DEMON SEASON by Dog Years

Better late than never I suppose. We’d thought this LP would never come out with all the road stops on the way. Goes to show that making music is a tough trudge up a saturated river. The songs on this LP are a quasi-collection bordering on concept album. We began writing this album in 2019 as soon as the EP was finished. We were in Bryan’s Basement almost every weekend. Mostly sweating and laughing, occasionally showing each other cool two step parts. Winter of 2019 I had started therapy for my depression and was having a tough time learning new things about myself. Learning that you route for your own disaster is a hard pill to swallow and a hard thing to decide to work on. This was perpetuated by the cold. I fucking hate winter. I hate the dark days, the chill, I’m not fond of holidays, and missing pals. I’d often tell people “I’m far more pleasant April through November”. So effectively winter, was the time my symptoms were at their worst. Throughout the album I high-light my discoveries through treatment and events that affected me throughout 2019. Hardcore was a very angry place in this most recent era I feel. This shows in the songs as we were all pissed about shit going on in our own lives. The first EP I felt was safe and kinda run of the mill no warning style hc band. While I love those songs with all my heart, I think I was definitely trying to be a clone of all the bands I liked and loved. The songs on this LP are more personal to me, while the EP was about my anger about what was around me, Demon Season is a bit more about just me. The point at the end of the album is fairly on the nose, but basically if you’re struggling in any way right now. I hope you don’t give up.
We recorded the songs right before lockdown in March 2020 . We were planning on releasing that spring. We had started to pepper in songs from Demon Season in our sets and fans were already starting to learn them. Our last show in Warren was electric with energy when we mentioned a new record was coming out. It was disappointing to not release in 2020. Around this time a cavalcade of shit happened to me, my best friend died, got out of a bad relationship, my job was going nowhere, the world seemed on fire all the time, and we were all trapped inside. This made the motifs on the album seem even more apparent. I had a strong pull to my family and friends in New Jersey at this time. Being alone at this time in my life seemed impossible so I drove… I drove ten times to NJ in 2020. Just to get away from my apartment. My life felt stagnant in Michigan. While I love all the friends I have made there, the state had little to offer me. More than anything I think I missed my home. I started to look for opportunities in Jersey, and moved in April.
I’ll admit I moved relatively quietly and I apologize to our fans for that. Dog Years will always be a project I’m very proud of. I’m very proud of my band mates. They are extremely talented and driven gentlemen. I feel like we didn’t meet the mold of the Detroit Hardcore scene we entered, and people noticed that we were the odd balls. We were never the cool band and I loved that every show was a hodge podge of kids who didn’t care about that bullshit. I am insanely grateful to my fans. They made this band. We had certain kids who would come to every single show we did. To me that insane. Near the end of our days playing, I used to just let everyone do guest spots on songs. I am so honored to know our music was a part of their lives. And for those that were there, that night in Warren meant everything to me. Right now, the band talked and we are gonna try to keep Dog Years open ended. I’d love to play a couple shows a year in Michigan or any where else. So we wont be playing a Max Gilbert joint every weekend like we used to but…. I’ll be seeing guys around…. -Bezan
Special Shout out to Max, Avery, Dale, Gerald, Maxxwell Lange, Logan, Seth, Joey Furniture, Alyssa, Kyle, Rachel, Oscar the dog, Figs, Crafter, Solemn Judgement, The Trumpbullplex, Deeper Graves, Sleepless Homes, John Notter, Felon Class, Blase, TOOTH, Q, Viv, Surfer James, ASK, JohnxChump, Nicky C, Travis, TruamaxQueen, End Electric, Joey Chester, Mani From Racetraitor, RIG TIME! Cueball, Low Graves, Wounded Touch, Novision, All the guys from OU Judo who I dragged to shows. Everyone who ever seen us, bought a shirt or listened thank you

Rest in Peace to all our friends who have passed.

Back to roots Hardcore from Detroit. Looking to bring back early 2000's moshcore sound with modern flair and vital lyrics.

FFO: No Warning, Warriors, Guns Up!, Down To Nothing, Terror