Small Doses

We were recently asked to participate in a compilation project involving 100 grind / noise bands from around the world curated and released by Andy Koettel via his Mortville label. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to do something a little out of the ordinary, a one-of-a-kind miniature representation of one of our songs that would act as an introduction to an audience that might not otherwise ever know about us.

Here's an explanation from Andy:

This is the one everyone’s been waiting for, the final nail in Mortville’s coffin! This was easily the most ambitious project I’ve taken on in my 13 years of doing the label and it took me 13 months to put it all together. “Small Doses” is a 100 band international grind/noisecore CD compilation with all bands averaging 30 seconds. 100 bands in 44 minutes packaged with a 40 page booklet (including 5 pages of essays) and a die-cut folder.

We contributed one blown-out, gnarled 30-second track to the effort. Check out a review of the comp here and visit Mortville for more information and to order a copy.

Batillus Joins the Seventh Rule Family

Seventh Rule Recordings will be releasing our debut full-length LP, to be called 'Furnace,' in the spring of next year. We have been talking with the label for some time, getting acquainted, and it's clear that Seventh Rule and Batillus are on the same page artistically and ethically and we are extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to work with such a like-minded label. Seventh Rule has released the music of bands such as Indian, Coffinworm, Buried at Sea, and Plague Bringer, among others, and we're honored to join their ranks. 'Furnace' will be released by Seventh Rule in North America and the UK in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, and by Vendetta Records in continental Europe on vinyl only. Vendetta, which recently released a split 12" LP featuring Batillus and Hallowed Butchery, has been a strong supporter of the band for a year now.

Here's Seventh Rule's official press release:

Seventh Rule proudly welcomes Brooklyn doom quartet Batillus to its stormy roster.

With songs that move from bristling blast beats to subterranean crawls, Batillus (buh-TILL-us) cohere the extremes of heavy music into a surge of massive riffing, rolling over and descending on the listener with the force and intensity of a sudden storm.

The New Yorker describes Batillus as "a sludgy four-piece that slows monstrous Black Sabbath riffs to a crawl to produce highly textured compositions of droning doom-metal," and Revolver calls their music "beyond-atmospheric blackened doom."

Seventh Rule will release 'Furnace,' the first full length by Batillus, in the coming spring months, with full U.S. touring by the band to follow. 'Furnace' was recorded by Sanford Parker (Yob, Unearthly Trance, Nachtmystium, Pelican) at Semaphore Studios in Chicago.

September Tour with Kowloon Walled City, Split 12" Release with Hallowed Butchery

We're going on tour with our friends Kowloon Walled City in September. Here are the dates we have nailed down so far:

Sat 9/18 New York, NY @ Cake Shop w/ Kowloon Walled City, Riff Cannon
Sun 9/19 Boston, MA @ Great Scott w/ Kowloon Walled City, Disappearer, Riff Cannon
Mon 9/20 Providence, RI @ AS220 w/ Kowloon Walled City, Tongue Dynasty
Tue 9/21 Baltimore, MD @ Hexagon Space w/ Kowloon Walled City, Salome
Wed 9/22 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks w/ Kowloon Walled City
Thu 9/23 Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light w/ Kowloon Walled City, New Brutalism
Fri 9/24 Atlanta, GA @ Eyedrum - Forward to the Apocalypse Fest
Sat 9/25 New Orleans, LA @ Koenji House w/ Kowloon Walled City, Thou
Sun 9/26 Baton Rouge, LA @ TBA w/ Kowloon Walled City, Thou
Mon 9/27 Birmingham, AL @ Magic City Wholesale w/ Kowloon Walled City
Tue 9/28 Nashville, TN @ TBA w/ Kowloon Walled City
Wed 9/29 Carrboro (Chapel Hill), NC @ Reservoir w/ Kowloon Walled City
Thu 9/30 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter w/ Kowloon Walled City
Fri 10/1 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Kowloon Walled City, Fight Amp, Ladder Devils
Sat 10/2 Brooklyn, NY @ Acheron w/ Kowloon Walled City, Liturgy

If you can help with any of the TBAs, get in touch.

