Botch was an American
mathcore
Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signatur ...
band formed in 1993 in
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
. The band, featuring
Brian Cook,
Dave Knudson, Tim Latona and
Dave Verellen, spent four years as a garage band and released several demos and EPs before signing to
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records was an independent record label specializing in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experimental ...
. Through the label, Botch released two studio albums: ''
American Nervoso'' (1998) and ''
We Are the Romans'' (1999). The group toured extensively and internationally in support of their albums with like-minded bands such as
The Blood Brothers,
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of Consonance and ...
,
Ink & Dagger
Ink & Dagger were a hardcore punk band from Philadelphia that was active in the 1990s. The two permanent members throughout the band's career were guitarist Don Devore and vocalist Sean Patrick McCabe. Other members included Ashli State, Terry Ye ...
and
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
. Botch struggled to write a third studio album, and in 2002 the group broke up due to tensions among the band members and creative differences. Hydra Head posthumously released an EP of songs the group had been working on before they split titled ''
An Anthology of Dead Ends'' and a live album documenting their final show titled ''
061502'' in 2006.
After Botch broke up, most of the members went on to form or join new bands in the Seattle/Tacoma area including:
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear are an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound has been described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophi ...
,
Narrows
A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap.
A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilte ...
,
Roy,
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is an American instrumental post-metal band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was originally formed by childhood friends Mike Sullivan and Dave Turncrantz after their previous musical projects dissolved. After parting ways wit ...
and
These Arms Are Snakes.
History
Early years (1993–1997)
Bassist
Brian Cook, guitarist
Dave Knudson, drummer Tim Latona and vocalist
Dave Verellen formed Botch in 1993 while they were all still in high school.
Tim Latona, who at the time was a
jazz drummer
Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques an ...
considering attending the
performing arts
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
school
Juilliard
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...
, was approached by Dave Knudson in the high school cafeteria and asked if he would like to start a rock band. According to Knudson, "We were probably 16 or 17. I brought my amp over to Tim's house, and we ended up on his back deck playing
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
covers for a couple of hours."
Dave Knudson enticed Brian Cook to join the band by promising that the group would record a
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run.
Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...
cover, but this recording never took place. Dave Verellen was the last to join the band, and only became the vocalist because he couldn't play an instrument. The group selected the name Botch simply by "opening a dictionary."
Early songs written by Botch were described by Knudson as, "some of the worst music you've probably heard in your life," which he attributed to each of the members' differing tastes in music and the lack of experience in composing songs.
Some of their early song titles included: "Barney the Purple Dinosaur," "Vegetarianism Is Anarchy," "Barbed Rectal Thermometer" and "Pudenda."
Botch released ''
Faction'', a 7-inch EP in 1995; that same year, Botch went on their first tour outside of the Seattle-area. Dave Verellen's dad drove the group on a mini-tour through Canada in an old van he owned.
John Pettibone, then of Undertow and Nineironspitfire, praised Botch's ability to tour outside of their hometown, commenting: "Botch was the first band from the next generation that went out and pushed it—and pushed it ''their'' way. It was remarkable."
In 1996, the band released another EP, titled ''
The John Birch Conspiracy Theory''.
In early 1997, Botch went on a seven-week tour throughout the United States and Canada with
Ink & Dagger
Ink & Dagger were a hardcore punk band from Philadelphia that was active in the 1990s. The two permanent members throughout the band's career were guitarist Don Devore and vocalist Sean Patrick McCabe. Other members included Ashli State, Terry Ye ...
and Nineironspitfire, which gained them a significant amount of exposure. According to Brian Cook, "Ink & Dagger were kind of a big deal at that point, so we were playing a lot of club shows. I think we did a show at some theater in Buffalo, New York, with
Snapcase
Snapcase is an American hardcore punk band from Buffalo, New York. Their records were released on the Chicago record label Victory Records. During the course of the band's initial run of fourteen years, they released six studio albums before d ...
and there were, like, a thousand people or something like that."
