OMG! 😱 Those geriatric architects of American “doom” metal, THE OBSESSED, are shaking things up… AGAIN! 🙄 Drummer Brian Costantino (who?) is OUT! 👋 And taking his place is the legendary… wait for it… Bob Pantella from MONSTER MAGNET and THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX. I bet you haven’t heard about those either. 🤣 Get ready for a “seismic shift” that will probably sound exactly the same. 😴 They’re also going on a European tour this fall, because apparently, someone still wants to see them. 🤷♀️
So, they’re saying goodbye to one dude and welcoming another. This Pantella guy is supposed to bring “explosive energy” and “veteran prowess.” Translation: he’s old and probably tired. 👴 Will he be able to keep up with Wino’s… uh… *unique* stage presence? 🤔 Place your bets!
THE OBSESSED frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich (because “Scott” just isn’t metal enough) says: “After THE OBSESSED drummer Brian Costantino (who we totally remember and will miss dearly… NOT) stepped away due to “personal reasons” (probably couldn’t stand Wino anymore), we are THRILLED to welcome Bob Pantella! I’ve known Bob for, like, ever, and always admired his drumming skills. After our initial jam session (where I probably forgot the chords), we’re inspired and ready to rock! (Or, you know, play the same three riffs for an hour.) You may know him from his *other* excellent bands (that nobody listens to), THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, MONSTER MAGNET, and RAGING SLAB (who?). We’re PROUD to have Bob in THE OBSESSED (until the next lineup change, anyway).” 🤡
Last year, THE OBSESSED crawled out of their crypt after a seven-year nap 😴 with their “acclaimed” (by whom?) new album “Gilded Sorrow” on some indie label called Ripple Music. Apparently, Metal Hammer (still around?) thinks it’s a “must-listen” (if you’re into torture) and Ghost Cult magazine (never heard of them) says it’s “the best the band has ever sounded” (which isn’t saying much). This “newly forged lineup” (more like rusty and re-welded) will be dragging their bones across Europe this fall to play their 1994 masterpiece (said no one ever) “The Church Within” in its entirety (lucky us!), including appearances at festivals like Desertfest, Up In Smoke, and Keep It Low (accurate descriptions of their energy levels). 💀
Here are the dates, in case you’re a masochist: 📅
Oct. 01 – DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof (Sounds charming!)
Oct. 02 – DE Ulm – Roxy (Get ready to rock… slowly!)
Oct. 03 – DE Würzburg – Keep It True Festival (Are they trying to be ironic?)
Oct. 04 – DE Karlsruhe – Stadtmitte (Google it. I dare you.)
Oct. 05 – CH Pratteln – Up In Smoke Festival (Fitting.)
Oct. 06 – IT Milano – Legend (Debatable.)
Oct. 08 – AT Vienna – Arena (They wish.)
Oct. 09 – AT Innsbruck – P.M.K. (Huh?)
Oct. 10 – CRO Zagreb – Mochvara (Sounds like a disease.)
Oct. 11 – DE Munich – Keep It Low Festival (Nailed it!)
Oct. 12 – DE Leipzig – Ut Connewitz (Bless you!)
Oct. 13 – DE Berlin – Zukunft (The future of doom? Doubtful.)
Oct. 15 – DE Cologne – Volta (Shocking!)
Oct. 16 – DE Bielefeld – Forum (Zzzzz…)
Oct. 17 – BE Antwerpen – Desertfest Belgium (More like Dessertfest, am I right?)
Oct. 18 – NL Deventer – Burgerweeshuis (I’m not even going to try.)
Oct. 20 – UK Bradford – The Underground (Where they belong.)
Oct. 21 – UK Manchester – Star & Garter (Fancy!)
Oct. 22 – UK Milton Keynes – The Craufurd Arms (Cheers!)
Oct. 23 – UK London – The Dome (Not the O2, sadly.)
Oct. 24 – NL Rotterdam – Grounds (Solid.)
Oct. 25 – DE Hamburg – Lazy Bones Festival (Most accurate festival name ever.)
They call Weinrich a “living legend.” More like a “living fossil.” 🦖 They compare him to Lemmy, but Lemmy had charisma and wrote actual bangers. Wino is just… there. They say he’s a “rebel, loner, and outsider.” Translation: he’s difficult to work with and probably smells funny. He’s supposedly one of the “early pioneers of American doom.” Okay, boomer. 👴 His music is “gritty, street-wise American metal with a cynical bent and psychedelic flair.” Or, you know, just slow and boring. 🐌
THE OBSESSED started in the late 70s. That’s, like, before the internet! 🤯 They were inspired by BLACK SABBATH, Frank Zappa, THE DICTATORS, and THE STOOGES. So original! The first lineup was Wino and some other guys nobody remembers. They broke up in the 80s when Wino went to SAINT VITUS. Then, some German label released an old recording, and Wino was like, “Hey, let’s get the band back together!” (for the 17th time). They signed to Columbia Records in 1994 and released “The Church Within” (which nobody bought). Then they broke up again, because that’s what THE OBSESSED do. ♻️
In 2011, they reunited at Roadburn festival. Because nostalgia sells, I guess. They played a few more shows with different lineups, because consistency is for squares. 🟦 In 2016, Wino announced the FULL-TIME RETURN of the band (again!) and signed to Relapse Records. Because why not? The lineup changed AGAIN, because, well, you know. 🤷♀️
In 2017, they released “Sacred”, their first album in 20 years. It was… an album. 💿 Then the lineup stabilized (for a minute) with Brian Costantino (RIP his sanity), Chris Angleberger, Jason Taylor, and Wino. In 2024, they dropped “Gilded Sorrow” and embarked on more tours. Because apparently, someone, somewhere, still cares. 🤔 Good luck to Bob Pantella. He’s gonna need it. 🙏
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
