From www.breakthruradio.com
written by Matt Lehtola


Fresh off their album release party at The Atlantic on September 13th, the double-barreled blast of Liquid Limbs posted up at the Common Grounds on Thursday evening, headlining a quadruple bill of metal bands that included the Providence, Rhode Island-based "Bong Rippin' Labyrinth Metal" of Howl.

It was one of those nights when the raised stage was forsaken for the worn wood floor directly in front of it, making for a far more intimate live music experience. Adding to the house party ambience was a large white sheet stretching from the ceiling to the lip of the stage, upon which films like The Holy Mountain and The Lord of the Rings flickered.

Hearing the brutal dirge and stomp of such awesomely Black Sabbath-influenced music against a slightly wavering backdrop of multiple plaster Christs, projected in vivid Technicolor? Priceless!

Another unexpected treat, besides finally bearing witness to the staggering power of Liquid Limbs, was the aforementioned Howl. Along with putting on a lovely aural display of slow-churning and neck-checking metal, they also proved to be ridiculously polite.

Frontman Vincent, sporting a bad-ass pair of Iron Maiden high tops (complete with Eddie imagery and the classic Iron Maiden font running along the white rubber soles), thanked the audience multiple times, and also thanked Kevin Nowak of Liquid Limbs for cooking an excellent dinner of "pasta with tofu and coconut oil."

"Very metal," said Vincent, with a smile, before launching into another Class A pit grinder.

One can't say enough about the hilarious contrast of the situation, with such a sunny personality belting out one blackened-sky howitzer after another. It sure helped to build up a warm anticipation for the headliner, however, who were soon to deliver a scorcher of a show.

While singer/guitarist Nowak and drummer Chase Permann went about the business of preparing their equipment, it was hard not to notice the little details about the Liquid Limbs set-up.

First off, Nowak uses a microphone that looks a heck of a lot like one of those old slatted-steel jobs of yore; the kind you see in black and white pictures from the Golden Age of Radio. Hell, it might actually be one of those microphones. Second, Permann has a bell affixed to his drum rack that looks like it was taken from the wreck of a sunken Civil War schooner. Against the clean cobalt blue of his drum kit, it has the visual impact of a rust patch on a new car - shit is serious! But who knows, a little spit and elbow grease might reveal a shiny brass antique under all that venerable grit.

Third, both Nowak and Permann set up tire-sized floor fans next to their persons. This seemed to hint that an above-average show was about to take place, in which things might get a little rowdy.

Well, Liquid Limbs did not disappoint.

It's been said before about the duo, and it shall be re-stated here, but the defining characteristic about their set is just how much it sounds like there is more than two people up there.

Standing outside on the porch, one would assume that a drummer, bassist, singer and guitarist were at work, because it sure as hell sounds like a full band. The chemistry between Nowak and Permann is that good - nevermind the fact that both of these cats be knowing their instruments extremely well.

Nowak, for example, can disguise his guitar as a bass, or shift from a melodic flurry of fretwork into a firestorm of heavy strumming. Permann, on the other hand, goes beyond the simple act of supplying a constant beat. A master of the mid-song stop, it seems like he is always switching up the rhythm, forever adding multiple punctuations and complex fills.

Permann augments each of Nowak's words, versus simply highlighting the chorus. And, again, sometimes that augmentation comes in the form of a pause, which can be very powerful. It all depends on the terrain, and Permann is a master cartographer.

Indeed, he has enough presence to cover for an entire band lacking in the stuff. Add the tongue-waggling, stage-lurching intensity the at least 6"5 Nowak conducts with his guitar (which looks somewhat small in his black wristband-bound mitts) and you have lightning in a bottle.

So, yeah, it's really easy to recommend a Liquid Limbs show. Be sure to check out their debut full-length for Sound Study Recordings, Orquid.

What is the deal with all these two-piece bands? Is it really that hard to find other people to play with? Ordinarily, I'd say that we might be able to chalk it up to finances: less people in the van, smaller vehicles; blah, blah, blah; but invariably the bands feel the need to be twice as loud, which I would think would offset any savings, albeit garnering them proportionately more drink tickets.

