The parameters around being in a noise rock band somehow don’t apply to Portland, Oregon-based noise-rock trio OGRE. “We’re not breaking the rules. We made the rules—we’re Jackson Pollock-ing this,” laughs rhythm bassist/vocalist Grace Crane.
The three-headed monster adheres to a strict no guitar policy. Its visuals are clean, minimalistic with the occasional pop of red. Verbiage is always in the Arial font. And instead of a menacing onstage demeanor, the group favors absurdist theatrics. Imagine the antics of Andy Kaufman melded with the post-hardcore abrasiveness of A Place To Bury Strangers.
“Shows are not a place to just deliver songs. The entertainment value is the most important,” explains lead bassist/vocalist Ace Jennings. Ogre takes its comedic capers seriously, but it also takes its music just as seriously, as evident by its fourth album, Bryan, its CorpoRAT Records debut (releasing on May 29th, 2026).
The seven-song collection is its most compact, chaotic, and, dare we say, catchy without sacrificing any of its sonic assault ethos. An ogre is the perfect name for the band’s wild and wooly sonics. The band once had a hilarious t-shirt with a paragraph long description of its sound. That said, clamorous experimental post-hardcore in the vein of Osees, Hella, Melt Banana, and Lightning Bolt are apt comparisons.
Key components to the Ogre onslaught are its twin bass lineup with rhythm bassist Grace holding down the fort like a post-hardcore James Jamerson while lead bassist Ace summons harsh and grimy ethereal soundscapes from his spaceship-vibing pedalboard. Drummer/vocalist Nils Niswonger negotiates the jarring dynamics, adeptly alternating between dexterous drum climaxes and pile-driving.
– written by Lorne Behrman
preorder link: https://ogrebyogre.bandcamp.com/album/bryan
1. Alternator
2. Horseshoes Never Worn
3. Hair
4. Heck
5. Tercel
6. Rare Earth Metal
7. Zebra
“We’re not breaking the rules. We made the rules—we’re Jackson Pollock-ing this,” laughs rhythm bassist/vocalist Grace Crane.
OGRE is:
| Grace Crane – rhythm bass, vocals |
| Ace Jennings – lead bass, vocals |
| Nils Niswonger – drums, vocals |
“Ogre isn’t aiming to be defined. You could call the three-piece’s sound noise rock, maybe even hardcore—two basses jabbing through a cacophony of pedals and amps, ejecting as razor sharp, with drums erupting in a kind of 360-degree projectile fury. But Ogre isn’t really crafting genre-based songs; they’re more interested in pure sonics, in building a world—one with a somewhat chaotic sound.” — Willamette Week
“Before Ogre plays a note, their amplifiers hiss like digital snakes waiting to strike. Ogre is Ace (bass), Grace (bass), and Nils (drums). We could tell you that Ogre uses two basses, three vocal mics, a synthesizer, a few duffel bags worth of guitar pedals, and a drum kit, but that would do their aural onslaught a disservice. Ogre is more than the sum of their decimated parts. Ogre is waiting to strike.” —Stumpgrown
“Shows are not a place to just deliver songs. The entertainment value is the most important,” explains lead bassist/vocalist Ace Jennings.
visit OGRE online:
Website: https://www.ogrebyogre.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ogrebyogre
Bandcamp: https://ogrebyogre.bandcamp.com
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ogre/1652616623
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/35344910/u
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2VVgdgcVCQxg1QKLpX9GrH
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