Philadelphia-PA’s explosive grindcore trio DIE CHOKING return with a new, cataclysmic, 13-track full-length, marking the band’s fourth overall release, aptly titled IV. Four years following the band’s lauded debut LP III (2015), DIE CHOKING’s freshly honed IV is a searing sophomore effort delivering on all fronts. Seemingly implausible elevations of intensity and songwriting-intelligence were fueled by four years spent traversing jagged personal landscapes. The resulting 13-tracks clock in at just under the 20-minute mark to form a musical singularity strong enough to disorient the uninitiated.
IV OUT WORLDWIDE: OCT 22, 2019
IV is poised for Worldwide dissemination on October 22nd, 2019 via the band’s label imprint DCIVE (The D.C. Collective) with LP bundles and various Digital formats now available for pre-order online.
DIY + BITCOIN + GRINDCORE
With HQs on both sides of the lake, DCIVE comrades in Philadelphia, PA, and London, England, are running wild with a DIY-approach that is manifesting unique format options, alternate payment methods, and a string of surprises.
With IV, DIE CHOKING joins the ranks of such forward-thinkers as Bjork, being part of the first string of artists accepting cryptocurrency in the form of Bitcoin (BTC) online and during live performances.
Fans following DIE CHOKING on social media awoke to a treat in mid-September as the band dropped a 96-hour, pay-what-you-want, flash-leak of IV. This event coincided with DIE CHOKING‘s appearance at Quebec Deathfest 2019 with supporting Canadian tour dates alongside Philly up-and-comers, BANDIT.
THE MUSIC
Musically, IV broadens DIE CHOKING’s brief but incredibly dense discography, which continues to garner a well-earned renowned status amongst musical peers. Known as a band’s band, the personalities driving DIE CHOKING’s infectious take on grindcore, collectively make an exciting leap forward with the ambitiousness presented throughout. DIE CHOKING is not merely pushing tempos with IV, but instead presenting a mosaic of complex polyrhythms supporting a barrage of satisfying and memorable songwriting. This evolution of sound is filtered through DIE CHOKING’s incomparable intensity, further driving home IV‘s overarching sense of immediacy.
The emerging soundscapes that comprise the guts of IV narrow to a sharp blastwave of white-hot focus as the LP spins on. The fast, hallucinogenic progression of DIE CHOKING’s electrifying song-writing and production has never been more apparent than with lead single, ‘MECHANICAL VENTILATOR‘. As drummer Joshua T. Cohen, guitarist Jeffrey V. Daniels, and bassist/vocalist Paul J. Herzog set forth these new sonic cauldrons, one can both hear and feel DIE CHOKING’s sound converging into a juggernaut.
In a recent full-feature interview featuring a track premiere of ‘MECHANICAL VENTILATOR’, DECIBEL MAGAZINE’s Vince Bellino accurately frames IV, stating;
It’s been four long years—an eternity when you consider the length of your average grindcore album in comparison—since Philadelphia’s grind heavyweights Die Choking released their first album, III, but the wait has been worth it. IV is one of the most intense, cathartic and weird grindcore albums in recent memory, stretching far beyond what the trio have accomplished before.
In response to questions surrounding the tumultuousness faced during the formation of IV, Cohen explains;
Within a two-month span, I lost my father to a long battle with brain cancer (Glioblastoma), my grandmother passed a few weeks later, and Bagheera, my dog (who was the queen of our household and first pit bull I rescued over 15 years ago) also passed during that time.. If nothing more, the explosiveness of the onset of those emotions is represented thoroughly in the music throughout the new record..
