New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Makin Waves Record of the Week: self-titled by 19DRT


By Bob Makin

originally published: 05/07/2020


The intense trio of Jersey Shore scene veterans 19DRT make a wonderful racket they call noisy sludge punk. Fans of drummer Reg Hogan's other bands -- Defiance Engine, Solarized, Freak Theater and Daisycutter -- definitely will dig it, as will fans of vocalist-guitarist Frank Burdynski and bassist Dean Monjoy's other band, Dab Nebula, as well as Frank's Coffin Void. So will fans of sludge metal acts High on Fire and Neurosis. 

A seven-song self-titled, self-produced and self-released EP understandably has garnered the interest of an indie label that likely will re-release the impressive effort. The collection kicks off with “Erosion,” a pummeling, passionate declaration of decay that sounds like the musical equivalent of peeling a scab back into a bloody wound. Next up is the nightmare of “Fear at the Helm,” which may be an even better theme song for the Trump administration than “Live and Let Die.”

On “Hive Mind,” Reg makes her bass drum sound like it’s doubled, while her cymbals punctuate Frank’s stinging guitar. Meanwhile, Dean helps mix things up as the rhythms change back and forth from chugging stew to a menacing spew that matches Frank’s ferocious growl and fierce lyrics. “Closed Eyes Cry” continues the sonic assault with a rhythmical rant about a lack of caring in the face of abundant pain.

“Free” offers crunchy-sounding fun beneath an examination of freedom. Can’t quite make out between the doomy riffs and the raw vocals if it’s political or personal freedom, but I get the feeling it’s both. One thing is for sure, the explosive track is one of the EP’s standouts. 

“Rules,” which understandably questions authority, especially that which has no right to power, concluding that “the only rule is the Golden Rule.” Too bad few within power actually adhere to it, especially in regard to race relations, the song theorizes. With a cacophony of thunderous drums, menacing riffs and bass rhythms that bridge their awesomeness, “Rules” features the best performance by 19DRT.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



But then the EP concludes on an even better note with my favorite track, “Godfodder,” which plays a bit with Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola to continue a tirade against organized religion and the blind brainwashed fools who consider someone as evil as Trump to be anointed by God because he’s conned them with pro-life bullshit. The tight sludgefest is a metal take on John Lennon’s “Imagine”: “Your truth is a lie. There’s no God in the sky. There’s no afterlife. Nowhere to go when you die. There’s just a blackest grave, not a deadman’s cave. No magic that’ll save …” 

As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Godfodder” can be heard at 6:45 PM on Friday and Monday on “Radio Jersey,” as well as four other times daily at thepenguinrocks.com. And hopefully, you’ll be able to hear it and the rest of “19DRT” if the band’s home away from home, the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, reopens by May 30 for a show Reg put together for Makin Waves Fest 2020 also with The Black Clouds, VSSLS and Tight Lipped (see the Makin Waves Interview).

 

 

Bob Makin is a reporter for MyCentralJersey.com and the former managing editor of The Aquarian Weekly, which launched this column in 1988. Contact him via email and like Makin Waves on Facebook.



New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Frisson

Frisson Winds

Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Candlelight

Candlelight Concert: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Monmouth University - Pollak Theatre
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music


 

Damn

Damn The Torpedoes - The Music of Tom Petty

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

There,

There, There (A Tribute to Radiohead)

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Asbury Lanes
209 4th Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
category: music


 

Band

Band Infusion Musical Night by GG

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Borgata

Borgata Event Center presents KEM

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Borgata Event Center presents KEM, known as Soul's Greatness, on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 8:00pm. KEM's passion for music and the emotions he brings to life on stages worldwide have been a part of him since childhood, when he played the old piano at his grandfather's church.



Surflight

Surflight Theatre Education Program presents: Surflight Vacation Serenaders

(OCEAN COUNTY, NJ) -- Surflight Theatre is proud to debut the Surflight Vacation Serenaders as a brand new part of its Education Department for the Summer 2025 season. This group of young performers will sing, dance, and put you in a musical theatre trance!



Annual

Annual Jazz, Health and Food Truck Festival 2025 in Orange NJ

(ORANGE, NJ) -- Are you a fan of jazz music and delicious food? Then mark your calendars for Saturday, July 12, 2025, because the City of Orange NJ is hosting their annual Food Truck and Jazz Festival featuring Three Doctors Health Fare.



Strand

Strand Center for the Arts presents Chicago 9 – The Ultimate Tribute to Chicago

(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- The iconic horns, unforgettable melodies, and powerful rhythms of Chicago come alive on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 8:00pm, as Chicago 9 – Tribute to Chicago takes the stage at the Strand Center for the Arts in Lakewood. They are widely recognized as the premier Chicago tribute band in the country.



All-Bluegrass,

All-Bluegrass, All Night: Live at Albert Music Hall on July 12th

​​​​​​​(WARETOWN, NJ) -- On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Albert Music Hall will present an evening dedicated entirely to Bluegrass music. The event begins at 6:00pm and features six live performances, each offering a 30-minute set, showcasing both new and returning acts.