By ANDY GARDNER

POTSDAM -- A local hardcore punk band recently released a new album on an Albany-based record label after getting help from a grindcore musician well-known in the metal community.

Potsdam-based Sunflo’er’s “1963” features Ethan Shantie of Raymondville on drums, Carter Jones of Norwood on guitar and bassist Jimmy Doran of Morrisville. Some may recall their former moniker, Collisions in Gray and Red.

They cut the album at Apartment 2 Studios in Ottawa with help from guitarist Topon Das of F-ck The Facts, who are reknowned on the grindcore and heavy metal scene.

“The whole experience of this album has been pretty incredible. We had no idea that a record label would want to put this out into the world,” Shantie said. “We started writing it in January of 2014, only knowing that we wanted to compose a full record worth of music and go into the studio.”

He said they draw inspiration from a wide variety of heavy music.

“We are influenced by a lot of prominent bands in the hardcore and metal community. Chief among them are Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, and Circle Takes the Square. We also like bands that operate on the fringes of those labels, such as Deftones and La Dispute,” Shantie said. “We're inspired by all of the music that resonates with us, though. Carter and I both really like pop music, and although Sunflo'er is aggressive enough that you probably can't hear that we listen to Lorde and Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, we understand the importance of being catchy.”

He said they aimed the album, which is named after their old flat in Madrid, at being an immersive experience for the listener.

“We called the album ‘1963,’ because that is the address of the house in Madrid where we were living at the time,” Shantie said. “What we're really drawn to is an extended listening experience. There's something very satisfying about immersing yourself in a half-hour, forty-five minutes, an hour of music. There's not one particular theme present in the music or the lyrics, but we were very adamant about putting together a full album worth of music that was tonally similar.”

He said the house itself influenced their songwriting.

“It felt appropriate since the music was composed and rehearsed almost entirely in that spot. The house had a very eerie feel to it, creaking floors, clattering pipes. Not that we ever saw ghosts or anything, but when you're home alone your mind starts to wander, you know?” Shantie said, adding that they called it The Brick House. “The music echoes that. It's creepy and aggressive, but has a lot of atmospheric moments. The house was so big you could easily get lost in it, and there are quieter moments on the album that reflect that feeling.”

They shot a video for one of the songs, “Deer Clock,” in Ives Park.

It has a discordant feel, switching between images of people getting covered in messy food and making odd faces. One is a shirtless man lying on the ground while people throw olive loaf and smear mayonaise on his chest.

“We asked friends, strangers, and some family members to show up to Ives Park in Potsdam on what turned out to be a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Most of them had never heard the song before. Our friend Brittany "Bones" Bonaparte filmed their worst smiles, and afterward we decided - what the hell - we might as well throw in some footage of a friend eating dog food,” Shantie said. “And then it got weirder. We played a concert in Syracuse a few months ago and I overheard some guys talking about the video, saying that they didn't get it. Which I thought was pretty hilarious - there's nothing to get. Our only goal was to make sure that we had a video that would stick with the viewer and wasn't a cliche.”

“1963” is available now through Albany-based Magnetic Eye Records. It is available on vinyl and as a digital download from the record company’s website.

The “Deer Clock” video can be watched for free at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTt86SelxpA .