The year of our lord Two-Thousand and Eight will be a year of great cosmic significance to be sure...Of note, sonic-soothsayers Ichabod, who are currently celebrating their 10th year together as a band, will be releasing their 4th full-length album. It is a prophetic opus of 6 tracks (five brand new originals and a cover of Pink Floyd's Nile Song) entitled 2012. The name refers to the end of the 12th and final b'ak'tun cycle of time according to the Mesoamerican long-count calendar used by the ancient Maya. What exactly this end-date means is unclear, other than that it will be end of this creation-world and the beginning of a new one, for better or for worse. The songs rendered on 2012 are prognostications to be prepared mentally, physically and spiritually, a collection of tales of jadoo, the unexplained and inexplicable phenomena, paranormal activity and new world order. Joining Ichabod in harbingering the end times are flutist Bonnie Rovics, vocalist Jen Bliss, and vocalist/Mayan culture scholar/artist Jason Berube who created the 2012 collage featured in the cover art for the CD. Engineer Devin Charette (Raise the Red Lantern, Blacktail, Hackman, Lord Mantis, Sea of Bones, et al.) masterminded the project at Mad Oak studio in Boston and did additional mixing at Kurt Ballou's (of Converge) God City studio in psychic-vortex and occult epicenter Salem MA. Rounding out the project was mastering by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance.
Rootsucker Records will once again be the release agent, ensuring that everyone within listening distance will hear the apocalyptic message. Helping to ensure the anticipation of the new release by Rootsucker was the band's well received interpretation of Jackass in the Will of God for the last year's Emetic Records Eyehategod tribute CD For the Sick. Label owner Dave Tornstrom also once again lent to the recording process with his unique abilities to craft samples and to insert random keyboard madness.
With 2012 expect Ichabod to reach new heights with their unique blend of musical styles. The follow up to critically acclaimed Reaching Empyrean can best be described as an even more thorough stirring of various styles of heavy music in Ichabod's psychedelic cauldron, often infusing hints of ethnic, ambient & down-tempo music into their tincture. Singer Ken Mackay, guitarist Dave Iverson, bassist Greg Dellaria & drummer Phil Mackay have managed to appeal to ever wider audiences with their entheogenic blend.
As 2008 progresses slowly one day at a time toward 2012, also be on the lookout for upcoming Ichabod project Merrimack, their next ambitious undertaking. It will be a concept album hearkening back to the heyday of classic rock, a single song made up of various movements totaling 40+ minutes of mostly improvisational pieces, a musical representation of the river for which it is named. The band are currently in Amps vs. Ohms studio working with engineer/producer Glen Smith, laying down basic tracks for Merrimack and several additional songs for a future split (band TBA) EP. Ichabod anticipates the next several years being extremely busy, both with the release of 2012 & in working to conclude all recording projects and to perform live as frequently as possible prior to the coming armageddon...
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