Exterminate All Rational Thought

It’s somewhat fitting that a band who take their name from the Naked Lunch film adaptation sound like Russian Circles on calculus. E.A.R.T. are straight instrumental prog, manipulating time signatures and harmonies into rolling, dreamy soundscapes. They’re not dissimilar from artists like Canvas Solaris, Gordian Knot, and Collapsar, but E.A.R.T. definitely focus more on riffs and climaxes than on flashy leads. They’re crazy tight live as well, managing spastic stage presence even while navigating the technical material.. - DAVE MUSTEIN - MetalSucks.net

You know, once in a while I like my music to reach out of my Pioneer tower speakers and slap me around a bit. I want some music to violate my ears and pummel my soul. But it can’t just be loud and punishing for loud and punishing’s sake.

No way, Kojak.

There’s gotta be something behind the aural blitzkrieg. A lesson? Well, not a lesson. But definitely a purpose. I get this feeling everytime I put on King Crimson’s Red. There’s dissonance and ugliness. But there’s also a beauty in-between the lines. Just put on your headphones Nancy and crank it up to 11 when ‘Providence’ comes on. It’s like Dracula boogieing with Yo Yo Ma on acid. It’s a trip, let me just say that. Mars Volta has this gift, too. Abrasive, menacing, acid-tinged and also intellectual, deep and thought-provoking. You know, the good stuff.

So when I come across something as diverse as this I grab on and hold tight. If you were lucky enough to be at the Yellow Bird last Saturday night then you know a find such as the one I’ve described was there peeling the paint off the walls. Exterminate All Rational Thought is a four piece instrumental outfit out of the Fort(plus one Ohio transplant) that know how to rock socks off. They play a type of metal that seems to have gone by the wayside. A hybrid of progressive and speed metal, they write ‘parts’ not ‘songs’. They tell a story not with words but with music. They’re new e.p. Lining The Streets tells a story of sorts. Well, it’s more of a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ kind of story. One where they’ve created the soundtrack, and they leave the adventure up to you and your imagination. All that’s needed is a pair of headphones and a open mind.

Now, don’t get all weird on me Sally. This isn’t unicorns and rainbows. No, this is fist-pumping, nail-biting, pedal-to-the-metal rock ‘n roll. There’s shifts, turns, swerves and drops into the abyss. Lining The Streets starts out with ‘The Formula’ then goes into “Parts I, II and III’. It’s heady stuff, but you don’t have to be a scholar to get it. You just have to know good music, sunshine. Cody, Pete, Jamie and Lucas know how to make good music. All that’s left is for you to listen to their apocalyptic squall from the wastelands of your imagination.

Now go on over to http://www.earthought.com/ and see what these guys are up to next. And check out http://eart.bandcamp.com/ for your digital copy of their excellent e.p., Lining The Streets. Morrison might even have a copy of the vinyl version of this chunk of molten metal over at Neat Neat Neat Records still. Then again, he may not. What’s it gonna hurt to go check? If you’re too lazy to click on, EART are playing The Izaak Walton League in Huntertown on October 13th. Moser Woods and RP Wigs are gonna be joining them in scenic Huntertown as well.

Now you’re in the know. Get on out and check EART out live. And get a copy of this e.p., Pronto.
- WCYT The Point 91 FM

Sometimes I enjoy a good aural assault. Old school headbanging. No mid-song interludes with acoustic touches, string sections and a singer doing his best “When The Children Cry” schtick before the band kicks it back in for the big finish. No. For me, my money's on the band that commits to sheer adrenaline from the time the needle hits the vinyl till side 2 flips me the bird and punches me in the neck on the way out the door. That's what I want in a metal album, and metal bands in general. There're some local boys and girls that can do this, but for the life of me I can't remember any of their names to save my life. There is one I do remember and after listening to their new-ish e.p., Lining The Streets, and I don't think I'll forget them anytime soon. Exterminate All Rational Thought are a four piece instrumental progressive metal band from the Fort (with the exception of one Ohio ex-patriot) that take their music very seriously.

“This band basically started when a previous band that Cody (DeMille, E.A.R.T. guitarist) was in broke up in 2008", says Peter Lock, another guitarist for E.A.R.T. "Cody and former bandmate Andy Cecava found a new drummer Matt Belcher and added myself on guitar. We also found a vocalist named Joe Savarino. With this lineup we recorded a 4-song EP and played at least 100+ shows including a short tour of the east coast. In the middle of the tour, our drummer quit and we had to return home. EART then gained Ron-Jay Gage as a new drummer and soon after, the bassist and vocalist both quit the band. We decided to remain an instrumental band from that point on and just fill in the empty bass player slot. Jamie (DeVinney-Stoner), whom I had known since middle school jumped on board."

