Мир Альтернативной рок-музыки http://altmusic.ru Cotonti Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:47:51 +0000 Qeola Несуществующее слово, не имеющее, возможно, никакой ценности для основной массы людей, и, одновременно с этим, бесценное всего для нескольких человек - воплощающее их стремления и творческие поиски в едином символе.
За точку отсчета можно принять дату февраль 2007 г. После распада существовавшей на тот момент группы «Nutcase», Core (гитара) пробует свои силы в новом коллективе, где происходит роковая встреча с Нельсоном (вокал) и Дэвидом (гитара). Как отмечали в дальнейшем музыканты, ребята очень быстро сдружились, а уже после нескольких первых репетиций стало очевидно – молодой коллектив имеет огромный творческий потенциал.]]> Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:14:20 +0000 Red Cat В 2008 году произошли изменения в составе группы, в результате которых ее ряды покинули Татьяна Кухарчук и Екатерина Остапчук, а затем Артем Филипенко. Одновременно произошли структурные изменения в группе: вместо одного гитариста в группе стали играть два, что сделало звучание более тяжелым и "насыщенным".
В течение 2008 года группа активно работала над созданием новых композиций, одновременно экспериментируя над звуком, что позволило добиться ярко выраженного стилевого своеобразия. В мае 2009 года Red Cat выступили на концерте, прошедшем в рамках дней культуры Швеции в Беларуси вместе с Анникой Норлин (группа Hello Saferide) и Андреасом Маттсоном (экс-участник шведской группы Popsicle). Лето-осень 2009 Red Cat посвятили записи своего дебютного студийного альбома, который под названием "The Rat's Hole of the Sad Rose"был издан в декабре 2009 года.

Состав:
Руслан Гагуа: гитара
Виктор Корженевич: гитара
Екатерина Новик: вокал
Василий Грудовик: ударные
Ольга Туронок: бас

Дискография: 2009 "The Rat's Hole of a Sad Rose"
сайт:_http://lib.psunbrb.by/redcat]]> Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:48:00 +0000 Dead Coil

В музыке команды Dead Coil переплелись звучание альтернативного метала и гранжа, что достаточно редко встречается на российской сцене. Участники коллектива делают по-настоящему качественную музыку, целевой аудиторией которой является современное поколение молодежи, неравнодушное к мировой альтернативе. Для Dead Coil музыкальное творчество является не просто хобби, но важной частью их жизни. Все четверо ее членов - целеустремленные люди двигающие группу вперед за счет своего потенциала и своей музыки.
Официальные ресурсы коллектива:
[url=http://www.myspace.com/deadcoil ]MySpace[/url]
[url=http://vkontakte.ru/club7561839]ВКонтакте[/url]

]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:48:06 +0000 FAIRIES SCREAM Журнал «АУДИО ФОРМАТ» №50, октябрь 2009

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

FAIRIES SCREAM – музыкальный феномен экспериментирующий с музыкой с легкостью ребенка, явление объединяющее в себе самые немыслимые стили и течения. Они играют на сатире и мрачной апокалиптичности, с бешенной экспрессией орут о любви и поют о борьбе за внутреннюю свободу. Они, как котенка, тыкают человечество носом в его собственные экскременты. Ты никогда не угадаешь какими они предстанут перед тобой завтра.

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Состав группы:
Vif Nuit – вокал, синтезатор, истерика.
Вышедшая из-под контроля биоробот-муза. Характерны резкие перепады настроения от истеричного счастья до экстатической агрессии.


Bes Airedt – вокал, гитара, компьютер, психоз.
Хладнокровный андроид-охотник. Подвержен вспышкам беспричинной ярости и ненависти к человечеству.


Gek Dement – индустриальная перкуссия, воплощение вселенского зла.
Мутант. Обезумевший искатель формулы совершенного хаоса. Ищет ее как в себе, так и в других людях, иногда посредством физического вмешательства.


Hanse Loki – ударные, ангел ритмов поднебесья.
Подземный неосапиенс. От постоянного воздействия радиации и и аномальных энергий, развилось умение превращаться в животных и разговаривать с ними, а также гипертрофированная маргинальность. Живет в заброшенной химической лаборатории.


Официальный сайт:
[url=http://fairiesscream.com/]http://fairiesscream.com/[/url]]]> Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:42:46 +0000 Bliны! Как таковые "BliНЫ" образовались еще весной 2005 года,правда только в головах двух вечно бухих чуваков:Лысого(Панацея,Fata Morgana)и Шпака дибилизирующего в то время исключительно дома вместе со своим братом в fake проекте Vе Женщина. Познакомившись парни были очень удивлены и весьма обескуражены, тем что оба в музыкальных направлениях отдают предпочтение калифорнийскому панку, ведь на тот момент в Инте как ни странно мало кто слышал даже о таких командах как Blink-182 или New Found Glory. Команду собрать хотелось,но помешали так сказать обстоятельства: Шпак поступал в Сыктывкар, а Лысый был исключительно обескуражен и уверен что пойдет в армуху*
Далее Шпак уезжает в Сыктывкар (в дальнейшем оказывается больше угарать чем учиться) и начинает колбасить по большей части нечто удаленное от поп-панка в The S.T.yx ,Chicken Hole и ряде других проектов. Лысый тем временем начинает играть в интинсом Alter-проекте "Последнее Небо" и знакомиться с гитаристом на то время еще молодой (но не зеленой) группы "Антилёд"-Тачилой. Тачила к слову тоже оказывается не малым поклонником поп-панка*
Таким вот образом проходит примерно 3 года. Шпак с Лысым усердно бухая на каникулах музыцируют вечно извлекая какой нибудь тупорылый веселяк. Тачила так и хреначит в Антильде*
Так бы оно навеное и продолжалось если бы Шпака в один прекрасный день не выперли из его муз.колледжа чем он был весьма обескуражен, и не вернулся в Инту. Лысый на тот момент уже 4-й год все собирался в армию...
но чо то как то и не ушел.) Наконец таки предоставляется шанс собрать команду и в начале было решено играть составом: Лысый(бас, вокал),Шпак (гитара, вокал)...и найти вменяемого барабанщика, что на Интинских просторах не так то легко. Именно в ударнике и состояла вся проблема...она встала настолько остро что некоторое время чуваки просто хотели записываться дома и даже не вылазить на публику. В это же время в одном из разговоров, за энным стопариком водки, Лысого с Тачем первый упоминает о том, что собирает поп-панк команду. Тач оказывается весьма обескуражен и удивлен в том что он до сих пор в нем не участвует и предлагает свои услуги в качестве гитараста. Также через некоторое время было решено пригласить в группу в качестве ударника всеми известного в рок-концертной Интинской тусе Женю Сомова переигравшего в доброй половине местных банд. Сом являясь поклонником любого проявления панк-рока сразу соглашается и практически сразу назначается первая репетиция. Также было решено поэксперементировать и пригласить в качестве басиста Славика Глебова известного по группе "Армагедон", а Лысый взялся за вторую гитару. В первую же репетицию ребята оранжируют первый трэк "Не Влючать!", дальше больше и за 2-3 репы сделана получасовая прграмма с которой и состоялось дюбютное выступление "блинов" в ДК Октябрь. После первого выступления посоветовавшись решили "посадить" Лысого обратно за бас, со Славиком пришлось попрощаться. На данный момент за плечами команды еще 2 выступления в родном Дк Ювента. Пишется масса нового материала (накопилось мля).. также группа учавствует в международном трибьюте на группу Blink 182.
Ту Би Кантинуед!!
Приняли участие в записи A Tribute to Яг Морт с песней "Скажи мне",так же в несостоявшемся требьюте популярной команды Blink-182 с песней "Roller Coaster"!!!!
в настоящее время имееться запись нашего EP плд названием No Album.....]]> Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:27 +0000 Ordinal Name

После распада группы Cerx все ее участники перестали заниматься музыкой, возможно потеряв веру в свои силы или в будущее, а возможно были личные факторы. Все участники, кроме одного. Лидер-вокалист группы - Maкс решил продолжить творческую деятельность без знакомых по Cerx, занявшись изучением принципиально нового звучания. Если Cerx делали то же, что и все остальные группы вокруг, то безымянный сольный проект Макса развивался в далеких измерениях стилей, еще не дошедших до Ростова-на-Дону. Его внимание привлекали технически-прогресивные направления звучания вроде пауэр-нойза. В экспериментах прошло много времени, прежде чем начались поиски музыкантов для новой группы. Однако музыка Ordinal Name никогда не была экспериментальной. Эти опыты не были скитаниями слепца в лабиринте Минотавра. Скорее закономерные творческие поиски человека, на которого оказали влияние такие выдающиеся коллективы и исполнители как Depeche Mode, Deftones, Linkin Park, Nine Inch Niles, Duran Duran, Rob Dougan, Paul Haslinger и Acira Yamaoka. Все эксперименты проходили задолго до сочинениями песен. Песни же появились после того, как Макс четко определил границы новаторских идей, концепции звучания, отобрал плюсы и минусы электроники.

Сначала Ordinal Name назывался "Anithory". Это был период до остальных участников. Но так-как существовала тогда еще мало известная группа Аматори, Макс переменил схожее название и начал искать музыкантов для группы, которую назвал Machine Age. Был еще вариант Miracle Mirabel (Чудесная Мирабэл) по названию текста песни Макса. В городе где среди музыкантов всюду лишь металисты или рэперы было сложно найти подходящих людей. Проведя отбор музыкантов Machine Age собирается в составе вокалиста, гитариста, басиста и драмера, успешно выступает на андеграунд-сцене города и в конце 2007 года своими силами записывает первую демо песню Истоки (Source). Но запись проходит без участия драмера, который на тот момент попадает в больницу. Из-за развития внутренних сложностей во взаимопонимании состав распадается в начале 2008 года, а в это время Макс ведет переговоры с вокалисткой начинающей готик-рок команды о ее участии в Machine Age. В течении следующих нескольких месяцев подходящего состава не собирается и деятельность группы Machine Age замораживается параллельно с возникновением полностью сольного сайд-проекта Макса: на сцене наконец появляется Ordinal Name. Во всем более амбициозный, жесткий и агрессивный по сравнению со всем, что прежде делал Макс. Тексты песен наполняются жестокой сатирой, преобладают обличительные тематики человеческих пороков и слабостей, музыка становится более шумной, впуская в себя элементы power-нойза.

Ordinal Name начинает активный поиск участников и углубляется в сочинение новых песен. Макса больше не волнует потенциальная возможность смены состава, ведь O.N. это сольный проект, дающий полную свободу в выборе музыкантов. В группу часто попадали люди, совсем не понимающие как играть настолько серьезную музыку. Среди множества "крутых" рокеров оказалось полным полно патологических профанов. Однако все же удается записать несколько демо песен рамках O.N.. Заинтересованность в проекте проявляет брат знакомой девушки Макса - Артур, у которого на тот момент тоже была своя группа Pcychical Attack. Однако если сестра Артура училась в Ростове, сам Артур и его группа были в Самаре. В конце лета / осенью 2008 года Ordinal Name временно включает в свой состав талантливую, но к сожалению, не приспособленную к жизни в стиле "рок", пианистку Дашу. Одновременно O.N. создает с группой Selena трэк "The End Of Eternity" в основу которого легли мотивы безымянной композиции группы Selena. Также рассматривалась возможность совместной работы коллектива Hexenhammer (что в переводе с немецкого означает название католического трактата по инквизиции "Молот Ведьм"). Вскоре Макс начинает присматривать кандидатуры музыкантов для записи демо-альбома White War в начинающей группе Вилиан, но странности басиста, помешанного на медицинской тематике группы Вилиан сильно мешают процессу отбора. Потом Макс получает приглашение от группы Pcychical Attack для записи дэмо-альбома Ordinal Name в Самаре и оставляет попытки развить Вилиан до уровня состава Ordinal Name, чтобы начать совместную работу с талантливой группой Pcychical Attack. Ordinal Name обретает звучание полностью совпадающее с задумкой Макса.

"Запись проходила в необычных условиях, - говорит Артур, лидер-гитарист P.A. - Всем руководил Макс, и нам приходилось писать инструменты отдельно друг от друга, иногда нарочно выдавая самые невероятные звуки, потому что Макс хотел заниматься сведением, мастерингом, всей этой чертовщиной сам, без помощи этих кровопийц-мастеров из студии. Но мне это все охеренно нравилось!"

Ordinal Name в полном составе выступили в Самарском андеграунде в декабре, после чего Макс и Pcychical Attack разошлись чтобы через месяц продолжить запись альбома White War. Песен было сочинено и записано больше чем должно было войти в альбом, среди них были Small Sugar Houses, Последний Тихий Восход, Свет В Моих Руках, Violent Love Love и многие другие. Иногда музыканты записывали отдельные партии, не относящиеся ни к одной из песен. "Я работал в настоящем, а думал о будущем, - говорит Макс, - именно это дало возможность заготовить для последующей работы в специальных программах достаточный материал, чтобы ощутить полную свободу действий". Так же в конце 2008, начале 2009 года O.N. занимался ремикс-проектом "MC Keeper vs. Ordinal Name: Тьму Сменяет Свет", в котором участвовал рэпер MC Keeper и будущая вокалистка Ordinal Name - Elvira Seifert. Однако внезапно возникшие технические сложности негативным образом сказались на проекте "Тьму Сменяет Свет", поэтому работа с MC Keeper еще не законченая глава, а работа над записанным с Pcychical Attack материалом полностью поглотила Макса. К тому же в конце февраля состаялась запись совместной песни Ordinal Name feat. Tomb Of Masonic Trues "Today it's no more than a fake". Записанный материал в раздельных дорожках долгое время хранился в компьютере, дожидаясь когда очередь дойдет и до него. Несколько раз Pcychical Attack не смогли приехать в Ростов для выступлений O.N. и Макс нашел временный состав с которым начал отрабатывать концертную программу для рок-фестивалей проходивших в Москве, куда Ordinal Name были приглашены организаторами. Однако из-за новой гитаристки O.N. не смогли поехать на концерты и Макс уволил участников временного состава Ordinal Name.

