Doom Metal band with some Sludge and Psychedelic influences from Peoria and Chicago, IL, USA.
Located along the in-betweens of Chicago and Peoria, Illinois, and drawing its nominal inspiration from the Belarusian capital, nestled deep amidst the in-betweens of the East and the West, a city that has been burned to the ground on several occasions only to be rebuilt like a phoenix rising from its ashes, Minsk is an eclectic experience of passion, aggression, rhythm, noise, and trance. The music is as organic as it is other-worldly, infusing the rhythms of the earth and the resonance of the human voice with the synthetic sounds of machines, amplifiers, and effects.
Minsk performed its first show in March of 2003, released a demo CD with Lisa Falzone Recordings later that year, and has spent the last three years performing, writing, and recording. In 2004, they performed at the inaugural Templars of Doom festival in Indianapolis and appeared on a Thinker Thought Records compilation CD, entitled 'If It Plays...'.
In 2005, they put the finishing touches on their new album with producer Sanford Parker, who joined the band during the recording process. Parker, also known for his play in the band 'Buried at Sea' has produced such acts as Pelican, Rwake, Lair of the Minotaur, Unearthly Trance, and Venomous Concept. The band performed at 2005 and 2006's South by Southwest music festivals in Austin, TX, and Emissions from the Monolith festivals in Youngstown, OH.
The Ritual Fires of Abandonment, was released in Febuary of 2007.
In 2009 they released "With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone"
From Wikipedia:Minsk is a doom metal/post-metal band from Peoria, Illinois founded in 2002. They are signed to Relapse Records. Self described as "psychedelic metal", their songs tend to start out as slow and simple, and become heavy and complex towards the end. Their sound draws equally from sludge metal, doom metal, hardcore punk, ambient and noise music, with a highly psychedelic attitude achieved through tribal drum patterns, thick layers of synthesizers and keyboards, and echoing vocals. They are named after the capital of Belarus, and the idea of survival through suffering is a recurring theme in the lyrics and musical style. In fact, regarding the origin of their name, their official biography states: "Drawing its nominal inspiration from a remote Belarussian city nestled deep amidst the in-betweens of the East and the West, a city that has been burned to the ground on several occasions only to be rebuilt like a Phoenix rising from its ashes" . The sounds and atmospheres they evoke in their songs are complex and psychedelic and have led many critics, and mostly the band members themselves, to describe their music as "deeply spiritual and emotional" .