Pegstar Presents: Atlas Moth * Vattnet Viskar * Atriarch

Rudyard’s presents Pegstar Presents: Atlas Moth * Vattnet Viskar * Atriarch.

Atlas Moth (Chicago, IL)
https://theatlasmoth.bandcamp.com/

Fusing blues, doom, and psychedelic rock, the Atlas Moth look to their hometown of Chicago, Illinois for inspiration in their post-metal experiments. With layers of rumbling guitars and synthesizers, the band takes a more textural approach to metal, creating a maelstrom of heavy riffs and swirling atmospherics that evokes Isis and Pink Floyd in equal measure.

Vattnet Viskar (Plaistow, NH)
http://vattnetviskar.com/

Formed in Plaistow, New Hampshire in 2010, Vattnet Viskar (Swedish for “the water is whispering”) had no idea they would travel as far as they have today. In 2012, they signed a worldwide deal with Century Media on the strength of a self-titled EP. Shortly thereafter the New Hampshirites embarked on their first headlining tour of the United States, with websites such as Stereogum labeling Vattnet Viskar one of the “40 Best New Bands of 2012”.

In 2013, the group released their debut album, Sky Swallower, to critical acclaim the world over. Inspired by New Hampshire’s vibrant seasonal contrasts, Sky Swallower was an album at home with color bursts of autumn and the vibrancy of spring. Tracks “Apex” and “Breath of the Almighty”, for which Vattnet Viskar filmed a video, could also be attributed to the spells of summer and winter. Throughout 2013 and 2014, they toured incessantly in support of their debut, sharing stages with Pallbearer, Tombs, Dillinger Escape Plan and many more.

Never a band to rest of the successes of the past, Vattnet Viskar set forth to craft an album above and beyond Sky Swallower. Whereas Vattnet Viskar’s debut was written over the course of two productive weeks, Settler, the group’s new album, was written as a collective over months. “To me, this record was written in three separate time frames,” says bassist Casey Aylward. “Typically, Chris (Alfieri, guitars) or Nick (Thornbury, vocals and guitars) come with shells—or complete songs—and we shed them out during practice. Some songs were finished when they were brought in and some were definitely a labor of love. Either way we deconstructed the songs and made sure that everything made sense. Not going to lie, there was a lot of second guessing as were diving into different territories on a lot of this record.”

“Because we had more time and a much clearer head, Settler was a lot more relaxed and we were able to really hone in every part in every song,” Alfieri adds. “Seamus (Menihane, drums) put his personality into his parts much more on this record, and the addition of Casey on bass proved to be a huge advantage in the writing phase. They both bring ideas to the table—that I would’ve never thought of— that end up ruling.”

Atriarch (Portland, OR)
https://www.facebook.com/AtriarchOfficial

Hailing from Portland, OR, vocalist Lenny Smith describes Atriarch as “a living entity comprised of four parts, offering catharsis through sonic ritual where there is no god, there is no devil; there is an all encompassing force that connects all living things. Our aim is to tear a hole in the veil that blinds us from our true selves. We are bombarded with ideals of a superficial shallow lifestyle, that we are enslaved to maintain.”