INTENSUS (2009-2018) is an exciting and unique recording project masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Eli Litwin, drummer of Knife the Glitter, Normal Love, Inzinzac and others. A resident of Philadelphia for many years, Eli has had the opportunity to involve himself in the metal and underground rock scenes as well as the avant-garde/improvised music scene. The purpose of this project was to take these very different worlds and combine them into a freely improvised extreme metal album with one goal in mind: intensity. The process began with one recording session in which Eli improvised drum tracks for the entire album, start to finish, in one take. Over the course of the next year, he simultaneously wrote and recorded guitar tracks to build songs out of the improvised drum parts. Some guitar sections were first take improvisations as well, while others were written and recorded within 5-25 minutes. The general idea was to keep everything as spontaneous as possible. After all guitars were recorded, Eli learned everything on bass and went through the same process. Once all music was completed, Eli enlisted a number of singers to contribute vocals to the project.
The first, self-titled INTENSUS album features vocals from Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me), Robert Meadows (A Life Once Lost), Jesse Korman (The Number Twelve Looks Like You), Chris Alfano (East of the Wall / Postman Syndrome), Jerry Jones (Trophy Scars), Travis Weinand (Burden / Tetsuo), Evan Moore (Gypsy Wig / Birth Screams), and Ruston Grosse. Also featured on the album, Alex Nagle (Satanized / ex-Normal Love) and Jason Herrmann (Burden / Tetsuo) lend their guitar shredding skills for 2 incredible solos.
INTENSUS can be described in one word: INTENSE. It is a visceral experience with a strong and unique artistic vision. Each vocalist brings his own brand of intensity to the album, making for a varied, yet flowing musical journey. Songs range from short, violent bursts of grind and death metal to crushing doom grooves, complex tech metal to experimental noise freak outs. This album is one of a kind.