Also in 1997, Excursion Records released ''
The Unifying Themes of Sex, Death and Religion''—a nine-track
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
composed of the EPs ''The John Birch Conspiracy Theory'' and ''Faction'' in their entirety, and "Closure" from the various artists compilation ''I Can't Live Without It''.
Hydra Head Records (1997–2002)
''American Nervoso''
Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner (born November 5, 1977) is an American musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal bands Sumac (band), SUMAC and Isis ...
, former vocalist for the
post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal music, heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis (band), Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture (music), te ...
band
Isis
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
and founder of the record label
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records was an independent record label specializing in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experimental ...
, was following Botch's early career. He praised the group's interpretation of
Carl Orff
Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana (Orff), Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Orff Schulwerk, Schulwerk were influential for ...
's classical piece "
O Fortuna" off of ''The John Birch Conspiracy Theory'' EP, describing it as "amazing" and also saying that, "anytime I made a mix tape for someone else, I'd put
O Fortuna'on there."
Turner contacted Botch and asked them to contribute a song to Hydra Head's ''
In These Black Days''—a compilation album of
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
cover songs
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...
released as a series of split singles. Botch recorded a cover of "The Wizard" from Black Sabbath's 1970 album ''
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
'', and also sent Turner a
demo album
Demo, usually short for demonstration (disambiguation), demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than for release
*Demo (Behind Crimson Eyes), ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 ...
they had been working on at the time.
About the demo, Aaron Turner said, "I can't remember if I had solicited it or if they just sent it to me. In any event, it was more than I was expecting from them even though I already thought they were good. I think I gave them about six or seven grand to do the record, which was probably more than I had given any other band that we had worked with at that point."
The demos were re-recorded with
Matt Bayles
Matt Bayles (; born October 19, 1972) is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician, based in Seattle, Washington. Bayles is known for his work with bands such as The Classic Crime, Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon, ...
at
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
guitarist
Stone Gossard
Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20, 1966) is an American musician and songwriter who serves as the rhythm guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the ...
's own Studio Litho. After three days of recording and two days of mixing,
the completed songs became Botch's debut studio album ''
American Nervoso'', released in 1998 through Hydra Head Records.
In support of ''American Nervoso'', Botch headlined a North American tour with
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of Consonance and ...
and
Jesuit
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
.
Beginning with this tour, John Pettibone was hired as the group's manager, and it also was Botch's first time bringing their own lighting equipment with them. Their stage setup included several
halogen
The halogens () are a group in the periodic table consisting of six chemically related elements: fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and the radioactive elements astatine (At) and tennessine (Ts), though some authors would ...
work lamps plugged into a
power strip
A power strip (also known as a multi-socket, power board and many other variations) is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable (typically with a mains plug on the other end), allowing multiple electrical devices ...
with a switch. Commenting on the lights, Dave Verellen said, "I hated the lights at clubs, which were always on the band, so we figured we'd turn them on the audience.
..I liked it because I could see people's reaction in the crowd because their faces were totally illuminated."
Also during this tour, Botch played music from the
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
before they went on stage,
which was intentionally drastically different from the more traditional "metal music
eing playedin between the metal bands."
Botch were also rumored to be recording a Destiny's Child covers EP
—however, this release never materialized.
''We Are the Romans''
In 1999, Botch recorded some live demos with Matt Bayles for their second studio album and follow-up to ''American Nervoso''. Two months later, Botch returned to Litho Studios with Bayles to record what would become ''
We Are the Romans''. The group only had approximately one week to track the album, and according to Knudson, the group "
ushedto get everything done and do it as well as we wanted to."
As a last minute addition to the album, Botch rewrote and rerecorded the song "Frequenting Mass Transit"—originally released on a split release with Murder City Devils—and changed the title to "Frequency Ass Bandit".
''We Are the Romans'' was released in November 1999 through Hydra Head Records on both CD and double LP vinyl formats.
