Simply put, Hans Condor is a legendary presence in Nashville punk. Over the past 15 years, the group has been responsible for some of the most righteously raucous shows ever to grace the city’s club scene. The band went on hiatus circa 2011 when frontman Charles Kaster went into training to become a police officer; they reunited in 2014 and went dormant again circa 2016. It might have seemed that Hans Condor was headed for the history books after that; sadly, bassist Erik Holcombe, who’d built his own local-rock legend as the frontman of Asschapel, died in 2018.
In a few weeks, Dial Back Sound, the Water Valley, Miss., independent label founded by Bronson Tew and Matt Patton, will release Breaking and Entering, an album of previously unreleased material from the 2014-2016 revival phase of Hans Condor, with Holcombe holding down the low end and local-rock booster Ryan Sweeney on drums. Side A of the LP features tracks the trio recorded at RCA Studio A in 2015 as part of a program spearheaded by footwear firm Converse called Rubber Tracks. (Sidenote: This is before Ben Folds handed off stewardship of the hallowed studio to Dave Cobb, so it was still known as Grand Victor Sound at the time.) A little later, the band convened at The Shed, the home studio of Kaster’s friend Eliott Virula, and recorded the tracks you’ll hear on Side B.
Today, we’re very pleased to premiere “Breaking and Entering,” which happens to be one of the Studio A tracks. It’s a look at young folks’ frustration boiling over and getting out of control in frightening ways; a cautionary tale about getting swept up in the rush. Sonically, it's a rocket-sled ride with nods to the band’s heroes Motörhead (and thereby Chuck Berry). Hear it for yourself via the Bandcamp embed below, and click through to preorder the album — set for release Tuesday, Nov. 16 — in your choice of format. The special custard-colored vinyl will only be available through the presale.
Kaster has reconvened Hans Condor once again, with Virula on bass and Roger Holcombe, Erik’s brother and the band’s original drummer, back on the throne. You’ve had a few chances to see them thrashing their way through gigs this summer — and if you missed out, behold this Found Sound Sessions video of them in action — and you’ve got some more coming up. They’re playing The Basement on Oct. 23 with heavy-rock champs Kings of the Fucking Sea and outer-blues outfit Ttotals; they’re also on the bill for the (sold out) New Year’s Eve show headlined by The Protomen at Exit/In. Another show is planned for Friday, Nov. 12, to celebrate the release of Breaking and Entering. The venue and lineup are TBA, but go ahead and stretch out those muscles and get ready to dive on into the pit.
