Stage Buzz: Narcotic Wasteland at Arcada Theatre • St. Charles
Narcotic Wasteland
Narcotic Wasteland
Arcada Theatre
October 14
St. Charles, IL
Preview by Kelley Simms
After forming Narcotic Wasteland in 2011 while also serving as a member in the Egyptian-themed death metal band Nile, Dallas Toler-Wade gladly returned to the band full-time after his departure from Nile.
“On leaving Nile… it was just time; I love those guys like brothers, and I know they are out there kicking ass somewhere,” Wade says through e-mail. “My main ambition starting Narcotic Wasteland was just actually recording some music that was a little different. It is much more like the stuff I was writing before my time with Nile. It’s a little more on the thrashy/punk side of things, which is more of what I am into.”
Chicago is one of the top cities for any band on tour, and it’s not surprising that it’s one of Toler-Wade’s favorite places to play, too. “There’s been many great memories in Chicago over the years,” Toler-Wade enthuses. “The last place we played was Reggie’s earlier this year. (It’s a) great place with great food upstairs and good people. More of many fond memories are the times I played House of Blues back when I was in Nile. But also mixing two of our albums at a place called Rax Trax (Recording) with producer and now longtime friend Neil Kernon. I have also played the Vic (Theatre). There are many great places for music in Chicago!”
For the Accept tour, Narcotic Wasteland’s set list will span between their two full-length albums, the brand new track “Morality and the Wasp” (released in April), and two other recently released singles. The new tracks sound as vicious as ever and serve as a precursor to the band’s upcoming yet-to-be-named full-length album. Ever since Toler-Wade made Narcotic Wasteland his full-time gig, the band has been on a steady trajectory.
“We plan to release a full album in 2023,” Toler-Wade says. “In the meantime, we have many singles to release and final recordings on some of the songs. We always tend to have some variety in the songs as far as mood, tempo, and topic. So, this time around is no different, other than being more focused and just plain better at it.”
Category: Featured, Stage Buzz