Сейчас у Ordinal Name открылся форум для фанатов на сайте Dark News, в скором времени планируется запустить сайт Ordinal Division, в дальнейшем много новых планов, не исключая совместную работу со Steve Avory - участником группы "Die Trying" выступавшей на разогреве у таких коллективов как Evanescence, Hoobastank и Papa Roach.]]> Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:47:44 +0000 Мартье - Мартье (2009) Страна: Украина
Город: Киев
Стиль: Альт. Металл






Нынешний состав:

Богдан Головатый - Вокал
Артём Твелин - Гитара
Глеб Платонов - Гитара
Игорь Корчевой - Бас
Алексей Катеринчук - Ударные



Бывшие участники:

Артур Вагнер - Басс (2007-2008)
Бориславский Александр (сейчас в The day of Glory) - Вокал (2007)



Группа Мартье.

Первые шаги были сделаны в 2007 году гитаристом и барабанщиком. В скором времени в группу приходят басист и ещё один гитарист.
После долгих поисков, группа находит вокалиста (ныне участник группы The Day of Glory).
Осенью 2007 из-за творческих разногласий Мартье остаётся без вокалист.
Начались новые поиски...и Удача!
Приход нового вокалиста Богдана знаменовал хороший толчок в творчестве коллектива!
С его вокальными данными группа набирает больше динамики и работа начинает кипеть.
В начале 2008 Мартье записывает первые демо-записи, сразу же находит своего слушателя и начинает активную концертную деятельность.
Через пол года было решено преступить к записи дебютного альбома.
К сожалению, не за долго до записи, группу покидает Артур, но ему на замену приходит Игорь.
Запись продлилась более чем пол года. Было вложено много сил и энергии и на конец-то в свет выходит дебютный альбом Martje.
Смесь различных стилей и направлений не оставит равнодушными всех поклонников тяжелой альтернативной музыки.

С нашим творчеством можно ознакомиться здесь:

http://vkontakte.ru/club3436965
http://www.myspace.com/themartje

Альбом можно скачать тут:

http://upload.com.ua/get/901022401/
http://fileshare.in.ua/2208891
http://depositfiles.com/files/ukz0a3xvs
http://rapidshare.com/files/274555743/_____________-_______________2009_.rar.html
http://ifolder.ru/13818416]]> Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:50:31 +0000 Мартье - Мартье (2009) Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:48:16 +0000 No Title Биография
Смоленск. Ноябрь 2006 года. Выпал первый снег и три друга однокласника решили прогуляться, подышать свежим воздухом. И именно в этот осенний день от кого-то из них поступило предложение, объеденится в музыкальную группу и играть музыку всех времен и народов, название которой - РОК!
А имена этих трех парней Максим, Антон и Илья.
Максим уже достаточно давно играл на отцовской гитаре песни таких великих групп и исполнителей как, Кино, Алиса, Чиж, Наутилус Помпилиус, Трофим... Антон вроде как умел петь и хотел научиться играть на бас-гитаре. А Илья всю жизнь мечтал стать ударником, играя Rammstein на школьных учебниках, карандашами. Отсюда берет свое начала группа No Title.
Первые песни были записаны в домашних условиях на тех же инструментах (Антонову акустику перенастроили в акустический бас). Тогда к группе присоеденились еще два человека Евгений Загородних и Валентин Пресников группу решили назвать Тактическая Подготовка. За один вечер ребята записали одноименный альбом в стиле "акустический панк". Запись была ужасной, музыка тоже. Через несколько дней ребята решили расстаться с Валентином Пресниковым. И подождать лучших времен для записи нормальных песен.

2007 год. Ребята оттачивали свое мастерство. Максим уже отлично играл на гитаре и пел. Антон неплохо лабал на басу и сильно улучшил вокал. Илья бодро стучал по книжкам и табуреткам. Женя что-то мудрил с гитарой. Ребята давно поняли, что им хорошие инструменты и только сейчас решили скинуться у кого сколько есть. Но ни у кого ни сколько не было. И Антон взяв свои последние 200р. купил первую тарелку для барабанов...

Январь 2008. Илья взял на время поиграть электро-гитару с комбиком у своего друга. А Женя прикупил бас-гитару. Решили собраться и что-нибудь поиграть. Слава Богу, что Антон и Максим все это время писали тексты для песен. Собрались, поиграли у Антона дома и разошлись как только в батарею постучали соседи.

Май-начало июля 2008 года. Группа рассталась с Евгением и снова оказалась втроем. И именно в этот момент у них начало что-то получаться! Отец Антона привез с работы старые барабаны и бас-гитару, но судя по их состоянию - на барабанах играли редко. Они были почти как новенькие! Ну а бас пришлось немного подлатать. Группа никак не могла выбрать себе название группу предлагалось назвать и Альдегиды, и Зона 5, и База, и множество других названий... Конце концов ребята сошлись на мнении оставить группу без названия только перевести это на английский язык - No Title. И началось. Илья снова взял у друга гитару и купил палочки, Максим и Антон достали свои тексты. Снова собрались у Антона дома и начали играть настоящую музыку! Появились первые неплохие домашние записи.

Июль-август 2008. Ребята успешно закончили школу и сдали экзамены в ВУЗы. Началась съемка клипа на песню Pro Любовь. После съемки и монтажа готовый клип отправили на конкурс телеканала O2tv. Клип молодой группы No Title увидели более миллиона человек. Началась запись альбома.

Сентябрь 2008-Февраль 2009. Ребята записывали альбом, но записанного материала оказалось на два альбома и группа решила разделить дебютный альбом на две части. К группе присоеденился еще один участник Дима Fox. У него уже была электро-гитара и теперь у ребят был полный набор инструментов. Новый участник отличался профессионализмом и принес новых, свежих сил и творческих идей в команду.

Август 2009. Вышла первая часть дебютного альбома No Title Part 1. Ждем вторую.

Ребята играют смесь жанров Alternative, Indie, Emo, Post-emo, Cibercore. Группа все так же находится в городе-герое Смоленск.

Послушать можно здесь:

http://www.rockgeroy.ru/view/groups/18444.html

http://www.myspace.com/notitleband

http://www.realmusic.ru/notitleband

http://www.last.fm/music/NoTitle

]]> Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:08:00 +0000 The Buzzhorn Ryan Mueller - vocals
Todd Joseph - bass
Rob Bueno - drums

Official site:www.thebuzzhorn.com
Status:Unknown
http://www.thebuzzhorn.com/art/buzzhorn.jpg

While many young, unsigned acts like to boast about their spot on the local food chain, or brag about getting a nibble of feedback from a friend of a friend in Los Angeles who heard their demo, The Buzzhorn boys were different.

Unfazed by smatterings of industry interest over their self-released debut, 1998's "A Complete Package of Action-Packed Tragedies," and the possibility of flying to L.A. to do a label showcase, the four twentysomethings were realistic, methodical and intent on succeeding.

"The band is a full-time job. After an eight-hour day, you put in 10 more hours on this," Joseph said back then as he laid out the band's long-term plan to break into the major leagues.

"We've had many band discussions about patience being a virtue," Bueno added.

Patience and professionalism - plus a ton of talent - have paid off for the foursome.

"Disconnected," The Buzzhorn's debut album on Atlantic, arrives in stores around the nation on Tuesday. More than 80 radio stations across the country are already spinning the album's first single, "Ordinary."

But aside from the luxury of quitting their day jobs, little has changed for The Buzzhorn since inking the deal with Atlantic in early 2001.

Building buzz

The "no slacking" work ethic is still The Buzzhorn's core. Earning the phrase "major label act" may be the culmination of one dream for the band - but it's also the start of a new business strategy, a new long-term plan.

The Buzzhorn spent much of this spring crisscrossing the country playing clubs and opening for acts such as Rob Zombie and Monster Magnet.

After a brief stop home to headline the Rock Stage at Summerfest, the quartet is back on the road, hauling its own gear in its rented SUV - "we have zero roadies" said Joseph - doing acoustic sets at various radio stations to build buzz for "Disconnected."

"We hop out at a radio station, play two songs and hop back into the car and drive to the next place, said Mueller, chatting from a gas station somewhere in Alabama in late July.

"Yesterday we drove 14 hours from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Biloxi, Mississippi. Now we're on the way to Huntsville, like, seven and a half hours away."]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:20:18 +0000 StePA Shane Swaney (guitar, background vocals);
Brendan Oates (guitar);
Chaz Kindschi (keyboards, DJ);
Jessie Krapff (bass);
Mark Thorley (drums).

Official Site:www.stepamusic.com
Status:Disbanded in 2004

Stepa is an talented and energetic new band from LA. The bands debut cd offers the listener something a little different from the rest of the alt-rock world. Not only does Stepa have a frontman that can actually sing (Blake Beckmann), but they also bring some very catchy guitar riffs and a DJ (Chaz Kindschi) that does more than just scratching. He adds some very nice background effects to a lot of the songs. The cd was produced by Jay Baumgardner (Hoobastank, Papa Roach). Stepa has a sound that is very much like the rest of the bands that Baumgardner has produced, but they add many elements to the music that gives them a sound all their own. Overall the cd is very well put together, but the only negative thing I have to say about the band is that the lyrical content of the album is pretty weak. Even with that one negative, the cd still serves up many positives. The first track off the cd is also the first single. "Aquarium" is a very catchy song. You will have it stuck in your head for days. With no video support and little radio play, this song has helped them gain many new fans. The next single is going to be "Spaceships And Airplanes". With the release of the second single, expect a video to be shot and airing shortly. Also expect to hear more of Stepa on your local radio stations. With the combination of strong radio play and a successful video, Stepa should be on top of the alt/rock charts where they deserve to be!]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:19:54 +0000 40 Below Summer Joe D'Amico: Guitar
Hector Graziani: Bass
Carlos Aguilar: Drums
Jordan Plingos: Guitar

official site:www.40belowsummer.com
Status:Disbanded on 17 september 2005(40 Below Summer have decided to call it a day and will play a final show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on September 17th with all of the bands original members. It will be filmed for a DVD that the band will sell through their official website at a later date. Despite the end of 40 Below Summer, the remaining members of the band, frontman Max Illidge, guitarist Joe D'Amico and bassist Hector Graziani, will continue on together under the moniker of Black Market Hero. Also in the line-up are Ryan Jurhs of Flaw fame on guitars and drummer Ali Nassar. The band will open the aforementioned 40 Below Summer show)
Утро после... У всех оно было. Просыпаться и с трудом открывать глаза, удивляясь, где ты находишься, как ты сюда попал, и кто, к чёрту, рядом с тобой. Единственной хорошей новостью есть то, что начался новый день - ты можешь встать и уйти. Для 40 Below Summer, утро после ("The Mourning After") самое подходящее название для нового второго альбома, который "уже наступает на пятки" и выходит после двух лет со дня издания первого альбома. За эти два года команда изучила глубину человеческой и говорит, что новая пластинка будет одним из самых отличительных и сильных тяжёлых релизов 2003 года.

"Мы испытали два года персонального, эмоционального голодомора" - говорит вокалист Max Illidge. "Не только как команда, а каждый по-своему. Каждый испытал это чувство и пропустил через себя. Я могу сказать, что это были самые жёсткие два года в нашей жизни".

Семя команды 40 Below Summer было пущено в 1998 году, когда барабанщик, перуанец по происхождению, Carlos Aguilar начал джэмовать вместе с вокалистом Illidge. Joe D'Amico последовал после Jordan Plingos и, пуэрториканцем по происхождению, Hector'ом Graziani. Изданный собственными силами EP, названный Sideshow Freaks, постоянные выступления на обоих побережьях, дали возможность команде подписать контракт с London/Sire Records. Главный дебют на лейбле, альбом "Invitation To The Dance", был издан в октябре 2001 года, продюсером которого стал легендарным GGGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Kittie).

При помощи лейбла, команда выступила на Jagermeister Music Tour, вместе с Drowning Pool, Coal Chamber, и Ill Nino, тем самым, увеличив, свой фан-клуб с геометрической прогрессией. "Это действительно классно, особенно когда мы играем в маленьких клубах и дети просто сходят с ума", говорит Plingos. "Они следуют за нами, они хотят говорить с тобой и рассказывать, что они думают о шоу. Это просто сумасшествие видеть, что пять парней из фургона могут делать".

Общаясь с фанами, команде, в тоже время, продолжала работу над "The Mourning After", по-новому открывая свою любовь к музыке. "На долгое время мы забыли, кем мы были и что делали", говорит Illidge. "Мы погрузли в дерьме шоу бизнеса с головой, и напрочь забыли, зачем начали играть музыку, которая нам нравилась".

Новый альбом команда начала писать сразу же после выхода "Invitation To The Dance". Сначала песен было 50, потом 21 и в конечном итоге 10 (плюс бонус "The Day I Died") из альбома "Mourning After". Razor & Tie увидели группу в феврале 2003 года, когда команда выступала в Нью-Йорке. Контракт был подписан в июне, после чего группа начала запись альбома.

Тогда же команда задействовала продюсера David Bendeth (Vertical Horizon, Crash Test Dummies), который принёс новый саунд в команду. "Мы подумали. Если мы будем работать с кем-то, кто создал семь известных альбомов тяжёлой музыки, это придаст звучанию команды что-то новое", говорит Plingos. David не думает как продюсер. Во-первых, он музыкант, гитарист. Он думает как мы".

