Colossamite
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Nick Sakes, Ed Rodriguez, John Dieterich, Chad Popple |
| Products | Music albums and EPs |
Colossamite was a math rock ensemble based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, widely regarded as a significant contributor to the genre.
The band consisted of Nick Sakes on vocals and electric guitar, Ed Rodriguez and John Dieterich both on electric guitars, and Chad Popple handling drums, notably operating without a bass guitarist. Apart from Sakes, all members hailed from Wisconsin.
Drawing parallels to groups such as Zeni Geva, Craw, U.S. Maple, and Dazzling Killmen (the latter being Sakes’s former band), Colossamite’s music was characterized by intense aggression, disordered structures, and intricate rhythms. Rather than relying on conventional heavy metal distortion, their sound featured loud yet clean guitar tones with dissonant intervals paired with screamed vocals. Their compositions often included sudden shifts in tempo and atmosphere, producing a raw, weighty, and frequently slow auditory experience.
The band issued three releases through Chicago's Skin Graft Records along with a split CD released by Italy's Freeland Records. Due to their extreme musical approach, their audience remained niche, which limited mainstream commercial recognition.
Colossamite dissolved in 1998. Following the breakup, Dieterich, Rodriguez, and Popple established the experimental rock group Gorge Trio. Additionally, Dieterich and Rodriguez joined Deerhoof in 1999 and 2008 respectively.
Discography
- 1997 - All Lingo's Clamor EP (Skin Graft)
- 1998 - Gust's of Lead split 7-inch with White Tornado (Skin Graft)
- 1998 - Economy of Motion (Skin Graft)
- 1998 - Frisbee EP (also known as Camera Within EP, Skin Graft)