Patchwork had been fashioned in 2010 by 5 longtime pals who reconnected almost twenty years after stepping away from music. Initially a canopy band targeted on the thrash classics they grew up with, they shortly started writing unique materials. A 3-song demo was launched in 2011, adopted by a full shift to unique compositions with a brand new vocalist. Their debut album, Exit Wounds, was launched in 2015 on Turkey Vulture Information. Scars can be out Could 16 through self-release.
The songs had been written over a span of six years, from 2016 to 2022, with music by Brad Carlson and Dave Caruana. Throughout this time, the band misplaced their shut good friend and fellow songwriter Mark Sheetz to most cancers in April 2023. The album cowl artwork displays his battle and symbolizes the emotional core of the mission.
“The music constructions usually comply with a sample that features an intro, verse, prechorus, refrain, bridge, and solo, typically returning to motifs launched earlier within the observe,” the band say. Visitor musicians had been invited to put in writing their very own components. Vocals had been initially developed for Dan Fernandez, the band’s unique singer, however after he left, Heith Gruner stepped in. Heith introduced a special vocal fashion, requiring adjustments to many melodies, which finally gave the songs extra dynamic vary.
Bassist Liza Sanchez joined halfway by way of recording, changing scratch tracks laid down by Dave. She introduced expertise, originality, and robust musicianship to the album’s low finish. Guitars had been recorded at Scars Studio and The Junkyard, with reamping achieved at TVR Studio. Drums had been triggered utilizing Superior Drummer 3, and bass was recorded by way of an Ampeg head.
Observe 1: You Have Failed
The album opens with a brief instrumental that units the emotional and sonic tone. A lone guitar performs a gentle rhythm, making a haunting environment enhanced by whammy bar results from visitor Todd Paluzzi. The piece grows in depth with out altering tempo, ending with 5 abrupt staccato notes, echoing the picture of a vinyl file skipping. The observe speaks to the theme of failure, not solely as a setback however as a mandatory a part of development. This reflection leads straight into the title observe, emphasizing how failure turns into a scar once we be taught from it.
Observe 2: Scars
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
The title observe is essentially the most hopeful music on the album. The theme of scars has been current since Patchwork’s starting, with their first unique music additionally titled “Patchwork.” This observe expresses the concept our scars symbolize classes, shaping who we’re. Whereas we can not change the previous, we all the time have the facility to decide on our path transferring ahead.
Musically, the music opens with a riff over a snare sample that echoes the intro observe. It then accelerates into Sixteenth-note double bass drumming at 181 BPM. The prechorus jumps to 210 BPM, the quickest level on the album. Vocals had been recorded early and are the cleanest on the file. The interlude builds from one to 3 guitar layers earlier than a quick, targeted solo. Structurally and emotionally, this observe is a defining assertion.
Observe 3: Fallout
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Bobby Gustafson.
This observe confronts the psychological scars left by childhood trauma. Some people can not course of or settle for their trauma and turn into harmful forces of their surroundings. The music critiques the narcissistic perception that others should accommodate or pay for this ache, resulting in societal collapse.
Initially supposed to shut the album, Fallout omits a remaining verse or refrain, a deliberate option to simplify the construction. The music exemplifies the extra streamlined strategy Patchwork took with Scars. Visitor guitarist Bobby Gustafson provides a fierce, basic thrash solo that elevates the observe’s emotional depth.
Observe 4: Rellik
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Kragen Lum.
“Rellik” examines the influence of poisonous people and the reduction of leaving them behind. Opening with a quick acoustic part, the music shortly launches into fast-paced thrash. The primary riff was one of many first written for the album and stays central all through. The relentless rhythm displays the urgency of escape. Kragen Lum’s solo delivers sharp precision and provides emotional weight to the observe.
Observe 5: Ruined
Lyrics by Brad Carlson. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
“Ruined” explores the frustration of being in a relationship with somebody unable to interrupt free from their very own broken previous. The lyrics convey the emotional fallout when unresolved trauma repeats itself in new relationships.
Musically, the music makes use of fewer riffs than others on the album however builds pressure with variation and layering. The finale encompasses a four-part harmonized guitar part that grows right into a climax earlier than abruptly ending, leaving solely a single delay echo. This symbolizes an emotional eruption adopted by vacancy.
Observe 6: Methuselah
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Brad Carlson.
This observe displays on generational ignorance and the failure to be taught from historical past. The Biblical Methuselah, who lived 969 years, turns into a metaphor for the ignored knowledge of the previous. The music criticizes trendy tradition’s tendency to view historical past by way of a slender present-day lens, disregarding its true context.
Musically, the music is mid-tempo and progressively structured. It options Patchwork’s heaviest breakdown. Regardless of a quick artistic disagreement about rhythm placement, the ultimate association got here collectively efficiently. “Methuselah” is the longest observe on the album however has the fewest lyrics, permitting the instrumentation to talk volumes.