Альбом реинкарнирует звучание 40 Below Summer, которое было присуще альбому "Invitation To The Dance". "Self-Medicate" и "F.E." (в котором принимал участие вокалист Ill Nino Cristian Machado) - это тяжёлые композиции, в которых собрана вся наша ярость и злость; в тоже время "Awakening" и "A Better Life" - это мелодичные песни, в которых есть свою особенная красота. "В первом альбоме мы пытались делать явные переходы от тяжёлой музыки к более красивой, но в этом альбоме мы сделали переходы более сглаженными", объясняет Joe D'Amico. "Конечно, мы хотели быть по-настоящему тяжёлой командой, но в тоже время хотели делать мелодичную музыку. Только сейчас мы научились, как совмещать и то и другое".

"Мы не команда, играющая ню-метал", говорит Illidge. "В каждом из нас есть элементы ню-метала; нам так же присущи элементы олд скула.. Элементы хардкора, фолька, даже джаза или фанка. Мы не хочем быть однообразными. Мы агрессивная рок команда, и рок есть в кадом".

С готовым к релизу "The Mourning After", 40 Below Summer готовятся к тому, что они умеют лучше всего - выступления - столько, сколько можно - принести их хардкор фанам убийцу-альбом. "Сейчас мы чувствуем себя великолепно", говорит Aguilar. "Всё - от опыта до каждого выступления, от того, как мы записывали альбом до написания песен - от всего мы получаем удовольствие".

"Музыка всегда должна быть на первом месте", добавляет Illidge. "Музыка и группа - это главное и только потом всё остальное".

Это сказал человек, который знает о чём он говорит. Это "Утро После" ("The Mourning After"), и 40 Below Summer просто взорвёт вас новым альбомом
Posted by neformat.com.ua]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:19:25 +0000 Soulfly Joe Nunez-Drums
Bobby Burns-Bass
Max Cavalera-Guitars,Vocals

Official site:www.soulfly.com
Status:active

The music on Soulfly's previous albums Soulfly, Primitive, and 3, is fluid, experimental, and unpredictable, and it embraces and seeks change. For its fourth album, the blood-boiling, self-produced Prophecy, Soulfly and its leader Max Cavalera, the metal legend/visionary who cut his teeth as founding guitarist/vocalist for the groundbreaking band Sepultura, decided to change gears yet again. Backed by a completely new cast of musicians, Prophecy represents a fresher, newer, revitalized Soulfly.

"I decided to do something different on this album," Cavalera admits, going as far as to claim that Prophecy is the most exciting sonic journey he's embarked on since his Sepultura days. "This is an approach that I've wanted to do for a while. I never wanted Soulfly to be a band like Metallica, with the same four guys. On every Soulfly album, we've changed the line up and it will probably continue that way. In order to do that, I had to start from the inside out and bring in people who caught my attention, that I had never played with before, and create this."

That's a risky, gutsy move for Cavalera and Soulfly, but the biggest risks reap the most satisfying rewards, and that's best evidenced by Prophecy. He recruited Mark Rizzo, formerly of Ill Nino, to play guitar, rejoined forces with drummer Joe Nunez, who played drums on Primitive, and split Prophecy's bass duties between former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and former Primer 55 bassist Bobby Burns. He chose Rizzo because of his range of ability, which veers from flamenco to heavy rock guitar. He chose Ellefson and Burns because he met them through his years on the road and respected their individual work/talent. While it might seem unusual to employ two people for one job as bassist on Prophecy, Cavalera insists that it gives the album distinct flavors. "The bass changes from song to song, and you can tell when it's Dave playing as opposed to Bobby, and that is what I wanted. Dave is old school Megadeth, which I love, and Bobby is new school. I like the old and the new together."

While Soulfly has always challenged their listeners' expectations, Prophecy also proved to be a challenge for Cavalera himself, who served not only as singer/guitarist, but also as the album's producer. "I am learning more in the studio and breaking down barriers. I don't want the same boring concepts. Who needs rules to make records? The best records are done without rules. If it comes from your heart, it'll be good."

Cavalera sees Prophecy - whose album title refers to the prophecy of change - which he recorded at the Salt Mine in Phoenix, as having two separate but equal halves. Cavalera has literally traveled the world to spice his past albums with world flavors. He has camped out at a castle in England. He has returned to his native Brazil. For Prophecy, he journeyed to Serbia to work with native musicians. He was inspired to do so after many trips to the country and experiencing the culture. "I spent a week in Serbia, and then experimented in the studio, and I'm happy with what came out of it. That's shaking the ground. Yes, the album has trademarks that the fans want. There are the hooks that people like to sing along to, more here than any other Soulfly album."

While Soulfly doesn't skimp on their classic bombast, the experimental and world music vibes assert themselves much more prominently on Prophecy. "When you get to 'I Believe,' the album takes a different shape. It's a very spiritual, and one of the heaviest songs. It's about the faith that I have and that the fans have. It's an open song that I wanted to write for a long time, with a talking part in the middle. It's my own confession that I have faith in God. It's just my belief. It leads into 'Moses,' which is the first exotic song on the album. I did it in Serbia with EYESBURN, a Serbian band. I've been called 'The Bob Marley Of Metal', so I wanted to do it right. It's seven minutes, it refers to the Bible and it's an epic song."


The fact that Cavalera went to a different country where he didn't speak the language lends an element of wonder to Prophecy, which was mixed by Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera, White Zombie), "It's got a legit dub style, with the basslines and horns, I never had a horn section on a record. But these are apocalyptic horns. Again, it's new." Cavalera also employed instruments from the Middle Ages and things like bagpipes made out of sheepskin while working with a Serbian professor of music. "They were the dirtiest instruments I have ever seen," Cavalera recalls. "Through the record, you hear them and get a world music feeling." There's even a guitar-less song recorded with Serbian gypsies and a song from World War II that you'd expect to unearth on a world music record.

Despite all the internal and sonic change, Soulfly has kept the tradition of including a self-titled song on the album. Since Prophecy is the fourth album, there's "Soulfly IV" on this album. It is toward the end of the record and it is a melodic track with a flamenco flourish. There is a cover of Helmet's "In the Meantime," which Cavalera was inspired to interpret because he loves the heavy riff and enjoyed touring with Helmet in the past.

Prophecy does break the rules, blending world music without compromising its brutality. As Max says, "Experimentation is the trademark of Soulfly. If I take that out, we would be just another good heavy band." Indeed, Soulfly is anything but just another heavy band. Cavalera respects his roots, yet branches out and experiments on Prophecy. Ferocious as a kick in the teeth, yet culturally stimulating, Prophecy is Soulfly's most daring, complete work to date.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:18:59 +0000 Deftones Minsk Devotees - белорусский сайт о группе Depeche Mode.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:18:00 +0000 Drowning Pool C.J. Pierce - Guitars
Steve Benton - Bass
Mike Luce - Drums

official site:www.drowningpool.com
Status:Active

"Современная ситуация в музыке довольно спокойная. Все основные течения предсказуемы. Стоит какой-нибудь одной группе придумать что-то оригинальное, как все остальные тут же стремятся присвоить эту идею и сколотить на этом побольше бабок. Я не считаю это положительным фактором. Есть много групп, которые вдохновляют нас в творчестве, но мы никогда не пытались подражать кому-то из них. Мы делаем ту музыку, которая нравится нам и которую мы считаем правильной. Это и есть наш путь", - Си Джей Пирс.

История Drowning Pool началась в Новом Орлеане. Друзья Майк Люк (ударные) и Си Джей Пирс (гитара) часто джэмовали в своем родном городе. Оба они интересовались тяжелой музыкой и мечтали замутить коллектив со звучанием в духе мелодичных метал-групп середины 90-х годов. Проблема заключалась в том, что в Новом Орлеане тяжелой музыкой мало кто интересовался, да и хорошей рок-сцены втам тоже не было. "Когда мы с Майком пытались найти участников для нашего нового проекта, на нас смотрели так, словно мы прилетели с другой планеты, - рассказывает Си Джей. Новый Орлеан - это большая площадка для джаза и блюза, который я очень люблю. Но мое сердце всегда принадлежало металу". В 2000 году чуваки решают переехать в Даллас (США, штат Техас), где жил их давний кореш - бас-гитарист Стив Бентон. Приехав в Даллас, Люк и Пирс поведали Стиву о своих планах создания новой группы. Стиву идея пришлась по душе, и он согласился помочь ребятам. Втроем парни принялись штурмовать клубы и бары Далласа. Играли они неплохо, однако им не хватало истинного фронтмэна - человека с хорошим вокалом и индивидуальным поведением на сцене, который смог бы помочь им оформиться в музыкальном мире, как самостоятельной группе.

Этим человеком стал Дэйв Вильямс по кличке "Сцена", с которым трио абсолютно случайно познакомилось на одном из своих концертов. Свое прозвище Дэйв получил за необычайною энергичность во время живых выступлений и уникальную способность зажигать толпу. До встречи с Drowning Pool Дэйв примерно 2 года разминался в местных альтернативных группах и уже успел зарекомендовать себя, как превосходный сочинитель и исполнитель своих песен. Чуваки предложили Вильямсу попробовать себя у микрофонной стойки. На следующий день Дэйв приперся на прослушивание и почти сразу же доказал ребятам, что он - то, что им надо. "Уже на второй минуте прослушивания мы убедились, что Дэйв - это на 100% метал! - рассказывает Стив. Он обладал какой-то особой энергетикой, присущей только ему, словно он и микрофон в его руке были одним целым. В конце каждой песни он так сильно напрягал свою гортань, что мне иногда действительно становилось страшно!" После прослушивания расчувствовавшееся трио сообщило Дэйву новость, что он принят. 2000 год и стал официальной датой формирования группы Drowning Pool, названной так участниками коллектива в честь популярного фильма 70-х годов.

В начале 2000 года группа записала свою первую демку, которая впоследствии оказалась в руках участников группы Sevendust. Ребятам из Sevendust понравились мелодии Drowning Pool, и они пргиласили их в совместный тур. Далее последовали гастроли в компании с Kittie и hed (P.E.), которые принесли Drowning Pool широкую известность. "Пока мы были в турах, мы постоянно совершенствовались в своем творчестве, - говорит Майк. Мы старались чему-то научиться у тех групп, с которыми мы гастролировали. К примеру, Sevendust сильно повлияли на нас в плане тяжести, а у таких групп, как Kittie мы набирались опыта в деле лайв-выступлений". К концу 2000 - началу 2001 года Drowning Pool закончили работу над очередной демонстрационной записью. На ней присутсвовало 6 новых песен, более тяжелых и качественных по сравнению с предыдущей демо-записью группы. Благодаря этой демке Drowning Pool удалось выступить на самой большой радиостанции в Далласе - KEGL, а также заключить контракт с Wind-Up Records, на котором был записан дебютный альбом коллектива.

В 2001 году команда приступила к работе над своей первой полноценной пластинкой. Новые наработки Drowning Pool устрашали: пронзающий, словно стрела, вокал, скрипучие гитарные рифы и отточенное и ритмичное звучание ударных. Drowning Pool удалось совместить одновременно легкую и тяжелую, медленную и агрессивную музыку, что стало характерной чертой их звучания. "Мы выросли под влиянием таких коллективов, как AC/DC, Metallica, Motley Crue и других, - говорит Дэйв. В наши времена именно такие группы называли металом. Но сейчас метал - слишком широкое понятие. Это также может быть хэви, дез, трэш, хард и прочее. Хотя наша группа сформировалась в самый расцвет так называемого "ню-метала", я не понимаю тех людей, которые относят нас к этому стилю. Ню-метал - это метал с элементами рэпа и хип-хопа, например Limp Bizkit или Linkin Park. Но в нашей музыке нет рэпа. Достаточно послушать одну нашу песню, чтобы понять, что мы - рок-группа". Основные темы песен Drowning Pool - отношение к религии, к Богу и отношения между людьми. "Я не против религии в целом, я против лишь той религии, которую стараются затолкать мне в глотку, - объясняет Дэйв. Нельзя заставлять других людей чувствовать себя плохо, из-за того, что они живут по-другому. Любая организованная форма религии душит все светлое, свободное и творческое в человеке. Поэтому я в это не верю. Вещи, в которые я верю - это семья, друзья и музыка, они не дают мне упасть духом".

И вот, в 2001 году выходит в свет первое творение коллектива под названием "Sinner" (Грешник). Альбом дебютировал на пятой строчке Billboard и спустя 4 месяца был распродан тиражом более 1,5 миллиона копий. С альбома было выпущего 3 сингла - "Sinner", "Bodies" и "Tear Away", которые стали настоящими гимнами для фанатов группы. В поддержку пластинки коллектив выступил на всемирно известном Ozzfest вместе с System Of A Down, P.O.D., Adema, Rob Zombie, а также отправился в длительное турне в компании с такими группами, как Disturbed, Stereomud и другими. На следующий год Drowning Pool вновь оказались в числе участников Ozzfest. В период тура коллектив записал кавер-версию известной композиции Metallica - "Creeping Death". Также Drowning Pool планировали начать работу над вторым лонгплеем, когда случилась страшная трагедия.

14 августа 2002 года вокалист Drowning Pool Дэйв Вильямс был найден мертвым в гастрольном автобусе группы. Причина смерти - сердечный приступ. Похороны состоялись 18 августа в Техасе. Свои соболезнования семье Дэйва и остальным участникам коллектива выразили такие группы, как Pantera, Coal Chamber, Sevendust, Chimaira, Soil, Machine Head и Hatebreed. "Сегодня мы потеряли нашего друга. Дэйв был не просто отличным музыкантом, он был добрым и бескорыстным человеком. Он любил музыку, свою семью, друзей и фанатов. Он был для нас, как брат. Покойся с миром, дружище, нам будет тебя не хватать!" - Pantera.
Оправиться от этой трагедии остальные участники Drowning Pool смогли лишь к ноябрю 2002 года. Парни вернулись в студию и записали песню "The Man Without Fear" - саундтрэк к фильму "Сорви Голова" (Daredevil). В роли вокалиста на ней выступил близкий друг Вильямса - Роб Зомби.

