Viva Death brings together Scott Shiflett and Trever Keith (Face to Face), Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle), and Chad Blinman (Real Space Noise) in one unlikely, impractical, noncommercial musical experiment. The cost of this ill-fated endeavor? Countless ruined lives.
The product?
Viva Death’s self-titled first album, quietly released on Vagrant Records in 2002, confronted listeners with a brash, aggressive onslaught of baritone guitars, drums, vocals and noises unlike anything ever heard from the members’ better-known bands. The unconventional sound surprised listeners and shocked critics, but the album gradually gained a devoted following.
No one expected it could ever happen again. But against all odds, the members of Viva Death found time in their respective schedules to return to the studio for a second album. One Percent Panic broadens the scope of the Viva Death sound while remaining true to its baritone guitar-driven style: Tightly-wound riffs, frenetic drums and strange noises spill into lush fields of enveloping sound, taking the listener to unexpected places while at the same time delivering the high energy Viva Death fans have come to expect.