The Flanelhed history in a nutshell: the band gigged, put out many albums and changed various members throughout the years, but they persevered with a lot of hard work, a continued refining of their sound, and a fine-tuning of their chops. Along with drummer Evan Frank, who returned to the band in 2008 after originally joining in 1998, and with the recent addition of bassist Jeff Cox, Flanelhed has a solid lineup that still creates the explosive sound they have become renowned for. Says Murf, “When Chris and I started writing songs together, the creative momentum started to flow and the music scene was really happening. I was motivated to keep going.”
Seven is an amazing collection of hard-driving, hard-rocking songs that are all pure Flanelhed. Although there are hints of personal and professional growth within the sound and vibe of the album, it seems that there is still that dark and crunchy, head-banging sound. “Lyrically, there’s still the usual boy/girl breakups, a hooker, lost at sea, genocide, gossip, more break ups. We’re on maybe a harder trend, but we still tie the record together creatively,” says Matthews.
Working with engineer/producer Snake at Berkeley’s Greendot Studio for the recording of Seven was a different, challenging and rewarding experience for the band. “He had a different way of recording than we were used to and was aggressive in getting the right performance out of each of us. I also think that technology has improved since our last studio album and that also translated to a really modern big sounding recording,” says Matthews. “Creativity and performance-wise I’m feeling the most comfortable I’ve ever felt. I’m getting older so the high notes may not be as crisp, but the confidence is there.
Even in getting older and becoming more “adult,” Flanehed still gives it up in the hard and furious way we fans know and love.