Five Albums That Changed My Life: Nate Derby of Such Gold

On Aug. 14, Rochester-based melodic hardcore/punk act Such Gold will release their long-awaited debut studio album, Misadventures. Produced by Steve Evetts (Every Time I Die, Saves the Day), the album will be Such Gold's first release for Razor & Tie. So far, the band has released an infectious burst of energy from the album called "Storyteller," which can be heard below.

To help celebrate their upcoming album, Noisecreep asked Such Gold guitarist Nate Derby to take part in our ongoing 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series.

Through Being Cool, Saves the Day (1999)

"At the age of 12, my (still) best friend handed me his copy of this record on the bus to school, and my life has not been the same since. Although this was not my first introduction to punk or even pop-punk (MxPx holds that title), it was one of the first records that I heard featuring the kind of melodic punk styling that still draws me in to the genre today. Ripping high-gain guitar lines and near-perfect song structure where each chord seems to be placed exactly where it should be, tempos faster than anything I had heard at the time, and gut-wrenching vocals and lyrics that begged to be sung-along to. Few records in this genre hold up through the test of time but this one will never get old."

Punk-O-Rama Vol. 4, Various Artists (1999)

"Around the same time that 'through being cool' made its way to my Discman, I borrowed another friend's copy of Punk-O-Rama Vol. 4, a legendary compilation released by Epitaph records at the end of the 90's. Epitaph was the top of their game at this point and had an untouchable roster of some of the period's best names in punk. This was my first introduction to bands like Pennywise, ALL, Pulley, Bad Religion, The Bouncing Souls, Rancid, H2O, Refused, Millencolin, and NOFX, all of which remain on rotation to this day. I was exposed to so many diverse aspects of punk at once that this record literally blew my adolescent mind.

I distinctly remember being quite confused by the Tom Waits song on the comp though, as his style was unlike anything I had ever heard. The Punk-O-Rama comps before and after vol. 4 introduced me to so many of my favorite bands, but this volume stands out as my personal favorite, and a record that without question, changed my life. Side-note: It's no surprise that the last in this series of comps was released in 2005, right about when Epitaph's roster took a nose dive straight into the crapper. R.I.P. Punk-O-Rama!"

Marathon, Marathon (2005)

"There are a lot of records from Rochester, N.Y. area bands that could have made this list and it was hard narrowing them down to one worth mentioning, but this record takes the cake. Marathon headlined the first real DIY punk show I traveled out of town for as a kid, got me hooked instantly with their debut EP Songs to Turn the Tide, and blew me away with their self-titled full-length. Epic, anthemic, melodic and darkly-toned punk songs topped with Aaron Scott's lyrical penchant for poetic political pleading and expression of personal plight and his undeniably unique vocal delivery, all which made exponentially more exceptional by the band and frontman's uncompromising live presence. Few bands made quite the impact that Marathon did to me, and that remains with me always. It's absolutely worth mentioning that this band's guitar tone taught me the beauty of the Marshall JCM800, the amp which I still insist on using to this day."

Clarity, Jimmy Eat World (1999)

"Wow, what is there to say about this incredible record that hasn't already been said? For me, this record represents some of the best and worst times in my life, mostly throughout high school, much of which is manifested through my relationship with my then high school girlfriend, who is now my fiancé and in a matter of only a couple of weeks, my wife. The songs on this record were with me through everything and brought my fiancé and I closer together with their perfection and beauty. Seeing them in Boston with her on their Clarity tour remains to be one of my most memorable attended concerts, especially as a couple. Bleed American may have gotten them huge, but Clarity is untouchable."

Meanderthal, Torche (2008)

"This record came as an easy choice since it has turned my perception of rock, metal, and everything in between completely on it's head. Before this record I had never heard such absolutely crushing tone masterfully combined with rock melody and sensibility. Where else can you find music so heavy, and yet so catchy? The opening track 'Grenades' literally *forces* you to bang your head hard and slow in time with the music, and by the time it ends, you can hardly believe that there's an entire record of equally incredible songs that remain to be heard. Torche rose quickly to the top of my favorite bands with this record, and remain on top with their newest release, Harmonicraft. If you consider yourself a fan of rock and truly heavy music, this record will leave you speechless, and clamoring for more."

Such Gold will release Misadventures on August 14 via Razor & Tie. Pre-orders are available for their limited edition "Storyteller" 7" at this link. Get a copy while you still can!

Such Gold – U.S. Tour Dates:

July 6 – New York, NY – Best Buy Theatre (w/MXPX)

July 7 – Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero (w/MXPX)

July 8 – Garden City, NY – Ethical Humanist Center – Today's Mixtape Fest +

July 17 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 18 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 19 – Vancouver, Canada – The Biltmore (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 20 – Kelowna, Canada – Doc Willougbys (w/Handguns)

July 21 – Edmonton, Canada – Starlite Room (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 22 – Calgary, Canada – The Republik (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 23 – Saskatoon, Canada – Louis' Pub (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

July 27 – Toronto, Canada – Opera House (w/Strung Out, Handguns)

August 16 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 17 – Detroit, MI – Shelter (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 18 – Chicago, IL – The Bottom Lounge (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 19 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 21 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 22 – New York, NY – The Studio at Webster Hall (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 23 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 24 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Upstairs (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 25 – Montreal, Canada – Corona Theatre (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)

August 26 – Toronto, Canada – The Annex Wreckroom (w/Silverstein, Lions Lions, Daytrader)