Guitarist/vocalist John Brenner of Maryland outfits Against Nature and Revelation has probably the “healthiest” work ethic I’ve ever encountered when it comes to recording, and by “healthy,” I mean obsessive. Since 2005, Against Nature has put out no fewer than 14 records, and it always feels like the next one isn’t far off — because it isn’t. A little while ago, I reviewed Chasing Eagles, only to find out that Cross Street would be arriving shortly, with Stone over Stone due up thereafter.

They’re a lot to keep up with for sure. Releasing albums through their own Bland Hand Records imprint with art by Brenner himself, Against Nature is the vehicle by which Brenner, bassist Bert Hall, Jr. and drummer Steve Branagan explore their more rocking influences, from the early prog of Rush to the swaggering boogie of Humble Pie. When it comes time to doom out, the same lineup performs as Revelation, which has been active in one incarnation or another since 1986, and in the last two years put out albums through labels such as Japan‘s Leaf Hound, Germany‘s The Church Within, and Pittsburgh‘s Shadow Kingdom.

If two constantly expanding discographies wasn’t enough, Brenner is also partially responsible for the Born to be Doomed festival, which this year featured Revelation alongside acts like Apostle of Solitude, Black Pyramid and Blood Farmers on July 2 and 3, with Against Nature headlining a warm-up show the night before. It was on the first day of the festival that I called for the following interview, and found Brenner, unsurprisingly, to be moving quickly from one thing to the next.

In the conversation after the jump, John Brenner discusses the differences between Revelation and Against Nature, how one band grew out of the other, his writing methods and how he is able to maintain such a prolific level of output. I found him to be friendly, engaging and completely unpretentious. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Read more »

Maryland‘s is pretty much the style people mean when they say “traditional doom.” There are three things you want to know right away about the Maryland scene, and they are as follows: Pentagram, The Obsessed and Hellhound Records. With that as your starting point, you can’t really go wrong, but like any fertile bandscape, Maryland (and, by extension the D.C., or “Doom Capitol” scene) has much more to offer the curious listener than just its biggest bands.

In addition to the five albums I’m listing here, you might also want to check out material from Iron Man (Shadow Kingdom has a couple cool reissues and their latest album), Unorthodox, Against Nature, Spirit Caravan, Wretched, Place of Skulls, Nitroseed and many more. But, to get you introduced to the scene and some of its most influential and important acts, feel free to start with the following:

1. Pentagram, First Daze Here: You can get Relentless instead if you feel strongly about it, there are no shortage of reissues out there, but if you really want to understand Pentagram‘s influence, you need to go to their earliest recordings, and this Relapse compilation has them. American doom from the age of Sabbath. They laid the foundation.

2. The Obsessed, Lunar Womb: I picked Lunar Womb because MeteorCity reissued it a couple years back and it’s easy to come by. In this age of wonders, you could just as easily pick up The Church Within if you’re looking to spend a little more. The Obsessed is the band that first gave us guitarist/vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich, whose influence is paramount in modern doom. Currently on the road with the reunited Saint Vitus, he can also be heard in Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand and elsewhere.

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Released separately on the same day by Pittsburgh’s Shadow Kingdom Records, Revelation’s …Yet So Far and For the Sake of No One provide a look at one of Maryland doom’s longest running legacies as it was 14 years ago and as it is today. Respectively. Hellhound had the original release of …Yet So Far back in 1995, while For the Sake of No One is the brand new follow-up to last year’s Release and finds the band at perhaps their most mournful yet.

And I do mean mournful. For the Sake of No One — which maintains the Revelation lineup of Steve Branagan (drums), John Brenner (guitar/vocals) and Bert Hall (bass) — starts off with the woeful one-two punch of “A Matter of Days” and “Offset,” both of which creep at a true doom slow pace that just makes you want to hang your head. “Canyons,” the longest song at 9:11, hits hard in both musical weight and emotional content. The groove is solid, and there’s an under-produced feeling that pervades (Brenner handled recording and mixing, as with Release) that only winds up adding to the cult vibe throughout. This is doom for doomers, folks. Novices or anyone craving timing changes or math-metal parts needs to find themselves another boat.

Things do pick up somewhat with the shorter “On a Promotory” in the middle of the album, and there are some surprises hidden on Side B that contrast the straightforward dirge of For the Sake of No One’s forward face. “The Whisper Stream” boasts the record’s best (and maybe most extended) solo from Brenner, a moment of upbeat classic rock in a swirling sea of doom. The last few minutes of the extended “Vigil” have a bumping bass line from Hall and a lead line that speaks to ‘80s style of rock, and the closing title track starts off eerily quiet, only to blindside with yet another cut of the massive doom that typified the album’s first half.

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The remarkably prolific alter ego of traditional doomers Revelation, Baltimore trio Against Nature take a much different approach, pulling together elements of classic, unpretentious prog, ambient rock, psychedelia and mellow riffers to create a style both unique and amorphous. On their two records from 2008 — note that to date they have a full-length and an EP out in 2009 as well — Natural Blue and Accumulus, both self-released through the band’s own Bland Hand Records, Against Nature journey through a varied landscape of considered rock and roll, at times offering a Brant Bjork-style smoothness (as on Natural Blue opener “Sonic Tonic”) and at times tripping their way into a great mostly-instrumental beyond (as on Accumulus‘ “All in Motion”). Whatever sound they’re adopting, though, a consistency in tone and production ties each of the records to themselves and each other. There is a definite Against Nature sound, and it’s complex.

Both of the albums, as well as the 12 other releases the band has issued since 2005, are available for free download on the Against Nature website, and physical pressings of each are limited to 90 copies that come with hand-made covers signed by guitarist/vocalist John Brenner in gorgeous designs that jpegs fail to do justice. Obviously this is not a band with high commercial aspirations. Rather, what shines through on Accumulus and Natural Blue is a genuine love for the creative process. Memorable riffs pervade cuts like “NOS” and “Normal Nihilists,” linking the two albums together, but Accumulus has a more progressive feel than its predecessor, which is emblematic of the drive and willingness to experiment fueling the band on in place of mainstream notoriety, fame or a large cash flow. They do it to do it. If they didn’t enjoy it, there would be no reason to continue.

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Tilled from the most fertile soil in the US for growing traditional doom — namely the Maryland/D.C. scene that birthed Pentagram, Wretched, The Obsessed, Iron Man, Unorthodox, Wino‘s bands, Earthride and countless others — Baltimore‘s Revelation began issuing demos in 1987 and put out three full-lengths before disbanding following …Yet So Far in 1995. A 2003 reissue of 1996′s Frozen Masque demo showed there was still interest and 2007′s Paleontology collection of early works provided a tape-hissy bugle announcing Revelation‘s return to active status.

After having the shovel strength to unearth Stone Garden and put out Pale Divine‘s much-storied first release, Crimson Tears, the up and coming Shadow Kingdom Records digs its heels into the underground to license Release, Revelation‘s first new full-length in 14 years.

And they came up with a meisterwerk of true American doom.

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