The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol – Elevator (Boxset)

The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol are little known outside of their native Canada, last year their Master Of The Molehill album was made available outside of their home country and as a result it sold out within two weeks of release. Cardinal Fuzz has now been given access to The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol‘s archive and the Elevator box set is the result of this. It contains three albums, 2010’s Versus The Purveyors Of Conspicious Authenticity, 2013’s Scrappy Little Jaw and 2014’s Pathfinder, which were only previously available as short run private pressings on The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol‘s own Birdman Sound Label.

If you are at all familiar with the Cardinal Fuzz label then you will know you are in for something unusual and experimental, The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol are no exception. Let’s start at the beginning with the Versus The Purveyors Of Conspicious Authenticity album, this album from 2010 opens with the eleven minute Sour Kraut and continues in a trippy and spacey five track album that recalls Space Ritual era Hawkwind. 2013’s Scrappy Little Jaw is a more accessible album that doesn’t contain their usual epic journey’s into the mind, this is eleven tracks of space rock, whilst it contains the same qualities as the first album in this box set it is a progression, and it is a much less self indulgent beast than it’s predecessor. 2014’s Pathfinder is a logical continuation from the first two albums contained in Elevator. If you have any fondness for psychedelia, in particular the likes of Gong and Lemmy era Hawkwind, or have an interest in the soundtrack to mind expansion then you may want to investigate The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol. My personal favourite from this triple album box set is 2013’s Scarappy Little Jaw which marries their experimental stylings with an acknowledgement that twenty minute soundscapes aren’t always going to be everyone’s cup of tea.

Housed in a foil stamped presentation box containing an 8 page A4 risographed hand stamped edition biographical document, a double sided A4 colour insert and the three albums all in spined sleeves and containing download codes. This is a time capsule that gives fans the chance to get up to speed with The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol‘s back catalogue. The box set is limited to 148 copies worldwide and each album will be available individually in limited quantities. 

You can order The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol‘s albums including the Elevators box set here