Notes on the 2000 CD re-release of As Rome Burns:
As Rome Burns was ROQUE’s second foray into the commercial studio. However, the band expressed intense interest in retaining the true-to-life feel of their gritty two-track Checkmate Studios recordings, as exemplified on their third release, CHECKMATE. Frontman Cody Weathers, having stripped the producer’s mantle from Joh3n O’Meara and Cat Mayhugh for NOT!, decided that to recapture the true basement sound, he would have to bring Mayhugh and O’Meara back into the production fold. “They’re really the two best lo-fi, minimalist producers in the world, although there isn’t much call for their expertise,” explains Weathers.
But Mayhugh eschewed the glinting chrome and fancy whizbang buttonery of Audioworks, and Weathers was reminded of the tooth- and-nail conflicts between himself and the uberprodusser that had led to Mayhugh’s estrangement from the band. Under pressure from the record company to meet their release date, Weathers grudgingly conceded to the compromise solution of a hybrid album, half studio material, and half real life. Mayhugh condescendingly agreed. Joh3n O’Meara, who had always considered his involvement in the recording of Roque and Roll and Separate Ways to be a “make-do” situation, eagerly accepted the production duties for the live portion of the album, painstakingly combing through hundreds of hours of inane bootlegs, desperately searching for “something non-embarassing.”
As Rome Burns is an album steeped in conflict. Conflicts between the producers, conflicts between the members, conflicts between the materials. From the opening chords to the closing noise-ensemble, ROQUE’s passion and tension shines through brilliantly. Soon thereafter, Matt Preheim left the band, citing “mind games,” and the band finally erupted into their sensational swan song, Less Yackin’, More Snackin’ within eight months.