Also we have a split 12" coming out on the German-based label Vendetta next month with Maine-based solo doom project Hallowed Butchery. Our side features the same tracks that were on our second EP (the 'Beard Destroyer Tour EP,' recorded last summer by Brendan Tobin of Made Out of Babies), superbly remastered by James Plotkin. The tracklist for the split is:

Side A - Batillus 1. The Division 2. The Children of the Night Make Their Music 3. Beyond the River

Side B - Hallowed Butchery 1. An Introduction 2. Coffin Life

Massive Update (full-length, split 12", fall tour with Kowloon Walled City, etc.)

Hello everyone, It's been a long time since our last real update. Much has happened, much is happening, and much will happen in the very near future... This is a long one, so bear with us.

First, we have a couple shows upcoming with our good friends Riff Cannon. Details are on our page. We're still looking for a show in Cleveland on Saturday, May 1st to round out that weekend as we make our way to Chicago. If you can help out please get in touch. Why are we going to Chicago, you ask? We're recording our debut full-length in May at Volume Studios with the much-lauded Sanford Parker (Yob, Rwake, Unearthly Trance, Nachtmystium, Pelican). We have seven songs written clocking in at nearly an hour, of which we expect probably five to make it to the final LP. After doing a pair of EPs on an extremely limited budget and a tight schedule, we're very much looking forward to taking our time this go-around and coming out of the studio with something that really represents us as a band; something that we can really be proud of. More details on the full-length will be announced in time.

Next, we are excited to announce that we have a split 12" coming out this summer via the Berlin-based Vendetta Records. The split is with Maine's Hallowed Butchery (aka Ryan Scott Fairfield) and our side will contain three tracks previously only available on the extremely-limited (as in 75) 'Beard Destroyer Tour EP,' which is now sold out. The cover image is by Scott Irvine and the rest of the artwork and layout will be done by Fairfield.

We're currently booking a tour at the end of September with our good friends Kowloon Walled City. The tentative routing is below; we just started working on this, so if you want to help out with any of these shows please get in touch. And if you don't know Kowloon Walled City, check them out because they will melt your face off.

Kowloon Walled City / Batillus - Fall Tour 2010:

Sat 9/18 New York
Sun 9/19 Boston
Mon 9/20 Providence
Tue 9/21 Baltimore
Wed 9/22 DC
Thu 9/23 Knoxville
Fri 9/24 Atlanta
Sat 9/25 New Orleans
Sun 9/26 Baton Rouge
Mon 9/27 Birmingham
Tue 9/28 Nashville
Wed 9/29 Asheville
Thu 9/30 Richmond
Fri 10/1 Philadelphia
Sat 10/2 Brooklyn

One of our good friends, Will Benoit of Constants and Radar Recordings, has an interesting project in the works. Will is planning to build a solar-powered, eco-friendly recording studio in a barn adjacent to his New England home. Please check out this page for a video and more information.

Lastly, in case you're wondering why things have been rather quiet on the Batillus front lately, it's for good reason... Fade has been touring quite a bit with the legendary Jarboe, alongside Erik Wunder of Cobalt, Nick Palmirotto of Hull, and Josh Lozano of Fade's other band, Inswarm. They'll be in Europe from March 31 to April 16th, so if you live across the pond from us check the dates on Jarboe's page.

Additionally, Geoff has been busy touring with A Storm of Light (Josh Graham of Neurosis and Blood and Time, and formerly of Red Sparowes and Battle of Mice; and Domenic Seita formerly of Tombs).

That's all for now, stay tuned for more.

-batillus (one T and two L's; pronounced 'buh-TILL-us')

New Song Up, Tour EP in the Works, etc.

As we prepare to embark on our maiden voyage around the continental US alongside fellow tone and riff enthusiasts HULL and SALOME for 'Beard Destroyer Tour 2009,' we have posted a brand new song online. The song, entitled "The Division," is the first BATILLUS song to feature vocalist / synthesist Fade Kainer (Inswarm, Jarboe) and will only be available on a special limited-edition (75) Beard Destroyer Tour CDR-EP. The EP features hand-crafted packaging by Northern Owl and contains three songs at a total running time of 24:10. The tracks were recorded at Sterling Audio in Brooklyn, NY by Brendan Tobin (Red Sparowes, Made Out of Babies) and mastered by Josh Bonati.

As part of the tour, we'll be appearing at the Planet Caravan festival in Asheville, NC on September 19th alongside Clutch, Pentagram, Orange Goblin, Kylesa, Yob, Wino, Bison BC, Zoroaster, The Gates of Slumber, Tombs, Sourvein, and more. Below is the tour as it currently stands, if you can help with shows or a place to stay, get in touch!