The title of the album was derived from the lyrics to the album's closing track "Man the Ramparts". According to Verellen: "Brian
ook
Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to:
* Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec
* On-off keying, in radio technology
* Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska
* Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck
* Ook, the ...
thought it'd make a great title, but I thought it was a totally silly gladiator song. The riff is kinda huge, so I was thinking about chariots and fire and stuff like that. It sounds like I pulled the words out of ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero created by American author Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) and who debuted in 1932 and went on to appear in a series of fantasy stories published in ''We ...
''. But then we started talking about the social decline of Western civilization, and how Americans are the new
Romans—it's all slaves and
Caesars. So we made it work."
Botch's first show in support of ''We Are the Romans'' was the final show for the Seattle venue Rkcndy with
The Blood Brothers, Playing Enemy and
Kill Sadie in October 1999. The club was an all-ages venue that was being demolished to make way for a hotel. Verellen expressed his admiration for playing all-ages shows stating that, "People go to all-ages shows to see the bands, but people will go to bars... and while they're at the show, they're just hanging out with their friends. That doesn't mean all bar shows are like that, but that's what makes me not want to play bars, basically."
In 2000, Botch toured Europe with The Dillinger Escape Plan, and also went on a smaller North American tour later that year.
On July 28, 2001, Botch performed at
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
's hardcore festival
Krazy Fest 4 which also featured
Coalesce,
Converge
Converge may refer to:
* Converge (band), American hardcore punk band
* Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body
* Limit (mathematics)
In mathematics, a limit is the value that a function (or sequence) app ...
,
Poison the Well and
Harkonen among others.
Breakup (2002)
Botch officially decided to break up the band in February 2002.
Tensions between Tim Latona and Dave Knudson that originated from the ''We Are the Romans'' sessions and supporting tours built up to the point where members weren't communicating anymore.
According to Dave Verellen, "it was the best idea for us just to break up while we were on top of things, rather than torture ourselves and keep chipping away till we hated each other."
Botch also struggled to write a third studio album citing pressures to write a follow-up to their critically acclaimed ''We Are the Romans'' and suffering from "crazy
writer's block
Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown.
Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming ...
."
Knudson had also begun writing softer-sounding songs that didn't fit Botch's style, and formed the side-project
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear are an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound has been described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophi ...
in 2001. Botch performed their final show on June 15, 2002, at
The Showbox
The Showbox (originally known as the Showbox Theater) is a music venue in Seattle, Washington, United States. It has been owned by AEG Live since 2007.
History and usage
Founded in 1939, the Showbox has hosted a diverse offering of music over t ...
in downtown Seattle, Washington with
The Blood Brothers,
Harkonen and Playing Enemy.
When asked about the possibility of a reunion in a 2002 interview with the band, Dave Verellen said, "I'd be first in line to keep this goddamn band together."
However, in the same interview, Knudson said, "I could totally see doing anything with any of those people that's not Botch but something else that's creative and fun... and maybe more aggressive."
In a 2009 interview with Brian Cook, he revealed that Botch get asked to play reunion shows "on a regular basis."
After Botch disbanded, Cook maintained that he would never reunite the band, but in a 2014 interview, he revealed that the other members of Botch felt like the band ended too early and that they had been urging him to stop saying the word "never" regarding a possible reunion.
Post-Break up activities (2002–2022)
Posthumous releases and reissues
Before disbanding, Botch recorded a six-song EP titled ''
An Anthology of Dead Ends''—a small collection of songs Botch had written before breaking up. The EP was recorded in March 2002,
an event which was described by producer Matt Bayles as being "incredibly tense."
On the album's content, Verellen said: "Two of the tracks are things we did live that we just wanted to record" and one of the songs was "just a riff we never got a song written for, but it was just such a good riff."
