TEAR DUNGEON: Welcome to their Fucking House
Photo credit: Daman Singh (@damaann_)
In Austin, Texas, TEAR DUNGEON occupy an odd space between beloved local heroes and public nuisance, Their shows are loud, confrontational, but beneath the noise is an outlet for frustration and navigating the anxiety that comes with the inescapable fucked up world around us. The first time I’d ever attended SXSW in Austin, Texas – I couldn’t escape the name TEAR DUNGEON. Eventually, curiosity led me into Empire Garage & Control Room. Before the band had even taken the stage, a young woman in a reflective parka turned around to address the crowd behind her. “If you don’t want to be soaked in blood, I’d move back.” I ignored the warning, figuring I was already on the rollercoaster, what’s the worst that could happen? Minutes later, aggressive feedback screamed through the room before TEAR DUNGEON launched into a frenzy. The band drank fake blood like they were blood-thirsty vampires reminiscent of Gwar’s universe. Bodies collided as vocalist Andrew Cashen lurched across the stage and into the crowd yelling at people to “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE.” It was difficult to look away and I have the bloodstains on my poor bagu bag to prove it. It was jarring, but I can’t say I wasn’t warned and more importantly the show never left my mind. Years later, after catching the band multiple times across Austin and Montréal, that initial shock has given way to admiration (and more preparedness when I see them live). Beneath the masks and destruction, is a band deeply committed to creating an experience unlike anything else in underground music.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
As TEAR DUNGEON prepare for their Calgary debut at Sled Island, it’s become increasingly clear that the chaos isn’t the point. It’s simply the vehicle for their message. They’ll collapse and destroy venues if given the chance (throwing a show at a venue that was about to close down in their hometown with a celebration that involved ripping the place to shreds with crowd-goers surfing on drywall) and vocalist Andrew Cashen will scale whatever structure happens to be closest. Take their artwork for their limited 7” Kill For Health, for example – the artwork shows Cashen power-stancing on the roof of the stage of Hotel Vegas and it’s definitely not photoshop. They’ve shared stages with the likes of Amyl and the Sniffers, Osees, High on Fire, and Negative Approach, while cultivating a reputation that stretches far beyond Texas. Every TEAR DUNGEON show carries an unspoken question: how far will it go this time? Yet ask Cashen about the band’s origins and he’ll tell you something unexpected. “We just wanted to play the heaviest shit we could possibly play,” he says. “That was the goal of the band. And then the masks came and then the blood came and it became even more of a joke.” What began as a loose experiment between friends has gradually transformed into one of the most talked-about bands in Austin and while TEAR DUNGEON has existed in various forms for years, the current lineup has been together for roughly three years – a period that Cashen identifies as a turning point.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
“It’s hard to say,” he reflects on the band’s recent acceleration. “I think there have been a few factors in the political climate that have been leading people to be more frustrated and needing something heavier. I mean, also, I think we just have a special chemistry.” That chemistry has helped elevate TEAR DUNGEON from local curiosity to festival favourite. Following a Canadian debut at Taverne Tour, a Montreal festival put on by post-punk goth aficionados Mothland, the band made their Calgary debut at Sled Island this June, bringing their notorious live show north for the first time. ”It’s really important to me to just have a show that’s like no one else’s,” drummer Chris Prorock explains. “I work in two music venues now and I see bands three, four nights a week and there’s not a single band that does anything like what we do. That’s extremely important to me.”
That philosophy might explain why TEAR DUNGEON inspires such strong reactions. The band isn’t interested in occupying the middle ground. It’s rather polarizing with concert-goers either getting 100% into it, or standing off to the side plugging their ears. Cashen recalls a friend bringing a date to a TEAR DUNGEON show only for her to become so offended that she immediately wanted to leave. I could connect with Cashen’s story, as I reflect on a memory of showing the music video for “My House,” to a person I was on a date with, as I embarrassingly forgot that there was a scene where the band pisses blood (from their ass, I must add) into a cup, with another band member proceeding to drink it. “Too Soon?” I thought to myself. The look I received from my date in response wasn’t one I look back on fondly and it’s safe to say there wasn’t a second date. At the same time, it’s a good test for whether or not someone will match your freak. “I think that what we do is so unique. We just simply stand out. There’s not anyone doing anything even remotely close to what we’re doing,” Cashen laughs.
Not everyone will understand their vision, but the band leans into the uncomfortability. During our conversation, another member suddenly appeared on screen wearing TEAR DUNGEON’s signature mask, silently grimacing inches from the camera before disappearing without explanation. Nobody really acknowledged it. Nobody seemed concerned. It was jarring, ridiculous, and somehow clarified the band’s appeal. Beneath the bloodshed is a group with a sharp sense of humour and an understanding of how powerful unpredictability can be. As the band prepares an ambitious touring schedule that could include Mexico City, Europe, and the UK over the next year, they’re also excited for their next full-length release through TODO Records. New songs are already appearing in live sets, and according to Cashen, the forthcoming material pushes even further into the band’s darker impulses. “Heavier. More nihilistic. More dark.” It’s a fitting description for a band born from frustration, absurdity, and an unwillingness to play things safe. “Calgary was an Austin show, I mean it,” Prorock enthusaistically says with a smile after the show. When the band arrived at Sled Island, Calgary audiences already heard plenty of warnings. Some were exaggerated (like the running rumour throughout the festival that the band’s guitarist was arrested in Calgary). Some were entirely accurate. Either way, TEAR DUNGEON wouldn’t have it any other way.
Photo credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
