If you’re a Perth music fan, you’ve probably seen the two men from Alzabo before. Maybe you watched Steve Summerlin holding down the rhythm with Mink Mussel Creek or Whalehammer or Felicity Groomin sometime in the last eight years. Or maybe you watched Nick Odell leave bystanders dumbfounded as he channelled subterranean nightmares with Cease at the Hydey, the Rosemount or atop the DNA Tower in King’s Park. Alzabo lean more towards Cease, carving meditative yet gargantuan slices of droning doom. Before they support Yob at the Rosemount on August 19, we spend a minute with Alzabo and find out what’s new.
Describe your music in five words or less.
Sludge-chunk instrumental dance music.
What’s going on in the world of Alzabo?
We’ve been quite busy lately. Playing a few shows & trying to nail down the set. Hoping to record soon.
What motivates you to make music?
Steve amd I have been friends for years but we’ve never really played together properly and it’s just a really fun time! There is no pressure to do anything other than try to make the loudest and heaviest noise we possibly can. It’s very exciting actually.
What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Alzabo is a relatively new project for us. We’ve only being playing together since February this year and it’s been all good. So no low points. The high point… maybe using all of Steve’s ridiculous amount of amps at The Rosemount a couple of months ago! He has a fucking huge set-up and it took a Ford Transit van just to transport his gear. CRUSHING! That and blowing the sound on stage at Mojo’s was pretty funny.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Heaps of stuff. Listening to Godheadsilo a lot again, amazing fucking band. HTRK, Les Rallizes Denudes. Always YOB. Actually, Rage Against The Machine is in the car at present. The Battle Of Los Angeles! Great album!
If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Steve would eat me as soon as he got a chance to. Bastard.
Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
That Australia should be leading the world in so many ways, when in fact we seem to be going fucking backwards! I have a young family and there are some INSANE decisions being made at the moment that make me question if I want them to grow up here. That sucks. Perhaps a good first step for Perth would be voting in Mike O’Hanlon for mayor in October!
You’re putting together your perfect gig featuring Australian artists. Who would you get to play and where? Feel free to include acts/DJs/bands/venues that no longer exist.
Let’s go back in time to a house party at Tanya’s place, when the acid is good and the fires are burning. Mink Mussel Creek, Frozen Ocean and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. BOOM. Maybe a CEASE reunion? Good times, good times.
Alzabo join Dirac Sea in support of doom lords YOB at their first ever Australian show at The Rosemount Hotel on Wednesday, August 19. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.
