Black Tusk

Black Tusk emerged from Savannah, Georgia, in 2005 as a trio whose “swamp metal” fuses grimy punk, sludgy heaviness, and a pronounced Motörhead heft. Guitarist/vocalist Andrew Fidler, bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon, and drummer/vocalist James May launched the project by pairing the forward momentum of fellow Savannah band Baroness with the dense, murky stoner rock of High on Fire. Their first recording, the self-released demo Demos and the Demons, appeared that same year, followed in early 2006 by the full-length When Kingdoms Fall on Wrecked Signal. The self-issued The Fallen Kingdom arrived two years later, and the band kept its rapid pace in 2009 with Passage Through Purgatory on Hyperrealist Records, the last album they would release independently.

After extended touring alongside Weedeater, Pentagram, and Eyehategod, Black Tusk signed with Relapse and delivered its label debut, Taste the Sin, in 2010; the cover artwork was supplied by Baroness frontman John Baizley. Their second album for the label, Set the Dial, followed in 2011, succeeded by the EPs Tend No Wounds in 2013 and the digital-only Vulture’s Eye in 2014. In November of that year Athon died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident; his final studio performances were preserved on the 2016 release Pillars of Ash, which also marked the group’s last album for Relapse.

Fidler and May subsequently recruited longtime associate Corey Barhorst—previously of Kylesa and Niche—to handle bass duties. The reconstituted lineup issued T.C.B.T. (Taking Care of Black Tusk) in August 2018 as its first album for Season of Mist. After further touring, the pandemic, and additional lineup adjustments, Black Tusk resurfaced as a quartet with the 2024 album The Way Forward.