Draft:King Buffalo (band)

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King Buffalo
King Buffalo
OriginNew York, U.S.
Genres
Years active2013–present
Labels
  • Stickman Records (Europe)
MembersSean McVay
Dan Reynolds
Scott Donaldson
Past membersRandall Coon
Websitekingbuffalo.com/band

King Buffalo is an American three-piece rock band from Rochester, New York, consisting of guitarist/keyboardist/frontman Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds and drummer Scott Donaldson. They have released five full-length albums since 2016 and multiple EPs and demos.[1]

King Buffalo has toured with numerous notable acts over the years, including All Them Witches, Elder (band), The Sword, Clutch (band) and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, among others.[2]

History[edit]

King Buffalo was formed in Rochester, New York, in 2013, by Sean McVay (guitars, synth vocals), Dan Reynolds (bass), Scott Donaldson (drums) and Randall Kuhn (guitar, vocals). The band was initially formed out of the demise of two Rochester-area bands, Velvet Elvis and Abandoned Buildings Club.[3]

After recording a promotional demo in 2013 and completing a tour with All Them Witches, Coon left the band, which became a three-piece thereafter, with McVay taking over lead vocals.[4]

Members[edit]

Current

  • Sean McVay – guitar, synth, vocals (2013–present)
  • Dan Reynolds – bass (2013–present)
  • Scott Donaldson – drums (2013–present)

Former

  • Randall Coon – guitar, vocals (2013–2014)

Discography[edit]

King Buffalo (2007)[edit]

The first demo album by King Buffalo, released in November 2013. The demo features a four-piece lineup with Randal Coon on lead vocals and guitar.

Track listing:

  1. Pocket Full of Knife - 5:22
  2. In Dim Light - 6:08
  3. Providence Eye - 11:15

King Buffalo/Le' Betre (2015)[edit]

This split album was recorded in August 2015 and released in February 2016 via STB Records. It features the extended track, Providence Eye, which also appeared on the band's demo. It is the band's first recording as a three-piece.

Track listing:

  1. New Time - 3:58
  2. Like A Cadillac - 3:33
  3. Providence Eye - 10:35

Orion (2016)[edit]

Released in March 2016, Orion is the debut studio album from King Buffalo. The album was followed by the band's first UK tour supporting Elder.[5]

Track listing:

  1. Orion - 6:34
  2. Monolith - 4:53
  3. Sleeps On A Vine - 7:31
  4. Kerosene - 6:03
  5. Down From The Sky - 3:26
  6. Goliath - 4:51
  7. Orion Subsiding - 5:53
  8. Drinking From The River Rising - 9:58

Repeater (2018)[edit]

Repeater is an EP released by King Buffalo in January 2018. Recorded prior to embarking on a tour supporting the Sword,[6] the three-song EP features the 13-minute-plus title track, a shorter song called "Too Little Too Late" and fan-favorite "Centurion," which is frequently performed live.

Track listing:

  1. Repeater - 13:40
  2. Too Little Too Late - 4:43
  3. Centurion - 5:47

Longing To Be The Mountain (2018)[edit]

King Buffalo's second full-length album, Longing To Be The Mountain, was released in October 2018. The album was produced by Ben McCloud from All Them Witches, who also contributed acoustic guitars, while McCloud's cousin Grant Husselman helped mix the album.[7]

Track listing:

  1. Morning Song - 9:49
  2. Sun Shivers - 3:29
  3. Cosmonaut - 3:57
  4. Quickening - 4:19
  5. Longing to Be the Mountain - 10:22
  6. Eye of the Storm - 9:53

Dead Star (2020)[edit]

Released in March 2020, Dead Star is an EP from King Buffalo. It was released ahead of a planned tour which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the band performed a series of livestreamed "Quarantine Sessions," and began writing three albums worth of material that would become the "Pandemic Trilogy."[8]

The EP is notable for its opener, Red Star, Pt. 1 & 2, an epic space rock track that clocks in past 16 minutes.

Track listing:

  1. Red Star, Pt. 1 & 2 - 16:21
  2. Echo of a Waning Star - 3:05
  3. Ecliptic - 3:51
  4. Eta Carinae - 7:56
  5. Dead Star - 3:57

The Burden Of Restlessness (2020)[edit]

King Buffalo's third studio album, The Burden Of Restlessness, was released in December 2020. Recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the album is considered to be the first of the band's "Pandemic Trilogy." [8] It is notable for its aggressive and heavy sound.

Track listing:

  1. Burning - 6:33
  2. Hebetation - 4:30
  3. Locusts - 6:27
  4. Silvervish - 3:42
  5. The Knocks - 6:13
  6. Loam - 7:41

Acheron (2021)[edit]

Acheron, King Buffalo's fourth studio album and the second installment in its Pandemic Trilogy, was released in December 2021. The album features a progressive and psychedelic sound, with four extended tracks of roughly 10 minutes length. Notably, the album was recorded and filmed live at Howe Caverns, a cave in Upstate New York.[9]

Track listing:

  1. Acheron - 10:21
  2. Zephyr - 9:26
  3. Shadows - 10:35
  4. Cerberus - 9:46

Regenerator (2022)[edit]

Released in September 2022, Regenerator is King Buffalo's fifth studio album and the final installment of the Pandemic Trilogy. The album features a more positive and uplifting sound and lyrics, meant to signify an emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.[10]

Track listing:

  1. Regenerator - 9:37
  2. Mercury - 4:30
  3. Hours - 4:57
  4. Interlude - 2:57
  5. Mammoth - 6:12
  6. Avolon - 6:19
  7. Firmament - 9:15

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Biography". King Buffalo. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Vigezzi, Jacopo (November 25, 2024). "King Buffalo published the whole performance video for their "Live at Burning Man"". Progressive Rock Journal. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  3. ^ "Interview: King Buffalo Discusses Their Origin, Debut Album, And Aspirations". NYS Music. December 28, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  4. ^ "An Interview With Sean McVay From KING BUFFALO". outlawsofthesun.blogspot.com. May 18, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "Interview: King Buffalo – Melancholic & Melodic". The Great Frog. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Whitaker, Pat (March 28, 2018). "KING BUFFALO 'Repeater' EP Review; Tour w/ THE SWORD".
  7. ^ "Longing To Be The Mountain". King Buffalo Bandcamp. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Schrober, Patrick (April 4, 2021). "An Interview With King Buffalo's Sean McVay: On Releasing Three Albums In 2021, Coping With the Pandemic, And the Time They Were Almost Paid in Gemstones". Monster Riff. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  9. ^ Hadusek, Jon (October 18, 2021). "King Buffalo Announce New Album Acheron, Recorded in an Underground Cave". Consequence Heavy. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  10. ^ Fuller, Andrew (August 26, 2022). "ALBUM REVIEW: US PSYCH-ROCKERS, KING BUFFALO TO RELEASE REGENERATOR, THE 3RD OF A TRIO OF ALBUMS WRITTEN IN COVID-19 LOCKDOWN". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved January 7, 2024.