Observe 7: Divide
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Ronnie Parmer. Vocals by Dallas Toler-Wade.
“Divide” critiques cultural manipulation and management by way of gaslighting, cancel tradition, and misinformation. The African proverb “the axe forgets however the tree remembers” underpins the music’s message: there can be a reckoning.
Musically, that is the band’s closest strategy to dying metallic. Written by Brad in drop C tuning, the music repurposes materials from an earlier observe, remodeling it with new pace and context. Dallas Toler-Wade’s vocals deliver a harsh, commanding presence, and Ronnie Parmer’s guitar solo merges seamlessly with the observe’s aggressive tone.
Observe 8: The Vulture
Lyrics by Mark Sheetz. Guitar solos by Brad Carlson.
Impressed by the funeral of Brad’s mom, “The Vulture” examines dying as a chilly, predatory pressure. Mark Sheetz, who wrote the lyrics, noticed a vulture circling through the burial and drew parallels to how sickness and grief prey on the residing.
The music is numerous in construction, starting with a livid tempo, transitioning to a relaxed acoustic interlude, and ending with a robust solo and heavy conclusion. Mark’s contribution is particularly significant as neuropathy from chemotherapy prevented him from taking part in on the album. His phrases stay an important a part of the mission.
Observe 9: Skies in Flames
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Michael Gilbert.
This observe critiques narcissism and the denial of private duty. The lyrics are written from the standpoint of somebody blind to their very own harm, believing themselves to be a sufferer whereas leaving destruction of their wake.
The music’s creation grew to become the blueprint for the album’s collaborative course of. Brad and Dave traded riffs and concepts, constructing the music layer by layer. Michael Gilbert’s solo is a masterclass in distinction, transferring from melodic to shredding and again, mirroring the music’s rising pressure.
Observe 10: The Empty
Lyrics by Dave Caruana and Brad Carlson. Guitar solo by Brad Carlson.
The Empty offers with the grief of dropping a father. Written earlier than the loss occurred, the music took on new that means after Brad’s father handed. Its lyrics, drawn from Brad’s personal writings, specific hopelessness and the permanence of emotional absence.
That is the one Patchwork music written in drop D tuning, which supplies it a novel really feel. The construction is acquainted, however the tone is way darker. It ends with vocals over the ultimate riff, a uncommon choice that enhances the music’s emotional weight.
Observe 11: Buried Alive
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solo by Bobby Gustafson.
Buried Alive tells the story of a dying man stricken by secrets and techniques too harmful to share. The lyrics mirror paranoia, remorse, and the isolation brought on by emotional scars.
Composed totally by Dave, the observe options Brad’s daughter Ella performing each a spoken line and a dying metallic scream within the intro. The closing quote, taken from the HBO sequence Chernobyl, encapsulates the album’s theme of painful truths. Bobby Gustafson’s solo is an unrelenting thrash onslaught, bringing the music to a dramatic shut.
Observe 12: Bitter Reality
Guitar solos by Dallas Toler-Wade.
An instrumental meditation on reflection and transformation, Bitter Reality is about confronting onerous truths and deciding whether or not to vary. The music’s construction echoes life’s levels, repeating key themes with and with out solos for instance development and remorse.
Dallas Toler-Wade’s efficiency captures the introspective tone whereas showcasing his technical brilliance. This observe permits the listener area to breathe earlier than the emotional remaining observe.
Observe 13: At The Finish
Lyrics by Dave Caruana. Guitar solos by Kragen Lum.
The ultimate observe is a farewell to Mark Sheetz, each as a bandmate and as a good friend. It’s written from two views: God, providing consolation and acceptance, and a beloved one begging the individual to not go.
The music’s complicated rhythm shifts between 4/4 and 6/4 and options essentially the most troublesome passage Patchwork has ever written. It ends with a recorded clip of Mark talking, giving him a literal voice within the album. “At The Finish” is a deeply private tribute, emotionally uncooked and musically difficult.
“Scars is quicker, extra aggressive, and extra targeted than Exit Wounds,” the band conclude. “Whereas the earlier album advised private tales, Scars analyzes broader penalties. The songs are shorter and extra accessible however no much less intense. Visitor solos stand out as highlights, elevating the album’s influence. Tracks like ‘Methuselah,’ ‘The Vulture,’ and ‘At The Finish’ showcase the album’s depth, whereas the brand new lineup, particularly Heith Gruner and Liza Sanchez, introduced new life and professionalism to the band.
“Lyrically, Scars requires extra interpretation than its predecessor, however gives higher emotional and philosophical reward. Its standout solos, emotionally complicated songwriting, and tighter preparations make it a robust assertion of development, grief, and persistence.”
