After a short post-reunion lap around the eastern seaboard earlier this year, stoner rockers Karma To Burn are hitting the studio to break off a new album, their first in eight years. The band, featuring a RECENTLY former member of Nebula (he left the band to concentrate on KTB), will employ Mathias Schneeberger (Gutter Twins) to record the Napalm Records debut for a spring 2010 release. Karma To Burn also has a DVD due for Napalm on 12/15 featuring a re-recording of "Twenty" (a video of that is below) and "Thirty". The refreshed audio for "Twenty" will also make an appearance on an upcoming split 7-inch with mighty North Carolinians ASG. - Brooklyn Vegan
Forged deep in subterranean West Virginia in 1994 by two careless and angry young men, William Mecum and Richard Mullins, Karma To Burn initially gnashed its teeth at the conventional wisdom that you need a whining, posing douche-bag at a microphone-stand to play rock and roll. They were of a mind to create a power trio free of this biologically inferior component. In the absence of lyrics, they titled the songs by number. Before they’d counted as high as their educations permitted, Roadrunner Records offered to release their debut album... on the condition that they get a singer. The base beliefs of Karma To Burn - that true power was in the instrument, the extension of the body, free of the eviscerated flesh and mind - never wavered. Except when they were offered cash. Then it fell like Satan from the stars.
The first record, compellingly titled Karma To Burn, featured such nods to convention as vocals, lyrics, and song titles. However, just as Dr. Frankenstein could not make his creation a man by swaddling it in mens' clothes, our heroes were likewise unable to make Karma To Burn anything but an instrumental outfit. Exercising their God-given right to stick to their baseless, narrow-minded convictions, they responded to those trying to convince them that their hatred for lead singers was misguided with the trained response, “Now not having a singer, that's what’s called being a man.”
They carried on as a three-piece, jettisoning drummers hither and yon before recruiting the madman Rob Oswald. They released two more albums of instrumental heavy rock, Wild Wonderful Purgatory and Almost Heathen, to astonishment and accolades. Accolades almost begat money. Almost money begat opiates. Opiates begat differences, and differences decimated Karma To Burn in 2002.
In 2009, with the maturity of three screaming, biting five-year-olds Mullins, Mecum and Oswald put aside their differences. Soon after minting the phrase “L.A. Cunt,” Karma to Burn booked a small reunion tour, to the consternation of all innocent bystanders and the furious joy of all participants. They followed that tour with a summer stampede across Europe, including Download Festival (UK), Hellfest (FRA) and Graspop Metal Meeting (BEL), where they unveiled the latest in their numbered paeans to pandemonium. Bees attacked. LPs sold out. They have no choice but to carry on, and so there will be more to come. In November 2009, Karma to Burn returns to Europe, and in December support Monster Magnet in the UK. In the glorious spring of 2010 there will be a new Karma To Burn record, brought to you by the almighty hand of Austrian Metal Giant Napalm Records.
* Karma To Burn are currently recording their new album w/ Mathias Schneeberger (Gutter Twins) in Pasadena, California and features special guest Matt Maiellaro of Aqua Teen Hunger Force (director, writer, creator, bus driver, also producing the band's new video for "43"). The band will play a one off show next Thursday, November 6th at Spaceland in Los Angeles before heading to Europe for a headlining tour in November, and December UK dates w/ Monster Magnet! KTB has also re-recorded their hit songs "Twenty" and "Thirty" to appear on their upcoming DVD out December 15th courtesy of Napalm. The re-recorded track "Twenty" will also appear on a split 7-inch w/ ASG to be released on Volcom. More news to come including album details, East Coast appearances and more!
Karma To Burn Live!
USA
Nov 6 2009 Spaceland Los Angeles, California w/ 16 and Totimoshi
Europe
Nov 12 2009 MUZ Club Nürnberg
Nov 13 2009 HDO Brandenburg Brandenburg
Nov 14 2009 Titty Twister Dresden
Nov 15 2009 Modra Vopice Prague
Nov 16 2009 Arena Vienna
Nov 17 2009 KSET Zagreb
Nov 18 2009 Channel Zero Ljubljana
Nov 19 2009 Circolo A.R.C.I Fidenza
Nov 20 2009 Bloom Mezzago
Nov 21 2009 United Club Torino
Nov 22 2009 Bronson Ravenna
Nov 23 2009 Sinister Noise Roma
Nov 24 2009 Sabotage Bar Vicenza
Nov 25 2009 Le Romandie Lausanne
Nov 26 2009 Sonnenkeller Balingen
Nov 27 2009 Musiktheater Piano Dortmund
Nov 28 2009 SPEEDFEST Eindhoven w/ Peter Pan Speedrock, GBH, Death Angel, US Bombs
Nov 29 2009 Le Grillen Colmar
Nov 30 2009 GRRRNDZERO Lyon
Dec 1 2009 Le Mojomatic Montpellier
Dec 2 2009 La MDE Poitiers
Dec 3 2009 Hotel de la musique Roubaix
UK w/ Monster Magnet
Dec 5 2009 Rock City Nottingham
Dec 6 2009 KOKO London
Dec 7 2009 Garage Glasgow
Dec 8 2009 Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh, Scotland * no Monster Magnet
Dec 9 2009 Academy 2 Manchester
Dec 10 2009 Assembly Leamington Spa
Dec 11 2009 Wulfrun Wolverhampton
Dec 12 2009 Met University Leeds
For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/karmatoburn
www.napalmrecords.com
