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Thoughts of Ionesco was a Detroit-based
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...
band extant 1996–1999 known for detuned guitars, screamed vocals, complex arrangements, improvisational sections inspired by free jazz, and their destructive live performances.


Background

Formed in 1996, the band was briefly a five-piece named Building featuring members of the melodic hardcore band Empathy in addition to founding members Sean Madigan Hoen, Brian Repa, and Nathan Miller. After reducing the line-up to a three-piece, they recorded a demo and played a house show in Ypsilanti, MI under the name Triptych; the show was stopped by local police after the band finished their first song. Their demo tape displayed influences of ''
My War ''My War'' is the second studio album by American band Black Flag. It was the first of three full-length albums released by the band in 1984. It polarized fans due to the LP's B-side, on which the band slowed down to a heavy, Black Sabbath-e ...
''-era Black Flag mixed with then contemporary hardcore groups like
Deadguy Deadguy is an American metalcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. The band formed in 1994 and disbanded in 1997. Deadguy is considered to have played an important role in the development of the mathcore genre, their sole studio album '' Fixati ...
and
Universal Order of Armageddon Universal Order of Armageddon was an American hardcore band, active from 1992 to 1994 and reformed in 2010. History The band formed in September 1992. By early 1993, after quickly gaining a small but devoted following, they recorded and toured ...
; the band's sound was further complicated by the metal-influenced double-bass drumming by Repa. Prior to an early show opening for Washington D.C.'s Damnation A.D., the band renamed themselves Thoughts of Ionesco (referencing the absurdist playwright
Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre in the 20th century. Ionesco inst ...
), a decision motivated by their desire for an additional guitarist and what they perceived as constraint in a moniker signifying a set of three. The band, however, would never find an appropriate second guitar-player. Two songs culled from their Triptych demo tape were released as a 7-inch on the band's own record label, Cascade Records, in late 1996. Hoen and Repa were in high school at the time, limiting their performances to weekend excursions around the Midwest. In December 1996, they recorded what would become their album .''..And Then There Was Motion'' with Tim Pak at Woodshed Studios in Oak Park, Michigan. Pak also went on to engineer and produce the next two albums. In early 1997, Michigan hardcore label Conquer the World Records offered to release their latest recording, but the band offered instead a remixed version of their demo tape, which was released as ''The Triptych Session''. The album was well received in hardcore fanzines. Thoughts of Ionesco toured North America in the summer of 1997, frequently with their friends Wallside. Their second album, ''...And Then There Was Motion'', was released later in 1997 by Kalamazoo Michigan label Makoto Records. The recording revealed a heavier sound and more complex arrangements and was described by Alternative Press Magazine as "an ultimate realization of pain-through-sound." Throughout 1997 TOI performed shows with North American hardcore bands
Converge Converge may refer to: * Converge (band), American hardcore punk band * Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body * Limit (mathematics) * Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines *CONVERGE CFD s ...
,
Coalesce Coalesce may refer to: *Coalesce (band), a metalcore band from Kansas City, Missouri, active from 1994 to 1999, 2005– **Coalesce discography, a list of Coalesce's albums and songs * COALESCE, an SQL function *Null coalescing operator, a binary o ...
,
Dropdead Dropdead is an American hardcore punk band based in Providence, Rhode Island. They have been active in the punk scene since 1991, having been formed in January of that year. The band's songs are generally short and very fast-paced, with few last ...
, His Hero is Gone, Botch, as well as numerous punk and hardcore festivals. A split 7-inch with Detroit band Cromwell was released later that year. In early 1998, original drummer Brian Repa left the band for the first time and was replaced by Derek Grant of
the Suicide Machines The Suicide Machines are an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. During the course of their career, the band has released seven full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records, Side One Dummy Records and ...
(and later
Alkaline Trio Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Matt Skiba (vocals, guitar), Dan Andriano (vocals, bass) and Derek Grant (drums, vocals). Founded in late 1996 by Skiba, bassist Rob Do ...
). With Grant, the band began exploring noise sections, extended improvisation and epic song structures inspired by Mahavishnu Orchestra and electric-period Miles Davis while simultaneously seeking an even heavier sound in the vein of Swans and Godflesh. The band recorded its third LP, ''A Skin Historic'', with Grant in summer of 1998. It was slated to be released by the well-distributed Alley Sweeper Records and received advanced reviews, yet the label folded. Grant left the band and was replaced by Brett Fratangelo. The album was soon released on Makoto Recordings. At this time the band added a live saxophonist and, disillusioned with the hardcore scene, began opening for extreme metal bands like
Brutal Truth Brutal Truth was an American grindcore band from New York City, formed by ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers of Death bass guitarist Dan Lilker in 1990. The group disbanded in 1999, but reformed in 2006 and continued to release musi ...
and
Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
. In February 1999 Thoughts of Ionesco contributed two exclusive songs to Utilitarian Records' Various Artists compilation ''The Collateral Compilation''. In May 1999, Thoughts of Ionesco toured the United States and Canada with
Small Brown Bike Small Brown Bike is a band from Marshall, Michigan, United States that started in 1996. The trademark of Small Brown Bike is their "double vocals" backed by melodies. Their sound is often identified as being similar to other post-hardcore band ...
and Dead Season. Amid personal turmoil and differences with Fratangelo, the band cancelled both a U.S. and European tour that summer. Drummer Brian Repa returned for the band's final recording, ''For Detroit, From Addiction'', which was tracked days after their final show in Ann Arbor Michigan on November 20, 1999. The album was released two year later by At Arms Mechanics. In 2006, Chicago label Seventh Rule released an anthology CD, ''The Scar is Our Watermark'', featuring selected, remastered songs from each of the band's releases. In 2014, ''Alternative Press'' listed Thoughts of Ionesco in their article "Twenty '90s Bands that Need to Reunite Already." Also in 2014, Hoen, now a writer, published a memoir ''Songs Only You Know'', in which he recounted a troubled young adulthood and family life. The book features several scenes in which he performs and travels as part of Thoughts of Ionesco. The book was a Barnes and Noble Discovery Selection, a Michigan Notable Book, and was named a top-ten book of 2014 by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. In 2017 TOI reunited with drummer Derek Grant to record a three-song EP, ''Skar Cymbals,'' and on June 24 played their first show in nearly eighteen years at the Magic Stick in Detroit, Michigan. Longtime friend and fan Jeff Tuttle (formerly of Dillinger Escape Plan) joined the band as second guitarist. ''Skar Cymbals'' was released to underground acclaim, although plans for future performances and releases were not announced.


