Wastelander Awakes from Hibernation

Wastelander’s sonic landscape is grim. From lyrics about war and disease to death and post-apocalyptic bedlam, it’s hard to find a glimmer of hope in its explosive catalog of thrash-infused black metal. For years, the band has been on an unofficial hiatus, but that changes this weekend.

The outfit, which formed in Lansing 16 years ago, returns with a new full-length album, “Endless Survival.” It’s playing a free record release show, hosted by The Dark Art of Michigan, 9 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 11) at The Avenue Café with fellow Michigan-made heavy hitters Sauron and White Magician.

Like the band’s previous release, 2014’s “Hibernation Sickness” cassette, Dystopian Dogs Records will issue this fresh slab of wax, which features founding members Matt War (vocals, bass, keys) and Sean “Xaphan” Peters (guitars and backing vocals). New to the lineup is drummer Kevin Mulrooney, formerly of Fun Ender. The band’s last show with the original lineup was at the 2016 Metal Threat Fest in Chicago.

“We originally started tracking ‘Endless Survival’ in 2014 and eventually shelved it,” Peters said. “During the COVID times, Matt and I started trying to finish up these recordings just for our own satisfaction. As things started to come together, we realized we missed playing live and decided to bring things back when Kevin Mulrooney, who had filled in for us in the past, stepped up and gave us the opportunity to be a band again.”

During its original run, Wastelander amassed a staunch fanbase across the globe. Peters, who also owns and operates Eclectic Art Tattoo Gallery in downtown Lansing, has been a part of a laundry list of other notable bands as well, both defunct and active. 

“I’ve been active in the underground metal scene for over 30 years,” he said. “I was probably 15 when I started writing and performing.”

Over the years, he’s performed with the likes of Lucifer’s Hammer, Masochist, Summon and Dark Psychosis. He’s also played on some Wind of the Black Mountains tracks. Currently, aside from Wastelander, he also moonlights in Cavalcade and Terror by Night, which both have new releases as well. 

One common thread is that Peters always plays in bands that follow their own rules. 

“Wastelander has always been a DIY band,” he said. “We’ve always recorded our own music, so ‘Endless Survival’ was recorded in my home studio. We recorded the drums in 2014 and some guitars, bass and vocals over the span of a few years. We finished everything in 2022 and started to prepare for a comeback.”

“Returning was very easy,” he added. “It’s been fantastic. It was like riding a bike — everything feels like home.” 

While it may have been a cheerful reunion, the music is still electrifyingly grim. Given the current state of the world, it’s perhaps the best time for Wastelander to resurface with a new LP.

“It’s a continuation of the first record,” Peters said. “We experiment with some post-punk and goth sounds on songs like ‘Solitude,’ but the main thing is our atomic black ‘n’ roll sound. Lyrically, we tread through the same post-apocalyptic worlds, with a bit more emphasis on despair and isolation, cheap booze and fuel. Titles like ‘Nekrodome,’ ‘Shatterday,’ ‘Battletruck’ and ‘Hibernation Sickness’ say it all.” 

With such a solid theme, it’s surprising that Wastelander was formed on a loose idea. The idea? Mess around with some new gear.

“Matt and I started making tracks with a drum machine in 2007,” Peters recalled. “Matt had some song ideas, and I had new recording gear I wanted to experiment with. There was no plan to be a band. I was just curious about what we might come up with.”  

That spur-of-the-moment demo CD was quickly reissued as a 7-inch single by Bermuda Mohawk Productions. The 500 copies went as fast as the music.

“From there, things took off,” Peters said. “After seeing us at our first show, accompanied by drum-machine tracks played from a CD, Ian “Pit Viper” Sugierski joined on drums, and we released our full-length ‘Wardrive’ on Planet Metal in 2008.” 

A buzz soon spread far beyond Michigan. 

“We played a bunch of shows opening for bands like Mayhem, Midnight, Toxic Holocaust and Nunslaughter,” Peters said. “The band split up in 2011 after Pit Viper moved to Chicago. We did a string of random tours and shows over the following years, but we didn’t become a solid band again until the beginning of 2023.” 

For now, Peters said the new LP won’t be the last of Wastelander. The band plans to record new material and hopes to tour the United States and possibly overseas. 

“We will continue to spread the plague and pick up where we left off,” he said. 

Beyond that, Peters said he also has some less brutal duties to attend to, such as, “Helping my love, Tiesha King, with Thrift Witch and The Dark Art of Michigan shows. And painting, when I can find the time. I try to stay busy. I recently became a grandpa, so I’m sure that will take up some more time.”