Whatever their motivation, Liquid Limbs break from convention and opt to have vocals, and even melodic ones sometimes, on top of their pummeling sonic onslaught. Rumor has that it works live, although I bet like everyone else they are often at the mercy of the soundman. Singer/guitarist Kevin Nowak seems like he might be a new-school Billy Corgan (a musical, not personality compliment) in the way he matches sludgy post-Sabbath riff rock to hooky melodies. He's got a lot of balls in the air, playing all the chordal stuff on standard and baritone guitars well as holding down the mike slot, but he makes it sound pretty easy on Orquid. There is ample time in each of the eleven songs for him to merely rock the shit out of you, as Liquid Limbs do lay down a formidable groove when they want to. It helps that drummer Chase Permann pounds the living bejesus out of his kit. I give you Make Peace To War, as an example. It matches the technical precision of Pelican with the vocal gymnastics of Totimoshi or maybe even a little Judas Priest. I like the way the vocals sound more than the actual words, but Orquid has really piqued my interest. They've played a bunch of The Fest shows and toured with Torche and Baroness, but I could see them just as easily with Kayo Dot or Dillinger Escape Plan. Hell, if someone decides to care, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw Liquid Limbs playing with bands like Coheed and Cambria in the near future. Liquid Limbs have the chops and the heaviness to hold their own in either arena.

If you like your music Sabbath heavy but with some King's X vocal layering, Liquid Limbs may very well be your thing. They will be at The Fest this year and are no doubt playing a gang of dates behind Orquid. You can buy the record here from the good folk of Sound Study Recordings. For whatever reason, it's only available on vinyl and digitally, although I bet you'll get the convntional CDR with the vinyl. SSR is run by some ex-As Friends Rust/Salem dudes and Orquid is their first release. It's a good choice. They are playing in town in November at Charleston and Lit Lounge. I'll harass as it gets closer, but if I have my druthers, we'll see these guys with Batillus sometime soon.

From The Satellite Volume 7, Issue 8:

LIQUID LIMBS
ORQUID
Sound Study Recordings

I haven't taken Liquid Limbs' debut Orquid out of my crappy CD player since I got my grubby hands on a burned copy at the Atlantic at 1 am. The Liquid Limbs may only consist of a drummer and a guitarist/singer, but when they play live it sounds like a five-piece band blasting your ears out (i.e. they are loud and heavy as shit). Orquid is as heavy as it gets, while at the same time it matches the heavy breakdowns with catchy as hell, perfect sweet melodies.

With a few listens it's pretty clear Liquid Limbs aren't gearing themselves towards any specific scene of music. That sense of musical diversity is rare these days, and for that I give them an air high five. I could easily see them on tour with Faith No More, then switching gears and opening for Torche. Guitarist/singer Kevin Nowak uses some intense imagery to describe tales of love, loss, lack of sleep, confusion, sexual fantasies, alcohol abuse and the state of war. Orquid is also the first release for up and coming Gainesville record label Sound Study Recordings. The obvious stand out on the album is "Fresh Catch of Death," in which pounding drums and buzz saw guitars are teamed up with melodic vocals and lyrics about the cat-and-mouse games most relationships go through.

While most bands these days are like drinking Michelob Ultra, Liquid Limbs are like and ice cold "create a six pack" from Gator Beverage.
-Jake Crown

we now have a final version of "hollow me out" up along with a new track,
"as long as i live".
"fresh catch of death" is on the back burner till further notice.

we have some new photos up as well, so sink your teeth into that.

thanks to all that checked us out wed. night with baroness, it was a blast.
we got some fresh new shirts just in time for that show and we’d like to thank aesthetic print & design for the speedy delivery & our orquid creator, Kyle Borchgardt,
for making such a beautiful creature.
if you are interested in getting a shirt before our next show. hit us up and we can make things happen. <3 LL


(yl-xl)

the limbs have been demoing 11 tracks for the last month and will hit crescendo studios feb. 10th. rough mixes of some demos will be posted soon, so keep an ear out.

preparing to lick ass off de guitar

suzy from delray

administrating caffine fueled beat down

karaoke in underwear

constipation in action!

 " i hate the beautiful beach"

 beautiful drew in savannah

hee haw!!!