Phobous

Hello,
Where have I been these last couple of years? Many of you may be asking that very question. Some may have questioned if PhobouS even still existed. To answer both, I was under an intense personal hardship from June of 2015 to October 2019, and demands didn't really level off until July 2019. I have been recovering from that complex, high-stakes period ever since.

The goods news, those 3.5-4 years got me rethinking and reassessing the 18 years before the hardship, in a LONG overdue second and even third look at things that weren't so elusive. Part of the reanalysis was musical methods. As such, I have some updates for you all.

Recording of the third Phobous album commenced back in October, with updated software and a new mixing tech to boot. Also, I FINALLY got myself a bass guitar, with six strings. 2020's COVID pandemic brought about much economic and psychological hardship for many. Music itself suffered a lack of live performances and touring. But my post-hardship recuperation merely continued, and even accelerated in that time. I'm back on track, better than I ever was before. The working title is Mother Gaia's Tears of Wrath, which should invoke familiarity for all you pagans. (I'm pagan BTW) I will add more updates as they arise. For now, here is a demo vid of my new toy.

(expired link)

Also, some of you have inquired about where to purchase the previous two album. You can find them at the PhobouS bandcamp page here.

(expired link)

Sorry for the long lapse in communication. There was simply nothing to say. But now there is. Oh, did I mention I'm on the sixth chapter of my first novella manuscript? More on this topic will be posted as it too develops.
Namste, )O(
Donald Schieck, founder of PhobouS

Hello again. I do hope you are all enjoying your holiday, regardless of what you celebrate, or how. With unemployment a factor in my camp, it could be improved, but this will not bring me down. Composing of the third Phobous Chapter is already near completion, and recording with new and upgraded instruments will commence once other issues (unemployment) are resolved. In the meantine, here's the perfect song for your hardrock holiday needs. You can also find the first two Phobous albums on (expired link) and CDbaby. May 2017 bring prosperity to all.

Happy holidays,
Donald.

(expired link)

Hello all. I do apologize for the delay between posts. It has been eventful. I once again attended the annual pagan convention here in San Jose, called PantheaCon (and managed to get a cold near the end, which cut my con time shorter than desired). I also smoothed out some technical issues with album submissions. Long story short...

The second Phobous album "Realm of Disorder" is now available in both digital and hard copy format, at the following links...

Digital only.
(expired link)

Digital for now, hard copies soon...
(expired link)

Digital and hard copies
(expired link)

I know many of you have been on the edge of your seats awaiting this post, as the three new tracks were most compelling, in your own opinions. Well, the wait is over. The second chapter in the Phobous saga is now yours to hear in all its glory. Thank all you so much for staying true, and patient. I have submitted review and possible interview requests to various editorial sites. Stay tuned for updates regarding review and potential interviews...

Yours truly,

Donald Schieck )O(

Hi all.

Many of you have expressed interest, and the wait is over. Three new Phobous tracks have been added to the main page, track from the upcoming album Realm of Disorder, which will be available in the coming week as a digital download. have a listen and Enjoy...

Donald

Hello all,

Welcome to the Phobous grapevine, or to another letter if you've been subscribed for a while. There are three main points to this note.

First, the recordings for the second Phobous album "Realm of Disorder" have been completed, and are awaiting the final touches from my sound technician. I'll keep you posted as this develops...

Second, many of you have expressed interest in hearing more Phobous tunes. The full debut album "Ethereal Perception" can be found at the following links: (expired link) or (expired link)

Lastly, many of you referenced "you guys" in you responses to the last letter. For the record, Phobous is a one-man band consisting only of myself. You can see more about me on the official Phobous website at (expired link)!founder/c24kz

Hope all is well, and happy Imbolc, to those who get the reference. Until next time...

Donald Schieck, Founder and sole member of Phobous.

Hello again all, and welcome to the grapevine if you're new to my mailing list. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and a kick ass new year to boot. I certainly did. I have a new forum on the official Phobous website at (expired link). Give it a shot and try it out. And don't forget to like and share Phobous on Facebook.

The last track to the upcoming album "Realm of Disorder" is almost complete. And this time, I have a little treat for you. A preview of the album cover art. You can view it here.

(expired link)

Hope you enjoy it, and the album itself is just around the corner...

Until then,

Donald Schieck, Founder of Phobous

Hi again all,

I do apologize for being a little absent here (again, LOL). I've been productive, so take that as good news. For those of you in America, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Track 7/8 has been sent off to the sound engineer, and the final track is currently being arranged. Artwork for the new album in-progress too.

Also, the official Phobous website at (expired link) is undergoing a bit of renovation. I know the old forum stopped working after a short while, so fixing that with a new, more functional one is a must.

