The USA is a Monster

• Genre: Noise Rock
• Hometown: New York City
• The USA is a Monster Website

About

If you can imagine a sound like King Crimson filtered through noise rock, anarcho-punk, psych-folk, Native American tribal jams and some freaky "X" factor that's impossible to describe, then you've nailed the USA is a Monster. In the mid-'90s guitarist and singer Colin Langenus (aka Colin Matthews) and drummer Tom Hohmann were living in Boston, where they cofounded the gooey sludge-core trio Bullroarer. The group was soon playing gigs with the killer noise-rock bands then coming out of Providence, R.I.: Lightning Bolt, Olneyville Sound System, Arab on Radar and Landed. After Bullroarer's demise, Langenus and Hohmann relocated to Virginia, where they put together the USA is a Monster (or USAISAMONSTER), a collective of hairy weirdoes inspired by the "Providence sound." Eventually everyone else left, leaving just Langenus and Hohmann, who eventually settled in New York. Hohmann filled out their pulverizing prog jams with synthesizer and more vocals. He also started writing these anthemic throwdowns, reflecting his love for Native Americana. The group hit their peak with a trio of near-perfect records: Tasheyana Compost, Wohaw and Sunset at the End of the Industrial Age.

- Justin Farrar