Members

* Sean Madigan Hoen – Vocals, Guitar * Nathan Miller – Bass * Brian Repa – Drums 1996-1997, 1999 * Mike Derrick – Guitar 1997 * Derek Grant – Drums 1998, 2017 * Brett Fratangelo – Drums 1999 * Scott Bridges – Saxophone 1999 * Jeff Tuttle — Guitar 2017


Discography

* ''Triptych'' demo tape (1996, Cascade Records) * ''Thoughts Of Ionesco'' 7-inch (1996, Cascade Records) * ''The Triptych Session'' compilation (1997, Conquer the World Records) * ''...And Then There Was Motion'' LP (1997, Makoto Recordings) * Split 7-inch with Cromwell (1997, LongBow Masterworks Records) * ''A Skin Historic'' LP (1999, Makoto Recordings) * ''Abnormalities'' compilation (2000, Cascade Records) * ''For Detroit, From Addiction'' LP (2001, At Arms Mechanics) * Split 7-inch with Heads Will Roll (2005, Down Peninsula Audio) * ''The Scar Is Our Watermark'' compilation (2006, Seventh Rule Recordings) * ''Skar Cymbals'' EP (2017, Corpse Flower Records)


References

{{Reflist


Other sources


Punknews

Blabbermouth

''Stylus Magazine''

"12 ’90s Emo Bands That Need To Reunite Already"
''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
''.


External links


AllMusic
American post-hardcore musical groups American punk rock groups American punk rock musicians Punk rock groups from Michigan Musicians from Michigan Post-hardcore musicians Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups from Detroit 1996 establishments in Michigan 1999 disestablishments in Michigan Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Conquer the World Records artists