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season thus far. As progress comes along, you'll be among the first to know...

Thanks once again,

Donald Schieck, Founder of Phobous

Hello again,

If you've been to the official Phobous website, you might know what today is. I am one year older. Since I'm in a good mood, I'll re-share with you a humorous vid link that might've gotten overlooked in a previous post. The title says it all...Fart Metal!

(expired link)

Hello again. I'm sending this update from both my gmail and the (expired link) page, just to make sure you, the subscribers, receive it. You might have predicted the content of this ever occasional post already. In case you have, it is good news. The sixth track has been completed, which means the upcoming album is 6/8, or to be mathematically correct, 3/4 complete. The previously completed songs are getting some volume touch-ups as well. The seventh song is in the works, being arranged so that it's reasonably long, such as under seven minutes. LOL, if you've heard the entirely of the first album, you'll soon realize I'm not one to write short songs. If you've not heard the full album already, you can do so here at: (expired link)

Also, be sure to check out the official Phobous webpage at (expired link) There you can subscribe to the mailing list and get updates without relying on Facebook here. You can also critique the site and suggest edits. Also, be sure to like and share Phobous on Facebook if you've not already. Here's the page; (expired link)

Lastly, I was treated to a VERY unique spectacle from one of my news feeds, and it's my pleasure to share this offbeat display with you. The name says it all...Fart Metal. Don't watch if it's not your thing.
(expired link)

And that wraps up this news update. Be on the look out for previews of the coming album's cover art. I'm handling that angle as well.

In the meantime, happy Halloween...

Donald

Hello again all. I'm sending this new update from both my inbox and the numberonemusic page. Thus, you might get it twice. But twice is better than zero, right? :D

Fifth song done and mastered, and it's sounding kick-ass. In fact, all previous songs for the new album have been given a touch-up, sounding better than ever. I also recently touched up the phobous website at (expired link) A mailing list page was added, so you can get updates without having to rely on facebook or numberonemusic here.

With that said, a lot of the emails I send directly from my address get returned, as many of the recipient addresses are deactivated or non-existent. It looks as if ones that seemed active during the last update message are no longer active now. As such, I'll stress the importance of GETTING ON THE MAILING LIST FROM THE PHOBOUS WEBSITE linked above. That way, I can be sure which emails belong to active readers like yourselves, and which are inactive addresses likely created by spam bots and whatnot. So visit the phobous website and get on the mailing list. If you have any problems signing up, let me know and I'll have a crack at it.

And now, a simple question. If you can, name ten albums that have been influential to you, for one reason or another. They can be recommendations to newcomers or otherwise, often referenced albums for use in songwriting, or album's that just "do it" for you. Try to avoid listing more than one band per album, if you can. My list...

Children of Bodom-Hatebreeder
Death-Symbolic
Dark Tranquillity-The Gallery
Soilwork-A Predators Portrait
Dimmu Borgir-Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Emperor-In the Nightside Eclipse
Astarte-Rise from Within
Pagan Reign-Tverd
Compos Mentis-Our Kingdom of Decay
Kalmah-Black Waltz

Respond with yours...

Donald

Hello all,

Here's another newsletter for all you Numberonemusic subscribers, and it's meaty. Welcome to the grapevine for those who you who've joined since the last letter. Your first message is a great one.

Guitar parts for the fifth song of the album are almost done, and bass will soon follow. As the heat wave has died down, I don't get as tired, as quickly. Concentration is longer and more intense because of that. Progress speed should pick up...

Also, I've done some work on the official Phobous website at (expired link) All the song lyrics are being merged to a single page per album. Most importantly, I now have a mailing list page. Yes, I'm quite aware this numberonemusic site has its own mailing list option, but I also like to email my listeners directly. I have tried that from my gmail page, and ALOT of message have come back as failed deliveries to deleted accounts. I'm not sure what's up with those addresses, but my last direct email had over 200 bounce backs, and that's not including the 106 inactive/deleted addresses from the newsletter before that. I know you get these numbermusic emails, as some of you have responded (many that to those who do). As such, visit the official Phobous website link above and try getting on my mailing list directly from the site. I understand the forum may not be working. That's also on my to-do list. Rest assured, you'll know when it's running, or replaced with a more functional variety.

Enjoy what's left of your summer, if you've not started school already. It seems, at least here in NorCal, that school starts back a little earlier each year.

Best regards,

Donald Schieck, founder of Phobous

Happy July 4th to my fellow Americans, and to all you non-Americans for whom July 4th has no significance :) Currently writing guitar solos for the in-progress Phobous song, which deals, interestingly enough, with patriotism.

And kudos on reaching 1200 (expired link) subscribers. Each and everyone of you made that happen.

Donald