The Gersch is a band founded in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

in 1996. They have been on extended hiatus since 1999 with the only activity since that time being the 2006 release of their self-titled album, mixed and produced by Justin Sosnovski, Graham Hick and Bryant Clifford Meyer, as well as a reunion performance on June 22, 2013 in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Biography

Guitarists Justin Sosnovski, Graham Hick and B. Clifford Meyer got together in 1996 in

Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part ...

to form a

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band. They eventually hooked up with drummer Jonathan Ruhe who performed with them throughout their original incarnation and also plays on their self-titled album. In 1997 a 7-inch single of two songs by The Gersch was released by

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

. "Bloodbottom" b/w "Listwish" was release number 001 for

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

,. In 1998 and 1999 The Gersch appeared on a Polterchrist Records compilation titled " Benefit For El Chupacabra", as well as a

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

compilation, " Metal Is A Tough Business". During these years Justin, and then a year later, Graham, left Boston and so had to leave the band . Clifford and Jonathan performed into 1999 as a two piece, but finally put it on hiatus when Clifford joined

Isis (band) Isis (sometimes stylized ISIS) was an American post-metal band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1997. The band borrowed from and helped to evolve the post-metal sound pioneered by bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, characterized by length ...

and Jonathan joined the

-based

Ho-Ag Ho-Ag was an experimental "noise rock" band based in Boston, Massachusetts. Known for melding the creaky musical worlds of 50s and 60s Science fiction film, sci-fi films, Tom Waits, Waitsian dissonant underworld, and fast-paced math-punk, Ho-A ...

. On June 6, 2006, they released a 45-minute CD titled "The Gersch" on

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. It was released on LP by Shock Value Records under exclusive license from

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on December 21, 2007. It was mixed, edited and produced by Justin Sosnovski, Graham Hick and Bryant Clifford Meyer, and put together from different recording sessions from the late 1990s. Nick Zampiello of New Alliance Studio in Boston mastered the album for CD and LP.

Reunion

The Gersch ended their long hiatus by performing at The PRF "Excellent Italian" BBQ 2013, a four-day music festival in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

on June 22, 2013. This was their first public performance in 15 years. The lineup included original members Justin Sosnovski, Graham Hick and Bryant Clifford Meyer (

ISIS Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

Red Sparowes Red Sparowes is an American, Los Angeles-based post-rock band, comprising current and former members of Isis, Marriages, The Nocturnes, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced expe ...

Taiga Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruce ...

, Palms) on vocals and guitars, with Brian Lynn (

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, Behold! The Living Corpse) on drums. The PRFBBQ is an annual underground music festival put together by an international collective of musicians and artists who congregate around the

Electrical Audio Electrical Audio is a recording studio, recording facility founded in Chicago, Illinois by musician and recording engineer Steve Albini in 1997. Hundreds of independent music projects have been recorded there. Unlike most producers, Albini refuses ...

studio web forums.

Genre

Their sound is a combination of

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

, punk rock,

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

and

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

. They are commonly labeled

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

avant garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or 'vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical De ...

post-metal Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture through experimental composition. In a way simil ...

, drone-metal and sludge-metal. They have borrowed and helped to evolve a sound pioneered by the likes of

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

Sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

Kyuss Kyuss ( ) was an American rock band, formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987. The band disbanded in 1995, and since then, members of Kyuss have gone on to form or play in several notable bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, D ...

Neurosis Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from th ...

High on Fire High on Fire is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1999. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, also plays guitar for doom metal band Sleep. High on Fire won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Per ...

and even Black Flag. Some reviews have also compared their sound to the roster of bands that appeared on the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

-based label

Amphetamine Reptile Amphetamine Reptile Records (or AmRep Industries) is a record label founded in 1986 by Tom Hazelmyer in Washington state. The label specializes in noise rock and also released '' Strap It On'', the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet w ...

during the 1990s.

Members

*Justin Sosnovski:

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

(1996-1997, 2006-2007, 2013) *Graham Hick:

(1996-1998, 2006-2007, 2013) * Bryant Clifford Meyer:

(1996-1999, 2006-2007, 2013) *Brian Lynn:

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

(2013)

Past members

*Jonathan Ruhe:

(1996-1999)

Discography

*"Bloodbottom" b/w "Listwish". 7 inch 33RPM single. November 15, 1997.

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

No. 001. *"Magnificent Desolation". Benefit for El Chupacabra CD. Spring 1998. A Polterchrist Records Compilation. *"Face". Metal is a Tough Business CD. Summer 1999. A

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

Compilation. *

The Gersch The Gersch is a band founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1996. They have been on extended hiatus since 1999 with the only activity since that time being the 2006 release of their self-titled album, mixed and produced by Justin Sosnovski, Graham Hi ...

s/t CD. June 6, 2006.

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No. 034.*''

'' full length LP. December 21, 2008. Shock Value Records *

s/t LP. December 21, 2007. Shock Value Records under exclusive license from

Tortuga Recordings List of Tortuga Recordings releases References {{Reflist Black metal record labels Doom metal record labels ...

Related projects

* Windmills by the Ocean *

* Taiga (band) *

Tombs (band) Tombs is an American heavy metal band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2007. Thus far, the group has released five full-length records, '' Winter Hours'', '' Path of Totality'', '' Savage Gold'', ''The Grand Annihilation'', and ''Under Sullen ...

Palms (band) Palms is an American post-metal supergroup that formed in 2011. The group features Deftones' vocalist Chino Moreno and three members of the post-metal band Isis: bassist Jeff Caxide, drummer Aaron Harris and guitarist Bryant Clifford Meyer ...

* Behold! The Living Corpse

References

External links

Tortuga Recordings

The Gersch
at

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gersch, The Musical groups established in 1996 Heavy metal musical groups from Massachusetts Drone metal musical groups