We are so excited to premiere the new live album from thejudasobscure today. Yes, that’s right: the wonder from Waterbury. The beast from brass city. The daring Woody from the dirty waters. thejudasobscure is a solo noise/screamo project from Woody (who you may also hear on GlennVeryclose), and we’ve been fans of his quite some time. But we became true tjo stans after 2019’s fantastic Charlatan. That record’s album art featured a little kid in a gas mask, so you know thejudasobscure was prepared when the quarantine hit. The result is Chrysalis: Live from Quarantine, a record built around one of the year’s more ambitious livestreams.
What I love most about Chrysalis: Live from Quarantine is the way Woody uses the livestream to his advantage. Throughout the quarantine, I’ve heard people bemoan the lack of live shows and how livestreams “aren’t the same”. And that is true: they are not the same. But that doesn’t mean they’re less valuable, or less sincere, or less purposeful. It’s just that when most people do a livestream, what they do is a facsimile of a live show — they set up their microphone and camera, and they play as if the tiny phone is a whole audience. But why? Why not try to use this as a chance to experiment, or to play with the form?
And it’s clear within the first few seconds that Chrysalis is different — it’s not just repurposing a live show to a social media feed. The opening siren drone is not just a covid-reminder, but it is a palette cleanser, pulling your into this dark little world — not a living room or bedroom, but something more than that. That opening loop is met with one of the crunchiest bass and drum sections you’ll find this year. And indeed, even though thejudasobscure is just a single person, Woody uses the tools at his disposable to recreate the sound of a live band, with no corners cut. Effects, samples, loops, and other tricks of production elevate Chrysalis above not just a livestream, but above most in-person live shows. It’s not just the ambition either; Woody’s performance and the songs he’s included here are some of the best you’ll hear this year. And in that way, Chrysalis also acts as a greatest hits collection, with many of our very favorite thejudasobscure tracks present: “Cactus Uncle”, “This Night Could Swallow Me Whole”, “They Paved Over Your Memories”.
Chrysalis is being offered as a free download on bandcamp, and you can pick up your copy right now. It will likely not be offered through other streaming services because Woody uses a number of uncleared audio samples (like a memorable refrain from Nicolas Cage’s Vampire’s Kiss) throughout the recording. Recorded as part of the Social Distance Fest on March 28th, you can find more live shows and sets on their instagram page.
