New Jersey upstarts LUDDITE CLONE truly push the boundaries of metal. Their violent, unrelenting marriage of brutality and technicality propagates progression, aggression and forward thinking in a sea of stagnation. "The Arsonist and the Architect", their newest release, is an exercise in extremity that provides a glimpse into metal's future today.
The humble beginnings of New Jersey’s LUDDITE CLONE can be traced to the winter ‘98/’99 dissolution of a band named NAVI. NAVI, though active on the live front, was not making much headway due to internal strife. Three members, vocalist Andrew Cumming, guitarist Andrew Shearer and bassist Kevin Hannum, parted ways with their drummer and hooked up with former ANGEL OF SILENCE members Ian Berkowitz (guitarist) and Bob Raf (percussionist).
The quintet was influenced by the Northeast death metal/grindcore scene of the early ‘90’s, and by the modern school of noise-core--particularly HUMAN REMAINS, BRUTAL TRUTH and SUFFOCATION. LUDDITE CLONE sought to create a unique style that retained the intensity of the aforementioned artists while adding nuances from their other realms of musical interest.
The band revamped some past work and quickly composed two new tracks, which they laid to tape on March 27th at Portrait Studios with producer Chris Badami. An old friend offered to release the session in the form of a CD-Ep, and after a lengthy delay, "The Arsonist and the Architect" was released independently (in conjunction with Cyberdine 243) in autumn ‘99.
With "The Arsonist and the Architect", LUDDITE CLONE have arguably conceived and constructed the archetypal embodiment of extreme metal's future. Primal fury collides head on with precise, ingenious arrangements, and ferocious bursts of speed grind into slow, crushing breakdowns. Upon its release the band began gigging in around their native New Jersey with the likes of VISION OF DISORDER, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and REACH THE SKY.
"The Arsonist and the Architect" caught the ear of Relapse Records, and the label immediately picked up the release as one of its own. In the meantime, LUDDITE CLONE are currently composing new material for their debut full-length and planning live jaunts throughout the Northeast over the coming months..posing new material for their debut full-length and planning live jaunts throughout the Northeast over the coming months.
LUDDITE CLONE is comprised of separate individuals expressing themselves through various audible (and sometimes visual) forms of communication that form music. Whether it be by percussive rhythms, a blur of screams, or the varied augmentations of our hands that make up picking and fretting patterns, the end result is expression. It maybe numerous different and separate expressions conveyed by each individual at the same moment, or all of us communicating a similar expression through our instruments and acting upon them by playing as a band. The bottom line is that we communicate these expressions not only for you to experience, but for us to find comfort in realizing and expressing our own emotions, because that is what makes us human.
Source: http://www.relapse.com/high/relapse/ludd/biography.html