Words by Kurt Orzeck
Molder is a death-metal band from Illinois with nothing to say.
Obviously, we’re gaslighting you a bit. But there’s actually a grain of truth to that assessment.
“I don't really take a lot of pride in my lyrical content,” vocalist/guitarist Aaren Pantke admits in a video interview a couple of weeks before Molder’s most recent LP drops. “I never wanted to sing in a band ever in my life, and I just kind of got stuck in the role because every band I’ve ever (been in) needed one and someone had to do it. We're not politically charged, and I don't have a message. I don't mind singing and performing. But writing is boring and uninteresting.”
If Pantke’s refreshing degree of honesty doesn’t immediately win you over, his band’s latest album will. In one of the strongest years ever for death metal, Molder’s Catastrophic Reconfiguration, via Prosthetic Records, ranks right up there, expertly intertwining the subgenre’s ’80s sound with a contemporary sensibility. The brilliance of the band’s third record is the result of Pantke’s lifelong obsession with old-school thrash and speed metal, combined with his allegiance to attending as many concerts as he can.
“Anything from ’83 to ’89, I’m probably into it,” Pantke attests.
He further says: “We live about 40 miles outside Chicago, and I’ve pretty much centered my existence over the last 10 or 20 years going to concerts, even if they’re out of state.”
The “we” in Pantke’s sentence refers to himself, lead guitarist Carlos Santini, bassist Dominic Vaia, and drummer Kyle Pooley. While Molder formed in 2017, the band came into its own when Prosthetic Records signed them in 2021.
“The phone call from Prosthetic was like a light at the end of the tunnel,” Pantke imparts. “Everything was looking very bleak, no one knew what was gonna happen with the band or what the future held, up until then.”
Molder further cemented their identity by growing from a trio into a quartet, and that configuration presents itself for the first time on Catastrophic Reconfiguration.
“I’ve known Dominic since we were little kids,” Pantke reflects. “We went to high school together, and he's essentially like my brother. Carlos and I nerd out about gear or movies. I like traveling with Kyle a lot, and he’s (the most) responsible (member of the band). We’ve all been friends now for a long time, but there isn’t really one thing that unites us other than the fact that we're all into metal, and we know how each one of us works.”
Pantke is similarly forthright and realistic about what the future holds for his band. Marveling over the trajectory of Judas Priest’s career and how they appear to be sticking the landing after 50 years, Molder’s main man remarks: “Our music is never gonna be on top 40 radio or be a commercial hit. In no way, shape or form have I ever thought Molder would be on a bus or going on international tours. It's just absolutely not on my radar as a possibility.”
He pauses, then adds: “But I guess never say never, right?”
-----
Catastrophic Reconfiguration from Molder is now available via Prosthetic Records. Get the album - HERE
