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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Bask: From left, Scott Middleton, Jessie Van Note, Zeb Camp and Ray Worth.

Bask, an expansive and energetic Asheville-based metal band, will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a special show at Ambrose West on Saturday. The show line-up includes Asheville’s folk hop RBTS WIN and Atlanta-based rockers Brother Hawk.

That’s right: a metal band on a bill with a chill hip-hop crew and a straight-up rock band, all at a sweet little listening room. That’s the Asheville music scene: eclectic and inclusive.

Bask’s music might also be described as inclusive, as everything from progressive to psychedelic. The songs themselves are Asheville-influenced, say band members, with threads of varied musical influences collected from their surroundings. “Stoner metal” is probably the metal flavor that’s most applicable. Still, what do all those descriptions add up to?

“The idea is be heavy as hell and dynamic and emotional,” says drummer Scott Middleton.

“We don’t want to be at 11 all the time. You need the dark to have the light, and the quiet to have the loud as hell,” he adds.

“We definitely focus on that contrast.”

Guitarist Ray Worth chimes in, noting the emotive valleys in Bask tunes.

“We want fans to definitely feel our songs and know that they come from a very sincere space,” he says. “We’ve also spent years being very anal over small parts,” he adds.

Those years have been marked by a ton of time on the road, two European tours, stolen equipment and a brand new, dark red tour van. The appreciative response from European fans, German listeners in particular, is especially gratifying, say Worth and Middleton, though life on the road isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked up to be. “Eating crackers and pissing in cups in a 15-by-six box” is how Worth remembers one particularly brutal road trip.

But it’s paying off. The bandmates have become close since their first album. And the crew, which includes Jessie Van Note on bass and Zeb Camp on guitar, just signed on with independent label Season of Mist. With a new album due out in March, Bask is looking forward to the label’s distribution and marketing support.

Now the guys are ready to celebrate. They’re thankful for The Odditorium and The Mothlight as supportive venues, and looking forward to seeing family and friends in the audience. (Burial Beer brewer Tim Gormley has been another big supporter, the band says.)

Fans coming out to Ambrose West on Saturday can expect to hear some great musical diversity in a festive atmosphere, Middleton says.

“This is a very exciting place to live, musically speaking,” he says, “and our scene keeps growing. We can only hope to continue being part of that foundation.”

Bask will celebrate its fifth anniversary at Ambrose West in West Asheville on Dec. 15 with RBTS WIN and Brother Hawk. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. More info here.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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