Ester Drang
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma10 reviews across 3 releases
Ester Drang is an experimental rock band from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, formed in 1995. Bryce Chambers, its principal songwriter, built the early music around slow tempos, distorted guitars, soft vocals, and keyboard haze; the first record's 23 minutes were described as a loose, spacebound wash of feedback, electronic interference, and short songs whose Christian lyrics were often difficult to make out. That Is When He Turns Us Golden placed the band near shoegaze and Starflyer 59 while retaining an unusual sense of spiritual hope. By Goldenwest in 2001, the noise had been shaped into longer musical arguments: piano melodies and synths sat inside soaring guitars, and the band was writing recognizably structured songs without abandoning its dense surfaces. Infinite Keys narrowed the focus again, bringing Chambers' voice and lyrics forward while keeping the atmosphere and occasional collapse into noise.
After Goldenwest, Sterling Williams left the band. Brian Brewer and David Motter also departed, Jeff Shoop joined on guitar, and Kyle Winner left before the move to Jade Tree Records. James McAlister, an early drummer, later played with Sufjan Stevens and worked on recordings by other artists. Ester Drang re-formed in 2012, with Winner returning for performances that also involved cello from Jon Paul Pope; Hank Hanewinkel III and Tommy McKenzie were part of the re-formed lineup. The band toured with Echo and the Bunnymen in 2017, then released The Appearances in 2018, its first new record in twelve years. The EP included "The Union," a song first issued ahead of the 2017 tour, and a cover of Starflyer 59's "2nd Space Song."
3 releases reviewed
That Is When He Turns Us Golden
Goldenwest