Hydra Head Records released ''An Anthology of Dead Ends'' on October 15, 2002;
about four months after Botch played their final show. Also in 2002, Excursion Records reissued ''The Unifying Themes Of Sex, Death, And Religion'' under the name ''Unifying Themes Redux'' with seven additional tracks from Botch's split albums and compilation contributions.
In July 2006, Hydra Head announced they would release four Botch albums over the next year. The label first reissued the compilation album ''Unifying Themes Redux'' on September 26, 2006.
A live two-disc set titled ''
061502'' was released on December 5, 2006. The CD/DVD package features a live recording of Botch's final performance from June 15, 2002, at The Showbox.
A remastered version of ''American Nervoso'' was released on July 7, 2007.
This updated version was also packaged with various bonus features, including demos and extended versions of some tracks. For example, parts of the song "Hives" that were accidentally removed on the original recording were added back.
And finally, Hydra Head Records released a two-disc remastered version of ''We Are the Romans'' on September 11, 2007. The second disc featured demo versions of ''We Are the Romans'' tracks and four live songs.
In September 2011, Hydra Head announced that they discovered approximately 450 vinyl record jackets for ''We Are the Romans'' in their storage space, and would repress the record using the album's original plates.
After the records sold out in less than 20 minutes, the label stated they would make Botch reissues a "priority for 2012."
For
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
in 2012, Hydra Head reissued ''An Anthology of Dead Ends'' on vinyl.
To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Botch's final show, Hydra Head released a limited edition
windbreaker
A windbreaker, or a windcheater, is a thin fabric jacket designed to resist wind chill and light rain, making it a lighter version of the jacket. It is usually lightweight in construction and characteristically made of synthetic fiber, syntheti ...
that was only available for 24 hours on June 15, 2012.
In March 2016, Hydra Head released a limited-edition vinyl set featuring all previously released LP editions of Botch's albums spread across nine discs compiled in a silver-foil stamped box featuring a 36-page extended liner note booklet.
Post-Botch bands
After Botch broke up, three of the four members continued to compose and perform music with new bands—drummer Tim Latona instead chose to continue his education.
The complex tree of interchanging band members among these newly formed groups has been described as "incestuous."
Knudson continued performing with the
math rock
Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...
/
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band Minus the Bear with vocalist
Jake Snider
Jake Snider (born March 22, 1976) is the former lead vocalist and guitarist in the band Minus the Bear. He also plays guitar in the band Onalaska. He has previously been a part of the bands Sharks Keep Moving and State Route 522. He also plays gui ...
formerly of
Sharks Keep Moving, drummer
Erin Tate formerly of
Kill Sadie, former Botch producer Matt Bayles on keys, and bassist Cory Murchy. Minus the Bear quickly signed to
Suicide Squeeze Records
Suicide Squeeze Records is a Seattle, Washington-based independent record label that releases rock music, rock, pop music, pop, and metal music, metal music. Suicide Squeeze releases content on vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital. The label has als ...
and released two EPs, ''
This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic'' and ''
Bands Like It When You Yell "Yar!" at Them'', before releasing their debut full-length ''
Highly Refined Pirates'' in November 2002. The group released two more albums through Suicide Squeeze, ''
Menos el Oso'' (2005) and ''
Planet of Ice'' (2007), before signing to
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, California. The label is home to artists from around the world and part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. The label has had international success from its small roster of ...
and releasing ''
Omni'' (2010) and ''
Infinity Overhead'' (2012).
The
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
group These Arms Are Snakes was formed in 2002 by Brian Cook, Steve Snere formerly of Kill Sadie, Ryan Frederiksen of formerly of Nineironspitfire, Joe Preston and Jesse Robertson.
The group signed to
Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree International, Inc. is an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in 1990 in Wilmington, Delaware.
