Spineshank are back and they're not just here to cash in on the nü-metal nostalgia wave. Well they're doing that too, but they're also doing new music. Speaking with Rock News Weekly, Spineshank vocalist Jonny Santos and drummer Tommy Decker talked comeback gigs, new music, and the unexpectedly rabid fan response to their long-awaited return: "Right now, I think we're just gonna start releasing songs. Let's test the waters. Let's see how people react.
"We really wanted to [celebrate the 25th] anniversary of [Spineshank's sophomore studio album] The Height Of Callousness [on tour]. It's important to us and, obviously, the fans love it. And then the talk of new music came around. Because we were kind of seeing this resurgence or renaissance of bands from our era doing really well.
"And if we wanna keep going, we probably should put some new music out. So we're gonna start small and then we'll see where that goes. But if everything keeps going the way that it is, I could definitely see us putting out a full-length or keep releasing [singles] over the next year and then compiling all of them on to one record and putting that out. As soon as we get home [from playing Aftershock], we're gonna be working on something while we're home."
Spineshank — now featuring Decker, Santos, bassist Robert Garcia, and new blood in the form of Tommy Decker Jr. and ex-Chimaira guitarist Jason Hager — kicked off their reunion with a 13-year live hiatus breaker in Lubbock, Texas this past July. Since then, they've been riding a wave of renewed interest, fueled by a growing nü-metal revival and the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album The Height Of Callousness.
"It's very vindicating," says Santos. "A lot of bands like us got thrown away during the 'fuck nü-metal' era. So now I see you out there — the same people who were talking shit. And now you're like, 'Oh, Spineshank's back.' I fucking see you. [Laughs]"
So what does new Spineshank sound like? According to Decker, it's still heavy, still electronic, and still unmistakably them — just with 13 years' worth of perspective and fire. "We like to have the heaviness. We like to have the melody. Everyone wants the electronics. So it's Spineshank — just 13 years later," Decker told Discoveringbands earlier this year.
With songs in the pipeline, a possible EP or full-length release could arrive in 2025, but the band is playing it smart — one single at a time. Santos hinted that they'll be heading straight back into writing mode after Aftershock wraps up: "We're gonna start small and then we'll see where that goes. But if everything keeps going the way that it is… I could definitely see us putting out a full-length."
Still, Spineshank aren't pretending they've got a new lease on immortality. As Santos puts it, even if they don't stick around long, they're making sure the legacy ends on their own terms: "If we decide not to keep going, at least we get to give the band a warrior's death."
