Smashy Smashy

Sherman, set the WABAC Machine to approximately 1990! Utah, to be precise. Gentry Densley teams up with Joseph “Chubba” Smith to play in a two piece to raise money to buy ice cream for their friend who just had a tonsillectomy. It is only fitting that Densley and Chubba go on to form Iceburn, an early Utah hardcore band that signs with Victory Records. However, something happens to Densley’s chemistry along the way and Iceburn veers dramatically into a free-jazz/punk hybrid that puts Jaco Pastorius’s “punk jazz” to shame. Iceburn’s live shows degrade into feedback fests that chase their hardcore fans from the make-shift venues. Iceburn becomes the Iceburn Collective, shuttling through members faster than a 7 Seconds ditty. You’d see them once as a three piece and another time as a nine piece complete with a horn section. The music would go from structured to a free-for-all in a heartbeat, but they would never forget to throw in a little Black Sabbath tribute along the way.

Once Iceburn began its slow disintegration in the late 90’s, Gentry moved on with a number of other projects like the Dirge Trio, Furious Fire, Red Bennies, Guitorchestra, Project:Ion, and solo. Along the way, Densley worked out a guitar/bass hybrid splitting the pickups to two amps. He takes this new noisemaking tool and joins forces with Dan Thomas (Alchemy, Tolchock Trio) on drums. Together they form Smashy Smashy — part Pixies, part Masayuki Takayanagi, part Frank Zappa, part Coltrane, part Wolf Eyes.

Recommended Tracks:

• Smashy’s Theme
• Auto Intro
• Part Two