Dead Horse Trauma
Band Story
<p>Stuck out in the middle of the great plains, Grinnell, Iowa, can get unbearably cold and dull in winter. With nothing better to do, people talk. So it was in 2006, when Eric Davidson and Matt Wingerter, musicians and friends since high school, began trading anecdotes about playing in various local bands. Tired of the ambitionless scene, the two decided it was time to form a band like never before, one that would capture the violence of every school shooting and the brutality of a police riot, with songs whose melodies please the mind while its lyrics snuck up and stripped it bare. They knew the world needed Dead Horse Trauma. The band was formed to slap awake the complacent and celebrate with those who have seen through the false veneer of society. It attempts to reach those generations of anaesthetized Americans born and raised in the corporate womb to accept what’s given them. It asks them to rebel and revel in its highly amped charge. Several musicians served the cause over the early years, but after a few personnel changes, the lineup was complete, with Eric on vocals, Seth Peters on guitar, Joey Wies working samples, Jarrod Mienke on bass and Jason Handy literally torturing the Zildjians. Together they bring a polished rage to the stage that benefits explosive songs to life. The band has headlined festivals, opened for opened for (hed)pe, Mower, Hemlock and others, and maintain a strong presence throughout the Midwest. Now Dead Horse Trauma has unleashed its new aural beast on the world. Titled Infestation, the full-length takes the band to the next sonic level and promises to blast it into the national spotlight through the one-two punch of its blunt force delivery and exacting musical craftsmanship. Following on the heels (notice I didn’t say “hooves”) of Dead Horse Trauma’s debut EP, The Unmerciful Infliction, Infestation continues the band’s high octane industrial sound and propensity for world class hooks, but ups its game with greater fire and ferocity. With song titles like “Cadaver,” “Unmerciful Strike” and “Chemicult,” you don’t listen to Dead Horse Trauma expecting Miley Cyrus. (Maybe a Miley Cyrus lynching, but never mind; we digress.) The record features ten tracks of industrial Sturm und Drang, all written collectively by the band. It was produced by the band and The 660 Group, aka Donnie Mengwasser and Spencer Fenimore who, in one capacity or another, are members of the bands Mindrite, High While Driving and Boston Hell Mask. Ari (“It’s just Ari”) of the Victory Records band Destrophy mastered the disc for InnerLight Records. Drummer Jason Handy designed the sleeve and interior panels. The album is released by EMFDPRODCO, an imprint created by the band. Early reviews of Infestation have been extremely positive, with a growing number of reviewers, radio stations and hardcore brethren championing the band. Infestation was released for download and CD purchase in early November. It is available through CDbaby, Best Buy, iTunes, Amazon and DeadHorseTrauma.com, the band’s website. For more information, please contact: Eric Davidson eric@deadhorsetrauma.com (515)865-5977 http://deadhorsetrauma.com</p>