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"The
Scunge is back with a vengeance
.war-torn
and reborn." (M.D. Cleveland)
Many people have tried to categorize
Scum Scunge. Call it what you want.
The best way the band can describe
their sound is Southern Alternative
Metal. With or without a stylistic
label, any fan of heavy music is sure
to appreciate the soul and the feeling
conveyed through their music at some
point. Scum Scunge was initially the
brainchild of guitarist Stuart Taylor.
He first formed the group in 2002
after only a few years of playing
guitar. It is quite remarkable how
far he has come as a player in such
a short time. "Man, I don't know
the first thing about reading music,
or theory, or any of that bullshit.
I just fuckin' play" says Taylor.
He is definitely a natural at it,
as many who have seen or heard him
play can attest to. After seemingly
endless auditions, he finally found
a solid lineup which consisted of
vocalist Donovan "Dody"
Cleveland, bassist Gristle T. Bates,
and drummer Brently. The quartet released
the self produced album "Five
Bucks Ain't Shit" in 2003, which
featured a guest appearance from the
late Dimebag Darrell Abbott who penned
three tracks of his trademark stellar
solos to round out the disc.
The disc sold consistently as the
band played anywhere that would have
them, drawing respectable numbers
each time. The band's intense and
thought provoking sound was solidified
with their high energy stage presence.
Scum Scunge clearly owns each and
every stage they set foot on.
Unfortunately, toward the end of
2003, personal differences between
band members curtailed the momentum
they had gained, and the band had
all but fallen apart. In early 2004,
Taylor opted to find new players and
start over again. He placed ads in
various local publications and eventually
got a response from former Mortifix/Cenobis
drummer Steve Simpson. The two began
playing together and learning each
other's styles and began to polish
the old material as well as write
new material. After several months
and fruitless auditions in the vocal
department, Donovan Cleveland decided
to come back into the fold which brought
back the soul and feeling that was
clearly missing in his absence. Several
months later Taylor recruited former
Rotting Corpse drummer Randy "The
Gribb" Cook to fill the vacancy
on bass. Some of Cook's past projects
in addition to Rotting Corpse include
session work for bands like Blockhead,
Honest Merchants, and Never; just
to name a few.
The current lineup is definitely
stronger than ever before and the
music has evolved and matured into
a heavier, more dynamic, and more
polished product. The band is currently
in the studio recording tracks for
the follow up to "Five Bucks
Ain't Shit" which is slated to
be released late spring/early summer
2005.
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