In case you didnt know, ex-Taking Back Sunday vet Fred Mascherino, Coheed and Cambria alumnus Josh Eppard, and Hot Rod Circuit guitarist Andy Jackson have come together to form new rock band Terrible Things. And for their debut, they released a Jason Elgin-produced concept album via Universal Motown about a topic that effected Mascherino greatly; the series of fires that haunted his former hometown, the depressed Pennsylvania steel-millburgh of Coatesville, PA, located 40-plus miles west of Philadelphia from 2007 to 2009.
“It’s not a political album,” says Mascherino. “I leave that to others. But growing up in Coatesville, the shock of these fires affected me in a way I was even surprised at.”
“I was just struck by the helplessness,” he added. “Growing up there I remember the decay, but this was such a mindless thing, symptomatic maybe, of pure hopelessness”
Mascherino‘s children are even featured on the album cover, which also includes a burning doll house.
“The hardest part was that the fire was right there next to them. It was really raging. It was pretty loud and noisy and my wife was getting scared about how close the kids were to the fire for us to get the shot right,” said the guitarist to Alternative Press. “Ryan [Russell] had to shoot everything really fast because it was obvious that the house would be ashes in a short time. The cover is metaphoric to what was going on in my town [Coatesville, PA] last year and it was actually pretty emotional for me watching that house go up in flames.”
Check out the video to their single “Revolution” below!
Hey Fred: Just watched the video your mom sent, pretty cool!!! I’m an old head too and I like it…the kids are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Keep making us proud!!!!
Those fires were pretty nasty, just glad its over and the guy is locked up…
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!!
Cugini, Rose