Band of the Day: R.I.P.

R.I.P. are due to follow up debut album In The Wind shortly… but who are they? For those who’ve not experienced this Portland OR-based noise crew, here’s a bit more about them as well as a sample from the forthcoming new release at the bottom. Warning: this article contains long, complex words…

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

That moment when you awaken from a nightmare and you aren’t sure whether or not you’re dead or alive, or whether the horror of your real life is preferable to the terror-warped phantasm you just came from, we are from the friction of that disorientation between the real that has been and the beyond that must be.

How did you meet?

The cream rises to the top, so naturally we each floated to the apex where we convened in the rarified air of greatness and decided to start the best band of all time.

How long have you been playing as a band?

Five years and some change.

Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?

We understand that most fans of heavy metal, who were not very bright to begin with, have in the course of being enthusiasts of the genre suffered severe brain traumas from headbanging and substance abuse. We did not want to overload the feeble and overworked brain cells they have left with any big words, so we selected an easy three letters that all the drooling numbskulls can remember without too much strain.

What are your influences?

The death-tinged bravado of rappers like Master P and Spice 1, the primitive raw approach of bands like Death SS and Wicked Lady, the morbid showmanship of legends like The Undertaker and Paul Bearer.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

In a scene cluttered with bands too far gone on astrology charts and watered down Kyuss riffs, R.I.P. writes our music straight from the realest fears that lurk in the subconscious of every man, rather than the dungeons and dragons game lurking in the basement of every mom. If our music isn’t in strict adherence to what has become the orthodoxy of doom music, it is because the feeling behind it is too rooted in the actual reality of doom and panic to follow the rules.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

In one way or another each of our songs is about the irreconcilable tension between the actuality of your life and the eventuality of your death, the aching impossibility of building an edifice with your existence that can withstand the winds of the grave, the brutal uncertainty of what lies beyond, the ugly stain of nullification that in the end colors all of our actions with the abiding futility of any and everything.

What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

Before heavy metal became trendy it was always the loudest, fastest, most over the top music played only by true psychos. When we hit the stage we try to take it back to this essence and give the audience a taste of the flames of all consuming heavy metal. No one wants to pay to see some dorks dressed like they just off work stand in one place and strum out a little ditty. We’ve played hundreds and hundreds of shows, earning our reputation as hands-down the best band playing today. Come to one of our shows and find out why.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

Angel has set his guitar on fire a few times during shows, including at very “intimate” basement shows and other precarious situations. I once had to leap off stage and choke out a wimp who was harassing some of my friends in the audience in the middle of a show, but mostly the wildest thing you’re going to get at one of our gigs is our performance itself.

What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?

We have a guitar and some drums, one bass guitar and one piece of antique farm equipment.

What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?

Our sophomore LP Street Reaper is out Oct 13 on Riding Easy Records. We’re playing shows in Portland OR on Oct 13 at the Tonic Lounge and in Seattle WA Oct 14 at the Highline to celebrate its release.

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

Prepare for heavy touring in 2018 all over the USA and the world.

If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!

Two of our favorite bands to play with out here on the West Coast are OGOD (over-gain optimum death) from LA and Owl from Oakland. They can pick straws for who headlines and who opens.

From previous Band of the Day Jukebox Monkey: What is the local scene like in your area?

Portland is a great place to be if you like shuffling your feet, checking your phone and clearing your throat while amazing bands play raging shows in front of you.

From another BotD, We Are The Catalyst: What is your writing process like when writing new songs?

Every minute we get closer to death and further from our ability to shield ourselves from this reality. As I get older my grasp on my sanity becomes more and more tenuous. From this unavoidable process springs our songwriting process.

And from Crejuvent: Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?

Instinctually, vultures circle around dead things.

Street Reaper is out on October 13th and pre-orders are available now.

R.I.P.: facebook | instagram | bandcamp

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