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The Legacy of Genghis Tron's Board Up the House
Board Up the House is the second full-length album by experimental metal band, Genghis Tron. Hailing out of Poughkeepsie, New York, Genghis Tron (at least at the time of this record) were a three piece band. Consisting of vocalist Mookie Singerman (who also played keys), Michael Sochynsky (keyboardist, drum programming) and Hamilton Jordan (Guitarist, drum programming). So, that's right, no drummer!
Board Up the House was easily their break out record as it took their blend of extreme metal, keys, electronica and drum programming - and saw them tour all over North America and parts of Europe. Incredibly, the album also featured Greg Puciato doing guest vocals on their ninth track, "The Feast", and the album's entirety was mixed by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou.
Board Up The House saw a shift in musical style as the abrasive juxtaposition of Genghis Tron's earlier debut release, Dead Mountain Mouth, was used as a blueprint to build off. From harsh extreme metal moments that'd make most European metal fans of the Gothenburg style pleased to hear, to jarring shifts in down tempo electronica and, at times trip hop. It was one of the first albums in the cybergrind genre which challenged the ecosphere of what a cybergrind album can sound like.
Board Up the House was this - and more. Each song off the record is memorable, bombastic, even poppy in some tangents and featured the right amount of mathcore that verged on the level of extreme punk. Much like the comparison of Dillinger Escape Plan's Miss Machine to its earlier Calculating Infinity; which adds no surprise to the mix that Genghis Tron supported Dillinger in support of this album. A far cry from the mash of genres thrown in the mix of Dead Mountain Mouth.
Released in 2008, Board Up The House was named a 'Critic's Choice' by the New York Times, and was also awarded 'Album of the Year' by Rock Sound. Building upon the popularity of the album, Relapse Records released a 5 volume remix series. This saw the tracks off the album remixed and reinterpreted by Steve Moore (Zombi), Justin K. Broadrick (Jesu/Godflesh), Dntel, Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails), Ulver, Tim Hecker, and countless others.
Unfortunately, a couple years after the release, Genghis Tron went on an extended hiatus. A hiatus which was broken in 2021 with the release of Dream Weapon and a 4-piece lineup without Mookie Singerman included. An album which, stylistically, is a polar opposite to Board Up the House and verges into progressive dreamscape territory whilst still maintaining the bombastic fervor of a Genghis Tron. On the other hand, Board Up the House has left a marker on the scene and has forever put cybergrind bands on notice for what a three-piece can sound like.
So, if you're not familiar with Genghis Tron but you are familiar with bands like Converge, Dillinger Escape Plan or even Kylesa - then you can probably imagine what a three piece with no drummer that plays in the arena of synth, drum programming, extreme metal guitars, screaming vocals and even down-tempo electronica - would sound like!
