Patchwork had been shaped in 2010 by 5 longtime buddies who reconnected practically twenty years after stepping away from music. Initially a canopy band targeted on the thrash classics they grew up with, they rapidly started writing authentic materials. A 3-song demo was launched in 2011, adopted by a full shift to authentic compositions with a brand new vocalist. Their debut album, Exit Wounds, was launched in 2015 on Turkey Vulture Data. Scars will likely be out Might 16 through self-release.
The songs had been written over a span of six years, from 2016 to 2022, with music by Brad Carlson and Dave Caruana. Throughout this time, the band misplaced their shut buddy and fellow songwriter Mark Sheetz to most cancers in April 2023. The album cowl artwork displays his battle and symbolizes the emotional core of the venture.
“The track constructions typically observe a sample that features an intro, verse, prechorus, refrain, bridge, and solo, usually returning to motifs launched earlier within the monitor,” the band say. Visitor musicians had been invited to write down their very own elements. Vocals had been initially developed for Dan Fernandez, the band’s authentic singer, however after he left, Heith Gruner stepped in. Heith introduced a distinct vocal type, requiring modifications to many melodies, which in the end gave the songs extra dynamic vary.
Bassist Liza Sanchez joined halfway by recording, changing scratch tracks laid down by Dave. She introduced expertise, originality, and robust musicianship to the album’s low finish. Guitars had been recorded at Scars Studio and The Junkyard, with reamping achieved at TVR Studio. Drums had been triggered utilizing Superior Drummer 3, and bass was recorded by an Ampeg head.
Monitor 1: You Have Failed
The album opens with a brief instrumental that units the emotional and sonic tone. A lone guitar performs a gentle rhythm, making a haunting ambiance enhanced by whammy bar results from visitor Todd Paluzzi. The piece grows in depth with out altering tempo, ending with 5 abrupt staccato notes, echoing the picture of a vinyl file skipping. The monitor speaks to the theme of failure, not solely as a setback however as a needed a part of progress. This reflection leads immediately into the title monitor, emphasizing how failure turns into a scar after we be taught from it.
Monitor 2: Scars
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
The title monitor is essentially the most hopeful track on the album. The theme of scars has been current since Patchwork’s starting, with their first authentic track additionally titled “Patchwork.” This monitor expresses the concept that our scars characterize classes, shaping who we’re. Whereas we can’t change the previous, we all the time have the ability to decide on our path transferring ahead.
Musically, the track opens with a riff over a snare sample that echoes the intro monitor. It then accelerates into Sixteenth-note double bass drumming at 181 BPM. The prechorus jumps to 210 BPM, the quickest level on the album. Vocals had been recorded early and are the cleanest on the file. The interlude builds from one to 3 guitar layers earlier than a quick, targeted solo. Structurally and emotionally, this monitor is a defining assertion.
Monitor 3: Fallout
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Bobby Gustafson.
This monitor confronts the psychological scars left by childhood trauma. Some people can’t course of or settle for their trauma and grow to be harmful forces of their atmosphere. The track critiques the narcissistic perception that others should accommodate or pay for this ache, resulting in societal collapse.
Initially meant to shut the album, Fallout omits a ultimate verse or refrain, a deliberate option to simplify the construction. The track exemplifies the extra streamlined method Patchwork took with Scars. Visitor guitarist Bobby Gustafson provides a fierce, traditional thrash solo that elevates the monitor’s emotional depth.
Monitor 4: Rellik
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Kragen Lum.
“Rellik” examines the impression of poisonous people and the aid of leaving them behind. Opening with a quick acoustic part, the track rapidly launches into fast-paced thrash. The principle riff was one of many first written for the album and stays central all through. The relentless rhythm displays the urgency of escape. Kragen Lum’s solo delivers sharp precision and provides emotional weight to the monitor.
Monitor 5: Ruined
Lyrics by Brad Carlson. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
“Ruined” explores the frustration of being in a relationship with somebody unable to interrupt free from their very own broken previous. The lyrics convey the emotional fallout when unresolved trauma repeats itself in new relationships.
Musically, the track makes use of fewer riffs than others on the album however builds stress with variation and layering. The finale contains a four-part harmonized guitar part that grows right into a climax earlier than abruptly ending, leaving solely a single delay echo. This symbolizes an emotional eruption adopted by vacancy.
Monitor 6: Methuselah
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Brad Carlson.
This monitor displays on generational ignorance and the failure to be taught from historical past. The Biblical Methuselah, who lived 969 years, turns into a metaphor for the ignored knowledge of the previous. The track criticizes fashionable tradition’s tendency to view historical past by a slender present-day lens, disregarding its true context.