В декабре 2002 года Drowning Pool объявили о прослушивании на место их нового вокалиста. "После смерти Дэйва у нас у всех пропало желание делать музыку, - говорит Стив. Дэйв был душой Drowning Pool, в нем был дух той музыки, которую мы хотели исполнять. И вдруг его не стало. Конечно, мы могли просто взять и распасться, но это было бы предательством по отношению к нему. Дэйв вложил много сил и души в эту группу, и я точно знаю, что он бы радовался, если мы продолжим начатое им дело". Тем не менее, коллектив долго не мог найти вокалиста, который бы обладал такой же энергетикой и харизмой, которые были присущи Вильямсу. Как-то раз, ребята даже предложили Робу Флину [Rob Flynn] (вокалист Machine Head) попробоваться на место их фронмэна. Но Роб вежливо отказался, т.к. не хотел покидать Machine Head. И вот, примерно год спустя после непрерывных поисков фронтмэна, Drowning Pool остановили свой выбор на Джейсоне Джонсе по кличке "Гонг". До Drowning Pool Джейсон зажигал в группе Sunset Strip, в составе которой также играл Минг Ченг [Ming Cheng] (брат Чи Ченга из Deftones), который придумал Джейсону прозвище "Гонг" за его грозный сиреноподобный вокал. По словам Джонса, за день до прослушивания ему приснилось, как басист Drowning Pool Стив Бентон говорит ему, что он принят на место их нового фронтмэна, хотя Джейсон никогда раньше не видел Стива в лицо. Удивительно, но именно так все и получилось.

К записи очередного студийного альбома группа приступила лишь весной 2004 года. "Наша музыка в корне изменилась с приходом Джейсона в группу, - говорит Майк. Меня поразила общая непохожесть наших новых композиций на предыдущие. Где-то мы стали тяжелее, где-то мелодичнее, но в целом это уже была совсем другая музыка! И дело было даже не в новом вокалисте - мы все изменились". А вот, что по этому поводу думает Джейсон Джонс: "Я никогда не пытался петь голосом, похожим на Дэйва Вильямса, да и вряд ли у меня это получится. Дэйв был не по-детски крутым музыкантом, он один из тех, кто вдохновляет меня в моем творчестве. Но мы с ним поем абсолютно по-разному, поэтому я не хочу его дублировать". В марте 2004 года коллектив записал песню "Step Up", которая вошла на саундтрэк к ленте "Каратель" (Punisher), а уже в апреле выпустил долгожданный второй диск под названием "Desensitized" (Вернувшийся К Жизни)*. "Эта работа - самая удивительная вещь, которую мы когда-либо делали, - говорит Си Джей. Она отражает не только продолжение нашего творческого пути после той ужасной трагедии, но и наш триумф. Думаю, наши фанаты будут приятно удивлены тому обстоятельству, что наша музыка стала еще тяжелее и глубже. Этой пластинкой мы хотели показать то, что все мы в состоянии контролировать наши судьбы. Иногда жизнь вышибает у нас почву из-под ног, но все мы знаем, что жизнь продолжается, музыка продолжается также как жизнь, и Drowning Pool тоже будут продолжаться!"

Posted by Hardmusic.dax.ru]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:17:54 +0000 Dope Virus - Guitars/Keys
Brix - Bass
Racci "Sketchy" Shay - Drums / Samples

Status:Active
site:dopearmy.com

Dope wants "to open up people's eyes both with [their] outlook on the world and [their] music," according to lead singer Edsel Dope.

They believe in absolute and complete freedom of all expression and action. According to the band, this uncensored freedom will eliminate incarceration for victimless crimes, as they affect no one but those who choose to participate. Specifically, Dope supports the decriminalization and legalization of all drugs, just like cigarettes and alcohol.

"You regulate it, tax it, and put a rest to the useless, multimillion?dollar war on drugs as well as the insane amount of money we spend on prisons. That's a lot of money that could be spent on a hell of a lot better things," says keyboardist Simon Dope.

This will reduce both the crime rate and the overwhelming cost of needlessly jailing thousands of nonviolent offenders in an environment that breeds violence more than rehabilitation.

As Edsel puts it, "You take a non-violent kid caught with a pocket full of drugs and throw him in prison and watch him learn to become violent. How does this better our society?" Simon adds "Our prisons are overcrowded already. With a drop in the prison population there'll be more space for the people who belong in prison, like rapists and child molesters so they aren't back on the streets due to overcrowding."

Along with these concerns, the Dope philosophy pretty much boils down to freedom. The Declaration of Independence granted us each life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Simon puts it, "Who the hell is some guy in DC to decide what my pursuit of happiness should be? What if it involves getting high in my own home? As long as I'm not intruding on anyone else's freedom who cares? These people need to worry a little more about themselves and less about what I'm doing in my own fucking home."

In 1996, the Dope brothers were at work in New York City writing songs when they came across guitarist Sloane Jentry, 25, from North Philadelphia. Sloane had become bored with the Philadelphia scene, where he would often turn to drugs and alcohol for entertainment, and decided to search for something better in New York City. The three hit it off instantly and Dope had its first member.

With the addition of Sloane, the Dope brothers were on their way to forming their band. However, they were still in need of a bassist and drummer. While attending a Jack Off Jill Show at the 1997 CMJ Music Fest, Edsel was introduced to a young guitarist named Tripp Eisen, 26, by his friend Scott Petusky (ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist Daisy Berkowitz). Tripp grew up in Detroit and later moved to New Jersey, where he was currently heading several Goth/Industrial bands. Edsel was immediately impressed with Tripp without even hearing him play. Since Dope already had a guitarist, they came up with the idea to try and get Tripp to play bass. Needless to say, Dope now has it's bassist.

The only spot left to fill was percussions. Since Edsel wanted to do vocals, Dope needed someone else on the drums for live shows. Tripp had a good friend named Preston Nash who had been playing with Tripp in another band. Preston was introduced to the rest of Dope, and was soon asked to join the band as a live drummer.

In 1998 Dope began distributing a demo tape that said they were being produced by Zim Zum of Marilyn Manson. (Although Zimmy ended up never actually producing anything for Dope, it did get them more publicity than they would have gotten otherwise). Dope also began playing live shows in New York City. As of now they have played 8 shows, all in the city (there was one scheduled to be played in Connecticut but it was cancelled) and have built up a devoted fan base. They have also been checked out by stars like Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative, who attended their May 17 show. In late 1998 they were signed to Flip Records, the home of bands like Limp Bizkit and Cold. They also worked out a distribution deal with Epic Records, and were featured in magazines such as High Times, Guitar, and Outburn, and received airplay from stations like New Jersey's WSOU (89.5 FM).

Dope's debut album was finished in Spring 1999, and is set to be released in late July, and be followed by their first tour. The album was produced by Edsel Dope & John Travis (who has worked with Biohazard, Monster Magnet, Videodrone, Kid Rock, Gravity Kills, etc.), was enginered by Edsel and John Travis and mixed by Edsel with 3 different people: John Travis, Jay Baumgardener (who also did Coal Chamber's 1st album and is in the process of mixing the new Coal Chamb?r record) and a guy by the name of Blumpy who works under Ben Gross, who did the Filter albums. A new 3 song sampler tape that contains the unmastered album versions of Sick, Fuck Tha Police and the demo version of Spine for You was released in spring and was distributed across the country through Flip and Epic records street teams.

In June 1999 Dope announced their tour supporting ORGY!!!! Look for them to be getting a LOT of exposure. The tour starts in Boston on July 17 and will continue until the end of July. Afterwards Dope will join the Fear Factory/Static-X tour. Tour dates can be found on my tour dates page. The album release date keeps getting pushed back but it is currently set for August.

On July 9 1999 Dope played their last New York City club show before starting their big tours. The show was a press showcase, held at the Elbow Room, and unfortunately lasted only about 35 minutes. According to other people it was pretty good, although my friends and I found it somewhat disappointing.

Dope's debut album, Felons and Revolutionaries, was finally officially released on September 14th (though there were various promo copies floating around before that). The first few were printed with the song Fuck tha Police listed, but the rest were printed without that song listed on the back. Both versions of the CD, however, are exactly the same.

Dope's tour with Orgy was very successful in winning them many new fans. They then toured with Fear Factory/Static-X, and then Coal Chamber/Slipknot. They were featured in plenty of mainstream magazines and their reputation has continued to grow. They did a live "webcast" of their performance and an interview for the UBL in mid-November 1999. In the interview Dope discussed their early club shows, including their first show ever, at the Elbow Room in March 1998, and the fact that they were never really part of the New York City club scene (except for the one show they played, January 1st 1999, with Uranium 235 and Vampire Love Dolls).

Dope's reputation is continuing to grow as they tour with more and more mainstream acts

posted by edseldope.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:17:06 +0000 Jerk Leeno Dee (Bass)
Charles Cilia (Guitar)
Lamar Lowder (Drums)

Status:Disbanded
site:jerkmusic.com

It's no great secret that the most definitive albums are so much more than just a collection of songs. Rather, they herald the ushering in of a new era, a dramatically realigned perspective of what is and must be from their release date onwards.

From Monday April 14, When Pure Is Defiled, the debut album by Jerk will be doing some redefining of its own.

If there's ever to be a remake of Stanley Kubrick's 1969 sociological cult classic, A Clockwork Orange which is still banned in the UK, Jerk have their bowler hats at the ready. The hell raising and hell bringing outfit have been increasing the size of their audience almost exponentially each week with a howling attack of well post future metal and the approach of centurians from a coming apocalypse.

A string of videos have been mandatory viewing during any of their countless screenings on Rage and their debut EP had punters and critics screaming the band's name in manic praise from the highest possible vantage point.

When Pure Is Defiled with its upper and outer limit seismic sized sonic wallop is however the main event, the ultimate call up for a mass army of the disaffected.

The anthemic single, I Hate People Like That was the first taster of the album with Just What You Need as the follow up single.

"We thought, OK, at what moment does shit really change?" said singer, Jonathan Devoy of the album's title, a line in Injection of You.

"When do you realise you're more than the things you were? When pure is defiled. When you take the evidence of your senses and you look at the world around you and you realise that everything is fucked but you're strong enough to get through it but it took that moment for you to realize. It's about becoming aware of the moment that you're strong and you can put your fist in the air and you can tell people to fuck off. You're strong and you can believe in what you want - when pure is defiled. It's the last barrier that breaks down. It's all about honesty and purity and those moments."

US born Lamar Lowder, Jerk's founder, drummer and When Pure Is Defiled's co-producer, produced acts such as Chainsuck and Engines Of Aggression and worked with several hip hop rooted artists in his homeland. In recognition of those skills and in an almost unprecedented act of faith he was allowed to produce When Pure Is Defiled in Sydney over a total of about a month of studio time in late 2002.

"We were really just trying to capture what we are which is a live band that plays with running loops and things like that. I do know there's an energy when we play and I love the sound and the depth of live drums in a room. I also like the feel of live guitars mic'd up and crankin' and getting us all playing together in the room just puts spirit on top of what can be a little bit cold for rock. When you're doing what we're doing and have a band that has a spirit you need to capture it and that was the idea of going into the studio and playing on top of it."

"We went through the EP tracks, we had a list of about 22 songs but we used the EP stuff as a place to start from." says Deevoy. "Pretty much as soon as we were in the studio it was like, Fuck! This is going to sound really damn good! We did it exactly the same way as we recorded the EP, we just had more time and better gear."

Before the recording could begin the studio was subjected to an aesthetic overhaul, Jerk style.

"We had my naked mannequin thing that I like and a couple of skulls, candles, my dolls, nice low lighting, a bit of mood." says Deevoy. "In the vocal booth I just got all those partitions and made a square in which I
put like this small corpse doll that I've got and I just hung it off the mic stand. We turned off the lights and no-one was allowed to be there when I was getting in the mood, only the band. On stage there's many, many people looking at you doing it but when you're recording it and you want to real and pure and I need to be by myself. In 'the zone' as it were."

All the while, co-producer, Sean Beaven who's services Lowder had previously enlisted while in LA and whose studio credits include Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Guns n' Roses was giving sympathetic and fully
agreed direction.

"I was in consultation with him from the beginning" says Lowder. "He had some things he wanted to do to change it up a bit so through my conversations with him I was able to implement those changes in the studio
and just play them back to him over the phone and he was like, yeah, that's what I was thinking! He had a lot of great ideas and we used practically all of them. He got what we were trying to do immediately."

"Sean is responsible for the music that we have loved and will continue to love so we met on that field." says Deevoy.

On completion, the results of the recordings in Sydney were dumped onto a 40 gigabite drive and a week later Deevoy and Lowder jetted off to LA to team up with Beavan face to face. They were joined in the third and final week of the process by guitarist, Charlie Cilia and bassist, Leeno Dee. By the time the latter pair arrived Beavan was still recovering from Deevoy's force of nature efforts in the studio and at his home.

"Sean was just insanely impressed with John's vocal ability." says Lowder. "I've got some on tape where John went and just nailed something in the first take."

Although they were working 16 hour days, seven days a week, the Jerk machine found time to be sociable. Their attendance at the Ozzfest aftershow party saw Dee knocking back beers with Pantera, long chats with Rob Zombie and Shavo from System who was knocked out by the band's name alone and enthusiastically requested an advance copy of When Pure Is Defiled. And there's a great story about a well fuelled Deevoy getting lost in darkest Hollywood and finding himself in a fetish bar. But we won't go into that here.

Taken as total experience, LA was the final blessing on one of the greatest subversive albums to ever come out of Australia.

