Slo-Valve

holing. Says singer/guitarist Gero von Dehn, “We wrapped recording of the new (as yet unreleased) ZOM record early last summer and after all that intense focus, I needed to change gears. Writing, preproduction and tracking is such an all consuming process that it’s good to get away from it for a bit after being so hyperfocused. I had all of these different ideas coming but they were different from ZOM so I just went with it and within a few months I had a bunch of songs written. Von Dehn didn’t have to look far to find people to jam the new material with.

“I’m so blessed to have such great musicians around me in ZOM and their versatility has barely been tapped.”

Enlisted were ZOM bandmates Ben Zerbe (drums) and Sam Pesce (bass).

“Ben is such a talent and a student as a percussionist. Those guys were on a different level.”

Zerbe also played drums in Pittsburgh doom powerhouse, Monolith Wielder with von Dehn.

“Sammy is a monster on bass and a guy everyone in Pittsburgh wants in their band and I was so fortunate he agreed to join ZOM. His playing and his ideas have been incredible and he’s really spreading his wings with the material in Slo-Valve. I may have come in with the original songs but it’s really been a group effort in terms of songwriting and where those ideas went. They were both eager to be part of the entire process, not just their own parts, and it’s really paid off. The songs are quite a bit different from where they started and I mean for the better. I can’t wait for people to hear what we’ve been able to put together.”

Von Dehn says they have enough material ready to go for an album and they hope to record sometime in the fall. That doesn’t mean ZOM has taken a back seat though.

“We’re ultra stoked for the ZOM album to be released because we are so proud of that entire record. I think it’s exactly the rock n’ roll album that’s needed right now. We’re dying to get out and play the new record in front of everyone. I’m just always writing so it was natural to put something else together, especially since it’s with the same guys. They want to jam as badly and as often as I do so we play constantly. It doesn’t hurt that they happen to be awesome dudes and great friends as well.”