Spiritu

Spiritu rose from the New Mexico desert in the Summer of 2000 like a second atomic genesis, poised to scorch the blight of weak-ass rock from the land. Formed by guitarist Chav, singer Jadd, and drummer James Anderson, the band set out to combine gargantuan, monolithic riff-heaviness with emotive, liquid melodies, incorporating elements from across the spectrum of rock’s rigidly separatist genre divisions. The band played their first live performance on Halloween of that year, less than thirty days after completing their lineup with the addition of bassist John Bess, a former Army EMT, graduate of L.A.’s Music Institute, and onetime Century Media Records signee. Over the next year, the band developed their sound, and embarked on the recording of their debut album in December of 2001 with quasi-legendary grunge producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Nebula). After a short-lived effort to nail down a satisfactory record deal, Jadd, in an uncharacteristic act of impatience, decided to release the record on his own MeteorCity imprint (already four years established in the underground riff-rock scene) in August of 2002. Latin for "breath of life" and "inspiration," Spiritu finds their inspiration among the most singular rock icons of three decades: Clutch, Tool, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath. Ferocious energy and delicate melodies fuse and distort in the metastasizing Southwest sun, then fission into an atmospheric, crushingly heavy fallout... and in their wake, Spiritu leave behind an unexplored yet invitingly familiar sonic landscape, flush with the promise of rock’n’roll finally building a better world.