"Lamar and I started this band four years ago in October." says Devoy. "We always wanted to create an entity, not a fucking band, not four dudes who play music, an entity, a thing that can walk on its own and does all the talking for us. We've set it up in such a way that you can't ignore us. You simply can't. You can't resist. Resistance really is futile. Even if you hate us, you hate our guts you'll still be there nodding your head at the end of this album."
Posted by:jerkmusic.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:14:43 +0000 Orgy Amir Derakh - Synthetic Guitars
Ryan Shuck - Guitar
Paige Haley - Bass
Bobby Hewitt - V-Drums

Status:Active
Site:punkstatikparanoia.com

The best rock music always combines raw power and absolute panache. It should pulse with sexuality and pathos, but look damn stylish in the process. It can forge heavy, almost Paleolithic riffs - yet retain intelligence, cunning, and pure pop hummability. In short, the best rock is utterly savage, unabashedly stylish, and entirely guilt free.

But records like that don't come along very often. Enter Punk Statik Paranoia, the latest and greatest Bacchanalian musical salvo from L.A.-based death-pop quintet Orgy.

"We want to make people stop in their tracks," says vocalist Jay Gordon. "We may have gone a little bit out there musically on our first two records, but this time we focused on the songwriting. It's just time to really connect with our fans. We just want people to go, 'This is worthy.' And of course we want the girls to think, 'I want to sleep with every member of that band.'"

A cursory listening of Punk Statik Paranoia should have music fans scurrying to lock up their daughters, sisters, and/or moms. It's that good. The first single, "The Obvious," pours layer after decadent layer of sweet distortion over subterranean fuzzbass and deep rhythmic grooves, all infused with a pop hook that'll haunt your head like a hangover. And it's danceable.

Throughout the disk, Orgy spin decadent lyrical yarns of love, medication and psychotic associates over addictive arrangements that alternate between chilly, electro-glazed soundscapes and monstrously heavy metallic pop. Dark gems like "Leave Me Out," "Inside My Head," and "Vague" are some of Orgy's most focused and catchiest works to date - and ironically their loudest.

"I'm screaming a lot more on this record - but I kind of needed to," laughs Gordon. "It's been the hardest of all three to write, and it's definitely taken the longest. We'd finally finish a song the band was happy with and I'd be like, 'Hey, are you sure there's nothing else? Have we exhausted every tip, trick and rule we know that can make this thing better?' I'm a total neurotic perfectionist."

Neurotic perfectionism has served Orgy well thus far. Releasing their 1998 debut album Candyass on Korn's Elementree label as the flagship act inside a year of forming, Orgy struck the singles charts twice with a bruising cover of New Order's "Blue Monday" and the dynamic follow-up "Stitches." As the record soared to platinum-sales status, pundits tagged the Orgy sound a number of ways ("electro-rock," "industrial synth," "sleaze rock," "techno-goth"). But they all seemed to agree on one thing: Orgy's brave new mix of prismatic synth lines, pulverizing guitar, and New Romantic vocal stylings was fresh and welcome. Even attendees of Korn's notoriously heavy Family Values Tour approved.

"It was really weird to see how people responded to what we did on that tour," Gordon says. "We were just being as ridiculous as possible trying to try a bunch of new things. But it worked out - whatever kind of twisted message we were trying to get across, I think we achieved delivering."

Several more tours, most notably with label-mates Videodrone and '80s goth-rock pillars Love and Rockets, helped expand the fan-base, and by the year 2000, Orgy debuted its sophomore album, the sci-fi concept piece Vapor Transmission, at No 16 on Billboard's Top 200. The sound was harder this time out, the songwriting more complex, and the record garnered even better reviews than had Orgy's first, spinning off a pair of strong singles in "Fiction (Dreams in Digital)" and "Opticon." More successful touring followed, with Orgy once again headlining.

All well and good, but the past is the past. And Orgy's always been a bunch with a collective eye on the future.

"Forget looking back," Gordon states emphatically. "We don't walk around with copies of our first two records or anything like that. We certainly aren't into the VH1 'Where Are They Now' nostalgia circuit! But I was afraid if we didn't get this record out soon that I was going to start getting phone calls from them. Instead, I hope the new stuff has VH1 making documentaries like, 'Why are they still kicking ass? Why are they still blowing shit up? Why are they still pulverizing the planet?'"

While VH1 has announced no plans to create a series called "Why Are They Still Blowing Shit Up?," Punk Statik Paranoia may well accomplish a different goal of Gordon's: Converting the few people still out there who remember Orgy mainly as "those guys who did that cover song." Gordon thinks this record will do it. And if not, well that's fine with him too.

"You know, thank god everybody doesn't like just the same old thing. That's why we have fans in the first place," he says. "There's never any one set way that things have to be. I think our three records prove that. We're just doing what we're into. I always wanted to be in a band with a bunch of Bruce Lees, where everybody was just sick. And we're getting there - we may only be white belts right now, but we will yet achieve that ultimate
dopeness that we so crave."]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:14:17 +0000 Five Pointe 0 Sharon Grzelinski - гитара
Eric Wood - гитара и вокал
Sean Pavey - бас гитара
Casey Mejia - клавиши
Tony Starcevich - ударные

Status:disbanded
site:none

Группа сформировалась в конце 1998 г., в Джолиете, штат Иллинойс, когда вокалист Даниел Страбл и басист Син Пэви после неудачной музыкальной попытки начали тусоваться с Шерон, просто так.

"Мы чувствовали какое-то безумие по поводу этого, - говорит Шерон, - и поняли, что нужно расширять группу". Они нашли барабанщика Тони Старсевича из группы Chamber.
Он разделял время между двумя группами, пока окончательно не осел в Five Pointe O как на постоянной работе. "Помнится, Тони носил с собой барабаны с нашей репетиции на другую, но потом он просто ушел то них к нам" - говорит Даниел.
Клавишник Кейси Мейя и гитарист Эрик Вуд, как иногда бывает, оказались кузенами Даниела и отлично вписались в состав. Клавиши Кейси добавляют и элемент индастриела, и мелодичную изысканность в противовес свирепому сочетанию риффов Шерон и Эрика и военно-точным, наступательным ритмам Тони и Сина.

За свою 54-минутную продолжительность, Untitled (дебютный и последний альбом группы, переводится как "Безымянный"), отображает группу, говорящую на многих наречиях рока. "Когда мы работаем, - говорит гитаристка Шерон Грзелински, - мы забываем, что вокруг нас что-то существует, и отталкиваемся от первоначального чувства, того, что происходит вокруг нас, а не от того, что диск будет успешно продан."

Строясь от фундамента трэша, хардкора традиционного метала, они добавляют вкропления мелодии и объединяют все это вместе в сложную звуковую палитру с потрясающей изменчивочтью.
Лирика Даниела противоречит его 18 годам. Он погружается в такие духовные источники как буддизм и шаманство для их понимания, но не отстаивая точек зрения какого-то конкретного учения или божества.
"Я смотрю на всё, - говорит Даниел. - Я не христианин ни по каким меркам.

Лично у меня нет проблем в с людьми, верующими в Бога или кого-либо еще, но сам я не верю в культы и обожествления. Я всегда смотрю на вещи с точки зрения самосовершенствования вместо того, чтобы надеяться или просить прощения. Совершенствовать себя, пока ты здесь, живой, в этой жизни:
Я принимаю эту позицию. Мне нравятся вещи, у которых есть доказательство, очевидность."
Спродюсированные Колином Ричардсоном (Fear Factory, Machine Head, Cannibal Corpse), на Sonic Ranch Studios в Торнилло, штат Техас, альбом потрясает с начала до конца.

С первого трека "Double X Minus" до анализирующего Армагеддон "Purity 01" с его вступлением, созвучным с племенным барабаном, и напряженными, пыхтящими риффами гитар, Five Pointe O обращает к слушателю свое нападающее акустическое послание.
Такие треки, как "Freedom" и "The Infinity", где Даниел затрагивает тему поиска чего-то лучшего на фоне апокалиптических ритмов и тяжелых гитарных рифов, освещают как лирическую глубину, так и музыкальную ширину чикагского сикстета.

Five Pointe O создает музыку, настолько плотную, что она кажется осязаемой, настолько цепляющую, что она остается с вами уже после прослушивания. Untitled сравним с лучшими из всех возможных чувств; он заставляет слушать, думать, чувствовать. Со своей музыкальной текстурой и социально-спиритическим лирическим содержанием, Five Pointe O создали такой дебютный альбом, который доказывает, что способности и вдохновение в названии не нуждаются.
posted by altstage.com.ru]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:13:38 +0000 Erase The Grey Josh Adkins-Drums/percussion
Jonny Sayre-vocals
Nate Morgan-bass

Status:Unknown
Site:erasethegrey.net

If you don't know who Erase the Grey is...here's a summary. Once signed to Universal Records with an EP in stores called "27 Days", ETG were one of the dozens of bands that were never pushed to their fullest. With a single on the radio called "Rain", that held many number one spots on radio stations globally as well as music stations such as Music Choice (which still plays ETG to this day), the push from the label was never there and the band decided to part ways, to persue different avenues. Missing the chemistry the band once had, ETG decided it was time to bring the music back to the people that appreciated it and rekindle the spark that served as the foundation for what they believed. Erase the Grey has risen from the proverbal grave and are destined to show the world, once again, that they just won't stop.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:12:54 +0000 Genuflect Guitars - Greg Sullivan
Bass - Steve Hart
Drums - Scott Wilson

Status:Active
Site:genuflect.net

Genuflect's sound is straight up IN YOUR FACE, with vocals by Drew Simollardes and Greg Sullivan on the guitars. Drew and Greg met in high school as original members of the Boston based rock group Reveille, which released two albums before disbanding in 2003. Now reunited, Drew and Greg prepare to take the stage again with their new project. Genuflect will release a demo CD and perform several live shows in New England later this summer. Drew and Greg are currently in the process of completing the demo. They have recently added a live drummer and will soon be holding tryouts for a bass player.

Posted by Genuflect.net]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:11:57 +0000 Five Bolt Main Ivan Arnold - Drums
Alex Cando - Bass
Kobie Jackson - Guitars
Ron Paige - Guitars

Status:active
Site:fiveboltmain.com

Louisville, Kentucky five-piece Five Bolt Main has signed with the Rock
Ridge Music label it was announced today. The band features Chris Volz,
former vocalist for hard rock band FLAW, as well as several members who
worked with Volz in early incarnations of FLAW. The band plans to record
their debut album in Louisvilles Canyon Studios in April and May, with
Canyon owner Chris Cassetta assisting with production duties. When the
album is completed, it will receive national distribution via Sixthman/ADA;
a fall release is planned. FLAW was signed to Republic/Universal Records
previously, and following CD scanned sales of over 445,000 on two albums
combined, were dropped in late 2004. They were praised for their first
album, Through The Eyes, by ThePRP.com, who commented: FLAW frontman Chris
Volz's foreboding moans and croons emphasize his words with a sweeping
grace, only to explode into jaggedly delivered contemporary metal tinged
exorcisms. the band create walls of twisting vibrant melodies that ascend
to spiraling heights, only to buckle over and trap the listener in a fiery
wreckage of fearsome modern metal crunch.


Says Rock Ridge principal (and former Universal Marketing VP) Tom Derr:
Personally, I am looking forward to working again with Chris Volz and this
new project Five Bolt Main. The bands professionalism and work ethic are
the foundation for what we see as a very successful endeavor.


Volz is equally pleased to be working again with Derr, saying: Tom Derr was
most supportive of FLAW, and always had innovative ideas. When we found out
he was starting Rock Ridge and read his mission statement, we didnt feel the
need to shop Five Bolt Main around at all. His whole approach is unique, as
Rock Ridge is there to help develop us.


I feel in working with Tom and Rock Ridge, we have the chance to get on
board with something innovative and change the outlook and goal for other up
and coming bands they dont have to be on a major label to succeed and we
hope to demonstrate that.

Posted by fiveboltmain.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:11:30 +0000 Midnight Panic Guitar: Peter Shubert
Bass: Mike Montano
Drums: Matt Low

Status:Active
Site:myspace.com/midnightpanic

When Daniel from Studio 99 called my bluff last Friday about attending Mark Chavez' Midnight Panic debut show, I was none other than amazed and humbled. Having value as a writer in the Bakersfield music scene is an honor. Why? Because there's real talent locally. I don't have to leave town to see great guitar riffs, lyrical wisdom, piano virtuosos, techno dreamy and dream pop, punk rock mayhem, and top rate metal madness. Having such respect generates a good feeling; humble, trusted, the notion that I can blaze a path for the music scene and others can feel secure that I am driving this car somewhere. Not that I drive the only car. It's more like a freeway of folks trying to steer the scene in a lot of directions: Belton, Rivera, Dobbler...

I had expected Daniel to shirk my protest, to ignore my whining and complaining when I wrote this past week, "At the time I said 'yes'. But that was the day before the rock and roll-less art show. Come on Studio 99, I can't even get the unknown cool Bakersfield bands to support me with their presence, and you want me to show up and ogle over Mark Chavez and snap photos (like that killer one I took of Throatshot!) and do a snappy happy write-up to boot? Is this musician going to support me as an artist in return? Fat chance. I tell you what. If Mark Chavez contacts me:"

And then I got a phone call. It was past ten at night; I had been in bed snoozing from an intense evening of board games and checkers when the phone bleeped. Too comatose to pick up I listened to the message, ":and we would really like to see you at the show:"

Oh no, it wasn't Mark Chavez. But that was OK. It was the thought that counted; the effort that stuck. It was one of his buddies putting on the show: Wayne Vaugan, local contractor/band funder. I called him back the next morning and said a hearty thanks; we talked for a few minutes and parted ways with me being promised a pass for four:

It was to be a big night for Chavez and myself. The music scene would be surprised that I had returned so soon. I hadn't wanted to part ways with the music scene. I had big plans. But I can be stubborn when I feel left out of cross promotion and failed band readership. Just ask my friends. It wasn't that people didn't show up to my show. It was that music people didn't: Integrity is everything and I wasn't about to give in to my promise of not attending shows, that is, until I got that most unexpected phone call from the Chavez camp.

