I Let It in and It Took Everything, the second album from UK alternative metallers Loathe, was one of our favorite albums of 2020, deftly welding metalcore abrasiveness to Deftones ethereality. So we are most hyped indeed to be playing host to a playthrough of one of the album’s highlights, Gored.
The footage above sees Erik Bickerstaffe and Connor Sweeney get uncompromisingly heavyweight tones from two surprisingly budget baritone guitars – the Gretsch G5260 Electromatic Jet Baritone and SubZero Rogue VI, respectively – with a little help from Neural DSP’s Cali Suite.
Those baritones are tuned to C#AEADF#, using hybrid string sets that incorporate ultra-heavy gauges – up to an almighty .105 for the lowest string – for extra punishment.
The track itself was born out of a meeting with fellow metal trailblazers Issues, who offered their feedback on Loathe’s album so far. Heeding their words of wisdom, the band headed straight back to the studio and wrote Gored, one of the quickest tracks to come together for ILIIAITE.
Of the ultra-tight timing that defines the song, Bickerstaffe says, “I think my addiction to trying to play perfectly in time or ‘to the grid’ stemmed from my love for Guitar Hero. Playing songs all day long was great fun and all, but subconsciously I was developing a skill for hitting things in time and understanding where to hit them and, in a way, as I would get lost in the song, how to hit them.”
Sweeney, meanwhile, evolved his love of tech-metal and speed into a more musical rhythmic approach, which he hones in front of the TV.
“I use watching anime as a focus to work on muscle memory and warming up, using scales and other exercises,” he explains. “While watching, it’s also a massive inspiration for music and ideas, especially with a guitar in hand.”
Loathe’s new album, The Things They Believe, is out now via SharpTone Records.
