Fing Fang Foom overcomes illness to endure

If a band you like took six years between full-length albums, you’d likely be annoyed and incredulous as to how the process could actually take that long. But if you’re a fan of Chapel Hill’s Fin Fang Foom, you’d probably understand.

Michael Triplett, guitarist for the epic post rock trio, had a near deadly bout with spinal meningitis in 2004. The band, a force to be reckoned with since its late ’90s start in Jacksonville, Fla., ceased touring for about a year as Triplett recovered from a disease that came close to taking his life and mobility.

“I think it’s kind of affected everything in my life,” Triplett said. “Really coming that close to dying, the things that come out are just learning to be content with what’s around you and trying to take it in, the small moments that matter.”

Overcoming the prognosis that he would never walk again, Triplett rejoined his band, toiling away, touring and releasing a Japan-only EP on the way to new LP Monomyth, The record will have its release celebrated at Local 506 on Saturday.

Because of his courage in the face of the illness, singer and bassist Edwin Sanchez wrapped the album name around his friend’s struggle. The term refers to a hero in epic literature who wanders out into the world and tries his hand against monstrosities away from his home. It seemed a perfect to Sanchez.

“He pretty much took a year out of his life,” he said. “He was pretty much alive on machines briefly. I was just kind of describing what I think he might have went through with the whole term ‘monomyth.’”

And that epic concept is backed by equally large music, a construction of thunderous bass, propulsive drumming and anxious guitar. It’s a sound that both members said benefited from the band taking more time to finish it.

“There was a little more time to craft these songs,” Triplett said. “We had a little extra time in the studio to get them closer to where we want them.”

Though the band is back to music, Triplett pointed out that he looks at making music from a new perspective this time around.

“Musically I think it just changed priorities for us,” he said. “It just became less about ‘we need to put out that record because it’s been so many years.’ It’s become more like ‘we’ll record this record when we record it.’”

That willingness to take the music as it comes extends beyond the band’s process and into the way it conducts itself as a business.

“We don’t have any big goals,” Sanchez said. “We just want to be able to travel. We write it just because it’s our passion and what we do. Fortunately we all share that and have been together for so long. We don’t play music in hopes to be successful because if you do that you’re just going to be always disappointed.”

With a new lease on musical life, the band says it’s just excited to keep pushing forward together.

“The main thing is we have a good time doing it. Triplett said. “We still have fun. We still enjoy having like a weekly hang-out time together for some reason.”



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