For those of our readers who only recently moved to Greater Binghamton, or those who haven’t been here (we have 422 monthly readers in Poland and we’re not sure why), you may not recognize why the band Floodlands has such an apt name. But there’s a reason longer-term locals tend to glance over the bridges to see how high the rivers are whenever they pass over them. Living through one cataclysmic city-wide flood makes you a little paranoid when it rains. And living through two of them? That’s something else entirely.
With their unique, all-original “toxic sludge” sound—doom and gloom sludge metal flavored with moving atmospheric instrumentals—Floodlands puts into musical form those thoughts we all have whenever the water levels rise a bit too much for anyone’s comfort. With songs exploring what they describe as “natural disasters, most specifically humanity itself”, their music taps into that aforementioned paranoia. That sense of dread and loss, fear and uncertainty. It nags at you from the back of your mind to batten down the hatches for the coming storm.
That all means their music extends beyond traditional lyrical or music poetry, breaking that fourth wall like a levy. It’s all captured by this band in a hard-hitting style that rips your face off, but has the decency to stitch it back on for you. The mesmerizing shoegaze guitar harmonies and radical shifts in singing styles bring beauty to the chaos. And make no mistake, Floodlands are a proper hardcore metal band. But there’s a certain grunge-laden approachability to their music you don’t always get from this traditionally exclusive genre.
Background
Floodlands are one of those bands consistently mentioned whenever the Binghamton metal scene pops up in conversations. And that’s thanks in large part to the skill levels of the four highly talented musicians that fill out the band’s ranks. Tom Doud, who also performs with the Bro-Bro’s, is on vocals, and plays guitar alongside Erik Solo. Jimmy Gazdik joins Doud on vocals and throws down hard on bass. And not to be outdone, Billy “Gaz” Gazdik dishes up powerful, heavy drumming from one track to the next.
Since their formation in late 2017, Floodlands have been performing live in Binghamton and through Upstate New York, and they did an acoustic set at Binghamton Porchfest. They’ve also released two full LPs, both of which are available on BandCamp. Be sure to check out Sea of Sarin (2019) and Universe 25 (2023), and keep an eye out for their upcoming shows in Binghamton and beyond.
Learn more about Floodlands
The Binghamton music scene has a sizable and devoted metal contingent, and the music Floodlands dishes up serves as an excellent ambassador to the regional metal scene. Be sure to follow these links to learn more about Floodlands, find out about their upcoming shows, and buy their albums.
Floodlands are an unsigned, self-represented band. You can contact Tom Doud via Facebook Messenger for bookings and press/ media inquiries.
