Track By Track: Batpiss Unleash Killer New Album 'Biomass'

Forming in Collingwood in 2011, noise/ punk trio Batpiss have spent the past four years cementing their position as one of Melbourne’s most credible and loved local acts.

Comprised of members Thomy Sloane (bass, vocals) Marty Baker (drums) and Paul Pirie (guitar, vocals) the guys have dropped a string of impressive released including a self titled cassette through Popular Favourites in April 2012 and a debut LP titled Nuclear Winter in 2013. Following on from Nuclear Winter the is their new LP Biomass.

Recorded over five days at Cellar Sessions studios and produced by Max Ducker (Mutton, Bone) Biomass captures the band’s guttural bass growls, frenzied guitar attacks and relentless hard drumming.

To celebrate the release of the album, the guys gave us a track by track run down of the record, which you can check out below. If you like what you hear be sure to catch the guys on the road, tour date below or visit the band’s Facebook page for more info.

The Store

This song is about a local Collingwood shop. Every time I go in there I can’t help but feel sorry for the guy behind the counter. Etched on his face, every single second of his day, is the emotion of teetering on the edge of life and suicide. It smells like a retirement home, and that smell lingers on every sandwich I’ve ever ordered from him. Theres a lyric in the first verse that goes “can i get some hate with my change?” and he has never, ever, failed.

Death Will…

This is number 2 on the record, and its all about death, family, and family fuck-ups. Lyrically, its a pretty personal one, centred around feeling close to death, or being a bringer of it, when faced with some intense domestic realisations. Max Ducker (who produced the record) does a guest vocal in the second verse, which literally sounds like the grim reaper being belled-in during round 2 of a fight to the death. His voice is a raspy chainsaw-growl which fits the song perfectly.

Daredevil

This song is from a project that Bits Of Shit and ourselves teamed up for. The idea was that we would write them a song, and they would write us one, then each band would cover it in their own style. Musically, its our composition, but the lyrics are purely BOSMC, which we believe to be about what the comic book character “Daredevil” sees… What a bunch of trippers… keep yer eyes peeled for that split 7” later down the track…

The Idiot

Another intense personal journey. Family destruction, arrests and re-arrests, so lets just move on… Despite this, it is easily the poppiest song on the album, written in the bedroom after listening to heaps of Venom P. Stinger.

The Orchard

From the first chord (demonic 4th), this song really captures the BATPISS sound. Downstroked driving bass, solid beat, 2 chords, spastic guitar solo, and dual vocals. Once again, drawing on previous darker times, this one explores what it feels like to drag a stake through an orchard at midnight, with no plan of planting a tree… Thomy even steps into my shoes on this one, and sings the second verse from my perspective. Now that is lyrical same-pageness.

Spiritually Challenged

First of all, yes we are. Secondly, this one started out as a novella I was writing, while Thomy was working on a play about a self-help spokesman who experiences Centrelink for the first time. The lyrics quickly evolved from there however, into broader topics of misguided belief and pious greed. Technically, its probably Marty’s (drums) tour-de-force of the album. He’s worked really hard over the last couple years on his drumming, and the cunt is getting fucking phenomenal, we think this song really proves that.

Heavy Smoke

Pretty simple this one. If you’ve smoked as many cones as Martin Baker, then you’ll know what it feels like to stare into the black water of the portal, and feel your skin melt off your face after 10 too many hot ones. We tried to write a relentless, nauseating soundtrack to greening out: a riff that repeats and plateaus, but never peaks.

Pulling Out

Musically, this is our longest journey. Lurching from a 3 minute, 2 note self-reflective poem about pulling out of a sexual altercation with a hated fellow human, this song is 7 minutes of nauseating, cum stained, single entendre, bad-fuck. Powering through variations of 1 riff, this song is also vocally sparse, leaving heaps of room to express the feeling of being stuck in the middle of an act you don’t want to be in, with the finish so far away.

Waking up at the Wheel

Inspired by driving place to place to play gigs on tour, meeting deadlines, and dealing with drunk Marty who’s never had a license. Repetitive riff, not as repetitive as Martys complaints from the back seat. Congratulations on getting your license Marty, enjoy driving every, single, last, place, on this tour… seeya from the backseat.

‘Biomass’ Tour Dates

Track By Track: Batpiss Unleash Killer New Album ‘Biomass’