John Frum isn't a dude who has a musical project named John Frum, but instead a band. John Frum consists of ex-The Faceless vocalist Derek Rydquist, The Dillinger Escape Plan bassist Liam Wilson, John Zorn guitarist Matt Hollenberg, and Intensus drummer Eli Litwin. So who the hell is John Frum?
John Frum borrows its name from a relatively isolated group of natives in the South Pacific islands, known as a Cargo Cult, who first used the alias John Frum as a means to reject European ways, escape oppressive missionaries, and return to their old traditions. The narrative changed, during the war in the 1940s, to reflect their encounters with thousands of American soldiers who spectacularly descended on that region by sea and air with crates of wartime materials dropped from the sky, known as "Cargo." These events drastically changed the beliefs and lifestyle of the islanders as they took the soldiers and their offerings to be god-like, as they descended from the heavens.
So we've got an interesting story and a kickass lineup, but what about the music? We can't say for certain, but the trailer for the band's upcoming debut album A Stirring In the Noos sounds pretty kickass! The album is out this May via Relapse, and that's all we know right now.
I guess this is what Rydquist is doing now that's he's left The Faceless for a second time.