(all dates with Hull and Salome except where noted)
9/10/09 @ Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
9/11/09 @ Talking Head Club - Baltimore, MD (w/ Oak)
9/12/09 @ Marblehaus - College Park, MD (w/ Old Crow)
9/14/09 @ Bar None - Virginia Beach, VA
9/15/09 @ Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
9/16/09 @ Live Wire Music Hall - Savannah, GA
9/17/09 @ 529 - Atlanta, GA
9/18/09 @ Little Hamilton Collective - Nashville, TN
9/19/09 @ Planet Caravan Festival @ The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC *
9/20/09 @ Bunk Space - Cincinnati, OH (w/ Beyond Oblivion)
9/21/09 @ Fubar - St. Louis, MO
9/22/09 @ Riot Room - Kansas City, MO (w/ Auternus)
9/23/09 @ Memories - Chicago, IL
9/24/09 @ Melody Inn - Indianapolis, IN (w/ Apostle of Solitude)
9/25/09 @ Cafe Bourbon Street - Columbus, OH (w/ Lo Pan)
9/26/09 @ Krugs Place - Frederick, MD (no Salome)
9/27/09 @ Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY (w/ Dark Vibe, no Salome)

* http://www.planetcaravanfestival.com/

Progress, New England Minitour, New Song, Etc.

Hello everyone, Batillus is now a four-piece -- Fade Kainer of Inswarm (and Jarboe's touring band) is now on board, handling vox/synths/samples. His talents have completed our sound, and we've written lots of new material to give your eardrums the beating they deserve.

Check out a clip of our first show as a four-piece:

At the end of June, we will be playing three very special shows with our good friends in Riff Cannon and Elder:

June 26 @ 101 Hooker Street - Allston, MA | 9pm | $FREE | ALL AGES 1st Elder; 2nd Batillus; 3rd Riff Cannon

June 27 @ Sweatshop - Providence, RI | details TBA * 1st Riff Cannon; 2nd Elder; 3rd Batillus

June 28 @ Bar - New Haven, CT | 8pm | $FREE | 21+ 1st Batillus; 2nd Riff Cannon; 3rd Elder

* NOTE: we will revert to our original instrumental trio lineup for the show in Providence only-- expect extra-heavy-riffing, including our exploration in minimalism, "Tunguska" and some other very special surprises. You can download "Tunguska" here:

DOWNLOAD: Tunguska [high quality 320k MP3 + high res artwork]

Digital EP Out Now, Show Announced With Ocean, Salome, Riff Cannon

Hello friends... We have a few important things to reveal to you all today. First off, our debut EP, entitled, simply, BATILLUS, is available right now for free at the following location:

http://batillusdoom.com/batillus_ep.html

Yes, it's available NOW and yes, it's 100% FREE. The digital EP consists of three high-quality 320k MP3s totaling more than 30 minutes of music, as well as a high-resolution digital copy of the EP's front and back cover art (shown below), courtesy of lungful design. The EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by AJ Peters (Disappearer, Riff Cannon) at Black Box Studio in Hansen, MA.

The BATILLUS EP will be available in CD format soon as well. Details are still murky, but it will most likely be an extremely limited run of hand-numbered, hand assembled CD-Rs.

In other news, we've confirmed a show with Portland, Maine's OCEAN, Virginia doom trio SALOME (feat. mem. AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED), and Boston riff rockers RIFF CANNON right here in Brooklyn at Public Assembly (formerly Galapagos) on February 15th. The show is the third in Pitchfork's 'Show No Mercy'series; the first two installments featured NACHTMYSTIUM and SKELETONWITCH, respectively. Details for that show can be found at the following link:

http://www.publicassemblynyc.com/events/view/540

A quick update on merch: we still have a few 'Tunguska' T-Shirts left (medium and large), details here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=326496054&blogID=416273280

We're looking for some new shirt designs, if anyone wants to help out please feel free to get in touch!

Finally, we have a handful of posters remaining from our recent showwith Rosetta, Junius, and Tombs. The posters (click here to see) were designed by Seldon Hunt(Isis, Red Sparowes) and were hand-cut, hand-screened, and limited to45 hand-numbered copies. You can snag one for ten bucks, shipping included, by emailing batillus [@] batillusdoom [dot] com.