Crobot
Guitars plugged in, smokes lit, beers poured, and amps cranked without apology, Crobot conjure up the kind of rock ‘n’ roll you sing along to—loud. For as much as it may seem like a lost art, the Pennsylvania- bred band still dole out head-nodding riffs, bold grooves, and hooks high enough to shake the heavens. After piling on tens of millions of streams, logging countless shows, and earning acclaim from the likes of Classic Rock Magazine, Loudwire, Guitar World, and more, the group—Brandon Yeagley [vocals], Chris Bishop [guitar], Tim Peugh [bass], and Dan Ryan [drums]—realize their vision like never before on their fifth full-length offering, Feel This [Mascot Records].
“This is the record we’ve been wanting to do ever since we started the band,” exclaims Brandon. “It’s the vibe of everyone in a room creating together. It felt like we were working on a real album. Records like that are hard to come by nowadays, but we made one.”
“There are a lot of classic flavors,” notes Chris. “It’s cohesive though. We were able to use all of these ingredients and still make it sound like Crobot.”
They’ve grinded tirelessly to reach this point. The boys made waves with Legend of the Spaceborne Killer [2012], Something Supernatural [2014], and Welcome To Fat City [2016]. However, Motherbrain [2019] represented a high watermark. “Low Life” racked up 12.7 million Spotify streams, while Classic Rock rated the album “4-out-of-5 stars” and proclaimed, “Motherbrain is Crobot coming of age.” They crisscrossed the country with everyone from Anthrax and Black Label Society to Chevelle, Clutch, and The Sword. Not to mention, they lit up the bills of festivals and the annual Shiprocked! cruise. As the Global Pandemic descended upon the world, Chris and Dan hunkered down in Austin to jam and cut demos, sending ideas to Brandon back in Pennsylvania.
2021 saw the boys enter Orb Studios in Austin with producer Jay Ruston [Stone Sour, Anthrax, Steel Panther]. Rather than track all of the instruments separately, they completed one song at a time.
“Usually, you record all of the drums, then all of the bass, all of the vocals, and so on and so forth,” says Dan. “We didn’t do it that way this time. We focused on one song, brought it to life, and moved on. It’s just us in a room. We took what we do on stage and captured it as best as we could in the studio. It’s a true rock record.”
Songs like “Holy Ghost” embody this spirit. As a warbling harmony wraps around the wah-drenched guitar straight out of Seattle, Brandon’s grunge-y wail rings out on the hook, “I am not the holy ghost. I won’t ever save your soul.”
“It came together pretty quickly,” recalls Bishop. “We inserted those big Crobot riffs with lots of energy, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Elsewhere, “Golden” hinges on a thunderous beat as it slips into a soaring homage to a god-gone-too- soon.
“When it came to the lyrics, we collectively wanted it to be a tribute to Chris Cornell,” says Brandon. “We’re so influenced by everything he and Soundgarden have done. We ran with the song in honor of his legacy.”
Evocative piano sets the tone for the epic “Set You Free,” which spirals towards a seismic crescendo and emotionally charged guitar lead from Bishop. Then, there’s “Dance With The Dead.” Over a head-
nodding groove, the song struts towards a handclap-laden bridge, high-register harmonies, and a cheeky and chantable hook, “Let’s go dance with the dead. They know how to kill it!”
“From there, it snowballed into being about something worth fighting for or dying for,” Brandon elaborates. “No matter what’s going on, we might as well have a good time and dance the night away.”
“Into The Fire” trudges through the flames and right into an incendiary and infectious chorus, while “Electrified” kickstarts the album as a rip-roaring and raucous livewire anthem with reverence for “rock ‘n’ roll bull shit like electricity,” laughs Bishop.
“I’m not super into motorcycles, or else it would’ve been about a motorcycle,” grins Brandon.
In the end, you’ll feel rock ‘n’ roll come to life in Crobot’s hands.
“We never want to make the same album twice,” Brandon leaves off. “There is something for every Crobot fan out there as well as newcomers. At the same time, we’re having fun. We took the history book of rock and injected it into the process with the energy and lyrical content. We want to be taken seriously, but not too seriously—because this is monkey hour after all. Like we said, it’s rock ‘n’ roll bullshit.”
“That’s the fucking line right there,” agrees Bishop. “We want you to walk away smiling. If I can make you smile, I’ve done my job.”
