Decibrity Playlist: Enabler - Decibel Magazine

Enabler has had a pretty busy year. Amidst a slew of tour dates (including opening for Rotten Sound throughout the Old World), the group put out two EPs, the most recent of which it dropped last month. As if that wasn’t enough, according to Facebook, the Milwaukeeans are currently tracking their next full-length right now. Despite his hectic schedule, guitarist/vocalist/grizzled vet of everything extreme Jeff Lohrber still had time to tell us about some records–five to be precise–that have helped change the face of his band. Feel free to listen along here. You can pick up a copy from our friends at The Compound here. All hail the void!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Com8u2TOaPU

Iron Maiden–Powerslave (1984)
I randomly picked up this cassette when I was a kid simply because the cover looked cool. It’s still my favorite Maiden record. Fast forward a couple of years, I come home from work and hear [bassist] Amanda Daniels playing “Aces High” in our living room on bass after picking up the instrument a few months prior. What she didn’t know was that was pretty much her tryout for Enabler!

Metallica–Master Of Puppets (1986)
This is the ultimate Metallica record in my eyes. It definitely served as a blueprint for how I imagined Enabler working as a unit when we were a four-piece. James Hetfield’s rhythm guitar playing on this record is one of my biggest influences as a guitarist, period.

Nirvana–Live At Reading (2009)
When Enabler was forced to drop to a three-piece, I think hearing this live Nirvana record definitely convinced me that we could successfully continue to pull this off as a three-piece and sound full as a band. This is one of my favorite Nirvana recordings, and ultimately Nirvana live kicks the shit out of the studio records.

Harlots–Betrayer (2007)
It feels weird to put a band that I was an irreplaceable member of in a playlist, but the theme we’re going for here is records that have helped change the face of Enabler. If it wasn’t for this record and band, I would have never met Amanda, and [guitarist] Eric [Dunn] wouldn’t have been a part of Enabler for the past year. I feel like I pushed myself to my creative and technical limits in this band to where coming back and writing more standard songs has just been a breeze (and a lot more fun!). I look at the other members of Harlots like family and think about them often.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcD_jf5bP2w

Rotten Sound–Cycles (2008)
I slept on this band for years and was introduced to Rotten Sound while I was drumming for Trap Them. The first three songs on this record are probably the most crushing and punishing grind I’ve ever heard, and the production is amazing! I would say that hearing this definitely pushed me to write a lot of the more brutal riffs in Enabler and influenced me to just up the par with speed and intensity. Fast forward a few years and we were able to tour Europe with them this past year and are great friends!