Low Fiction brings sonic fury from pits of hell
Taking the stage at The Yard in Beacon in October, the metal band Low Fiction flipped the switch from a dirge-like breakdown to a deafening rumble that unleashed a sonic fury conjured from the pits of hell.
The spectators, 60 strong, bobbed heads, convulsed bodies and roared their approval during the quartet's 10-song set. They demanded and received an encore.
Despite declarations about its alleged death, guitar-driven rock 'n' roll remains a conduit for rebellious youth and older folks who cling to the music of their teen years.
"Metal mixes well with other edgy styles," says lyricist, guitarist and lead vocalist Jack Kolodziejski, who lives in Newburgh but retains close ties to Beacon, where his 30-something bandmates are residents. "We take all our influences - punk, hardcore, metal, alt-rock, stoner rock, shoegaze - throw it into a blender and see what comes up."
Low Fiction will perform on Friday (Jan. 17) at Denning's Point Distillery in Beacon with King in Yellow.
The group, whose name is intended to be a lowbrow antithesis to the term high art, shares a rehearsal space with several other plugged-in hard rockers at the KuBe Art Center.
On Bandcamp, they identify as "heavy metal," by now a generic term with a massive tent, although the genre's more commercial acts are often associated with some melody, fast guitar solos, flowing locks of hair and at least semifrequent chord changes in a quasi-pop song format.
By contrast, Low Fiction's tunes flow like the lazy Hudson in a hypnotic, rhythmically repetitive but deliberate manner. The songs create an ambient ensemble sound before subtly shifting in mood and intensity.
"We're like the Grateful Dead of metal," says Kolodziejski. "We prefer to keep it pretty laid back."
Neither he nor Beacon-born guitarist Noah Mandia "shred," slang for running up and down the neck playing lightning-quick licks. At The Yard, they played maybe three subdued solos in their set.
The collaborative, riff-based compositions drench the guitar sounds with feedback, overdrive and distortion. Even Brian Caprari's bass blasts with an effects-pedal-driven sonic boom.
The lulls provide space for drummer to pummel the skins and cymbals with menace, especially during the song "Dark Ride."
"At first, I learned to play the right way, with reading and finesse, but I use none of that technique here," says Scelzo. "The goal is maximum volume and effect."
The most toe-tapping song, "Break Your Brain," ended with a breakdown, where bands slow the song's dynamics, then ratchet the tempo and intensity back up or shift into a fast-chord sequence. In this case, the band's sludgy pulse faded to near stasis.
Band members jammed around town with other musicians until the quartet congealed in 2022. They released their first albums, Dungeon Demo and Midnight Demon in 2023, and an EP, Vestige, last year.
Despite working white-collar day jobs, they celebrate the dark side. Songs unfold like horror flicks, and their artwork features eerie imagery.
"That's the stuff we often talk about, slasher movies and other gory things," says Scelzo. "Murder and deceit are primal, and it all goes back thousands of years, but we channel it with loud, pounding rock 'n' roll."
Denning's Point Distillery is located at 10 N. Chestnut St. in Beacon. The show begins at 7 p.m. and a $10 donation is suggested. Follow the band at instagram.com/lowfictionhv and download music at lowfictionhv.bandcamp.com.

Metal in a Blender