Musically, the track is mid-tempo and progressively structured. It options Patchwork’s heaviest breakdown. Regardless of a quick artistic disagreement about rhythm placement, the ultimate association got here collectively efficiently. “Methuselah” is the longest monitor on the album however has the fewest lyrics, permitting the instrumentation to talk volumes.
Monitor 7: Divide
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Ronnie Parmer. Vocals by Dallas Toler-Wade.
“Divide” critiques cultural manipulation and management by gaslighting, cancel tradition, and misinformation. The African proverb “the axe forgets however the tree remembers” underpins the track’s message: there will likely be a reckoning.
Musically, that is the band’s closest method to loss of life steel. Written by Brad in drop C tuning, the track repurposes materials from an earlier monitor, remodeling it with new pace and context. Dallas Toler-Wade’s vocals deliver a harsh, commanding presence, and Ronnie Parmer’s guitar solo merges seamlessly with the monitor’s aggressive tone.
Monitor 8: The Vulture
Lyrics by Mark Sheetz. Guitar solos by Brad Carlson.
Impressed by the funeral of Brad’s mom, “The Vulture” examines loss of life as a chilly, predatory power. Mark Sheetz, who wrote the lyrics, noticed a vulture circling through the burial and drew parallels to how sickness and grief prey on the dwelling.
The track is numerous in construction, starting with a livid tempo, transitioning to a peaceful acoustic interlude, and ending with a strong solo and heavy conclusion. Mark’s contribution is particularly significant as neuropathy from chemotherapy prevented him from taking part in on the album. His phrases stay an important a part of the venture.
Monitor 9: Skies in Flames
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Michael Gilbert.
This monitor critiques narcissism and the denial of non-public duty. The lyrics are written from the perspective of somebody blind to their very own injury, believing themselves to be a sufferer whereas leaving destruction of their wake.
The track’s creation turned the blueprint for the album’s collaborative course of. Brad and Dave traded riffs and concepts, constructing the track layer by layer. Michael Gilbert’s solo is a masterclass in distinction, transferring from melodic to shredding and again, mirroring the track’s rising stress.
Monitor 10: The Empty
Lyrics by Dave Caruana and Brad Carlson. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
The Empty offers with the grief of dropping a father. Written earlier than the loss occurred, the track took on new which means after Brad’s father handed. Its lyrics, drawn from Brad’s personal writings, specific hopelessness and the permanence of emotional absence.
That is the one Patchwork track written in drop D tuning, which provides it a novel really feel. The construction is acquainted, however the tone is far darker. It ends with vocals over the ultimate riff, a uncommon resolution that enhances the track’s emotional weight.
Monitor 11: Buried Alive
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Bobby Gustafson.
Buried Alive tells the story of a dying man stricken by secrets and techniques too harmful to share. The lyrics replicate paranoia, remorse, and the isolation brought on by emotional scars.
Composed completely by Dave, the monitor options Brad’s daughter Ella performing each a spoken line and a loss of life steel scream within the intro. The closing quote, taken from the HBO sequence Chernobyl, encapsulates the album’s theme of painful truths. Bobby Gustafson’s solo is an unrelenting thrash onslaught, bringing the track to a dramatic shut.
Monitor 12: Bitter Fact
Guitar solos by Dallas Toler-Wade.
An instrumental meditation on reflection and transformation, Bitter Fact is about confronting laborious truths and deciding whether or not to vary. The track’s construction echoes life’s phases, repeating key themes with and with out solos for example progress and remorse.
Dallas Toler-Wade’s efficiency captures the introspective tone whereas showcasing his technical brilliance. This monitor permits the listener area to breathe earlier than the emotional ultimate monitor.
Monitor 13: At The Finish
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Kragen Lum.
The ultimate monitor is a farewell to Mark Sheetz, each as a bandmate and as a buddy. It’s written from two views: God, providing consolation and acceptance, and a liked one begging the particular person to not go.
The track’s advanced rhythm shifts between 4/4 and 6/4 and options essentially the most tough passage Patchwork has ever written. It ends with a recorded clip of Mark talking, giving him a literal voice within the album. “At The Finish” is a deeply private tribute, emotionally uncooked and musically difficult.
“Scars is quicker, extra aggressive, and extra targeted than Exit Wounds,” the band conclude. “Whereas the earlier album informed private tales, Scars analyzes broader penalties. The songs are shorter and extra accessible however no much less intense. Visitor solos stand out as highlights, elevating the album’s impression. Tracks like ‘Methuselah,’ ‘The Vulture,’ and ‘At The Finish’ showcase the album’s depth, whereas the brand new lineup, particularly Heith Gruner and Liza Sanchez, introduced new life and professionalism to the band.
“Lyrically, Scars requires extra interpretation than its predecessor, however affords better emotional and philosophical reward. Its standout solos, emotionally advanced songwriting, and tighter preparations make it a strong assertion of progress, grief, and persistence.”