History
Origin (1987–1990)
In 1987, Tim Owen and Darren Walters were introduced during a punk show in Washin ...
and released the EP ''
This Is Meant to Hurt You'' (2003) and their debut full-length ''
Oxeneers or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home'' (2004). These Arms Are Snakes went through a few lineup changes, one of which included Erin Tate of Minus the Bear and Kill Sadie, before solidifying their lineup with Chris Common on drums. With this formation, they released two more albums, ''
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
'' (2006) and ''
Tail Swallower and Dove'' (2008)—the later of which was released on Suicide Squeeze Records—before disbanding in 2009.
Aside from working as a
firefighter
A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
,
Dave Verellen also formed the
folk rock
Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
band
Roy in 2002 with Brian Cook, Ben Verellen of
Harkonen and Mike Cooper. The group released the EP ''Tacomatose'' (2003) and the full-length ''Big City Sin and Small Town Redemption'' (2004) before going on hiatus. During the break, Cook and Ben Verellen worked on These Arms Are Snakes' debut album ''Oxeneers or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home''. Roy briefly reformed and released ''Killed John Train'' in 2006.
Brian Cook also joined the
instrumental
An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...
group
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is an American instrumental post-metal band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was originally formed by childhood friends Mike Sullivan and Dave Turncrantz after their previous musical projects dissolved. After parting ways wit ...
in 2007, replacing former member Colin DeKuiper. Cook contributed to Russian Circles' second and third studio albums ''
Station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
'' (2008) and ''
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
'' (2009); both of which were released through Suicide Squeeze Records.
The group then signed to
Sargent House
Sargent House is an American management company and record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and also owns a music video production company called Ref ...
and released ''
Empros'' (2011) and ''
Memorial
A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
'' (2013).
As of 2014, Brian is a part of
Sumac
Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is '' Rhus coriaria ...
, as a permanent bassist with
Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner (born November 5, 1977) is an American musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal bands Sumac (band), SUMAC and Isis ...
and Nick Yacyshyn. They have released their debut album The Deal in February 2015.
In 2008, vocalist Dave Verellen formed the mathcore band
Narrows
A narrows or narrow (used interchangeably but usually in the plural form), is a restricted land or water passage. Most commonly a narrows is a strait, though it can also be a water gap.
A narrows may form where a stream passes through a tilte ...
with Rob Moran of
Unbroken and
Some Girls, Sam Stothers of Makeout Boys, Jodie Cox of
Bullet Union, and Ryan Frederiksen of These Arms Are Snakes and Nineironspitfire. Narrows signed to
Deathwish Inc.
Deathwish Inc. is an American independent record label conceived by Jacob Bannon of Converge and Tre McCarthy in 2000. Their first release was '' Deeper the Wound'', a split album between Converge and Japanese band Hellchild on April 23, 2001. D ...
and subsequently released a
self-titled EP (2008) and two full-lengths: ''
New Distances'' (2009) and ''
Painted'' (2012).
Reunion (2022–2024)
Hydra Head Records went out of business in 2020, leaving Botch's catalog without a home and was subsequently entirely removed from online streaming services. In October 2021,
Sargent House
Sargent House is an American management company and record label based in Los Angeles. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and also owns a music video production company called Ref ...
announced it had acquired Botch's full catalog and would maintain the band's digital presence as well as future vinyl represses going forward. The announcement from members of the band also teased "exciting things in 2022," which created speculation among Botch's fanbase that this alluded to a reunion. Cook later clarified: "You might have seen the news that Sargent House is bringing the Botch catalog back. We're very stoked. But to dispel any confusion, we are not reuniting."
The first Sargent House reissued ''We Are the Romans'' in November 2022 and featuring a new song, "
One Twenty Two
"One Twenty Two" is a single by the American metal band Botch. The song was released as a digital single on August 24, 2022 and was included as a bonus track on the 2022 reissue of Botch's '' We Are the Romans'' through Sargent House. The single ...
".
Despite regrouping to write and record the song, the members of Botch stated the band has not reunited and was not active.
On October 15, 2022, These Arms Are Snakes and Sandrider performed at a private birthday party for producer Matt Bayles. After These Arms Are Snakes' set, the members of Botch took to the stage without prior announcement to perform one song – "Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb".
