If you've ever seen a guy on his bike fly 15 feet into the air after getting smacked by an opening car door, or found urine in your refrigerator's vegetable crisper or discovered all of your pocket t-shirts are missing their pockets... chances are you've encountered a member of Chicago-based rock band HAYMARKET RIOT.

Haymarket Riot are the equivalent of throwing batteries into a bonfire -- you're never quite sure when they'll explode. One of the most exciting and invigorating bands in the Chicago independent underground today, taking over where bands like Big Black, Jesus Lizard, Tar and Pegboy left off, it's gritty post punk that's dangerous, not predictable. Haymarket Riot master in intense dynamics, complex arrangements and pristine detail. A sense of angular song structure and sterling technique, mixed with aggro tendencies exemplify their driving sound.

Haymarket Riot members, including Kevin J. Frank (vocals, guitar), Fred Popolo (bass, vocals), Chris Daly (guitar) and Shane Hochstetler (drums), are planning to take their antics, musical and otherwise, to Europe, Japan and North America in 2004 to support their upcoming recording "Mog", a split release on THICK and Divot.

In November 2003, Haymarket Riot had the opportunity to record with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, IL. With Albini engineering and John Congleton (of the Paperchase) producing, "Mog" may be the band's best effort since its 1999 inception. The album was recorded in five days and is probably the closest the band has ever come to doing a live recording in a studio. "Steve was able to extract the no-frills, balls-out, rock sound we were looking for, while John pushed us to give our best musical performances...without the use of violence," stated Kevin J. Frank.

"Mog" is scheduled for European release on March 15, 2004 and North American release on April 5, 2004.

www.divotrecords.com/haymarket

check dates here