Jucifer

Jucifer
The dynamic duo.
Background information
Origin	Athens, Georgia, USA
Genres	Punk Rock, Sludge Metal, Grindcore, Pop, Experimental Rock, Grunge, Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Heavy Metal
Years active	1993 - present
Labels	Nomadic Fortress, Relapse, Crackrock, Velocette, Alternative Tentacles
Website	Official Page
Current members	Edgar Livengood Gazelle Amber Valentine

Jucifer are a band originating from Athens, Georgia and consisting simply of the husband-and-wife duo of Edgar Livengood and Gazelle Amber Valentine. Though typically labeled a sludge band the band's actual sound draws elements from black metal, grindcore, doom metal, hardcore punk, noise rock and pop. The band labels themselves as a pioneer of the death/doom/sludge duo.

Jucifer are best known for their consistent touring style and colossal stage setup. In the case of the former, the duo travels with their dogs and all of their equipment in a Winnebago named the "Nomadic Fortress" (Barring occasional exceptions for shows outside the United States) rather than maintaining a stationary home which they refer to this style of touring as "The Endless Tour". Since 2000 the band has simply had no home base and remain on the road in a purely nomadic sense. In regards to their stage setup the band is known for the "White Wall of Doom", a live set-up featuring a massive amount of amps. It's stated the band takes four hours each night to load up and tear down the setup before and after shows.

The band has released seven studio albums since their inception and have worked with a series of different labels over the years such as Relapse, Crackrock Records and recently their own Nomadic Fortress imprint.

The name "Jucifer" was inspired by famous football player O.J. Simpson who was better known as "The Juice". Around the time of the band's first recordings, O.J. Simpson "The Juice" made his infamous slow motion non-escape from police on 12 June 1994 from which drummer Livengood coined the name.

History

Calling All Cars on the Vegas Strip: Beginnings (1994 - 1999)

Jucifer Superman athens ,georgia rock & roll

Jucifer began at some point in 1993 by Livenwood and Valentine in Georgia. At the time both members were living in a rundown 1940's house in Athens, both working in the restaurant industry to make ends meet. At the time both secured instruments and practiced often, eventually self-releasing the Nadir EP on cassette in 1994. The band would also get their name from those sessions in the run-down house, jamming out and writing new songs.

Fan-funded and embarking into studios for the first time Jucifer would release their second EP Superman on Crackrock Records in 1996, showcasing their freakish mix of pop, sludge and grunge at the time with a video made for the title track. The band would also embark on their very first tour and performing their first shows outside of Georgia. Two years later the band would release their debut album Calling All Cars on the Vegas Strip through Crackrock, showcasing a mix of stoner rock, experimental rock, pop and sludge.

I Name You Destroyer: The Nomadic Fortress and Onwards (2000 - 2005)

Jucifer "When She Goes Out"

In 2000 the duo made a major change in their lives and career by purchasing a Winnebago big enough to hold their ever-growing wall of musical equipment and made their home the road, coining it as The Nomadic Fortress. August 2001 would see the release of Lambs, topped by the unpredictable four-part title track. What followed in June 2002 was the band's second album I Name You Destroyer, accentuating a mix of heavy rock, alternative, pop and grunge. The band remained on the road with their brand of relentless touring, sharing the stage with the likes of Melvins and The Breathing Method in a North American tour supporting the record.

2004 would see the release of the band's first video A Partridge in a Pear Tree, featuring two full live concerts and bonuses. The other release in 2004 for the band is the 69-minute EP War Bird, digging into crunchy melodic sludge and even banjo-led folk. The band remained on the road in the USA, often sharing the stage with The Sword around this time.

If Thine Enemy Hunger: The Relapse Years and Throned in Blood (2006 - 2012)

On 25 April 2006 Jucifer would sign with Relapse Records for a worldwide distribution deal. Having recorded a new album's worth of material in 2004, this hour of recordings ranging from cathartic doom metal to stoner rock to alternative in the form of If Thine Enemy Hunger, released on 5th September 2006. Extensive touring followed in it's wake with the duo immediately working on a follow-up album. On 18 March 2008 the band released a 70-minute concept album evoking a wide range of sounds and inspirations from The French Revolution and the life of Marie Antionette entitled L'Autrichienne ("The Austrian" in French, based on Antionette's lineage) to critical praise. The band's relentless touring cycle continued alongside the likes of Darsombra, Today Is The Day, Four Question Marks and Complete Failure to name a few.