The night also marked the 20-year anniversary of the release of ''An Anthology of Dead Ends'', Botch's final studio recording before disbanding.
The following week, Botch announced a pair of reunion shows in Seattle on February 24 and 25, 2023.
After the tickets to these shows sold out in 13 seconds, Botch announced a third reunion show in their hometown of Tacoma on February 17.
Coinciding with the Sargent House re-release of ''American Nervoso'' and their Tacoma reunion show, Botch announced a 14-date U.S. tour for October–December 2023.
Botch said they had no plans for their reunion beyond their tour; in an interview with ''Gut Feeling'', Knudson said: "There's no more music for Botch on the horizon; we're doing these shows, and then it's done
..it's going to happen for a very finite amount of time."
In October 2023, the band announced a final EU and UK tour for March 2024, spanning fourteen dates, with three of these being in the UK. In May 2024, the band embarked on their first and only tour of Australia. The band played their final show at the Showbox in Seattle on June 15, 2024—22 years to the date of their original final performance (''061502'') in 2002.
On June 27, 2025, Botch will release a live album of their June 15, 2024 reunion performance titled ''061524'' through Sargent House. The album's title is a reference to Botch's previous live album ''061502'', which was also recorded at The Showbox music venue in Seattle 22 years earlier. It was recorded and mixed by long-time Botch collaborator Matt Bayles.
Influence and legacy
Botch's music was a major early influence on the mathcore
and metalcore
styles, and their final album ''We Are the Romans'' is specifically cited as a highly influential album. ''
Decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whos ...
'' and ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' both inducted the album into their publication's "Hall of Fame" features in November 2005
and August 2011
respectively. ''Rock Sound'' also declared ''We Are the Romans'' as one of the "big four" math metal albums in May 2008,
and featured Botch in the publication's "Revolutionaries" column, which pays tribute to "the bands we just couldn't live without" in November 2006.
In August 2005, ''Alternative Press'' listed ''We Are the Romans'' as a classic "other punk album"—or an album that was influential, but not commercially successful. In October 2009, Botch was featured in
AbsolutePunk
''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to featu ...
's "Weekly Nostalgia" piece, which pays tribute to disbanded musical groups.
In November 2009, Jason Heller listed ''We Are the Romans'' as one of the albums that didn't make ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
s top 50 albums of previous decade list, but was still an important album of this period.
In 2012, ''Rock Sound'' added Botch's ''We Are the Romans'' into its "101 Modern Classics," ranking at number 35.
Many artists have cited Botch's music as an influence or have expressed their admiration for it, including:
American Standards,
Architects
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
,
Jordan Blilie of
The Blood Brothers,
Dan Briggs of
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (guitar, backing ...
,
[ ]Breather Resist
Breather Resist was an American hardcore punk and mathcore band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 2002 and dissolved in 2006. They take their name from the song “Breather Resist” by Hoover.
History
Breather Resist formed in 2002 and rec ...
, Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats are a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, ''Psychic Jailbreak'', having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is cu ...
, Curl Up and Die, The Fall of Troy, Johnny Truant
Johnny Truant was a British metalcore band, formed in 2000 under the name Severance. The band recorded three demos under this moniker before renaming themselves after one of the main characters of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel ''House of Leaves ...
,[ ]Frank Turner
Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...
of Million Dead
Million Dead are an English post-hardcore band from London, active between 2000 and 2005 with a reunion planned for 2025.
History
The band was founded in 2000 by Cameron Dean and Julia Ruzicka, after both came to London from Australia. They we ...
,[ Norma Jean,] The Ocean,[ ]Owl City
Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young (American musician), Adam Young, who created the project while exp ...
, and Underoath
Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...
