Anyone who’s familiar with the Brooklyn and Baltimore scenes has run across GDFX at one point or another. You might know him better as one of the members of Teeth Mountain and the newest drummer for Liturgy. Or maybe you’re looking forward to seeing him on his current stint backing Dan Deacon as part of Deacon’s 14-person touring ensemble. And if you’re really in the know, maybe you’ve booked a show at Market Hotel through him or are hip to his micro-label Infinite Limbs. Either way, Greg Fox is a man who wears many hats whose solo project goes by the title of GDFX.

GDFX sees Greg step away from the drum kit and take a stab at twisting knobs. Filled with integrity, we’re actually fond of his work as GDFX because of it’s pop-sensibilities. Much like our friend Dan Friel — although with heavier nod to the 8-bit gods — Greg’s hob-knobbery (like that one?) is filled with plenty of catchy hooks. Too bad few of them are present in the clip below, because as fate would have it, Greg’s gear — along with a flash card that held the last five years of GDFX material — was stolen before his New Year’s show with, ironically enough, Dan Friel and These Are Powers. From the GDFX >MySpace blog on New Year’s day, 2009:

thank you to the people who broke into my car and stole all of my gear

be wary of the false gdfx.

But don’t fret, GDFX has pressed on, as his show last night with Double Dagger and Future Island and the brand new 20-minute epic track “Long Chord” will attest.

GDFX – “Long Chord”

Times are tough, really tough. Chances are at least one of the many misers (a.k.a friends/coworkers) you encounter in daily living is looking for some pure escapism, and what better way than through a fantastical noise adventure. Recession/winter misery — meet Brooklyn’s Liturgy.

Liturgy takes off in a way Justin Broaderick Godflesh-era would be proud of; loud, off-color, demented, yet surprisingly uplifting and emotional. The commanding combination of distorted vocals, weaving guitars and time-keeping loops and blast beats results in a dizzying propeller of sound that compels you to check how many BPM’s that bad boy can take. Comparisons are always a bore, but Liturgy preach from the book of The Berzerker, by way of old school Zao — raw electronic tone that at first listen may not grab you in melodically, but after experiencing the music as a whole interweaving package will leave you craving the good word more and more.

Evolving from a one man show, Liturgy frontman/axe grinder Hunter Hunt Hendrix has assembled a dream team of musicians to help spread the black metal video game soundtrack gospel. Comprised of second guitarist Bernard Gann, bassist Tyler Dusenbury and drummer Greg Fox, Liturgy’s live show is memorable for its irreverently captivating vibe. Hendrix also boasts front-man cred for the equally experimental, stonerific rock band Birthday Boyz, which in stark contrast to the driving force of Liturgy, maintains some seriously well executed harmonies soaked in repetition. Birthday Boyz rocks like a less distorted Mastodon, tight and technical with gritty melody; ironically Bill and Brann of Mastodon were in a band call Lethargy… Oh how the fates align.

The recent crop of Brooklyn death meal proteges isn’t much of a shock, with unemployment rates at staggering highs, the late 80s and 90s making a questionable comeback and some of metals’ seminal acts returning to the touring circuit, namely Carcass, Napalm Death and At The Gates, and Liturgy reminds us of all of the downtrodden lustre of these bands.

Liturgy – “Beyond The Magic Forest”