IODINE RECORDINGS TO RELEASE HASSAN I SABBAH’S UNTITLED ON SEPTEMBER 13
LISTEN TO “NOT SO IN TUNE WITH SHELLS” HERE
UNTITLED IS THE DEFINING DOCUMENT OF THE LONG-LOST YET MUCH-LOVED BAND, WHICH WAS ACTIVE FROM 1999 THROUGH 2000
Collectors, scene kids, and lovers of the rarest of the rare — it’s time to rejoice.
Hassan I Sabbah were a short lived, yet legendary, emo-violence band that originated during a chance meeting of its core members in 1999 in Boston, who shared a love for bands like Heroin and Mohinder. Featuring members of Puritan, Prevail, and Forcefedglass, to name a few, the band started when Fall of Leningrad bassist Ryan Daniels met Tommy Davis. The lineup was rounded out by drummer Mike Justain and then 16-year-old Forcefedglass guitarist Zac Davis, eventually coming to rest with Chad Pfeiffer of Puritan on vocals.
Existing for less than a year, Hassan I Sabbah canceled, or vanished, from more shows than they actually played and ended without ever releasing a full album — yet the ink they left in the ledger of New England Hardcore persists.
They found their way to many basements and VFW halls coming up alongside and playing with genre defining bands such as Orchid, Jeromes Dream, American Nightmare, Saetia, and PG.99. There were more stories and tales of the band’s shows than there were recorded songs. Their influence and live performances were chaotic, powerful and the stuff of messageboard lore.
After disappearing at the end of 2000, some members would go on to play in bands such as Unearth, The Red Chord, and Madball.
Untitled serves as the lovingly assembled and defining document of Hassan I Sabbah, archiving all of the known recordings, photographs, and show posters, which took years to find and collect. This complete discography includes their self-titled EP produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at God City Studio, the split with Usurp Synapse, their track from Ghost in the Gears (Iodine Compilation), and a demo recording of “Not So In Tune With Shells.” The first four tracks were also remixed and remastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden (Deafheaven, Loma Prieta). The release is complete with a 12-page retrospective zine with thoughts and reflections from the band on their short history and is accompanied by photographs and poster art.
Although they were only active from October 1999 through August of 2000, the legacy of Hassan I Sabbah is a lasting one.
Iodine Recordings will release Untitled on September 13. Pre-save it here.
Listen to “Not So In Tune With Shells” here.
“‘Not So In Tune With Shells’ is a reflection on memories of childhood and the tour, finding a moment of beauty and night of sleep in insomnia haze, ‘the feel of laying one’s head down to rest in the forest, or outside of life’s hustle and bustle,” the band shares.
Go ahead and crank it — it’s a slab of noisy, dissonant post-hardcore that leaves a mark — as only a short-lived but fondly remember band like this can.
UNTITLED TRACK LISTING:
“A Shell of a Wooden Box”
“Watching the Eyes of Someone Lying”
“Not So In Tune With Shells”
“I Carry Night Under My Arms”
“Yella Son, Cold Mourning”
“A Horse Never Goes Heartless”
“Fuck The Thinking That Their Living Some”
“Cut Fixed With Mud”
“Not So In Tune With Shells” (Demo)
HASSAN I SABBAH WERE:
Chad Pfeiffer — Vocals
Mike Justian — Drums
Ryan Daniels — Bass
Tommy — Guitar
Zac Davis — Guitar