.[ In January 2009, members of the Washington bands ]Kane Hodder
Kane Warren Hodder (born April 8, 1955)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Americ ...
and Schoolyard Heroes
Schoolyard Heroes was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States, consisting of four members: Ryann Donnelly (lead vocals), Jonah Bergman (bassist, back-up vocals), Steve Bonnell (guitar), and Brian Turner (drummer).
Histor ...
formed a tribute band
A tribute act, tribute band, tribute group or tribute artist is a Musical ensemble, music group, Singing, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the so ...
and performed Botch songs at a local venue in a one-off performance.
Despite Botch's level of acclaim after their demise, the group was initially poorly received by the local Washington hardcore scene. For the majority of their existence, "the band found themselves shunned by cliques and crews." Latona described the negative reaction as "disheartening," and that Botch thought the group, "had something cool to share with people, and they were total assholes to us." In the late 1990s, the group's complex music wasn't seen as very accessible, and their constant "poking fun at the scene" wasn't warmly received by their peers. In addition to playing complex music, Botch actively avoided common hardcore stereotypes. Before walking on stage, Botch warmed up the crowd with pop music instead of heavier music. Botch sold a t-shirt that featured two shirtless homosexual males sitting close on a couch with the words "Botch: The Best Boy Band Ever" written directly below. Cook designed the shirt by tracing an image out of a homosexual pornographic magazine and "drew a beer bottle over the cock," which was meant to be a "rebellion against all the typical skull and switchblade imagery" that is prevalent in the hardcore scene. Botch wrote songs such as "C. Thomas Howell as the 'Soul Man'" which openly mocked straight-edge bands like Racetraitor and other bands with "lofty political ideals." Botch also cited living in Tacoma, Washington and being isolated from Seattle as another reason for not being accepted into any regional music scenes. In a 2011 interview with ''Rock Sound'', Dave Verellen said "A lot of Seattle didn't like us, so we just did what we did," and that when ''We Are the Romans'' was released, "people were like, 'Yeah, it's good...' but like anything in that genre at the time it was a slow-starter because it wasn't exactly palatable. Hydra Head was stoked on it and, slowly, we started to get more press and play bigger shows. But even this week I've talked to more people about that record than I have since it came out."
The members of Botch have mixed feelings about their posthumous acclaim. In regards to what fans are willing to pay for out-of-print merchandise on eBay
eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
, Latona said "I don't mean to sound like a dick, but it's like, 'Where were you in 2001?'" but also continued by saying "On the other hand, it's flattering to hear that people even give a shit about what we did, because I fucking loved what we did." Knudson also said the continued interest in Botch was "flattering," but that "It would have been great if there were a ton of people at our shows in 98, but that's now how it goes." The members of Botch aren't impressed with many of the bands who they inspired, often describing these new acts as ripping them off. Knudson admitted to ripping off Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
and Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
while writing for Botch, but said that playing the songs that you love is part of progressing as a musician, and that "Sometimes you can make opying another bandinto your own thing and then own it—which is how I feel we did it." Cook said being ripped off really bummed him out, and that:
Musical style and lyrics
Botch's musical genre is typically described as noisecore or metalcore. The group's technically and complexly composed music, along with their use of odd time signatures, often garners them the label of mathcore
Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signatur ...
or math rock
Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...
.
Inspired by bands like Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
and Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...
, when Botch formed they started playing in drop D tuning
Drop D tuning is an alternative form of guitar tuning in which the lowest (sixth) string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D. Therefore, where the standard tuning is E2A2D3G3B3E4 (EADGBe), drop D is D2A2D3G3 ...
. According to Brian Cook, in this tuning, "you could play a power chord
A power chord , also called a fifth chord, is a colloquial name for a chord on guitar, especially on electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly pla ...
with one finger. Right away I was like, 'Fuck.' I was 16 and barely knew how to play the instrument, and all of a sudden it was tuned differently than what I was used to." Early demos were described as sounding like "chuggachugga straight-edge hardcore-style stuff." While Botch was still searching for its own identity, the members contemplated becoming a straight edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...
band for a period of time. All of the members admired the Seattle straight edge group Undertow—one of the biggest names in the Seattle hardcore scene at the time. Cook also expressed appreciation for the first albums of the vegan straight edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...
band Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American metallic hardcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993, the band's longest-tenured members include vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ia ...
