“PROLONG THE DEATH WATCH”: THE RED CHORD’S MIKE MCKENZIE HAS A GUNFACE AND A STOMACH EARTH

photo by Chris Fulcher

Here’s some cool news: Mike “Gunface” McKenzie, guitarist for experimental grind gods The Red Chord, has apparently been working on a solo project. It’s called Stomach Earth — no, I have no clue what that means — and a rough, unmastered excerpt of a new song, “Prolong the Death Watch,” is already available for streaming here.

It sounds absolutely NOTHING like The Red Chord, which is great, because imitating The Red Chord is a total waste of time (just ask, oh, several billion bands to emerge in the past five to ten years), and it’s cool to hear McKenzie try something new; in fact, I’m digging “Death Watch” so much that I’m honestly bummed the entire song isn’t posted. It’s basically one long elephants marching riff… and you know how I feel about a good elephants marching riff.

Check out the track here, then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below. Stomach Earth’s debut album will be out sometime next year on Black Market Activities. While you wait, don’t forget that The Red Chord will playing Day 2 of The Metal Suckfest on Saturday, November 5; tickets are on sale now!

-AR