From the underground heart of Philadelphia, Family Garden emerges with Dreams Beyond Control—a sonic tapestry of raw emotion, surreal storytelling, and unrelenting energy.
The DIY punk-metal trio, forged in the fires of past musical endeavors and personal evolution, has shaped an album that transcends genre boundaries while remaining deeply personal.
“Coming three years after their debut, Born From the Heavens, Family Garden arrive surrounded in chaos and debauchery, doling out a combination of black metal, crust, thrash and hardcore.” – Decibel
“Surge of riffage that’s tank-like in its heaviness and scarring in its tone, driven by a percussive engine that’s riotously fast but shifts gears on a dime.” – No Clear Singing
Built on a foundation of thick, distorted guitars, thunderous drums, and gripping vocals, Dreams Beyond Control is a collection of surreal short stories wrapped in metal and punk textures. Tracks like “Jesus Was a Spider”, a conceptual piece exploring an arachnid deity, and “Stomping Grounds”, a fever-dream about returning to a hometown shrouded in dark secrets, showcase the band’s knack for weaving vivid horror vignettes into their music. These chilling tales are amplified by the eerie synth contributions of James Daniel Horn, adding another layer of atmosphere to the chaos.
Photo credits: Caity Colburn Photography
Commenting on the recording process, Chubbrock (guitar/vocals) shares: “It felt fitting, given the challenges of writing this record. We were late, frazzled, and recovering from a near hit-and-run, yet somehow, we tracked all the rhythm parts in just a few hours. We didn’t fully know what shape the album would take until the layers of strings, synth, vocals, and samples started to come together.
That first session, we were rehearsed, but there was still that pressure—playing at the right tempos, nailing the arrangements—but we really just let ourselves be in the moment.
In the end, we were still happily surprised with the final product.”
For Family Garden, music and visual art are inseparable. The band’s name stems from a childhood drawing sent to Chubbrock by his mother—an image of a garden filled with family, pets, and roots, labeled “A Family’s Garden.” That sentiment—of history, memory, and personal connection—echoes throughout their music. Chubbrock’s artwork remains central to the band’s identity, a freeform expression that mirrors their commitment to artistic freedom.
Discussing the band’s influences, Ryan Flannery (bass/vocals) explains, “Family Garden was formed with the idea of creative freedom. We all listen to different genres, but the main goal was to stick to our punk roots while writing progressively, blending punk, metal, crust, hardcore, doom, and grind influences.”
He adds, “Literature really shaped the songwriting. The lyrics pull from cosmic and gothic horror, poetry, philosophy, and the struggles of being human. We wanted each song to tell a story…”
Track-list:
1. Lost Gods
2. Blazing Emerald Sky
3. Over The Wall
4. Houses In My Windows
5. Dreams Beyond Control
6. The Gift Of Dawn
7. Sometimes They Scream
8. Dream Freezer
9. Stomping Ground
10. Jesus Was A spider
11. We Must Bleed
12. The Things That Lurk In The Daylight
13. No End
Family Garden
Family Gargen’s origins are as much a story of resilience as they are of reinvention. “Born from the collapse of previous projects and the uncertainty of the pandemic,” Family Garden—composed of Chubbrock (vocals, guitars), Ryan Flannery (bass, vocals), and Evan Madden (drums)—found clarity in starting a new.
Their 2022 debut EP, Born From The Heavens, was a primal introduction, but Dreams Beyond Control is their most immersive journey yet, blending intricate, nightmarish narratives with a sound as haunting as it is heavy.
