DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Plague of Carcosa
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we found Lovecraftian two piece doom outfit Plague of Carcosa sat on the beach. The island is far from their Chicago home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
So you're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
AA: I grabbed Frances the Mute. It’s one of my absolute favourite records and I feel like it’s so complex production-wise that there’s always something I can pick out and fixate on and really listen for.
EZ: I’d grab ‘Red Eyed Soul’ by The World/Inferno Friendship Society since there’s enough going on for Alexander to like, and there’s enough variety on that record to cover most moods we’d probably find ourselves in on the island.
AA: Plus when we get really bored we can see which one syncs up better with the Wizard of Oz.
EZ: Fuck, we’re gonna spend the whole time arguing about when exactly to drop the needle, aren’t we?
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
AA: Whatever that reggae album is where the guy with the moustache is playing a french horn into a lady’s butt.
EZ: Welp, I’d probably be stealing that when you aren’t looking. I’m a fan too of those old, goofy, ‘what-is-the-possible-context’ album covers, plus I’m not much for hanging up album covers anyways as posters. I might grab something from Sulphur Aeon or some other Lovecraftian band so I could pray for Cthulhu to swiftly end our existence on this island.
AA: While you were praying for our end I called upon some ancient knowledge and the album I’m talking about is “Wasnatch - Front To Back” and now you can’t unlearn that information.
EZ: You’re doing the lord’s work there. If I had to pick another, I’d go with Johnny Guitar Watson’s ‘A Real Mother.’ Look up that cover and I’ll bet you can’t help but laugh.
AA: I just bought a new car, and the price was right.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
AA: A vodka sidecar. Just because you’re on a deserted island doesn’t mean you need to drink peepee.
EZ: White Claws, for sure – they’re light enough to where I can keep a control on myself if need be, and easy enough drinking that I can just slam a few with ease if I feel like getting proper fucked.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
AA: I’ve got a great Portishead shirt that might be the most comfortable thing ever.
EZ: So we’re walking around here without pants? Sounds like a day at my house. Pants are a conspiracy by the government to force us into complacency anyways. Fuck Big Denim. That said, most of my wardrobe is admittedly Bongripper merch (I even have their sweatpants, cause fuck you Big Denim). I’m assuming this island is gonna be hot, so def grabbing a Bongripper T shirt.
AA: You’ve got that Lizzo shirt too.
EZ: Nah, that one is Rebecca’s shirt, but shoutout to Bread & Water Printing for their hilarious merch (like the aforementioned shirt, which is a Lizzo shirt made in the style of a SunnO))) album cover). I do have a shirt with a tombstone that says ‘Rush Limbaugh, LOL’ on it that is super comfy. That’s a good one too.
AA: Topical! But yeah, fuck that guy. Is that even a take? That guy was the worst.
EZ: I mean, yeah, fuck him and all, but that aside it really is a fantastic shirt. Nice and soft and comfortable. It’s one of the higher quality T shirts I think. Not sure the brand. I also just got a Primitive Man shirt the band was doing for a fundraiser, with their art replaced with ‘Primitive Dog’ since it was someone’s pup that needed surgery. Anyways, that was on a brand called Canvas and it’s super nice too.
AA: I’m pretty sure the Portishead shirt is on a Canvas tee. That explains it. I’m glad we can provide such detail.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
AA: I’m good with this.
EZ: Aww, you’re too sweet. Yeah, I’d be fine with it. I feel like we have enough knowledge of random shit together to pass the time and keep things interesting for a good while. Plus, y’know, there’s apparently a bar here, and drinking is always fun.
AA: I can bore you with bad portmanteaus. Maybe bring some clumsy puns. Some cluns. No clun intended.
EZ: ‘Cluns’ sounds like a kind of seafood that nobody wants to eat. Like, ‘hey man, are we doing fried cluns for dinner AGAIN? Can’t we forage for something better?’
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
AA: Does it break the game if my tape is A Lot Of Sorrow?
EZ: Dunno what that is, so I’ll allow it. Not that I’m in control of this hypothetical. I’d maybe go with one of the Halloween shows for World/Inferno that I went to, if it has to be shows that we attended. Those were fun as hell. If it can be any show, do ‘live in studio’ recordings count? Truth be told, I’m not much for live recordings.
AA: I’ll leave it up to the cosmic judges if a 9-hour live art piece / concert counts as a show or not.
EZ: I mean, I’d imagine it does, but like…what is it?
AA: Exactly, maaaan.
EZ: I’m intentionally not gonna look that up so that I can hear YOU explain what it is.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
AA: I feel like Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth is likely to either have a boat or know exactly where to find a boat.
EZ: That’s some good thinking. Yeah, I’ll bet those viking metal guys would be down for an epic voyage to rescue people. I feel like a punk band could DIY a boat or something. Shit, do we know any woodworkers? My friend Erik Petersen/Mischief Brew woulda been great for this, but he’s unfortunately no longer with us. Would he still count for this? If not, no idea who in particular to send it to.
AA: I have absolutely played shows with punks that have the knowledge to build a boat. A good friend of mine built a cardboard maze for his daughter’s birthday and it took up almost their entire loft space. It was amazing and I only wish that I had gotten to play a set inside the maze.
EZ: Oh man, that sounds like a party. Back when I was in my punk band days, I always wanted to play a set in someone’s bathroom. That sounded like a fun, if poor, idea. Come to think of it, maybe there’s a cabinet maker we could send the bottle to to build a boat? Like, the guy from Tyrant Tone/Emperor Cabs used to be in Indian, so that’s gotta count for something.
You've been stuck here for a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
EZ: Nah bud, I’m not one for cannibalism. Not on any ethical or moral grounds, this just sounds like a lot that I’d just rather avoid.
AA: I eat the skin around my fingernails as a nervous tick so I’m not entirely anti-cannibal. Cannibalism with consent. Consent is vital.
EZ: Find me some ethically sourced human flesh, or a designer product that is scientifically proven to taste identical, and I’d definitely try it. This whole hypothetical just seems like an emotional burden that I want no part of, though.
AA: Sounds like you were a big fan of Hufu.
EZ: Never got to try it, actually. I do like a lot of those ‘vegan meats’ though. Not gonna tell you they’re a replacement for the real thing, but many of the brands I’ve tried have been really good in their own right.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
AA: I have so many influences across all genres and instruments, but if I can save and resurrect Art Blakey, I’m going to go ahead and do so.
EZ: Oh man, Jack/Pete from Sticks and Stones/WorldInferno for sure. He could finally make guitar tabs for all his songs for me, since my ear is shit, and tell us stories all fucking day from his crazy life. Not to mention he’d be a great buddy to have at the bar on this here island.
