Chicago-based Theyrgy is a dark act which mingles elements from post punk, industrial, darkwave and shoegaze sounds and distills them into something really lyrical and enchanting. The band was formed in 2018 by John Doyle (I Decline,13 Flowers) John E. Bomher (Yakuza, Iklatus), Michael Fabiano and Tony Hooper, and they release their fine debut EP, Exit Strategies, on August 21st, 2020.
Composed of five tracks (six on the physical release which includes an unorthodox cover of Bad Religion's Sanity), the EP was produced and mixed by the band, except for the EP closer and one of its high points, Hiding Your Face in the Wall, which was mixed by Sanford Parker (Voivod, Yob, Indian). It's an all around adaptable and multifaceted record which undoubtedly presents the band's clear vision for a dark sound, but it also lays out their proneness to take delight in the diverse styles which amalgamate their craft, from the artful post punk of Crack of the Egg and Dreamcatcher to the deviance and storytelling properties of the release's last pair of tracks.
Twenty years in the making, Walk Away has its roots in the times of Doyle’s days with I Decline, when it was first conceived as a demo, a piece expressive of the artist's experimental curiosity, and diverse from his band's sound at the time. It tells the story of a fictional, sociopathic cannibalistic killer in a very much delicate and riveting way, and for its authenticity, its delicacy and its overall diverseness, it feels like the EP's centerpiece.
The seven-minute closing number, Hiding Your Face in the Wall, comes with an even stronger narrative based on true events, chronicling the mysterious death of Netta Fornario which occurred in 1929 at the island of Iona in Scotland, a bizarre story of supernatural and occult qualities.
"Theyrgy’s music aims to radiate light from within the dark spaces resonating inside and outside the listener," the band's statement reads. "The map is not the territory. We’re done with living in the false structures that steal us from ourselves, our community and funnels us into a bloated, mediocre and unrealized life. By embracing and channeling the underlying chaos that is denied to exist in the world, we find the nourishment we need to grow and live meaningful human lives. Our music is our contribution to the re-enchantment of the world."
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