STONEBURNER

STONEBURNER is one of the mainstays of the Portland, Oregon underground scene. Formed in early 2008, the bands’ familial roots reach back twenty years. Drummer Jesse McKinnon (ex-Buried Blood) and guitarist Jason Depew (Buried At Sea) have rocked together in many incarnations. Their other bands had similarly earth-choked names (a stone burner is a subterranean weapon from the novel Dune), but it gets even more incestuous — Jesse went to school with bassist Damon (Heathen Shrine) Kelly’s step-mother. Years later, Jesse’s father would be Damon’s high school government teacher. Today most of the band shares a house and a musical outlet for their worldly frustrations.

To describe Stoneburner’s music one need only look to the list of bands with whom they’ve shared the stage: Yob, Sleep, EYEHATEGOD, Neurosis, Buzzov-en, Weedeater, Saint Vitus, Watain, Tragedy, Noothgrush, Graves At Sea, Lord Dying, Drop Dead, Whitehorse, Wind Hand, Bastard Noise and etc. It’s all about domination through amplification and soul-cleansing catharsis. Stoneburner does not put on airs for anyone. The shows are not "rituals". According to guitarist Eli Boland, playing in Stoneburner “…takes care of the thing inside us that would otherwise lead to serial murder. It cleanses my soul, eases my demons, and fills my heart in a way that keeps me high for a good long while.”

Life Drawing is the band’s second album and third overall release following closely in the tradition of 2012’s Sickness Will Pass (Seventh Rule). All players are the same and Damon has now had ample time to gel with the band. Once again the tracking was done at Haywire under producer Fester “the fifth Burner’s” watchful ear and red-rimmed eyes. The same mastering engineer and cover artist were similarly re-employed. What’s new is the Neurot logo on the spine and a handful of close friends on guest vocals including: Benjamin Caragol (Burials/Hang the Old Year), Joshua Greene (Bastard Feast, Ephemeros), and Krysta Martinez (Transient/Landmine Marathon).

Two difficult years have passed. A basement provided the outlet. The band considers it therapy. The fruition is Life Drawing.