Pelican (band)
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| Pelican | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genre(s) | Post-metal Post-rock Sludge Metal Drone Doom |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Label(s) | Hydra Head Records |
| Associated acts | Tusk |
| Website | Hydrahead Records site |
| Members | |
| Trevor de Brauw Bryan Herweg Larry Herweg Laurent Schroeder-Lebec |
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Pelican is a four-piece instrumental band from Chicago, Illinois who have since relocated to Los Angeles.[1] The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Their distinctive sound draws from doom metal as well as post-rock and many other influences, making them exemplary proponents of post-metal. They are signed to Hydra Head Records, which is owned and operated by Aaron Turner of Isis. Larry Herweg, Trevor de Brauw, and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec also make up three-quarters of the band Tusk.
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[edit] Genre
Regarding the band's genre, de Brauw said, "I don’t think of Pelican as a metal band... I feel like we're part of a trajectory of Midwest bands that kind of blend aggression with a pop sensibility, so while it's easy to classify us with instrumental bands, we're not instrumental by design. We just didn't know how to put vocals in our music and for it to sound right."[2]
Speaking on the plethora of labels used to describe Pelican's genre, bassist Bryan Herweg states that "it's flattering, really", and that "I take that as nobody being able to classify what we're doing. I really don't want to be fixed in one genre."[3]
As for the instrumental nature of the band, Herweg states that "I think there are limitations that come with having a vocalist. If we had some big burly man in front screaming, we'd be classified as metal. If we had some scrawny guy we'd be emo. As it is, no one can pin us down."[3] Touring has evolved the band's style from "drawn-out... slow-building" to "more direct and faster, and straight to the point" material to provide more energy on stage.[2]
[edit] Themes
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Though an instrumental band devoid of any lyrics, the music of Pelican certainly does have a thematic center. The overwhelming motif is that of nature, specifically aspects grand in scale. Long, slow, heavy and low songs, often gradually evolving over the course of a song or entire album, lend to this seasonal-natural feel. However, before one even reaches the listening stage, album artwork and song titles outline nature as the central theme. Albums Australasia and March into the Sea both clearly set the massive aspect of nature as a theme in their title. Song names are often even more evocative; for example, from The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw: "Last Day of Winter", "Autumn into Summer", "Aurora Borealis" and "Sirius"; from their eponymous debut: "Mammoth" and "Woods"; from Australasia: "NightEndDay" and "Drought".
There also seems a sense of optimism, despite the heavy nature of the music. Much of it is performed in major key, giving it an uplifting feel. Song titles are often about moving from something relatively bleak onto something better, such as "Last Day of Winter", "Autumn into Summer", or "Drought" followed by the rain-motivated "Angel Tears".
[edit] Current members
- Trevor de Brauw - guitar
- Bryan Herweg - bass guitar
- Larry Herweg - drums
- Laurent Schroeder-Lebec - guitar
[edit] Discography
[edit] Full lengths
- Australasia (2003)
- The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw (2005)
- City of Echoes (2007)
[edit] EPs
- Pelican (2001)
- March into the Sea (2005)
- Pink Mammoth (2007)
[edit] Splits
- Pelican/Scissorfight/The Austerity Program Split (2003)
- Pelican/Playing Enemy Split (2005)
- Mono/Pelican split (2005)
[edit] DVDs
- Live in Chicago 06/11/03 (2005)
- After the Ceiling Cracked (Live in London) (2008)
[edit] Multi-Format Sets
- After the Ceiling Cracked (2008)
[edit] Notes
- ^ Andrew Parks (July 2007). Pelican: "Pelican speak softly and carry more than just big riffs on the monolithic City of Echoes". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b Mike Diver (2007-03-27). Pelican: "We're neither trend setters nor trend followers". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ a b Allan Wigley (2006-06-14). "Pelican's music tough to categorize". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
[edit] Additional reading
Andrew Parks (July 2007, issue 33). Pelican. Decibel.
[edit] External links
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