Safe Passage

Like long-suffering mistresses, Coalesce enthusiasts have hardened their hearts, jaded after a series of false-start reunions and rumored releases that never materialized. The seminal Kansas City-Lawrence band, which catalyzed some of the most violent metal-hardcore collisions ever recorded, hasn't issued a new studio album since 1999's 012: Revolution in Just Listening or embarked on a substantial tour since before that record's arrival. However, with the appearance of the vinyl- and online-only 7-inch, Salt and Passage, which is accompanied by a modest string of dates culminating in Saturday's Bottleneck gig, fans might finally have reason to be optimistic about a real commitment.

"We're not using words like 'final' or 'reunion,'" bassist Nathan Ellis says. "We're all married, with 10 kids between us, so we won't be on the road constantly, but we've decided to let it be what it is instead of turning it into all or nothing."

Salt maintains a choppy stop-and-start cadence that reflects the way it was assembled. Guitarist Jes Steineger lives in Chicago now, so the band has been swapping riffs via computer. "We're planning to write the whole record like that, working on our own schedules. I like being an Internet band," Ellis says.

“A Disgust for Details” (Live, 2002) by Coalesce:
Coalesce's current set list includes the turbulent new tunes as well as selections from every record, including the just-reissued covers collection There Is Nothing New Under The Sun. There's a whole lotta Zeppelin (nine cuts) on that disc, plus an unrecognizably ominous Get Up Kids interpretation, but the group only saves room for one Sun song nightly. However, it will play unreleased renditions of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" and Fugazi's "Repeater," both of which loom tantalizingly as potential bonus tracks on the band's under-construction full-length.

Dare to dream, Coalesce fans.