I had just recorded Calico Sunset in a big podcast where the sound had immensely improved. Yeah, now you can hear gum chewing and me breathing too heavy into the mic. Wonderful; perfect. Without a doubt it was a great evening of recording an awesome techno band, but now we were to take the podcast on the road, give it a whirl of a try at none other but a show brought about by the former front man for Adema-that is, until we got to the gate and my writing for the scene almost completely unraveled:

Bouncers are a breed all their own: thuggish, brutish, some rude, some nice, most not very understanding of miscommunication and take it out on you as if you've just asked them to be included in the coronation of King Louis XVI. Yeah, our names weren't on the guest list and it was an invitation show only. "You're not on the list, so you don't get in," grumbled one of the bald brutes at the gate.

"Can you go talk to someone? This show invited us."

"No."

"Why not?"

"If you're not on the list:"

"Well this was a waste of time," I grumbled in return.

"If you're not on the list you don't get in. It's that simple. Who put you on the list?"

I had to think. He caught me off guard. I'm horrible with names. "Vaughan," I blurted. "That's his name."

"Oh. Well you're not on the list. You can't get in."

Didn't we just go through this? I wondered.

I had arrived with Matt Munoz and a couple of punks. I was already walking away, framing my next blog expose of thug gatekeepers and a purple bottle of Jarritos in favor of band write-ups, when Matt, peacemaker extraordinaire offered to make a phone call.

"Nah, I'll call the guy who invited us," I said, dialing as we walked, already thinking of a blog about being a forgotten writer; I felt like the warehouse we were at that was lost in the shadow of the Crystal Palace just up the street.

No sooner had he answered came a familiar holler from down the street at the gate entrance. It was Marky Pope-bouncer thug king of the warehouse venue... it was a perfect moment. There were laughs and handshakes and suddenly we were on to the coronation of Mark Chavez and Midnight Panic. Forget ol' king Lou.

Mark Chavez: tattooed, dark hair, having been one of the music industry's lifted, then one of the rock and roll fallen. I had heard a few stories of Adema. Kenny Mount claims to have named the band. One source alleges Chavez was addicted to painkillers and hid them in his mic. Who knows about the truth of such a story: This is rock and roll-a volatile profession that takes people and their addictions and often blows complete lives out of proportion. Perhaps Chavez just got out of the band to start something new for himself. I haven't talked to him. I heard he didn't like the musical direction of Adema. But that's all gossip.

"He's on his own this time," I heard someone say. "No help from the half-brother in Korn:" Big deal. Anyone can do anything they put their mind to.

One of the toughest parts of life is having to start over. We all have to do that sometimes. For me that would be my autobiographical novella, Thick White Crust, a journey to Bakersfield from Las Vegas on September 12, 2001 and the few ensuing months thereafter. I had a hundred bucks and a black bag with some clothes and eyed an old baseball field as a bed: that's just reality. You pick up, you leave, you move on and you even wonder where to sleep:

I followed Matt Munoz as he talked to folks from the local music scene. I saw Cesareo, Matt from Myndsick, Matt from Give Impulse, CK, Rocky and Preston Nash, Brett from Endrio, Brad and friends from Throatshot, all the guys from Another Year and a host of others. I listened to stories, to gossip, to young couples unaware that a novelist was in their midst who might write some of what he heard.





But then the show got started. I worked my way to the front of the pack. People let me pass as Mike Montano Jr. strapped on a bass and went right into the action. Mark Chavez' voice had a tinny echo to it. I'd never even heard Adema. The band came out meaning business and weren't about to waste time in between songs or during songs with unnecessary down time or extended show-off moments. They were on a mission to be heard and the crowd didn't turn its back. I snapped photos of Mark grooving hard in the scintillating stage lights; I got into a few of the songs to the point where I paused to focus on the hard rock and roll sounds of the band, to listen to the tightness of the musicians. I heard they had only been together a short while and already had 14 songs in their repertoire. Would we hear them all tonight? Not likely. This wasn't a marathon Mento Buru show where you dance until your eyes bleed and Matt's socks fall to his ankles in mad ska moments.





I saw kids grooving to the music and some of the old timers downing beers and enjoying the songs. There seemed to be several groups criticizing, wondering if Chavez were pretentious; they took in the new music and like experts plotting out Chavez' future. As if any of us know. As if no rock musician is a bit pretentious. Who wouldn't want to have played Oz fest, to have had an opportunity at stardom? So people ask, 'Can Chavez do it again, resurge to the point of a big label?' Maybe the show should have been open to the public. Maybe, maybe, maybe: Didn't matter-Vaughan called it the 'Family Show'. It was the first gig for Midnight Panic and no one ran away, not even the humbled novelist who felt part of the family once again...]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:11:04 +0000 Silent Civilian Tim Mankowski-Guitar
Henno-Bass
Chris Mora-Drums

Status:Active
Site:silentcivilian.com

People of the world, here is Silent Civilians. The latest effort from guitarist/vocalist Jonny Santos, formerly of the Grammy nominated (Spineshank), Silent Civilians promises a breath of fresh air in the stagnant world of heavy music.


After his departure from Spineshank in late 2003, after 6 years of making records and endless touring, Jonny took a much-needed rest. The unforgiving machine that is the music industry had left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he was in no hurry to go back. Eventually he eased back into music, getting his feet wet jamming with friends in under the radar bands, bands that allowed him to have fun playing music again.

Ultimately, the idea surfaced of starting a project with a rekindled passion for heavy, dirty, straight in your face metal. His high school friend Ryan Ready, formerly of LA's Daijoubu, was first to share this vision.
As Santos right hand man on guitar, Ryan "has a very unusual way of determining how he wants you to perceive his playing", says Santos." I have never known a guitar player like him and doubt I would ever run into another guitar player with as much creativity and talent that Ryan has in his huge heart".

Together the duo began the arduous task of solidifying the lineup of what would eventually find life as Silent Civilians. After hundreds of submissions and several auditions, the duo decided on Chris Mora formerly of "The Burning Tree Project" to handle the drums. A 12 year drumming veteran at the tender age of 22, Santos holds his playing in high regard." Chris is by far one of the most amazing drummers I have ever had the pleasure of playing with and has a good head on his shoulders as well".


The final cog in the SC machine would come in the form of bassist "Henno" formerly of Australian export Cryogenic. A longtime friend of Santos', the pair had lost touch several months prior, only to be reunited when Chris answered Henno's ad in the LA Weekly looking for a band. Quickly, Henno and Santos were on the phone discussing the possibilities. Shortly thereafter the die was cast, and the lineup solidified with his 15 years of bass playing experience and an amazing work ethic.

With a full band in place and a determination to write crushing music, SC wasted no time, immersing themselves immediately in the writing process. Soon it was obvious to everyone that the Civilians would quickly set themselves apart from the members' previous projects. Although musically treading on very different ground, the biggest deviation this time around is the message. Where members past projects had been focused on themes of self-loathing and emotional insecurity, Silent Civilians are building a platform of positivity.

"We live in a world that is in serious trouble" says Santos "We need to start making a positive difference in the lives of our children and our brothers and sisters in the world. Too many people aren't speaking out against issues that directly affect them. They have a voice, but don't think that it makes a difference. They need to know that it does."


Not claiming to be a highly political band such as RATM or SOAD, Silent Civilians feel they need to address other issues of living as well as politics, such as education, disease, human rights, animal rights, and emotional stability in the minds of our youth.

"We just got sick of the cliches of artists using their influence in ways that feed depression, including myself in my days of Spineshank. Not that I have any regrets, but i could get carried away lyrically on the self loathing side of things", says Santos."I don't want to do that anymore".

And although a buzz is quickly growing, this is not a band that should be taken lightly or mistaken for the next big corporate thing. The music is nothing short of brutal crushing energy. Intense melodies mixed with ferocious growls and a dual guitar assault backed up by low end mayhem. This is not a conventional modern rock band, nor do they claim to be.


Instead of seeking out a major label, this renewed DIY ethos led the band to an alliance with up and coming independent powerhouse, Corporate Punishment Records, allowing them ultimate creativity without pressure to write "hits".

Santos says, "I just don't want some suit in New York pressuring me to write radio hits. That's not what this band is about. I want to make music I like and have fun doing it, without worrying about the dollar signs."

Silent Civilians is slated to enter the studio in Spring to start working on their yet untitled debut, due out in September. At the helm will be ex-Machine Head/Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader and co-producers Thom Hazaert (Switched, Chimaira) and Santos himself. The world is about to witness a band whose music and message will be challenged by few, and matched by none.

We have not even begun to comprehend what this band is capable of and before long: we will be forced to understand it.

Posted by corporatepunishment.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:10:35 +0000 Sounddevice Ryan Vikedal - Drums
Jason Grover - Guitar
Craig Maule - Bass
Billy Grey - Guitar

Status:active
Site:sounddevice.net

Now, in the last breath of 2003, is a new project called Soundevice, featuring Erik Rogers, Jason Grover, Cheney Brannon, Craig Maule, and Billy Grey. After having many bands, Erik joined Stereomud with two major label releases Perfect Self, and Every Given Moment (Columbia Records), followed with several successful U.S. tours. After parting with Columbia Records in the summer of 2003, Erik decided that he wasn't done with the music business. Erik and Craig wanted to collaborate on a side project when Erik wasn't on the road with Stereomud. At the time, Craig was winding down a regional tour with a band called 420 Monks and wanted to start something new. Erik and Craig got together with longtime friend, Cheney (drummer), and started jamming on some material. Erik, and Cheney had played together before so the chemistry was solid. Cheney brought in his guitarist, Jason, from Bend (Roadrunner Records), and together they wrote several songs within a matter of days. Two months later, Billy Grey from Sickspeed/Fozzy Method 51, joined Soundevice as the second guitarist. In the short time since they finalized their line-up, Soundevice has performed shows all over the southeastern United States, including the New Orleans Voodoo Fest (featuring acts like Marilyn Manson, Staind, 50 Cent and Cypress Hill). Soundevice is currently working on an album to be released in early 2004, as well as playing shows in a city near you]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:10:08 +0000 the Renaissance sharon - guitar,
joe - drums,
daniel - vocals/ guitar,

Status:Unknown
Site:therenaissancerock.com

The Renaissance, a rock band whose songs concentrate on the basic elements of good, old foot-to-the-floor rock 'n roll, combined with a style comparative to contemporary legends such as The Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Sparta and Alkaline Trio. The Renaissance has emerged from the south suburbs of Chicago, a city where rock music has made an impressionable mark on the music industry. The Renaissance is a band that can uphold that tradition. Though relatively young in years, the four members of this gallant effort, vocalist/guitarist, Daniel Struble, 21, guitarist/back-up vocalist, Sharon Grzelinski, 22, bassist, Kyle Blum, 21, and on drums Joe Kroehler, 22, are far from kids in the candy shop. Daniel and Sharon both former members of Five Pointe O, a Roadrunner Records group, have toured extensively both nationally and internationally with bands such as Coal Chamber, Mushroomhead, Soulfly, and Killswitch Engage to name just a few. The idea of starting The Renaissance, (new beginning (synonym)), actually set off in the winter of 2002, while on tour in Europe. Daniel and Sharon signed to Roadrunner Records at the tender ages of 18 and 19 respectively. They felt they were moving in a different direction musically, than family, long time friends and co-incidentally band mates. Daniel started to vocalize his thoughts to long time friend, Kyle, an aspiring bassist. Sharon was already having similar conversations with long time friend, Joe, a drummer in a local Joliet metal band. Throughout the months in Europe, the four kept in touch constantly and decided in the end to collaborate on a completely new project, a rock band, thus The Renaissance. As the great cousin of RCA Country Legend Lester Flatt, Daniel has been surrounded by music his entire life, both parents touring the country in various bands. Although writing music is a collective endeavor between all four members of The Renaissaince, there is a definite flavor of professionalism and structure acquired by both Daniel and Sharon's background. The Renaissance has completed the recording of their debut EP, "The Family Tree" at the Sonic Ranch Studio in El Paso Texas and will self release this project in early June of 2004. The effort was sponsored by the owner of the studio, Tony Rancich. "I completely believe in this project and anything that Daniel and Sharon are doing, they are brilliant songwriters and performers" says Tony. Acceptance by former fans as well as new listeners has been overwhelming, as they embrace The Renaissance.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:09:43 +0000 Trigger Point Mike Bashur - guitar
PAJ - bass
Dave Gentry - drums

Status:Active
Site.triggerpointmusic.com

This is a time in the depraved world of hard rock where longevity has ceased to exist. Where innovation has gone unrecognized, and music, which soon becomes disposable is rejoiced. Trigger Point picks up the pieces of a genre of music where emotion is expressed through aggressiveness, and musicianship becomes adapted to the mainstream. Formed in 2001 by Mike Bashur (guitar), Dave Gentry (drums), Taylor Wallace (vocals), it was immediately relevant that this comb?nation of ability, influences, and ambition would be making waves in the hard rock scene without pulling a punch. Coming from three different parts of the U.S. with one goal in mind, to give the fans what their idols gave to them, which was a soundtrack to life. Trigger Point combines unforgettable melodies, commanding guitar riffs, and chest pounding grooves, providing a substance that hard rock has been missing for years. In early 2004, the band was joined by PAJ (bass) to complete the machine that is Trigger Point. With the state that this industry is now in, the group has decided to go the independent route. Trigger Point has been at the forefront of the hardcore hard rock scene in Los Angeles since day one, taking over the hard rock genre with an undeniable and impeccable live show. With their debut full-length album "A Silent Protest" produced by Logan Mader (Machine Head, Soulfly) set for release in October 04', and a year long U.S. and Canadian tour booked throughout 2005 it will soon be impossible for this band and this genre to go unrecognized. The reparation of rock has begun

Posted by corporatepunishment.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:09:19 +0000 Lo-Pro Neil Godfrey: Guitar
Tommy Stewart: Drums
Pete Ricci: Guitar
Jon Fahnestock: Bass

Status:Unknown
Site:lopromusic.com

Lo-Pro's self-titled debut conjures large spaces.

