Closure In Moscow
Encyclopedia
Closure in Moscow are an Australian progressive rock
band that formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2006. The group is currently composed of guitarist-singer Mansur Zennelli, lead guitarist Michael Barrett, drummer Salvatore Aidone and lead singer Christopher de Cinque. To date they have released one extended play and one full length studio album to critical praise – The Penance and the Patience (2008) and First Temple (2009). The band have reached notable success throughout the international rock circuit for their stellar live performances and avant garde sound. They are currently signed to independent record label Equal Vision Recordings, which is distributed through Warner Music Entertainment.
(self-proclaimed 'albumette') in 2008, titled The Penance and the Patience
. The band's debut studio album, First Temple
, was released in May 2009 and released their debut EP
, The Penance and the Patience
. The band advertised it as an 'albumette'. Upon the release of the EP, the band members were an average age of only 21, and the complete line up had only been together a few months. They went to extreme lengths to record The Penance and the Patience
, the band spent three to four months straight writing or doing pre-production, as well as quitting jobs to go on tour. It was eventually recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, with each of the band members selling their cars to get American
music producer and engineer
Kris Crummett out to do the album. Crummett had previously worked on albums with Drop Dead Gorgeous
, Fear Before the March of Flames
, Kaddisfly
and Dance Gavin Dance
. The albumette was completed in July 2007, nine months before its release.
The Penance and the Patience was originally only released in Australia and New Zealand, through Taperjean Records and Shock Records respectively. It was also available for import to overseas countries through Fist2Face, and through the iTunes Music Store as a worldwide digital download
. The albumette debuted at number 13 on the Australian Independent Record (AIR) album charts
.
In November 2008, following the original announcement months prior, the band was confirmed to be permanently relocating to the United States. Closure in Moscow discontinued their contract with Science Records, upon which the group said, "after much deliberation, we mutually felt it would be best not to move forward with our relationship." They then signed with Equal Vision Records
. The move took place in early 2009, with the members heading straight into the studio to record their debut studio album. The producer of The Penance and the Patience
, Kris Crummett, returned to produce the album, which is titled First Temple
and was released on 5 May 2009. The band used a wide array of instruments to achieve a fuller sound, including double bass
, trumpet
, trombone
and a dobro guitar
with strings that were 20 years old. They moved to the US in late 2008 and toured in February 2009, following the completion of recording the album. The band filmed the move to the US and the production of the album, with it to be released on the web and in a full-length documentary. The album peaked at number five on the AIR Album 100% Indie Chart
and was mentioned in Alternative Presss list of "100 Bands You Need to Know in 2009".
In January 2009, it was announced that Closure in Moscow would be one of 1100+ bands showcasing at the annual South by Southwest
music festival in the US. The band joined Emery
on the select dates in the Zumiez Couch Tour 2009, then went on the Thee Summer Bailout Tour with Kiros
, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
, Ivoryline
and Secret & Whisper. On select dates during the tour, they joined The Audition and The Higher
on The Audition for the Higher Tour, which also includes Runner Runner, In:Aviate and The Hoodies. The band planned to return to Australia in the start of December to play shows possibly through to January and February 2010, eventually signing on for Homebake
festival and Bird's Robe Collective's end of year showcase at the Annandale Hotel in December; and significantly as the only Australian band to undertake the full Soundwave festival through February and March.
At the fourth annual AIR Awards held on 22 November 2009 Closure in Moscow's First Temple was nominated for the 'Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album' award. In May/June 2010 the band completed a headlining tour of Australia, with support from Adelaide's Secrets in Scale. Following this, Closure in Moscow returned to the USA to play the entire 2010 Van's Warped Tour.
In early 2011 it was confirmed through the band's website that drummer Beau McKee and bassist Brad Kimber were no longer members of the band. New drummer Salvatore Aidone toured with the band in Japan (with FACT) during 2011. In May the band announced via their Twitter and Facebook pages that Duncan Millar, a member of the funk band Saskwatch, also with Aidone, would be playing bass permanently for Closure In Moscow.
Band members Michael Barrett, Mansur Zennelli, and Christopher de Cinque, worked as session musicians on the album A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer
by Jonny Craig
.
Closure in Moscow played a 5 date All Ages tour through Victoria with Dream on Dreamer in July 2011.
, Translating the Name
. Similarities with Saosin have also been made in a live review in Sydney street press Drum Media of a show with label mates Fifty Sixx. The review is quoted as saying the band is "...combining the melodies that make bands like Saosin so popular with some off-time breakdowns and samples, taking little time to win over the crowd." The band have also been compared to other experimental
and progressive rock
acts The Mars Volta
and Circa Survive
by music website, Absolute Punk. Additionally, they have been likened to post-hardcore
band Chiodos
, and defined as having "more in common with complex, seasoned bands like Rush
and Tool
than they do with fellow Aussie rockers AC/DC
". Other bands that could stylistically be compared to Closure in Moscow might consist of bands such as The Dear Hunter
and The Mars Volta's leading men, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Bixler Zavala's early project, At The Drive In.
