Plague of Ethyls

Description

The self-titled album by the American alternative rock band Plague of Ethyls (Caryn Colbert of Breakfast with Amy and Lanelle “La La” Maurer) was released on Voice Of Youth Music in 1992, an imprint of Blonde Vinyl Records, distributed by Spectra Distribution. The album was recorded by Chris Colbert, Dave Hackbarth, and Derri Daugherty at Neverland Studios in Cerritos, California; with Steve Hindalong of The Choir fame and band member Caryn Colbert producing. Mixed by and Hackbarth and Daugherty. Music written by Caryn Colbert with the lyrics co-written by Caryn Colbert and Lanelle Maurer.

Featuring Caryn Colbert on vocals, guitar, and bass and La La (Lanelle Maurer) on vocals and guitar with Steve Hindalong providing drums and percussion. Also featuring label head Michael Knott on vocal drones on two tracks – “Muddy” and “Monks and Banshees”.

What do you get when you take Steve Hindalong (from the atmospheric band The Choir), Caryn Colbert (from the revolutionary art-punk band Breakfast with Amy), and combine them in a band during the grunge explosion of 1992? You get one rare exercise in Christian grunge music, and Plague of Ethyls fully delivers all the dirty guitars, 3 chords, and back-to-basics goodness of the era. There isn’t much here, but what’s present works wonders; catchy melodies that explore both pop and experimental conventions that were unheard of in Christian music at the time.

Now there is no set “grunge sound”, and the genre itself took inspiration from a wide variety of sources, from 60’s revival, to 70’s classic rock, to metal – taking this into consideration, I thought it would be helpful to specify just what kind of grunge sound we’re dealing with here. Plague of Ethyls explores the punk side of grunge; similar to Nirvana or Mudhoney. So don’t expect any Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam here.

Most of the songs in the first half of the album are catchy and focused, with things getting kind of scatter-brained towards the end. All things considered, this is a great album and an essential part of any Alternative Christian rock enthusiast’s collection. [Justin Rice, 2009]

Chris Estey’s Esoteric List of Top 5 Christian Grunge Era Releases

Another Blonde Vinyl release, this was the work of Breakfast with Amy’s Christopher Colbert’s master production skills at their Green Room featuring his wife Caryn’s incredibly mesmerizing vocals. (With Steve Hindalong, the creative drummer and percussionist from aces band The Choir.) Like their track «Your Name» on the crucial Dad LP it enmeshed Middle Eastern vibes with Patchouli-infused Jesus Freak meditations, but kicked out the jams on a choker-wearing woman-empowered jeremiad of joys and fears and trauma-torquing Pavlovian-punching praise. Extremely cool, sensuous, “you don’t know what it’s like in the corner” is a key line. “There ain’t much living at all.” The only rock album that feels like a feminist Either/Or (earlier Portland Christian Alternative band, and “leap of faith” Kierkegaard classic). [Chris Estey, April 2024]

CD tracklist:

01. Weasel
02. Land Of La La
03. Phantom Binge
04. Roy’s Cafe
05. Muddy (Additional vocal drones by Michael Knott)
06. Blaze
07. The Bee
08. Gorbert: The Evil Dancing Clown
09. Monks And Banshees (Additional vocal drones by Michael Knott)
10. Groovy
11. Ludlow

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Blonde Vinyl Records.

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