The melodic and memorable guitar work and subtle atmospherics draw your mind's eye to a distant horizon line. The powerful drums cut up that distance with an easy grace. And Pete Murray's rich vocals achieve lift-off on the chorus of every song. You would never guess it all started in tiny rooms.

Remembering those spaces now, Lo-Pro's five members shake their heads and laugh. There was Murray's closet of a bedroom where he and guitarist Neil Godfrey first demoed the album. There was the 7-foot-square rehearsal compartment where the duo auditioned their future bandmates in Santa Barbara.

And there was the Boston-area hotel room where the band polished arrangements with Staind's Aaron Lewis, their 413 Records/Geffen label boss. Soon after, they entered the relatively spacious tracking booths and control rooms of L.A.'s NRG studio to record 413's premiere release with producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park).

Of course, it almost never happened at all.

Throughout the late-'90s, Murray and Godfrey dedicated their lives to Ultraspank. The industrial-tinged aggro-rock act toured relentlessly behind two well-received albums, but were ultimately left demoralized by label politics. Following the band's final tour, they both took day jobs and Murray gave up on the idea of ever playing in a band again.

Then Godfrey turned up at his door one day with a batch of new tunes.

"I'd had enough," admits the singer. "But that didn't last long. The minute Neil showed up with these new songs... it was weird, things started to happen differently. We didn't set any goals; we were just making music to have fun. That's where the name came from--we wanted to keep the hype to a minimum and let the music speak for itself."

Lo-Pro's demos eventually reached Lewis, who was launching 413 with Geffen President Jordan Schur.

"I was really picky about what I brought to the table as my first band, and I found exactly what I wanted with Lo-Pro," says Lewis, who runs 413 with help from Staind guitarist Mike Mushok. "I was handed a demo that Pete and Neil made in Pete's bedroom on a computer--and it sounded better than most of the finished product being played on the radio."

Lewis's advice to the band? Surround yourself with the right people.

Enter former Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart, former Snot and Amen bassist Jon Fahnestock and guitarist Pete Ricci. Having endured similar industry experiences, the new members brought a shared empathy to anthemic songs like "Reach," "Sunday" and "Fuel," as well as moodier numbers like the album-closing "Bombz."

Murray's lyrics may sound relentlessly downcast on paper ("Why's it always feel like Sunday?" he sings on "Sunday"), but the melodies and arrangements always supply a hopeful, uplifting quality to the songs.

"Coming out of the situations we were all in, it would have been really easy to write an angry album," allows Murray. "But we really tried to rise above that."

"We just tried to make these mood-altering songs sound the best they possibly could," says Godfrey.

"Simplicity--the best songs are just the simplest thing in the world," says Ricci.

"And there's not one swear word on the album--now that's something I've never been involved with before," adds Fahnestock, laughing.

The occasional use of expletives aside, the band members' personalities are reflected in the music, according to producer Don Gilmore.

"They had to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and start from scratch," he says. "A lot of people can't do that; they don't persevere. These guys are survivors and they've shown that they won't stop until they've had their day."

For Lo-Pro, however, there was really no otttttherr alternative.

"When you start playing music at a young age, it's all you ever want to do your entire life," says Stewart. "It's almost like you don't have a choice. I don't think any of us chose to do this. I think it chose us."

* * * * *

8/03
www.lopromusic.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:08:56 +0000 Dark New Day Clint Lowery - Guitars
Corey Lowery - Bass
Troy McLawhorn - Guitars
Will Hunt - Drums

Status:Active
Site:darknewday.com

Long before cutting their teeth in such renowned acts as Sevendust, Creed, Tommy Lee, Stuck Mojo, Stereomud, Skrape, Doubledrive and Virgos Merlot, the members of Dark New Day grew up together. "We literally sat on the edge of our beds and learned how to play guitar together," says Clint Lowery, who along with brother Corey Lowery, grew up little more than a mile from Troy McLawhorn in rural North Carolina. "We literally did," laughs McLawhorn, "It was like, 'Check out this riff! I learned how to squeal, man!'" It wasn't long before he and the Lowery brothers formed Still Rain in the early-'90s, touring the same Southeast club circuit where they met Brett Hestla and Will Hunt in competing bands.

"We were playing a circuit that had a lot of older people in it, in their twenties, and we were all kids, so we could identify with each other," says Hunt. "We really came into ourselves on that circuit," adds Corey. "It was like going to Rock 'N' Roll High School, you? always try and turn it up because you wanted to impress each other. I always thought Will and I could be the baddest rhythm section in the world..."

But it apparently wasn't meant to be, as the five men that would become Dark New Day more than fifteen years later, went their separate ways...

BRETT HESTLA

Brett Hestla achieved formidable critical acclaim as singer/guitarist for the alternative rock quintet Virgos Merlot, but it was as the touring bassist for Creed that he received the most notoriety, spending three years performing in front of sold-out arenas. When the band parted ways in late 2003, Hestla turned his attention to family, refocusing his efforts to behind-the-scenes work as a producer.

"After Creed's last tour, I'd resigned myself that I was done, but I think my wife knew I really wasn't ready to be done. She looked at me one day and said, 'Are you ever going to stand onstage and sing again?' It's funny," laughs Hestla ominously, "I said to her, 'Man, it would take the Still Rain guys, with Will [Hunt] on drums, for me to even consider that..."

Two weeks later, to the day, he received a phone call from Will. "He brought me a CD of the songs they'd been working on? and I didn't even need to listen to it?his is the band I've always wanted," Hestla recalls. "The bonus was, I put the disc in and, instantly, I had melodies and was thinking of words. I was inspired, and immediately knew that this was where I belonged."

"This band has taken my game up as a writer, because I know that I've got people in the band, skill-wise, that are at my level and superior to me. I want to impress them, and impress each other they have. In a year that saw five hurricanes strike the southeast-including three that intersected over their Florida recording studio-a war wage in the Middle East, and rock music seemingly get angrier and angrier, Dark New Day are a light at the end of the tunnel. With a sound that the band aren't afraid to admit is a sum of their cumulative parts, they deliver the heavy-handed finesse of Clint Lowery's contributions to Sevendust, Troy McLawhorn's inspired guitar play and melodic infrastructure that marked Doubledrive, and Hestla's soaring, effervescent vocals. Hunt is a rock behind the drum kit, and along with Corey Lowery, just might be the "baddest rhythm section in the world." They write songs with irresistible hooks and penetrating grooves, and revel in the ability to change the pace from the bitter, metallic muscle of "Lean," to the pensive, warm embrace of "Follow The Sun Down."

CLINT LOWERY

"Everyone in this band was a huge factor in the songwriting in their previous bands," says Clint. "I think it's inevitable that those sounds are going to come out when we're writing songs with this band, but that's what I love! All their influences, and everything I love about each of these guys as songwriters, I want as much of as possible in this band. We're all each other's biggest fans."

In the case of Lowery's departure from his acclaimed band Sevendust, it wasn't because he wanted to write or perform music that he hasn't written and performed before. Rather, it stemmed in his wanting to write and perform with a group of musicians he's never had the opportunity to write and perform with.

"You get comfortable in your certain bands, like it's a formula," he says of the decision to leave Sevendust in favor of Dark New Day. "With these guys, what was so appealing was the challenge of what would happen when we all brought up best stuff to the table. If I throw a riff out there, I just like to watch what they do to it to evolve the whole song. The biggest kick is seeing some of my favorite players take one simple riff, my two cents worth, and turn it into an incredible piece of music."

"There are some things that I can't avoid-I'm always going to bring in a rhythmatic guitar riff, that's something I've always got at a subconscious level-but I think Brett's vocal style is what's really going to be really different," the guitarist continues. "Plus there's Troy's element, Corey's element, and Will's element. All those approaches will make my stuff different than any other guys would."

"What are people going to tell us now," laughs Clint, "that we're robbing from each other? Corey and I grew up together! Our style is more than twelve years old! Are people going to tell us that we sound like ourselves?"

WILL HUNT

Given the extensive history of the five members of Dark New Day, you'd expect there to a be a small degree of resignation when it comes to starting another band, on another label, with a whole new level of expectations. But the members swear that's not the case.

"This band is actually an escape route for all of that jadedness," says drummer Will Hunt, whose previous credits include the metal band Skrape, as well as being the drummer in Motley Crue skinsman Tommy Lee's latest solo project. "Personally, if there was a neck in this music industry, I wanted to put my hands around it and choke it. But when I met these guys, it wasn't about that? got goosebumps again"

With three guitarists, and five guys capable of laying down vocal harmonies, there's a lot to get excited ab?ut in Dark New Day-Even if there aren't many, if any, bands in the mainstream with that depth of talent.

"I don't know if what we're doing is en vogue," says Hunt, "but I do know that I'm playing in my dream band. With this band, there was never a day where it wasn't a joy to go in and write with these guys and work on songs. As good as Brett is at all the other instruments, one of my favorite drummers is Clint and his drum machine, he comes up with great beats. If we ever get stuck on something, we just raise our hand, and there's always somebody with the right piece. It's never pulling teeth to make a song happen."

COREY LOWERY

"It's about learning how to play from your soul, rather than just learning a scale and trying to play like Yngwie Malmsteen," says Corey Lowery, who rose to prominence as the bassist in Stuck Mojo, later becoming a founding member of Stereomud. "This is a deeper thing that we've all come to, and that's what I'm most impressed by. Those guitar players that can hold a single note and make your eyes water? That's the vibe that we're trippin' on. And the drumming? This album is, by far, my favorite drum album of all time. As a bass player, I can't wish for any better."

"And I've never been able to play like this before," adds Hunt. "A lot of times, when you go off a little bit and aren't necessarily playing a straight beat, a lot of musicians have a hard time trying to follow you. These guys keep playing, they've got that syncopation thing down, and that's how great bands work."

"Everybody in this band has written a song, by themselves, that has gotten on the radio," says the bassist. "This band isn't about that. We didn't go around in public and boast about what we were doing, and we could have done that for a whole year. We wanted to hear what our music sounded like, first, because that's what we're all about. We had no agenda about getting a record deal when we first got together, we just wanted to finally get together and play some music. That's all it's supposed to be about. What makes this band what it is right now, is that everybody has a high respect for each other, pushes them to keep their personality, and bring that different thing that they are to the table."

TROY McLAWHORN

"Like Will said, being together has just taken all the jaded feelings out of the music," says McLawhorn, the creative force behind Doubledrive, and the member of Dark New Day who the band views as their greatest untapped asset.

"Back when Troy was putting Doubledrive together, I was telling everyone that he is, by far, the best guitar player that I've ever known, as far as natural talent goes," says Clint, who refers to McLawhorn his musical "soulmate". "In this business, people don't always get the credit they deserve-When this band came to be, I was just so fucking happy to finally be a part of exposing Troy's talent to the world. I'm so proud to play beside him, and we're all excited about introducing him to the world."

"He's our secret weapon," adds Hunt.

"When Corey and I stopped playing together in Still Rain, after all these years of being in other band situations, that was one of the things I missed most about music?he connection he and I had, and feeding off of each other the way that we play," says McLawhorn. "I feel more creative now than I've felt in years. When you can feed off someone the way that we do, it's a whole new ballgame."

"You can relate it to a sports team that's great," sums Hesta. "You can put any one of these guys in a band, and they'll be great. But together, that's where the talent really surfaces. The way we all work together is what makes this band so exciting."



Sure, Dark new Day is a new band- but perhaps a familiar one to many already, as all the guys have cut their teeth in various acts such as Sevendust, Tommy Lee band, Stuck Mojo, Stereomud, Skrape, Doubledrive, Creed and Virgos Merlot over the years.

