Floor

Although their lineup appeared destined for constant short-lived stints, Floor rose to prominence as a pivotal force in the doom and sludge spheres through its distinctive guitar timbre and blend of heavy metal with power pop sensibilities. Guitarists Steve Brooks and Anthony Vialon joined drummer Betty Monteavaro to establish the Miami, Florida trio in 1992; Jeff Sousa stepped in the next year after Monteavaro departed. Initially operating as a sludge metal act, the group issued several singles and captured the tracks that later surfaced a decade afterward on Dove, before dissolving in 1996. During this period Brooks and Vialon devised the droning, detuned guitar approach that became the band’s hallmark while experimenting with bass-less arrangements. A fleeting reunion occurred in 1997. The musicians reconvened in 2001 to compose fresh material, now featuring Henry Wilson as permanent drummer. Pop-leaning elements entered the mix, yielding a style equally indebted to Hüsker Dü and Guided by Voices as to Sunn 0))). Those explorations underpinned the 2002 full-length Floor, the trio’s debut album. Another split followed in 2003 and again suggested permanence. Brooks launched Torche while Wilson formed Dove, yet the original members reassembled in 2010 for several reunion performances. Finding renewed enjoyment onstage, Floor extended its touring schedule and, weary of repeating the same material nightly, began composing once more. The long-promised return arrived with Oblation, issued by Season of Mist in 2014.