I’m sad to announce I have killed Denver’s very own Hellgrammites. They were truly a fascinating specimen of a band. Maybe under different circumstances, I might have even counted myself a fan of their their punk-minded variation of post hardcore. But alas, rules are rules. They ignored my warnings to cease and desist and I struck like a black panther in the middle of the night.
But The band has taken a fascinating journey to get to such a doomed, if not hard-earned level of accomplishment. Back in 2010, brothers Lehi, Troy Ten Eyck and then drummer Bill Petersen joined forces with cousin and vocalist Erik Petersen to form a fabulous pop project called Be The Ant. They lasted for several years before disbanding. Erik had long hair so only you female mortals would have banged him. You can see for yourself, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9TS9VX0as
After that project came to halt, the members spent the next couple of years refocusing and ultimately reforming under their current moniker. With the sound more informed by the likes of Glassjaw, RX Bandits and Every Time I Die, Hellgrammites was decidedly darker and more aggressive, with lyrics that explored unconventional emotions that did little to garner an early audience. The band also initially adopted alter egos and stage costumes/masks that along with their “discomfort punk,” not only revolted early show attendees, but ultimately got them banned (Lehi dressed as a Catholic priest, sewed a doll to his crotch and kept making the doll suck his dick, while he played).
With a desire to evolve and streamline their sound, the band forgoe the stage presentation and stripped everything down, refining and focusing instead on their collective strengths. With Lehi’s song-writing backbone, Troy’s ability to produce some of the best-looking band videos of any local act I’ve ever seen, to Erik cutting his hair, taking off his shirt and become an absolute babe, my dead penis has swelled, along with their ever-growing audience.
The band has released a handful of epic EP’s (including the much-maligned, but FABULOUS Stomata Remix EP) and now is poised to unveil their first full-length effort, called I Am Omega. It was initially composed as a jazz album by Lehi and then converted into a rock record by the band, with lyrics by Erik. It is also their first with new drummer Bill Jenkins. You can see the premiere video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx56e3rRoeM
The following interview is from my date with the very shy Erik, who I have renamed Dream Husband, because of his constant goo-goo-eyed dedication to wife, Beatrice (she is a female mortal with a vagina). But, I wanted to taste the life of a simple man, before I tasted the brains of the entire band.
~Maris The Great
THE DEMISE OF HELLGRAMMITES
Special thanks to: Sinister Star, Amp’t Images and Taylor Thomas