Their style has been described as a "catchy, yet melodic, brand of progressive, avant-garde rock" by Kill Your Stereo. However, the rise of previous bands with similar styles such as Coheed and Cambria
, has hindered the meaning of avant-garde
, which describes "those artists, writers, or musicians, whose techniques and ideas are in advance of those generally accepted." When asked by Australian radio presenter Zan Rowe
about their comparison with bands such as Saosin and The Mars Volta, guitarist Michael Barrett alluded to the influence of 1970s bands like King Crimson
and Yes
. Mentioning that "they're not that different from The Mars Volta" and it was a "natural progression".
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band that formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2006. The group is currently composed of guitarist-singer Mansur Zennelli, lead guitarist Michael Barrett, drummer Salvatore Aidone and lead singer Christopher de Cinque. To date they have released one extended play and one full length studio album to critical praise – The Penance and the Patience (2008) and First Temple (2009). The band have reached notable success throughout the international rock circuit for their stellar live performances and avant garde sound. They are currently signed to independent record label Equal Vision Recordings, which is distributed through Warner Music Entertainment.
History
Only 18 months after first forming, they released their debut EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
(self-proclaimed 'albumette') in 2008, titled The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience is the debut EP by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released on 18 April 2008 through Taperjean Records. The band advertised the EP as an 'albumette'....
. The band's debut studio album, First Temple
First Temple (album)
First Temple is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released to stores and digitially in the US on 5 May 2009. It was released digitally in Australia on 9 May and in stores on 22 May 2009, and is their first album on Equal Vision Records, following the success of their...
, was released in May 2009 and released their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience is the debut EP by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released on 18 April 2008 through Taperjean Records. The band advertised the EP as an 'albumette'....
. The band advertised it as an 'albumette'. Upon the release of the EP, the band members were an average age of only 21, and the complete line up had only been together a few months. They went to extreme lengths to record The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience is the debut EP by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released on 18 April 2008 through Taperjean Records. The band advertised the EP as an 'albumette'....
, the band spent three to four months straight writing or doing pre-production, as well as quitting jobs to go on tour. It was eventually recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne, with each of the band members selling their cars to get American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music producer and engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Kris Crummett out to do the album. Crummett had previously worked on albums with Drop Dead Gorgeous
Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Drop Dead, Gorgeous is a band from Denver, Colorado. They are currently signed to Suretone Records. The band consists of frontman Danny Stillman , Kyle Browning , Jake Hansen and Danny Cooper...
, Fear Before the March of Flames
Fear Before
Fear Before is an experimental rock band that resides in Aurora, Colorado. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline of local forest fires titled "The Fear Before The March of Flames." They released their debut album Odd How People...
, Kaddisfly
Kaddisfly
Kaddisfly is an American band based in Portland, Oregon whose style has been dubbed experimental and alternative.-History:The band formed in 2001, taking their name from a small moth-like insect, the Caddisfly. Their lyrics are mostly based around natural settings and powers made of human spirit...
and Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California in 2005. They released four full length studio albums and one EP...
. The albumette was completed in July 2007, nine months before its release.
The Penance and the Patience was originally only released in Australia and New Zealand, through Taperjean Records and Shock Records respectively. It was also available for import to overseas countries through Fist2Face, and through the iTunes Music Store as a worldwide digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. The albumette debuted at number 13 on the Australian Independent Record (AIR) album charts
AIR Charts
The AIR Charts are the official sales charts for Australian independent music released by Australian owned, independent record labels. Presented by AIR, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association, the charts are calculated according to official sales figures provided by the ARIA Charts,...
.
In November 2008, following the original announcement months prior, the band was confirmed to be permanently relocating to the United States. Closure in Moscow discontinued their contract with Science Records, upon which the group said, "after much deliberation, we mutually felt it would be best not to move forward with our relationship." They then signed with Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
. The move took place in early 2009, with the members heading straight into the studio to record their debut studio album. The producer of The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience
The Penance and the Patience is the debut EP by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released on 18 April 2008 through Taperjean Records. The band advertised the EP as an 'albumette'....
, Kris Crummett, returned to produce the album, which is titled First Temple
First Temple (album)
First Temple is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Closure in Moscow, released to stores and digitially in the US on 5 May 2009. It was released digitally in Australia on 9 May and in stores on 22 May 2009, and is their first album on Equal Vision Records, following the success of their...
and was released on 5 May 2009. The band used a wide array of instruments to achieve a fuller sound, including double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and a dobro guitar
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
with strings that were 20 years old. They moved to the US in late 2008 and toured in February 2009, following the completion of recording the album. The band filmed the move to the US and the production of the album, with it to be released on the web and in a full-length documentary. The album peaked at number five on the AIR Album 100% Indie Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and was mentioned in Alternative Presss list of "100 Bands You Need to Know in 2009".
In January 2009, it was announced that Closure in Moscow would be one of 1100+ bands showcasing at the annual South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival in the US. The band joined Emery
Emery
Emery may refer to:* Emery ** Emery paper** Emery board, nail filers* Emery , a post-hardcore band from Rock Hill, South Carolina* Emery Theatre, a historic multi-purpose theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio* Emery Worldwide, a cargo airline...
on the select dates in the Zumiez Couch Tour 2009, then went on the Thee Summer Bailout Tour with Kiros
Kiros
Kiros may refer to:* Kiros, a Canadian rock band* Kiros Seagill, a Final Fantasy VIII character* Kiros Alemayehu, an Ethiopian Tigrigna singer....
, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster is an American, Southern metalcore band formed in 2004 in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2005, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster signed to Mono Vs Stereo and released their self-titled debut album...
, Ivoryline
Ivoryline
Ivoryline is an American rock band from Tyler, Texas, currently signed to Tooth & Nail Records.-History:Ivoryline formed in 2003 under the name Dead End Driveway, releasing an EP and an album under this name before changing the name to Ivoryline in 2005. Soon after the name change, the band was...
and Secret & Whisper. On select dates during the tour, they joined The Audition and The Higher
The Higher
The Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released two full length albums named On Fire, Histrionics and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead"...
on The Audition for the Higher Tour, which also includes Runner Runner, In:Aviate and The Hoodies. The band planned to return to Australia in the start of December to play shows possibly through to January and February 2010, eventually signing on for Homebake
Homebake
Homebake is an annual Australian rock festival, featuring an all-Australian lineup . The festival was first held on 4 January 1996 at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay, on the far north coast of New South Wales...
festival and Bird's Robe Collective's end of year showcase at the Annandale Hotel in December; and significantly as the only Australian band to undertake the full Soundwave festival through February and March.
At the fourth annual AIR Awards held on 22 November 2009 Closure in Moscow's First Temple was nominated for the 'Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album' award. In May/June 2010 the band completed a headlining tour of Australia, with support from Adelaide's Secrets in Scale. Following this, Closure in Moscow returned to the USA to play the entire 2010 Van's Warped Tour.
In early 2011 it was confirmed through the band's website that drummer Beau McKee and bassist Brad Kimber were no longer members of the band. New drummer Salvatore Aidone toured with the band in Japan (with FACT) during 2011. In May the band announced via their Twitter and Facebook pages that Duncan Millar, a member of the funk band Saskwatch, also with Aidone, would be playing bass permanently for Closure In Moscow.
Band members Michael Barrett, Mansur Zennelli, and Christopher de Cinque, worked as session musicians on the album A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer
A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer
A Dream is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer is the debut studio album by Canadian recording artist Jonny Craig, released on August 18, 2009 via Rise Records.-Background:...
by Jonny Craig
Jonny Craig
Jonathan Monroe Craig is a Canadian-American singer. He is currently the lead vocalist for the band Dance Gavin Dance, and former vocalist of the bands Emarosa and Ghost Runner on Third. He has an eponymous solo project, with which he has released one studio album and a live album to date...
.
Closure in Moscow played a 5 date All Ages tour through Victoria with Dream on Dreamer in July 2011.
Musical style and influences
The band's debut release, The Penance and the Patience has been touted reminiscent of Saosin's debut EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Translating the Name
Translating the Name
-Charts:Album Billboard- Credits :Band* Anthony Green - lead vocals, additional guitars* Justin Shekoski - lead guitar, backing vocals* Beau Burchell - rhythm guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals* Zach Kennedy - bass...
. Similarities with Saosin have also been made in a live review in Sydney street press Drum Media of a show with label mates Fifty Sixx. The review is quoted as saying the band is "...combining the melodies that make bands like Saosin so popular with some off-time breakdowns and samples, taking little time to win over the crowd." The band have also been compared to other experimental
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
acts The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
and Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
by music website, Absolute Punk. Additionally, they have been likened to post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band Chiodos
Chiodos
Chiodos is an American post hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Chiodos released their...
, and defined as having "more in common with complex, seasoned bands like Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
than they do with fellow Aussie rockers AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
". Other bands that could stylistically be compared to Closure in Moscow might consist of bands such as The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter is an indie rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo, formerly of post-hardcore band The Receiving End of Sirens...
and The Mars Volta's leading men, Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Bixler Zavala's early project, At The Drive In.
Their style has been described as a "catchy, yet melodic, brand of progressive, avant-garde rock" by Kill Your Stereo. However, the rise of previous bands with similar styles such as Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
, has hindered the meaning of avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
, which describes "those artists, writers, or musicians, whose techniques and ideas are in advance of those generally accepted." When asked by Australian radio presenter Zan Rowe
Zan Rowe
Susanna "Zan" Rowe is an Australian radio announcer, best known for her work on the nationally broadcast Triple J.-Radio:...
about their comparison with bands such as Saosin and The Mars Volta, guitarist Michael Barrett alluded to the influence of 1970s bands like King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. Mentioning that "they're not that different from The Mars Volta" and it was a "natural progression".
Personnel
- Christopher de Cinque – lead vocals
- Mansur Zennelli – rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Michael Barrett – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Salvatore Aidone – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Duncan Millar - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Former members
- Beau Mckee – drums (2006–2010)
- Brad Kimber – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2006–2010) - Andrew Lim - guitars, backing vocals (2006)
External links
- http://www.closureinmoscow.comat OfficialOfficialAn official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
- Closure in Moscow at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Closure in Moscow at PureVolumePureVolumePureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...