Floor (band)

Floor is an American doom/sludge metal band from Miami, Florida, U.S. that was formed in 1992 by Steve Brooks, Anthony Vialon and Betty Monteavaro with Brooks and Vialon being the only constant members. The band has released three full length studio albums to date: Floor, Dove and Oblation and one EP: Madonna.

Floor
Floor at Roadburn Festival in 2015.
Background information
OriginMiami, Florida, United States
Genres
Years active1992–1996, 1997, 2001–2004, 2010-2011, 2013-present
LabelsSeason of Mist, No Idea, Bovine, Rhetoric, Noise Vacuum, Dirge, Robotic Empire
Associated actsTorche, Cavity, Dove
MembersSteve Brooks
Anthony Vialon
Henry Wilson
Past membersGeorge Rios
Beatriz Monteavaro
Jeff Sousa
Juan Montoya
Jonathan Nunez[1]

History

Floor and Dove (1992 – 2013)
Main articles: Floor (album) and Dove (Floor album)

Initially from Miami, Floor was formed in 1992 by Steve Brooks (guitar), Anthony Vialon (guitar/bass) and Betty Monteavaro (drums). Jeff Sousa became the drummer in late 1993, and Brooks and Vialon changed their sound by implementing two uniquely low-tuned guitars, forgoing the need of a bassist. Material was recorded for two full-length albums (Dove 1994, Saturnine and Tears 1995) but neither were released until after their eponymous album years later. During that time several vinyl-only 7" EPs were released, followed by the band's first break-up in 1996. They reformed with a new line-up for one show in 1997 with Henry Wilson on drums and practiced only occasionally until 2001.

They released their first full-length album, self-titled Floor, before splitting up in 2003. The Self-Titled album went on to garner accolades from the underground music scene and the bands' cult-following grew in their absence. Brooks would go on to form the band Torche. Henry Wilson went on to form the bands Dove and House of Lightning. Anthony Vialon, having also played several years with Miami outfit Cavity, focused on theology.[1]

The band reformed in 2010 for a reunion tour to support the release of Below & Beyond, an 8-CD/10-LP box set encompassing their entire career.[1]

Oblation (2013 – present)
Main article: Oblation (album)

In March 2013, Floor reunited again and announced its intention to tour and release a new album through Season of Mist.[2] Vialon said that after the group's 2010 reunion tours, Floor had, "noticed that our fan base had grown exponentially and doing a new record, kind of picking up where we'd left off, was something we agreed we should focus on."[3] Floor released their third studio album Oblation on April 29, 2014 to generally favorable reviews scoring 77% on aggregate website Metacritic.[4][5]

Musical style

The band is known for incorporating two low-tuned and distorted guitars that forgo the need to have a bass guitar. This includes the extended use of what some critics have called the "bomb note", an E string that is extremely loosely strung to the guitar. AllMusics Gregory Heaney called it "a shuddering explosion of sludgy distortion that comes from hitting a guitar string that's detuned until it's barely hanging on".[6] PopMatters described the effect as "a guitar string tuned so low it flaps like a pensioner's bingo wing"[7] while Grayson Haver Currin of Pitchfork remarked "Who needs a fourth wheel when you’ve got 12 strings tuned to the introductory letters of the alphabet?".[8]

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Other releases

  • Saturnine And Tears (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • Self-Titled + Outtakes (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • Riddim Of Silence (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • Pillars Of Irem (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • It's Not The Same (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • F**k You. For Now. (30 March 2010, Robotic Empire - recording date unknown)
  • Oblation (21 April 2014, Floor - recorded 2014)

Compilation albums

Video albums

EPs

  • Madonna (1994, Bovine)

Singles

  • "Loanin'" / "Figbender" (1994, Dirge)
  • "Heather" / "When the Pigs Broke Free" (1995, Noise Vacuum)
  • "Goddard" / "Slugthrower" (1995, Rhetoric)
  • "Homegoings and Transitions" / "Shadowline" (2013, Season of Mist)
  • "The Ladder" (2013, Decibel)[5]

Split singles

  • Floor / Tired from Now On (1994, No Idea)
  • Floor / Spazz (1994, Bovine)
  • Floor / Sloth (1995, self-released)
  • Floor / Ed Matus' Struggle (1996, Space Cadette)
  • Floor / Dove (2001, Berserker)

Compilation appearances

  • Loud & Ugly Vol. 2 (contributed song "Iommi") (1995, Bovine)
  • No Idea No.12 (contributed song "Who Are You") (1995, No Idea)
  • The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (contributed song "Dead Wrong") (1998, Insolito)

References
  1. Heaney, Gregory. "Artist Biography by Gregory Heaney". AllMusic. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  2. Yancey, Bryne (March 26, 2013). "Floor sign to Season of Mist, plan new album + tour". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  3. "Floor Signs with Season of Mist". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. March 25, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  4. "Floor Oblation". Metacritic. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  5. Adams, Gregory (January 22, 2014). "Floor Announce Return with 'Oblation' Album". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  6. "Oblation". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  7. "Floor – Oblation". Pop Matters. May 12, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  8. "Oblation". Pitchfork. April 21, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
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