ART & LYRICS
The cover-art of IV was crafted by DIE CHOKING guitarist and artist Jeffrey V Daniels as a huge 5′ by 7′ multimedia installation. The explosion of yellows with disease-laden whites, browns, and reds creates an abstract visual aesthetic, accurately framing the volatile nature within. With Daniels wrapping up the visual components, the band then linked up with noted Philadelphia-photographer and model, Luz Karolina, who began transferring the installation to a photographic representation for the LP rendering. Lyrically, IV is a series of hyper-focuses centering around processes and rhythms related to breathing, dying, and the growing number of bio-cycles becoming ever-more-reliant and intertwined with mechanical devices. A series of awareness and benefit-functions are also in the planning stages to run in conjunction with the soon-to-be-announced record release dates. These benefit aspects will stay in line with IV‘s themes of breathing and the importance of air-quality awareness.
IV was mixed by Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos, Jesus Piece, Dead In The Dirt) at Bricktop Recording in Chicago, IL and mastered by Brad Boatright (Trap Them, Nails, Converge) at AudioSiege in Portland in the summer of 2019. The IV recording sessions were completed in 2018 on the band’s home turf of Philadelphia with local engineer Dan Kishbaugh of Panther Pro, with yet additional tracking taking place via the individual members’ personal studios.
THE MOTIFS
Carrying forward a signature motif dating back to DIE CHOKING’s debut EP I (2014), new songs XXII through XXXIV are presented in a linear fashion, seeing Roman Numerals designate each track in the order crafted. Unlike many bands who choose to shuffle song orders for a given release; every single DIE CHOKING song has been presented on record in the exact order written by the band. This straightforward approach to song-cataloging allows listeners to take an evolutionary journey right along with the band through a single release or expanding further through eps I & II, and now full-lengths III and IV.
Is 100 songs the goal? Perhaps 200 songs? Only time will tell.
IV builds off of the sturdy foundation of DIE CHOKING’s debut full-length, III (2015), recorded with famed engineer/producer Will Yip (Code Orange, Lauryn Hill) at Studio 4 and received with near-universal critical acclaim amongst media outlets such as VICE, DECIBEL, STEREOGUM, METALINJECTION, and BROOKLYNVEGAN, to name but a few.
IV is nothing short of an immediately poignant, 13-song full-length, furthering DIE CHOKING’s legacy while proceeding to widen and further blur the boundaries of adherence to grindcore, punk, or metal genres. Record release shows and supporting IV tour dates to be announced soon.
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DIE CHOKING IV CREDITS:
IV as written, performed & produced by DIE CHOKING
Paul J. Herzog – vocals/bass
Joshua T. Cohen – drums
Jeffrey V. Daniels – guitars
RECORDING CREDITS:
mixed by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios
mastered by Brad Boatright at AudioSiege
recorded by Dan Kishbaugh
lyrics & additional vocals recorded by Paul J. Herzog
additional drums recorded by Joshua T. Cohen
ART/PHOTO CREDITS:
IV cover art by Jeffrey V. Daniels
IV cover photo & band photos by Luz Karolina
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PURCHASE OPTIONS / ONLINE STORES:
NORTH AMERICA
U.K. & EUROPE
https://dcive.com/international/
WORLD
ONLINE / WEB LINKS:
https://facebook.com/diechoking
https://instagram.com/diechoking
https://diechoking.bandcamp.com
CONTACT:
PRESS: press@legendoftoday.com
LABEL: dc@dcive.com
BOOKING/GENERAL: diechokingband@gmail.com
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DECIBEL MAGAZINE – EXCLUSIVE STREAM:
‘MECHANICAL VENTILATOR’ exclusive stream via DECIBELMAGAZINE.com
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IV PRE-ORDER LP PRESSING INFO:
12″ HYPER-RADIATION LP – 180g colored DELUXE neon yellow vinyl w/ poster insert – 200 pressing (100 North America / 100 UK / EURO)
12″ PINK SPUTUM LP – 180g multi-colored DELUXE brown w/ yellow & pink splatter w/ poster insert – 100 pressing
12″ PISS IN BOTTLE LP aka ‘The Long Van Ride‘ – 180g multi-colored DELUXE coke bottle clear with solid piss-yellow w/ poster insert – 100 pressing
12” CARPET PHLEGM LP: – 180g multi-color DELUXE brown & orange A/B with yellow platter w/ poster insert – 100 pressing