Wow. Did you catch all that? Keep up, buttercup.
"We played with this lineup for another 6+ months and then decided to call it quits with drummer Ron due to creative differences. We then spent about a year and 1/2 trying to find a new drummer. Fast forward to summer 2011. We run into Lucas Sigg, who has previously tried out as a vocalist (but is mainly a drummer) the year before. We ended up hitting it off really well with him. We practiced and got him caught up to the rest of our music and wrote a few new songs. Then in Feb 2012 we booked some time at a recording studio and recorded our 2nd EP Lining The Streets. We have been playing shows to promote that album since. "

So, E.A.R.T. have gone through a few band members, to put it mildly. But, in the process of finding just the right mix of members that click in a band, you've gotta break a few eggs, as they say. E.A.R.T. coulda made omelets for the better part of Allen County with that amount of eggs. A glorious feast that would've been.

I have my own idea of how I would describe Exterminate's 'sound', as it were. But I prefer to put the band on the spot and make them describe what it is that they do. "Generally speaking, Progressive Rock. We basically try to write music we enjoy ourselves without any sort of specific genre in mind. We just try to play what comes natural to us. What we really like about music is that it's all open to your own interpretation, everyone is going to hear it in their own way. We really try to embrace that concept and let the listener decide for them selves how they want to classify it."

Fair enough. What about influences? Progressive rock is a pretty broad spectrum of sound. It goes from the influential to the completely pretentious. Are E.A.R.T. more Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway or King Crimson's Red?
"King Crimson, Zappa, Mars Volta, Between The Buried and Me, Foo Fighters, etc. There's really a little bit of everything in there: Jazz, classical, blues, folk, etc." King Crimson. Excellent.

Lining The Streets — Exterminate's excellent 4 song e.p. that they recently released digitally and on sweet, red vinyl with 'made-to-order' album cover art — is a classic piece of progressive instrumental music. Set up into 4 parts, starting out with 'The Formula', then moving into 'Part l, Part ll and Part lll', it's a story told with heavy guitars, pounding drums and teeth-chattering bass. It's old school metal, with a progressive twist. I asked Peter about the process of making this excellent mini-album.

"Lining The Street is E.A.R.T.'s 2nd EP, but our first within the current lineup. We recorded it at Off The Cuff Sound with Jason Davis here in town in Feb 2012. Jason's studio is based around a 24-track analog tape machine. Other than the mastering process, no computers were used in the making of the record. The tape gave our music a more natural and old school feel. We just wanted the album to speak for itself and give our friends and family the best possible format of what we are as a band. A limited number of the records even have hand designed artwork from a member of the band. No two copies are alike. It was an expensive process, which wouldn't have been possible without the huge support we got from o - Fort Wayne Reader

Hailing from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, you wouldn’t be blamed (too much) for expecting something generic. This band is anything but. Meet, Exterminate All Rational Thought, otherwise known as EART. We’re happy to have found them, both because rock music can feel dead at times with certain celeb DJ’s packing stadiums, but these guys have made us reconsider the state of things. Their recent effort, “Lining The Streets” is exactly what those of us who miss aggressively amazing tunes. “The Formula” is truly a perfect opening track, slowly reaching the zenith with intelligent structures and great melody. It serves as the entry point for the upcoming tracks, aptly titled, Part1, Part2, and Part 3. This is a purely instrumental release, replete with musical expanses. This band would be amazing to see in some vast outdoor setting, but even as the sound waves emanate from our record player, we’re extremely impressed. From intricacy into walls of guitars and syncopated ferocity, this music is most definitely both going to and coming from somewhere important. “Part 2? opens and relies on a great, concise rock riff, only to open up yet again. The guitars articulate melodies seemingly implored by the rhythms, creating a sound that is certainly aggressive, yet incredibly tactful. “Part 3? feels like the conclusion it is, wandering into chaos before circling back to the placid in-betweens this group of musicians often finds with utter success. Without making typical comparisons, if you like 8 minute songs, much shredding, with beautiful breaths in between, EART are your guys. - IPaintMyMInd