MR.PHYLZZZ - Fear the Lord

MR.PHYLZZZ: Amphetamine Reptile to release new album "Fear the Lord"; new single streaming now; US tour in September

From Chicago, Illinois, the duo known as mr.phylzzz has revealed its newest single, "Emma Draws a Dog." The song will appear on the band's upcoming album, Fear the Lord, coming September 4th on Amphetamine Reptile Records.

Stream "Emma Draws a Dog" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rhJtKjXJ1Q

Formed in 2015 and signed by Amphetamine Reptile founder Tom Hazelmyer in 2019, mr.phylzzz has the distinction of being one of the only active bands on the legendary label's current roster, alongside The Melvins. Clad in cheap suits, vocalist/guitarist Clinton Jacob and drummer Danny Sein deliver an irreverent take on noise rock, lacing their songs with epic hooks and dark humor. Playful and theatrical in a way that most bands would not dare, this pair thrives on the subversion of all expectations. 

Fear the Lord opens with piano and falsetto, setting a wistful, classic rock tone for two minutes before devolving into detuned chaos. Track 2, "Build to Nothing," is a stadium-sized call-to-arms, built on an earthquaking drum beat and Jacob's soaring vocals. New single, "Emma Draws a Dog," an infectious banger propelled by a bouncing riff and rhythmic wordplay, might be mistaken for a merrier Rage Against The Machine.

A reflection on menial jobs and odious coworkers, "Emma Draws a Dog" is a song about the triumph of creativity in the face of oppressive circumstances. It is arguably one of the catchiest songs to ever bear the AmRep logo.

"I think the best thing about mr.phylzzz is the fact that there are zero rules," states Jacob. "We write what seems cool to us and we disregard genre. Sometimes it's metal, sometimes it's pop, sometimes it's acoustic. The important thing is that it's fun for us. If it makes me laugh, I'll probably explore it. Thats what I love about this band, nothing is off the table."

Even the head-scratcher of a band name is intended to challenge the audience and amuse the band – contrary to the spelling, the correct pronunciation is reportedly "Mr. Flies." Jacob describes it as a test to filter out the truly dedicated fans: "I say it wrong on purpose and spell it wrong on purpose because if someone does find us, they really must like us to go through all that. Nothing good should be easy!”

Given the band's penchant for humor, it is no surprise to discover that Jacob spent time in the standup comedy scene and that he derives as much inspiration from comedians as from musicians. "Andy Kaufman and Doug Stanhope are big influences for me. Kaufman for me is where the antics come from, from me thinking 'what if Kaufman was in a band?'. I think humor is so important and we need more of it. I worked in comedy clubs for a long time and was highly influenced by how standups will grind something down till its perfect. It really inspired me as a musician and changed my perspective of playing. I can treat shows as open mics and test songs just like comics test material. Gauge the response and cut the fat."

The freedom with which mr.phylzzz operates is refreshing and it might be attributed in part to the fact that there are only two members. Like a speedboat outmaneuvering an ocean liner, a duo can shift gears and change course with greater speed and ease than, say, a quintet. Drummer Danny Sein elaborates: "There’s something to be said about the special musical bond a two-piece shares. After you’ve been playing with one person for so long, it almost feels like you are one unit. Also, I feel like in a band the chemistry is always best when you can tell the people on stage are real friends. Clinton is my best friend. Everything is easier as a two-piece: songwriting, decisions, scheduling, finances. As soon as you get more people involved, things drag."

Truly unfettered, mr.phylzzz is right at home on AmRep, the label that nurtured the careers of outliers such as Helmet, Today Is The Day, The Cows, and the aforementioned Melvins, and came to define an entire sub-genre of iconoclastic music.

"I love AmRep and Tom," says Jacob. "Tom found the band on Facebook because I would constantly be making these crazy videos of the band playing these insane places and having the cops called on us for noise. One day I got a call from Tom and the rest is history! We've been working together now for 10 years and he's been a huge supporter of what we do."

Upcoming new album, Fear the Lord, is mr.phylzzz's fourth release for AmRep. Apropos of the album title, the majority of the songs were recorded in a church in rural Wisconsin. "We recorded the bulk of the album in a beautiful church in the middle of nowhere," recounts Jacob. "A huge Victorian-style cathedral. We just set up our gear amongst the pews and on the stage. The place was absolutely not meant for recording but we made it work."

"I am not religious," he clarifies. "I find religion, and the way people will take a book and twist it for their own gain, fascinating. I think more then ever I'm seeing people use 'that's my religion' as a way to cover for their shitty behavior and as an avid reader I can say without a shadow of doubt that God is definitely up there going 'yo, those people aren't with me, my original recipe for the human race must have been misplaced.'”

Having toured in the recent past with the likes of The Melvins, Boris, and fellow duo Venus Twins, mr.phylzzz will hit the road for an extensive headlining tour of the US in September to celebrate the release of Fear the Lord. Expect the unexpected!

Tour:

Sep 3 - Kalamazoo, MI @ The Run Off
Sep 4 - Detroit, MI @ Paris Bar
Sep 5 - Canton, OH @ The Auricle
Sep 6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Sep 7 - Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
Sep 8 - Troy, NY @ No Fun
Sep 9 - Somerville, MA @ The Rockwell
Sep 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Lucky 13
Sep 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Love City Brewing
Sep 13 - Raleigh, NC @ Neptunes Parlor
Sep 14 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Taqueria

Sep 15 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ's Bohemia
Sep 16 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
Sep 17 - Nashville, TN @ The Cobra
Sep 18 - Little Rock, AR @ Whitewater Tavern
Sep 19 - Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
Sep 20 - San Antonio, TX @ The Lonesome Rose
Sep 21 - Austin, TX @ Crow Bar
Sep 22 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Sep 23 - Tulsa, OK @ The Whittier Bar
Sep 24 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
Sep 26 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge
Sep 27 - Dubuque, IA @ The Lift

Sep 28 - Chicago, IL @ Casa Cafe

Tracklist:

1) A Plea
2) Build to Nothing
3) Switch Bitch
4) Emma Draws a Dog
5) Over and Over Again
6) Rodeo Clown

Lineup:

Clinton Jacob - guitar, vocals
Danny Sein - drums

Production:

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4:
Recorded by Evan Douglas Peters at an undisclosed church in rural Wisconsin
Mixed and mastered by Evan Douglas Peters

Tracks 5, 6:
Recorded and mixed by Taylor Hayes at Electrical Audio
Mastered by Greg Obis

Photos by Madison Rease

Cover art by HAZE XXL

Discography:

Fear the Lord (2026, Amphetamine Reptile)
Fat Chance (2023, Amphetamine Reptile)
Cancel Culture Club (2022, Amphetamine Reptile)
Penitent Curtis (2019, Amphetamine Reptile)