The same year the band also released a second DVD entitled Veterans of Volume, featuring a host of live footage and all of the duo's music videos released to that point. 2009 would see the band make an appearance for SXSW along with further extensive touring of the USA. A split with Show of Bedlam entitled Autocannibalist saw release that same year, focusing heavily on the abrasive sludge side of the band. Notable shows in 2010 included sharing the stage with Dave Lombardo's new band (at the time) Philm and a tour of Europe alongside Darsombra, Grayceon and Pombagira along with the release of Throned in Blood on 6 April 2010 on their own imprint Nomadic Fortress (With Alternative Tentacles handling the vinyl editions). Throned in Blood displays a much darker side of the band, evoking elements of grindcore and black metal along with their sludgy nucleus. The band went into 2011 touring around the world with the likes of Sourvein, The Orange Man Theory and Pig Destroyer while touring Europe in 2012, including an appearance at Roadburn Festival and their first-ever tour of Russia.

NOMADS: Built To Destroy: Anniversaries, Albums and a Documentary (2013 - Present)

The band would begin 2013 with their twentieth anniversary tour known as the Twenty Years Slaying Ears tour, spanning 32 countries. 17 July 2013 saw the release of Jucifer's eighth studio album за волгой для нас земли нет (behind the Volga there is no land for us). The 79-minute album, conceptualized around the history of Russian city Volgograd (former Stalingrad) better represents the depth and vast feel of Valentine's live guitar tone than its predecessor Throned in Blood while also continuing on the blackened sludge/doom sound the band began to heavily favor in recent years.

2014 would see the band on a lengthy USA tour and an appearance at Temples Festival. On 5 December 2014 the band would release their seventh studio album District of Dystopia. Recorded, mixed and mastered entirely in their Winnebago, District of Dystopia is a concept album wherein each song is inspired by historical Acts of Congress or Executive Orders which were enacted around controversial topics. For liner notes, guitarist / vocalist Valentine wrote a series of essays explaining the subject matter, which are available as limited edition posters. The album's sound itself is heavily favored in d-beat and grindcore.

Early 2015 saw Jucifer traversing the West and Midwest United States. In July the band joined Black Cobra on an extensive Australia tour dubbed "Twins of Evil". In that same summer Jucifer began work on their next full length as well as recording for several side projects and a biopic, then toured in North America through early 2016 followed by a massive 27-country tour of Europe, UK and Russia from March through July. Festivals included Destroy the Humanity Fest (Moscow), Roadburn (Netherlands), SWR Barroselas Metalfest (Portugal), and Temples Festival (England).

August 2016 saw Jucifer back to the states for Psycho Las Vegas Festival, followed by their 'Autumn Destruction' US tour. In November, guitarist/vocalist and historical liner notes author Gazelle Amber Valentine had a new essay published as part of the anthology 'Spirits of Place' (Daily Grail) alongside veteran writers Alan Moore and Warren Ellis.

As 2017 begins, more US dates are in the chamber for 'Spring Savaging' and another lengthy European tour will bridge summer and winter. The band has announced a documentary on their career in the works entitled NOMADS: Built To Destroy, set for a 2018 release in lieu with their 25th anniversary.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Calling All Cars on the Vegas Strip (1998)
• I Name You Destroyer (2002)
• If Thine Enemy Hunger (2006)
• L'Autrichienne (2008)
• Throned in Blood (2010)
• За Волгой для нас земли нет (2013)
• District of Dystopia (2014)

EPs

• Nadir (1994)
• Superman (1996)
• Lambs (2001)
• War Bird (2004)

Videos

• A Partridge in a Pear Tree (2004)
• Veterans of Volume: Live With Eight Cameras (2008)
• NOMADS: Built To Destroy (Documentary) (TBA)

Split Releases

• Autocannibalist (Split with Show of Bedlam) (2009)
• Birds of a Feather / Obliterator (Split with J.A.C.K.) (2009)
• Sete Star Sept / Jucifer (Split with Sete Star Sept) (2015)

Members

• Edgar Livengood - Drums (1993 - Present)
• Gazelle Amber Valentine - Guitar, Vocals (1993 - Present)

External Links

• Official Page
• Jucifer's Bandcamp
• Jucifer Instagram
• Jucifer Twitter
• Gender Is Not a Genre
• Jucifer Interview
• 2012 Interview
• Noisey/Vice Interview
• Jucifer via LambGoat