocalypse Hoboken reunion show a few years back. He' still in relevant Chicago punk projects today, most notably The House That Gloria Vanderbilt. There are no signs of slowing with this guy."
Ryan Durkin (Kungfu Rick, Hewhocorrupts)
"If you went to any punk/metal/grind/or hardcore show at Chicago's legendary Fireside Bowl in the late '90s/early 2000s, chances are Kungfu Rick was on the bill. Which means this kid probably stage dove on you during their set. KFR brought the rage, and Durkin was the master of ceremonies. It's hard to follow up a band like Kungfu Rick, which was untouchable in the Chicago grind scene for years. But Durkin did it well when he created his alter ego, Tommy Camaro, to front the office-themed Grindcore group Hewhocorrupts. Durkin's the first frontman I remember who cracked jokes on stage and prided himself on between song banter more than his actually vocal performance. He's influenced me a lot."
David Yow (Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid)
"A frontman's frontman not only on a Chicago level but a national level. Yow spends more time in the crowd then on stage. The Jesus Lizard has always been a Chicago band, even though they got Texas roots. Hard to not see them as a Chicago band based on all the reunion shows they've done here, and their Steve Albini and Touch and Go ties. Simply great. Once saw him at a bar. Recently saw him in the Insane Clown Posse movie Big Money Rustlas. I guess you never know where he's gonna pop up."
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Jar'd Loose's debut album, Goes to Purgatory, will be out on July 10 via Cassette Deck Media.