. On the group's feelings toward straight edge, Cook said:
Knudson's guitar playing was influenced by the "crazy and angular" bands Angel Hair and Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995 and later from 2014 to 2016. It was formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis, ex-members of the band Pitchfor ...
—the latter of which was seen as an early influence on mathcore—and the heavier bands Sepultura
Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
and Meshuggah
Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...
. Botch’s lyrics often delve into personal and introspective themes, reflecting a raw and honest emotional depth. They avoided the typical “skull and crossbones” aesthetic, opting for a more confessional and raw presentation
Band members
* Brian Cook – bass
* Dave Knudson – guitar
* Tim Latona – drums
* Dave Verellen – vocals
Related figures
* Matt Bayles
Matt Bayles (; born October 19, 1972) is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician, based in Seattle, Washington. Bayles is known for his work with bands such as The Classic Crime, Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon, ...
– engineer for all Hydra Head Records releases, the Murder City Devils split single and select tracks on ''Unifying Themes Redux''
* John Pettibone – manager, light technician, backing vocals
* Ben Verellen – light technician, backing vocals, and brother of Dave Verellen
Discography
Studio albums
* '' American Nervoso'' (1998, Hydra Head)
* '' We Are the Romans'' (1999, Hydra Head)
Live albums
* '' 061502'' (2006, Hydra Head)
* ''061524'' (2025, Sargent House)
Compilation albums
*'' The Unifying Themes of Sex, Death and Religion'' (1997, Excursion)
*'' Unifying Themes Redux'' (2002, Excursion / 2006, Hydra Head)
Box sets
* Vinyl box set (2016, Hydra Head)
Extended plays
*''Faction'' (1995, World of Hurt / Threshold)
*''The John Birch Conspiracy Theory'' (1996, Phyte)
*'' An Anthology of Dead Ends'' (2002, Hydra Head)
Singles
* "One Twenty Two
"One Twenty Two" is a single by the American metal band Botch. The song was released as a digital single on August 24, 2022 and was included as a bonus track on the 2022 reissue of Botch's '' We Are the Romans'' through Sargent House. The single ...
" (2022, Sargent House)
Split recordings
* Split with Nineironspitfire (1997, Indecision)
* '' In These Black Days Volume 5'' with Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of '' Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...
(1999, Hydra Head)
* Split with Murder City Devils (1999, Excursion)
* Split with Ananda and Knut
Knut ( Norwegian and Swedish), Knud ( Danish), or Knútur ( Icelandic) is a Scandinavian and German first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used which ...
(2000, Mosh Bart)
Other appearances
Videography
Video albums
* ''061502'' (Hydra Head, 2006)
Music videos
* "Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb" (2002)
* "One Twenty Two
"One Twenty Two" is a single by the American metal band Botch. The song was released as a digital single on August 24, 2022 and was included as a bonus track on the 2022 reissue of Botch's '' We Are the Romans'' through Sargent House. The single ...
" (2022)
Other appearances
See also
* Music of Washington (state)
The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a ma ...
* Music of Seattle
* Hydra Head Records discography
This is a complete discography of Hydra Head Records releases. Hydra Head Records was an independent record company based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 1993 by Aaron Turner. It had two imprints, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which speci ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
* (administered by Hydra Head)
Botch
on Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...
(streamed copies of albums where licensed)
Botch family tree
on Band to Band
Botch discography
on Discogs
Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Botch
American mathcore musical groups
Musical groups from Tacoma, Washington
Musical groups established in 1993
Musical groups disestablished in 2002
1993 establishments in Washington (state)
2002 disestablishments in Washington (state)
Musical groups reestablished in 2022
Musical groups disestablished in 2024
Metalcore musical groups from Washington (state)