Biography
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Years Active
1994 – present (30 years)
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Founded In
San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States
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Members
- Alex Yusimov
- Bobby Bray (1994 – present)
- Dave Astor (1994 – 2001)
- Dave Warshaw (1994 – 1996)
- Dylan Scharf (1994 – 1996)
The Locust was a band formed in 1994 in San Diego, USA. They are known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, complexity, and new wave weirdness. They take inspiration from powerviolence (Crossed Out, Dropdead), experimental rock (Art Bears, Renaldo and the Loaf), and death metal.
The Locust was formed by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw, and Dave Astor. After a number of personnel changes, they arrived at their current four-piece lineup in 2001, consisting of Pearson, Bray, Gabe Serbian, and Joey Karam. Originally a powerviolence band with a strong tendency towards synth-based passages, they later stripped down much of their past sound, while retaining the heavy distortion, synthesizers, screamed vocals, and intense stage presence. On the band's unique sound and live presentations, singer/bassist Justin Pearson has said, "I wanted to change the way people perceive music, or maybe just destroy it in general." Their music is complex, dynamic and fast-paced, often featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in."
The band was on hiatus for most of the 2010s, during which members played in numerous other hardcore bands such as Head Wound City and Cattle Decapitation. They began to regroup in the late 2010s, playing several shows, working on new material, and remixing a track for Danny Elfman.
In April 2022, the band announced that drummer Gabe Serbian passed away suddenly the day before his 45th birthday. Members have stated that they are unlikely to perform or record as the Locust in the wake of Gabe’s passing.
The Locust had a unique stage presence: costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (which the band refer to as uniforms), many of which were designed and made by Ben Warwas. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust were usually all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The Locust boycotted Clear Channel Communications and refused to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas as well as another tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They had a policy of only playing all-ages shows. The band's lyrics ranged from stream-of-consciousness poetry to satirical portrayals of mainstream ideas of sexuality to political commentary and critiques of religion.
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