FERMENTOR is:
ABOUT FERMENTOR:
FERMENTOR is a San Diego-based two-piece instrumental metal band formed in 2008 by drummer Dylan Marks (ATHEIST, BEEKEEPER) and guitarist Adam “Wally” Wollach (BEEKEEPER, TRASHAXIS). Stripping away the comforts of a traditional band infrastructure, FERMENTOR relies solely on communicating through only two elements; drums and guitar. The two instruments acting more like contrapuntal voices, rather than just rhythm and melody.
Their musical chemistry was discovered in the summer of 2008 when the two cousins took advantage of an opening at Wollach’s recording studio. Having never collaborated before and with only four weeks to write and record, they created their first EP entitled Matanzaa.
After a brief period of living on opposite coasts, the duo regrouped and began to push their writing to a new level. With a newfound control of their unique synchronicity, they released two EPs; 2011’s self-titled album Fermentor and its follow up, Rate of Cognitionin 2015.
They quickly garnered a reputation for their explosive and unrelenting high-energy performances atypical of a duo, earning them the opportunities to share the stage with other experimental powerhouses such as BEHOLD!...THE ARCTOPUS, ATOMIC APE, and CAPTURE BY ROBOTS.
In 2020, they released their first full-length album Continuance. A highly creative and progressive album. Continuance plays with the listener’s ear by subverting expectations of tonality and song structure. This critically hailed record is bursting with intricate timings, propulsive arrangements, and unconventional riffing. It also marked the release of FERMENTOR’s first music videos, most notably the incredible video for "Seventh Circle", premiered by Decibel, which saw the duo in a high-energy pursuit of a mysterious orb.
2023 saw the band continuing to push their abilities as well as the conventions of instrumental metal with the release of their next full-length album, Mind Meld. Engineered at Singing Serpent Studios by Ben Moore (TERA MELOS, RETOX) and recorded, mixed, and mastered again by Wollach, Mind Meld showcases the growth and maturity of the duo as well as boasting the highest quality recordings of FERMENTOR’s catalog so far. Additionally, the band employed a unique approach by self-recording everything live, without click tracks or additional layers. Mind Meldreceived major critical acclaim, beloved by existing FERMENTOR fans as well as reaching many new fans through emphasis on more music videos and footage from the studio.
In 2024, FERMENTOR embarked on the FermenTOUR, traveling along the West Coast introducing new audiences to their unique brand of instrumental music.
In January 2025, FERMENTOR continued to challenge themselves and their fans with their latest album, Release Me. 17 tracks of brand new songs completely improvised in the studio, Release Me spans numerous genres, employs live looping and layering in single takes, resulting in the most diverse and innovative music of FERMENTOR’s career. To share the record with the world, FERMENTOR released a song from the album every week for 17 weeks until the date of the album release with accompanying music videos and footage from the studio, massively increasing their reach and acclaim.
Of course, FERMENTOR does not stop there! Relentless in their output, FERMENTOR is announcing yet ANOTHER 17-track, all-improvised album, entitled Agreement. The first track dropped just two weeks after Release Me.
Agreement continues FERMENTOR’s pursuit of unique and highly creative instrumental music, further cementing their use of looping and defiance of genre. Again the group will be releasing a song per week from the record along with music videos and documentation of the recording process.
FERMENTOR will hit the road again in 2025, as they remain ever dedicated to spreading their music and artistic vision to the world!
