Lord Humongous

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1996-2001

The Lord Humongous’ first live performance as a trio was on Christmas night in 1996 at the Sub Galley in Dayton, Ohio. That night they opened for Shandaar the Impaler, a funk band with a Viking for a singer in horned-helmet wearing a fur loin cloth. The Humongous would later became a four-piece with the addition of Felix on lead guitar in the summer of 1999. Although Hall was the primary vocalist, everyone except Felix contributed to the singing duties. Chuck Bailey from Canton, Ohio contributed vocals from time to time as well.

From 1996 to 2001 they were actively playing live shows all around Pittsburgh. Notable venues included Nick’s Fat City, 31st Street Pub, Club Laga, The Upstage and The Decade in Oakland, Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, Gooski’s on Polish Hill, Graffiti, Electric Banana, The Millvale Industrial Theater, Ann’s Cafe, The Loop, Mousetrap, Rock-A-Bye Cafe and The Warehouse in Bethel Park, Coolpepper’s Hothouse and the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville, The White Eagle and Smiling Moose on the Southside, and Slapshots in Dormont.

After roughly a year and a half and nearly 100 hours in the studio at Soundscape in McKeesport, PA they released their album, “As You Were” in July 2001. The group had also previously recorded at E.S.B. Studios in New Kensington, PA.

As You Were

Radio Spot

Here’s the radio spot that was aired for the “As You Were” CD Release Parties at Nick’s Fat City and the Millvale Industrial Theater in July 2001 on Pittsburgh’s 105.9 “The X” and 104.7 WDVE.

Every year from 1998 to 2001 The Humongous appeared on Da’Core Records compilation CD series, Steel City Aggression, Volumes 2, 3, 4, and 5. Da’Core was an independent record label focused mainly on hardcore punk and metal headquartered in McKeesport, PA.

The Humongous played a ton of shows with bands like The One Eye Daddys, 3 Pound Universe, Endless, Built Upon Frustration, Black Sunday, Delian League, Stump Grinder, American Standard, Mod Lang from Akron, and Keelhaul from Cleveland. In the winter of 2000, they finished first in a competition with 30 other bands to win the Rolling Rock Slam Jam at Moon Dog’s in Blawnox, PA.

In 1997, The Humongous began recording at E.S.B. in New Kensington, PA in a church that had been converted into a recording studio. Many of the tracks that appear on the Da’Core SCA compilations were from these sessions. “Oh No, Not Again” was the first release that appeared on Steel City Aggression Vol. 2 in 1998.

E.S.B. Sessions

In November 1996 the trio of Emerson, Fornof and Hall recorded a double-album’s worth of ultra-lo-fi, improvisational, sludge & noise-fest material they recorded with a boom box using headphones for a microphone. They colored each cover by hand and packaged it on a 90-minute cassette that they handed to friends. The material from these recordings were later crafted into setlist staples. They were super-ambitious at the time and titled the album Nov. because it was November and they hoped to release one of these each month. However, they never got around to Dec. Here is the digitized verion of Nov.

Nov. Tape

Below is a recording of the Sub Galley show from December 25, 1996, in Hall’s hometown when they opened for Shandaar the Impaler. Someone forgot to press record (probably Duffy or Amy) so the tape starts half-way through Woody’s rendition of Battledog. Between songs you can hear conversations between Duff, Doug Tully, and other random people in the attendance. It’s Tully who keeps repeating the phrase “Lord Human Gas” over and over.

Live at The Sub Galley