Loftus (2)

Loftus was a hardcore / noise rock group based in Seal Beach, California, active under this name from 2003 to 2008. The band formed in 2002 as Paid In Blood, releasing one five-song demo under this name. As Loftus, they have four known releases. Of these, two are self-released extended plays, physical copies of which have not surfaced since their respective original releases: a 2003 six-song CDr EP, and a 2004 three-song CDr EP. Their debut full length record, Hugs & Drugs, was produced by Erol Ulug and released in CD format in 2005 on the independent Monarchy Music label. The record consists of ten songs and two hidden electronic tracks. Hugs & Drugs saw the band graduate from traditional metalcore to a more urgent, frenetic style that flirted with grindcore, noise rock and screamo. Their final known release, unassumingly titled Euro Tour 7", was a 7 inch vinyl record self-released and distributed for the band's 2006 European tour. The release is not split into songs, simply the two sides of the record, despite discernible gaps between songs and electronic interlude passages. This release marked a notable change in the band's stylistic direction, which shifted from chaotic hardcore to noise rock, with vocalist Davis Miller supplanting his high-pitched screamed vocals with a David Yow-esque panicked yell. There is little surviving photographic or video documentation of the band, adding to their enigmatic reputation and complicating the goal of a definitive biography. What is known of them comes largely from archived web pages and first hand accounts. Known for their controversial live performances and the aloof-yet-manic stage presence of vocalist Davis Miller, the band frequently toured the west coast and played with stylistic contemporaries such as Ed Gein and HeavyHeavyLowLow. Tour diaries from archives of the band's website corroborate the band's reputation for partying. Loftus' final performance was in early 2007 at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California - a venue which they played regularly during their tenure. In February 2008, vocalist Davis Miller passed away from a heroin overdose in Costa Rica. This event marked the definitive end of Loftus. In 2020, DIY record label Zegema Beach Records announced Trust the Shark, a Loftus discography, set to be released in summer of that year with a run of 100 cassette tapes. The release will supposedly contain all recorded Loftus material as well as unreleased recordings. Davis Miller - Vocals Stephen Edmunds - Guitar Travis Cheney - Guitar Steve Ditchkus - Bass Casey Rasile - Drums Trevor Friedrich - Drums (2004)