Saturday, March 17   1:00 a.m.
Red 7   (611 E 7th St)

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Gorch Fock began as a project that was intended to play one show. Comprised of members of many prominent Red River scene bands of 2001, they played that show to wide acceptance and acclaim. After the initial reaction the band decided to go ahead and record. That initial recording was released by Austin’s Perverted Son records in 2003.

With a record out, the seven members of Gorch Fock decided it was time to hit the road and thus began the life of Gorch Fock.

Since then, they’ve had a few minor line-up changes but the band remains essentially the same; seven members making some of the biggest sounding music available. Drawing on influences that range from the Band to The Butthole Surfers to the Melvins, Gorch Fock makes monolithic music that still retains enough melody to intrigue nearly all who listen.

With dual drummers, electronic noise and lead heavy-metal trombone, unique is an understatement. They stun audiences when the perform as front-man Joey Ficklin careens and wobbles above the crowd, the arms and sticks of drummers Aaron Seibert and Jeff Swanson nearly collide as they pound their merged drum kit and the rest of the band sway, jerk, jump and flail to the heavy rhythms they produce.

Following their debut they released 2005’s “Lying and Manipulating” to critical acclaim on Austin’s Australian Cattle God Records.

Having toured the country many, many times, Gorch Fock have taken their brand of psyche-noise-metal to audiences far and wide and participated in some of the country’s most notable festivals including SXSW, CMJ and the North West Music Fest.

2006 saw the release of their most recent effort and third full-length release, also on ACGR.

“The new record is primarily about fire," frontman Joey Ficklin answered in response to a question from the Austin Chronicle’s Chris Gray during a pre-SXSW 2005 interview. Mr. Ficklin couldn’t have known how right he was. While recording Thrilller, the building housing their rehearsal space, as well as Austin’s Sweatbox Studio, fell victim to that most feared of the elements: fire.

In an after dark rescue mission beyond the police tape, complete with lookouts and secret signals, and after sifting through the rubble of roofs and walls and layers of melted and burned debris, the master tapes of Thrilller were miraculously found in perfect condition. While not necessarily about fire in subject matter, Thrilller is a towering inferno in spirit.

With complex riffs, layered horns, their signature double drum attack and effected vocals, Gorch Fock, have created their most intense and focused record to date. With this third offering, Gorch Fock reflect the length of time they’ve been creating together with tighter, more defined compositions and a unique pop sensibility as hooks develop from the layered mayhem.