Founder James Baker's musical origins started in the church, with his natural musical ability standing out through the weekly ritual of hymns and gospel. Rock music was off limits in his youth, sparking his initial rebellion against tradition while he pursued his desire for rock and roll. He learned guitar and continued to sing, this time in a drastically different style than that of his church upbringing, leading to Rorschach Test's well-known debut on Slipdisc/Mercury Records, 1998's Unclean.

Compared to the radical rumors and tales of his rebellious past, James Baker has come full circle in embracing his identity as a person of faith, extending to his time spent the past several years as a hospice chaplain. Rather than looking back in history, he focuses on the present, and carries his own journey as a source of inspiration for himself and others, including through his work with the Alice Cooper Solid Rock Foundation, and the non-profit record label of his own creation, Unlabeled Artists, empowering underserved communities to support themselves through their art.

James knew at first visit that Full Well Recording Studios was the ideal creative space, with an array of analog and traditional and vintage consoles, instruments, and
equipment available for owner Mike Bolenbach (best known for Alice Cooper's Welcome 2 My Nightmare) to produce the most authentic recordings of Rorschach Test, with the true integrity of a human touch. Kolby, whose musical background includes a stint as the guitarist of CO-OP with Dash Cooper, co-produced alongside Mike Bolenbach.

Lyric inspirations are the result of growth and transformation, unapologetically addressing dark and difficult topics of realistic issues, negative archetypes, and struggles of humanity. Doing so through the lens of metal serves to address the darkest of sounds and subjects, understanding and embracing the shadows of life, inspiring freedom from them in the process.

Rorschach Test has returned with a mission to let people who suffer from mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal ideation know that they are not alone, that there is hope and help available. In the words of James Baker, "It's never too late to come back from the darkest places a person can journey to."

Website:

https://rorschachtest.com/

Armed with a hyper
-
charged hybrid of hypnotic heavy metal and gnashing industrial, THERE IS NO US
immediately make their intentions clear...
"Our goal is to stomp your face in," grins frontman Jim Louvau.
Shocked to life by pummeling riffs, menacing electronics, venomous lyrical vitriol, and a dystopic vision, the
Phoenix, AZ quintet
-
Jim [vocals, production, visuals], Andy Gerold [guitar], Jared Bakin [guitar], Eddie Lopez
[bass], and Elias Mallin [drums]
-
e
ngage a sensory onslaught steeped in sonic futurism, yet anchored by a
tried
-
and
-
true commitment to sharp songcraft. For as much as the vibe unassumingly harks back to the days
of Ministry on
Lollapalooza
and
The Crow
Soundtrack at the forefront of culture
, the band unapologetically
forges ahead on their 2023 album,
Fame Whore
[Cleopatra Records].
"We grew up on industrial rock, and we could never get away from it because it's in our blood," notes Jim.
"We aimed to create a sound that's heavier and hook
-
y.
We're combining industrial undertones, metal, and
memorable in
-
your
-
face songwriting."
Childhood friends Jim and Andy recorded their first tunes together back in high school. During 2015, the guys
introduced THERE IS NO US with the
Farewell To Humanity
EP.
Two years later, they joined forces with iconic
producer Terry Date [Deftones, Pantera, White Zombie] on the follow
-
up EP,
Generation of Failure
. They attracted a growing cult following through performances with everyone from In Flames, Drowning Pool, and Tremonti to The Dillinger Escape Plan, letlive., and Stabbing Westward.
At the same time, the members also respectively paved their own paths. Andy hit the road as a guitarist or bassist for everyone from Ashes Divide to Marilyn Manson, while Jim worked
with some of the most
influential artists of all
-
time as a photographer and video director. His photography spanned studio and live
shoots for Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Alice Cooper, Queens of the Stone Age, and late legends Chester Bennington and Scott Weiland. Collaborating with Tony Aguilera, he also helmed music videos for Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains, Killer Be Killed, and Exodus in addition to Fuck Content the critically acclaimed Greg Puciato documentary. Meanwhile, Elias held down the drums for the likes of Kesha, Noah Cyrus, and
Hollywood Undead live.

In the throes of the Global Pandemic, Jim and Andy commenced writing for what would become Fame Whore. This time around, influential producer Sean Beaven [Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson] lent his talents behind the board as the record materialized in Las Vegas and Phoenix.
"Sean is incredible," Jim goes on. "He's worked with all of our favorite bands and is like the godfather of this small group of Arizona musicians. He's nurtured us over t
he past 10-12 years, but this was the first time we
got to properly work with him as a producer. All of the planets aligned."
Louvau's family had recently endured his two
year old daughter's Leukemia diagnosis, treatment, and,
thankfully, recovery. Though not a thematic conceit, the experience informed his pummeling vocal tracks.
"I was definitely channeling the way I was feeling at the time," he admits. "Leukemia is not a hereditary
cancer, so you never really get an answer as to how it picked your kid. Th
ere was a lot of anger built up inside
of me. It comes out on the record. Vocally, I tried to be as wild as I could in certain spots to get this
frustration out. Between what was going on at home and in the world, I had a lot of pent-up feelings."

Disciples of the riff, harnessing dark, heavy grooves, thrash n' roll swagger, and dual guitar power like a welcome double barrel shotgun to your head that will make your Thin Lizzy, Priest, and Maiden lovin' heart melt into a sticky, Sabbathy syrup under thick clouds of smoke.
Spiral Death Curse pours out a sound like liquid LSD, rips out your eyeballs, dips them in the sonic tonic, and then shoves them into your face backwards, as though by way of a freight train fueled by cocaine. If all goes well, you reap the benefit of a little introspective perspective. You can thank them when you recover.