| Beelzefuzz | |
|---|---|
 Beelzefuzz's logo. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Righteous Bloom (2014 - 2015) |
| Origin | Maryland, United States |
| Genres | Doom Metal, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Traditional Doom |
| Years active | 2009 - 2014, 2015 - 2019 |
| Labels | The Church Within Records, Abstract Distribution |
| Associated acts | Revelation, Pale Divine, Origin Konrad, Crowned in Earth, Against Nature, Negro Childe, Moonshine Mile, Righteous Bloom, Altar of Dagon |
| Website | Bandcamp |
Beelzefuzz were a traditional doom/hard rock band from Maryland, active initially from 2009 - 2014 and then from 2015 - 2019. In the band's first run they functioned as a trio but in their second run were a quartet, evoking a sound that The Obelisk had described "were able to capture something of the spirit of classic progressive rock along with a groove drawn out from the traditions of Maryland doom."
Throughout both of the band's tenures Beelzefuzz released two studio albums and were a staple in the modern Maryland doom scene.
History[]
Beelzefuzz was formed initially in 2009 by the trio of Dana Ortt, Pug Kirby and Rick Jenkins though little is known of the band's early years. The band's earliest known show was on New Years Eve 2010 with Altar of Dagon[1] as the band began performing more shows around the Maryland area. After releasing a demo in 2011 which was given away at gigs the band would find a new drummer in Darin McCloskey, following with a demo of that lineup the next year. Work would begin on a debut record as they would sign to The Church Within Records. Eventually the band's eponymous debut in Beelzefuzz would be released on 9 August 2013 to positive reception from the likes of The Obelisk[2] among others. The band would support the album by appearing at Days of The Doomed that June and then embark on a short tour of Germany surrounding their appearance at Hammer of Doom Festival. The next year the band would play at Stoner Hands of Doom and Eye of the Stoned Goat, adding Greg Diener on second guitar (With the lineup comprising of 3/4 of members of Pale Divine. The band's last show was on 30 August for the inaugural Vultures of Volume Fest after a planned mini-tour with Blackfinger had fallen through. On 9 September 2014 it would be announced on their social media that the band had split up.[3]
On 16 September 2014 Ortt, McCloskey and Diener formed Righteous Bloom with Revelation bassist Bert Hall.[4] Ortt would describe the band as a "continuation" of Beelzefuzz as the now-quartet began work on a debut record for this new band. Notably Righteous Bloom would play the second (and last) edition of Vultures of Volume. In December 2015 the band would change their name back to Beelzefuzz, with a new Facebook. However Pug Kirby would leave an acrimonious message (Now deleted) on the band's original Facebook over their reformation, eventually leading to a legal battle between Kirby and Ortt. Ultimately Ortt would file a trademark for the band's name and win for the legal right to the name Beelzefuzz. The recording sessions for the second album in the previous band would be released under as Beelzefuzz, titled The Righteous Bloom and released on 19 August 2016 to positive reviews from the likes of Metal Injection,[5] and Ever-Metal[6] just to name a few. THe band would notably perform at the 2017 edition of The Maryland Doom Fest and occasional shows in the Maryland area.
On 6 June 2019 it would be announced that the band's appearance at The Maryland Doom Fest would be the band's final performance, due to ongoing harassment among other conflicts. Ortt, McCloskey and Diener still remain active with Pale Divine.[7]
Discography[]
- Demo 2011 (Demo) (2011, Self-Released)
- Demo 2012 (Demo) (2012, Self-Released)
- Beelzefuzz (Studio Album) (2013, The Church Within Records)
- The Righteous Bloom (Studio Album) (2016, Abstract Distribution)
Members[]
- Dana Ortt - Guitar, Vocals (2009 - 2014, 2015 - 2019)
- Pug Kirby - Bass (2009 - 2014)
- Rick Jenkins - Drums (2009 - 2011)
- Darin McCloskey - Drums (2011 - 2014, 2015 - 2019)
- Greg Diener - Guitar (2014), Guitar, Vocals (2015 - 2019)
- Bert Hall - Bass (2015 - 2019)
External Links[]
- The Righteous Bloom on Abstract Distribution's Bandcamp
- Interview via Doom-Metal.com
- Interview via Outlaws of The Sun
- Interview via The Obelisk