This compact and to the point split from Finnish metallic hardcore acts Dredged and The Reality Show—a joint effort between the Judas Chair Collective and Eternal Now Records—offers one song per band, totalling about a seven-minute outburst when all is said and done. Dredged opens "Kheper" with a dark intro reminiscent of Lash Out before plunging into some driving, almost D-beat influenced hardcore that still retains its powerfully dark, metallic edge. With "The New Order," The Reality Show displays crude and raw thrash with the blasting speed of grinding powerviolence—the second half even introducing some badass midpaced rhythms that bring Integrity to mind.
Hit the Judas Chair Collective webstore on October 25th to pick up the vinyl, and those who prefer digital means can purchase now via Bandcamp. Stream both tracks below, followed by an interview with the two bands about their new material, their forthcoming tour, and more:
This short but sweet split 7" finds the Judas Chair Collective cooperating with Eternal Now Records, which I believe is a label run by The Reality Show. Tell me how the idea came about...
Toni (Dredged): We've played a handful of shows together before—for example, when Rot in Hell visited Finland last year—and we realized that we share quite a similar mindset and taste. The split and tour seemed like a logical idea to all of us.
"Kheper" is Dredged's first recording since cutting back to a four-piece lineup, and there's almost a driving, D-beat type of aesthetic to the writing at times. Talk about how the band's sound may have shifted a bit since the Life Desolates Me EP.
Toni (Dredged): We went to a four-piece lineup once we realized that we were not using the full potential of dual guitars, as our songwriting did not support it. Naturally, our sound changed a bit. It also changed the songwriting: our new material is more to the point, perhaps a bit more of a traditional hardcore sound, and a bit faster, too. On the other hand, we also have some slow tracks without any fast parts. We don't really follow any certain genre or style; and incorporate hardcore, sludge, and metal the way it feels natural to us.
Patrick (Dredged): The songwriting process also changed after the lineup change. Now, we show up at the practice place with a few riffs and jam them out to complete the song, whereas before one person would come with an almost complete song to show the band.
Similarly, "The New Order" strikes me as perhaps more diverse and possessing a greater sense of crude aggression than some of The Reality Show's earlier recordings. Is that an accurate assessment?
Kalle (The Reality Show): Crude aggression is something that's been quite present in our music and lyrical content—emphasized with not-too-polished soundscapes—and I haven't been overly excited with refining the arrangements too much, either to keep the feeling of the raw intensity in the situation where the song originally came about, or starting to sound like we wanted at rehearsals. But your assessment is accurate, I think, as we've picked up more metal influences on the way, so the upcoming tracks will have more diversity; and we have gotten tighter as a band, so the aggression perhaps comes through better.
Both groups demonstrate very different lyrical approaches—Dredged exploring more ominous and abstract ideas, and The Reality Show coming direct and in your face. Without divulging more than you'd prefer, share a bit about the lyrics for each composition.
Patrick (Dredged): I feel uncomfortable talking about my feelings or beliefs too directly. I'd rather write about matters that relate to me personally or concern me. The abstract approach to the lyrics allows me to express the disappointment and cruelty of humans and the world—maybe even myself—in many ways and from different perspectives: subject matter that many Dredged lyrics concern.
Kalle (The Reality Show): Some of the lyrics in our earlier songs probably came out more esoteric than others, because while writing I might start with a theme, but they sometimes pick up more meanings inside my head in the process. "The New Order" is simpler than average in this sense.
You'll be embarking on a tour together in October. How are things shaping up thus far, and are there any locations you're particularly excited about performing in?
Toni (Dredged): After a lot of planning, we ended up setting the tour to cover the Baltics—Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—with the record release party being on the 25th of October in Helsinki. We played the Baltics with Dredged two years ago and it was a real blast—especially Kaunas, in Lithuania.
What follows the tour? I know, for example, that Dredged is already working on a couple of other new releases...
Kalle (The Reality Show): The new TRS 7" will see daylight soon, without going into too much detail about it yet. We recorded four more new tracks in the sessions where "The New Order" came from. Our second album is slowly in the works as well.
Toni (Dredged): Dredged is working on another split release, which I don't want to share more details on yet. We've also written almost all of the material for our debut LP, but things have been a bit sluggish with two of us having family lives, running the Judas Chair Collective, and life in general—like always.
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Keep an eye on the Judas Chair Collective webstore for vinyl purchases on October 25th, or purchase/stream digitally through Bandcamp. If you're located near the Baltics, the Dredged/TRS tour is shaping up as follows:
