Youngblood Supercult

Youngblood Supercult formed in the wake of the splintering of several different bands located on the desolate plains of northeast Kansas. The four original YBSC members--Bailey Smith, Weston Alford, Coder Potts, and Wyatt Desch--quietly crept into the Topeka music scene with their debut in the NOTO Arts District on September 6th, 2013. The reaction to their thunderous but discernably Midwestern blues/stoner rock sound was explosive. With several shows under their belt, the four musicians holed up at Alexander Lancaster's Two Wolves Studio in historic downtown Topeka to record their ambitious debut album, Season of the Witch, under the direction of producer and friend, David Steinlage. The seasoned and revered Mr. Jerry Tubb of Austin's Terra Nova Studios mastered the album, and the band formed a lasting relationship with designer Pol Abran of Branca Studio in Barcelona to oversee the album art. Heavy Planet praised the album in their review: "Straight out of Topeka, Kansas comes four riff-worshipping bandmates that unite their love of seventies heavy blues, occult-ish doom rock, and a free and easy vibe in what they like to call Stoner-lite. I would have to say that their sound would not qualify as "lite" in my book, in someone else's, maybe. The band's first single "Season of the Witch" is a slithering, hard-driving, and catchy tune that wraps around a tight groove. The vocals reign supreme with their bravado and mighty soaring ability. Youngblood Supercult has played alongside fellow [Topekans] and Heavy Planet favorite The Midnight Ghost Train. The band has a very straight-forward approach and a strong desire to make a name for themselves. Give Youngblood Supercult a listen, you'll be glad you did." Following the release of Season of the Witch, vocalist Wyatt Desch left the group to focus on other endeavors. The remaining trio caught a break with the addition of their beloved friend and current vocalist, David Merrill. This transition marked a new era for the group. They wrote feverishly, departing from their previous driving heavy rock sound in favor of experimenting with elements of folk, blues, psych, and the droning, flat-tuned, off-time riffs that are the trademark of the traditional classic heavy stoner sound. The response to their unique culmination of sound has been mammoth. The group began recording new material in late 2015. This process was not without its share of inner turmoil and strife between band members. As a result of creative differences between Coder and the rest of the group, David stepped up to record basslines on High Plains. After peacefully severing professional ties with their bassist, Youngblood Supercult consolidated into a three-piece group as David began and continues to work diligently on simultaneous vocals and bass. With three powerhouses now at the helm of the heavy, riff-laden, electric spaceship that is Youngblood Supercult, the band is mightier than ever. The group released their sophomore album High Plains on February 19th, 2016, an album which has already received critical acclaim from The Obelisk's JJ Koczan, who wrote: "Midwestern fuzz ideologues Youngblood Supercult release their sophomore full-length, High Plains, on Feb. 19. An 11-track/48-minute CD with double-vinyl impending for this summer, it follows early 2014’s debut, Season of the Witch, and marks a significant change in vibe on the part of the graphic-design-inclined Topeka, Kansas, three-piece. Where the debut took a classic metal bent toward heavy rock, more straightforward and rhythmically driving, High Plains offers plenty of sonic weight — the guitar and bass working together on “Black Hawk,” or the clawing “Nomad” earlier on — but takes a more lurching, atmospheric approach overall. This seems to have been a purposeful shift in aesthetic as much as one of lineup, but either way, it suits them." High Plains also ranked at NUMBER 2 on the March Doom Charts (check it out here: https://doomcharts.com/2016/03/08/the-doom-chart-for-march-2016/), outranking several of the group's musical idols and solidifying High Plains as one of the more sublime pieces of music to hit the airwaves this year. And they have no plans of slowing down; they are currently writing material for a third album. Drink the Flavor-Aid, my friends. Join the cult. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.