New Day Rising, the mid-'90s hardcore band known for defying genre conventions, returns with their first new music in 30 years. With decades of experience in many other bands under their collective belts, they have crafted a bitter, scathing slab of aural dissent with It Will All Come to An End. Written after the pandemic and shelved for years, it finally sees the light of day, with multiple labels collectively giving it the vinyl treatment.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band's own Dave Buschemeyer, this new material will confound and surprise older fans, as they have opted for a decidedly heavier, down-tuned approach while still retaining the signature New Day Rising vocal delivery of enigmatic frontman Chris Grey.
I did not know what to expect from the latest New Day Rising release. It has been a long time since they’ve produced anything new. Let me tell you, they do not disappoint with this. They might be older, but they sound angrier than ever. They even have a few new tricks up their sleeves on this one.
The bass stands out way more than on previous releases. I asked guitarist Dave Buschemeyer about it, and it turns out he is now handling bass duties. This really stands out on my favorite track, “One of Us.”
As always, Chris’s vocals stand out, and he sounds absolutely incredible on these songs. Again, he pulls out some new vocal tricks on “Side by Side,” which really help the song stand out. I believe it’s his strongest performance on the record.
They almost sound like a new band on this record (no pun intended), but they still have the aspects that made them special in the beginning. It rekindles the old feelings and excitement of the first time I heard them.
Here is a short interview I did with Dave Buschemeyer about all things It Will All Come to An End.
So I guess an obvious first question is, what brought about recording new music?
After I moved back from Philly to Toronto and we were all in the same area again, just after the pandemic, we discussed creating together again. I think we all were really itching to do something creatively. Chris and I had been working together on the Omen Astra material, so It really felt like a natural extension and fit. And truthfully, it felt amazing being in the same room with those guys again.
I noticed the bass was far more prominent on this recording than on past ones. What brought about this change?
One difference between this material and the past stuff is that Trev and I switched instruments. He had been playing guitar with Pale Drone and didn't really have bass gear, so it made sense for him to stay on guitar and for me to play bass, since I had been switching on and off bass for years. In Philly, I played bass in a space rock band called The Formless Form, so I was practiced and versed on bass.
As it turns out, because I recorded and mixed the record, the prominent bass reflects my role in TFF, since it was so bass-forward. I'm quite pleased that I was able to mix the bass so it didn't feel too loud or buried in the mix.
What topics do these new songs cover?
Topically, I think Chris was expressing some discomfort with the lockdown and with a general sense of alienation. Specifically, I never really asked him about individual songs, and that reflects how it has always been in the band. Chris writes about topical and personal musings to his own heart's content, which is great.
Another obvious one: What are the chances of any live shows?
As for live shows, there's been talk about coming together for some dates, and there are rumblings about more concrete plans, but in the end, the timing has to work for everyone. Everyone in the band is either a parent, has a career, or is in graduate education. It's impossible to express just how busy it all feels being older and still wanting to contribute to creative projects but being unable to schedule things with any assurance. The short answer is... for now, no concrete plans, but it is still a discussion.
Over the past few years, you personally have been releasing a lot of music, from new projects to reissues of your old bands. Do you have anything else currently in the works?
I'm blessed to have been involved with music as I have, and I will continue to be. Recently, Hypaethral Records released a new Spread the Disease record we did. We'll start playing again in the new year. There's a limited rerelease of STD's Sheer Force that is happening as we speak. There is talk of another rerelease of older NDR material on one record.
As for current projects, I'm also working on a noisier, heavier thing called Secret Fires. All of this stuff takes tons of time, but I'm happy. I'm 53 and still playing rock 'n' roll. It feels great.
Do you have a favorite song on this new release? I’d have to say mine is “One of Us.”
My fave is “We All Came From This Machine.” It has this interesting dancey quality in that middle part that makes me want to shake booty. That's the nuts and bolts of it. [laughs] Nothing deeper than that.
How was it creating new music with NDR after all this time? The energy of the band just sounds even more intense.
Truthfully, getting together with those guys to make music felt great. I mean, we're talking about the guys that are responsible for my musical education in the '90s. I will always agree to play with them in any capacity. The love is deep.
In terms of energy, it felt important for us to create something intense and focused. It was an underlying theme of how we wrote this music. There are still nods to old NDR in there, and they will be obvious, but there's something new as well. Likely a result of being seasoned. [laughs]
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It Will All Come to An End vinyl will begin shipping in late October via Immigrant Sun Records (preorder).
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