Dark new Day may be new to you, but it's r?ally a reunion that was twelve years in the making, as the members of Dark new Day literally grew up together. Brothers Clint and Corey Lowery and childhood friend Troy McLawhorn met singer Brett Hestla and drummer Will Hunt while touring as kids in the Southeast club circuit some time ago. "We were playing a circuit that had a lot of older people in it, in their twenties, and we were all kids, so we could identify with each other," says Hunt. "We really came into ourselves on that circuit," adds Corey. "It was like going to Rock 'N' Roll High School, you'd always try and turn it up because you wanted to impress each other." But it apparently wasn't meant to be, as the five men that would become Dark new Day more than twelve years later, went their separate ways:

After twelve years of writing, recording and touring in separate bands they became big influences on each other's style and remained close friends. In a year that saw rock music seemingly get angrier and angrier, Dark new Day came together to create a light at the end of the tunnel. With a sound that the band aren't afraid to admit is a sum of their cumulative parts, they deliver the heavy-handed finesse of Clint Lowery's contributions to Sevendust, Troy McLawhorn's inspired guitar play and melodic infrastructure that marked Doubledrive, and Hestla's soaring, effervescent vocals. Hunt is a rock behind the drum kit, and along with Corey Lowery, just might be the "baddest rhythm section in the world."]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:08:28 +0000 Mushroomhead Melodic Vocal- Jeffery Nothing
Bass Guitar- Pig Benis
Guitar- Bronson
Samples- Schmotz
Guitar- Gravy
Vinyls- Stitch
Drums- Skinny

Status:Active
Site:mushroomhead.com

История коллектива с необычным названием Mushroomhead (Голова Гриба) началась в 1992 году в Кливленде в одном громадном, пятиэтажном промышленном здании на пересечении улицы West '92 и Detroit Avenue под названием "Уровень 5". Сейчас это здание заброшено и предназначено на слом, хотя оно не было особенно роскошным еще в 90-е годы, когда в нем репетировали такие кливлендские команды, как Hatrix, Unified Culture и Ritual. В 1993 в этой развалине встретились вокалист Джефф Хэйтрикc, барабанщик Стив Фелтон и вокалист Джейсон Попсон. Все трое ребят были участниками местных кливлендских альтернативных групп и горели желанием создавать яркую, сюрреалистическую, но в то же время глубокую и интелектуальную музыку. Свою новую группу чуваки изначально хотели сколотить как обыкновенный побочный проект. Назвав коллектив Mushroomhead, парни принялись искать для него других участников. Вскоре, в группу пришли ди-джей Рик Томас, гитаристы Рик Мур и Джон Секула, и бас-гитарист Джэк Килкойн. Большинство ребят были друзьями еще задолго до этого. К примеру, Шмидт и Фелтон учились в одном и том же университете. Хэйтрикс и Фелтон вместе играли в группе Hatrix, а также Стив напару с Джэком зажигал в Ritual. Джейсон и Джон подружились еще в тот период, когда были участниками группы Terror. Так стало прорастать семя под названием Mushroomhead.

Когда музыканты собрались предствить публике свой экспериментальный сайд-проект, они твердо решили, что не хотят уходить в сторону от своих "настоящих" коллективов. Поэтому чуваки придумали себе различные прозвища, а когда выходили на сцену, одевали необычные костюмы и маски и наносили грим, чтобы скрыть под ними свои настоящие лица. Впоследствии, эта задумка стала фирменной фишкой Mushroomhead. "Когда я надеваю маску, я становлюсь другим человеком, - рассказывает Джефф. Это похоже на раздвоение личности. Когда на тебе маска, ты можешь делать на сцене все, что угодно, и при этом не бояться, что тебя неправильно поймут. Зато без маски я становлюсь прежним спокойным и интеллигентным Джеффом Хэйтриксом".
Еще одна особенность музыки Mushroomhead заключается в том, что в группе есть 2 вокалиста - Джейсон, поющий гроулингом, и Джефф с более мелодичным вокалом. "Забавно, но я никогда раньше не был в группе с двумя вокалистами, - говорит Джейсон. Тем более, что мы с Джеффом поем абсолютно по-разному. Мы оба пишем тексты, но мы обычно не пишем их вместе. Однако мы часто дополняем друг друга. Мы очень заботимся о качестсве и целостности песен, мы не записываем их только для того , чтобы просто записать". Когда чуваки начали активно репетировать, они еще окончательно не определились с направлением, в котором будет играть их коллектив, поскольку их прежние команды играли абсолютно разную музыку. Hatrix играли спид-метал, Unifed Culture - фанк-метал, а Ritual - пауэр-метал. В те годы были особенно популярны такие коллективы, как Alice In Chains, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails и Faith No More, которые своим звучанием внесли довольно сильные изменения в существовавшие понятия о тяжелой музыке. Однако Mushroomhead решили, что они будут играть вне установленных жанров, чтобы привлечь на свою сторону бОльшее количество поклонников "hard music".

Свой первый концерт Mushroomhead отыграли в городе Лорейн (США, штат Огайо). "Нам отвалили 60 баксов за это выступление, - говорит Фелтон. Тем не менее, мы экономили каждый пенни, чтобы вложить его на нужды команды. Наших собственных денег не хватало даже на нормальное оборудование". В следующий раз чуваки выступали на разогреве у группы Gwar. Публика действительно возненавидела Mushroomhead. "You suck, - кричала толпа. Get off the stage!" Парням предстояло отыграть еще очень большое количество безуспешных концертов, прежде чем у них появились первые фанаты. До 1995 года Mushroomhead продолжают зажигать в местных барах и забегаловках. Со временем все больше людей стало врубаться в их музыку. Коллектив давал очень энергичные живые выступления, сопровождающиеся яркими и зрелищными шоу. Вместе с группой на сцене также выступала пара танцоров - Марк "Бронсон" Вукевич и девушка по прозвищу "Рокси", которые по окончании выступления, как правило, устраивали стриптиз. Необычный имидж группы и ее жесткая, проникновенная музыка также не оставляли публику равнодушной. Вскоре чуваки решили оставить свои прежние команды и полностью посвятить себя работе в Mushroomhead.
"До Mushroomhead я 6,5 лет играл в Hatrix, - вспоминает Стив. Тем не менее, за все те года, проведенные там, мне так и не удалось добиться такого успеха, которого я добился здесь. Когда мы заметили, что Mushroomhead оказалась гораздо более успешной группой, чем все наши предыдущие коллективы вместе взятые, мы перестали относиться к ней, как к обыкновенному сайд-проекту. Раньше мы играли просто ради забавы, а теперь решили всерьез взяться за дело".

В 1995 группа на свои деньги самостоятельно выпустила дебютный одноименный альбом. К сожалению, диск оказался почти незамеченным, такая же участь постигла следующие 2 релиза - "Superbuick" (1996) и "Remix" (1997). Несмотря на это, на концерты группы стало приходить все больше и больше народу. Коллектив стал чаще выступать за пределами Кливленда, также немного улучшилось финансовое состояние команды. В 1998 Mushroomhead приступили к записи очередного альбома. Вскоре группе поступило предложение от музыкального лейбла Roadrunner Records, но, по непонятным причинам, музыканты его отклонили. Однако в скором времени, Mushroomhead пришлось жестоко поплатиться за этот отказ. Примерно 8 месяцев спустя, на обложке журнала "Roadrunner" появились Slipknot, только что сформировавшаяся ню-метал группа из Дез Мойнса (США, штат Айова) в оранжевых комбинезонах и масках, идентичных тем, которые уже носили участники Mushroomhead. "Когда мы начали штурмовать Кливлендские клубы в конце 1995 года, группы Slipknot еще даже не существовало, - жалуется Том. Мы разрабатывали этот имидж в течение нескольких лет, а они просто взяли и нагло скопировали нас! Когда мы отказали Roadrunner Records, им понадобились кто-то, кто смог бы нас продублировать. И тут как раз появились они". Все это вызвало массовое негодование со стороны кливлендских фанатов, поэтому у Slipknot было немало проблем, когда они выступали в этом городке. Но Mushroomhead не отчаялись. Они решили поменять свои прежние комбинезоны на комуфляжную одежду, а старые маски на новые черно-белые маски, которые они носят сейчас. По началу, фанаты Slipknot и Mushroomhead враждовали друг с другом, но поскольку музыка этих двух групп была абсолютно разной, конфликты вскоре прекратились.

После инцидента с Slipknot, чуваки столкнулись с новой проблемой. Рокси, танцовщица, которая выступала вместе с Mushroomhead на их концертах, покинула коллектив. "Она уходила, возвращалась, потом снова уходила, - говорит Фелтон. В конце концов, мы сказали ей, что с нас хватит. Нам было тяжело расставаться с Рокси. Но нам казалось, что все будет в порядке, что она - не более, чем часть нашего шоу". Но оказалось, что Рокси была чем-то большим, чем просто частью шоу Mushroomhead. После ее ухода, концерты группы стало посещать значительно меньше народу, чем до этого. Сначала чувакам было немного сложно. Но все изенилось после того, как Марк Вукевич (второй танцор) предложил коллективу свою помощь и занялся сэмплами. С появлением в музыке Mushroomhead сэмплов, их саунд значительно улучшился. "Наша музыка действительно изменилась, - заявляет Фелтон. Это стало больше, чем просто песни и меньше, чем какие-то сырые наработки". Mushroomhead снова стали набирать популярность. В Кливленде их пластинки стали расходиться многотысяными тиражами, а их концерты отныне проходили на переполненных площадках.

В 2000 году группу покидает гитарист Рик Мур. На его место приходит брат Стива, Дэйв Фелтон (бывший участник Hatrix). Вместе с ним Mushroomhead заканчивают запись своего нового альбома. В марте очередное творение коллектива под названием "M3" выходит в свет. В целом, альбом мало чем отличался от предыдущих записей группы, но на этот раз рифы стали более тяжелыми и техничными, что заставило обратить внимание на коллектив более широкие массы слушателей. "M3" стал самым продаваемым диском Mushroomhead на тот период времени. В мае того же года группа выступила в "Blossom Music Center" в качетве хэдлайнеров перед толпой более 20 000 человек. Mushroomhead стали очень популярны не только в своем родном городе Кливленде, но и за его пределами. Вскоре чуваки решили, что настало время подыскать подходящий музыкальный лейбл. "Мы совершили огромный рывок в нашем творчестве с выходом 'M3', - говорит Джефф. Но мы решили, что если хотим делать хорошую музыку, то будем делать ее как следует. У нас есть продукт, и он полностью готов. Осталось лишь его обработать". Проблема состояла в том, что все лейблы, на которых издавались старые коллективы участинков Mushroomhead, давно развалились, а возвращаться к Roadrunner Records ребята не хотели.

В мае 2001-го года коллектив заключил контракт с Eclipse Records, которые выпустили диск "XX" (20), представлявший собой компиляцию с первых трех альбомов группы. Этот альбом показал миру всю уникальность музыки Mushroomhead, впитавшую в себя лучшее из ню-метала, индастриэла, хардкора, хип-хопа и мелодичной готической музыки, а также всю неповторимость их удивительного звучания: душераздирающие гитарные рифы, космические сэмплы, дикие ударные установки и мрачная, пугающая лирика. "Наши песни очень разные, потому что все мы очень разные люди, - рассказывает Джейсон. В то же время, эти песни связывают в себе наши общие взгляды на музыку, которую мы играем. Мне нравится экспериментировать с тектсами, которые я пишу. Моя лирика очень загадочная, т.к. все в ней все связано с различными мелкими образами, нет ничего полностью открытого и конкретного. Я не считаю, что четыре ругательных слова за весь альбом - это мало. Грубость, ненависть, злость - это слишком примитивно. А вот спокойно жить, улыбаться, уважать других людей и радоваться жизни - это действительно сложно". В декабре 2001-го года Mushroomhead заключили контракт с Universal Records, которые переиздали "XX", добавив туда 3 новых трэка. Клип на песню "Solitaire Unraveling" попал на MTV, что принесло группе широкую американскую известность. Коллектив отыграл огромное количество концертов в одной упряжке с Marilyn Manson, Down, Type O'Negative, Gwar, The Misfits и Antrax, а также попал на "Ozzfest" и принял участие в записи саундтрэка к фильму "Царь Скорипионов" (Scorpion King). Вскоре "XX" стал мультиплатиновым!

В конце 2001-го года гитарист Джон Секула разделил свой путь с Mushroomhead. Его обязанности взял на себя Марк, а сэмплами отныне занимался давний приятель участников команды - Том Шмидт. В обновленном составе группа приступила к работе над очередной пластинкой. В качестве продюсера выступил сам Фелтон.
"Мы начали запись в начале февраля, а закончили уже 11-го марта, - повествует Стив. Несмотря на это, мы работали каждый день и каждую ночь. На мгновение у меня создалось впечатление, что в сутках не 24, а 32 часа. Но мы не чувствовали усталости. Мы были настолько поглощены процессом, что позабыли о таких вещах, как отдых". Некотрые трэки также спродюсировал Джонни Кей [Johnny K] (Disturbed, Machine Head), а замикшировал альбом Мэтт Уоллас [Matt Wallace]. И вот, 24-го октября 2003 года выходит в свет очередное творение Mushroomhead под названием "XIII" (13), ознаменовавшее переход коллектива на новый уровень звучания. "XIII" оказался абсолютно непохожим по своей структуре на предыдущий альбом, но таким же интересным и непредсказуемым. Из песен нельзя не отметить такие убийтвенные вещи, как "Kill Tomorrow", "Sun Doesn't Rise", "Destroy The World Around Me", "Nowhere To Go" и "Thirteen". Первый сингл "Sun Doesn't Rise" попал на саундтрэк к фильмам "Фрэдди Против Джейсона" (Freddy VS Jason) и "Зерно Чакки" (Seed Of Chucky). В поддержку диска группа отыграла огромное количество концертов вместе с Chimaira, Disturbed, Flaw, Cradle Of Filth, Korn, Machine Head и Marilyn Manson, а также вновь засветилась на "Ozzfest". "XIII" уже имеет статус платинового, хотя пока неизвестно, сможет ли он добиться такого же успеха, как и "XX". Ясно одно: Mushroomhead совершили огромный скачок в своем творчестве и при этом сумели обогнать многие другие альтернативные команды, играющие похожую музыку.

"Когда я вспоминаю о том, что было 10 лет назад, и сравниваю это с тем, что происходит в моей жизни сейчас, я понимаю, что действительно добился многого, - говорит Джефф. Иногда меня это удивляет. Когда каждый занимаешься одним и тем же, не всегда замечаешь, как много уже успел сделать. Я делаю ту музыку, которую хочу, и ту музыку, которая мне нравится вот уже 10 лет. Mushroomhead - это группа, которая сделала себя самостоятельно, за что я ее и уважаю".

В 2004 году группу по непонятным причинам покинул вокалист Джейсон Попсон. После ухода Попсона прошел слух о скором распаде Mushroomhead. Однако коллектив опроверг все слухи и занялся поисками нового вокалиста. Вскоре команда отправилась в тур вместе с Insane Clown Posse, в период которого Джейсона согласился заменить Уэйлон [Waylon] из группы 3 Quarters Dead. По словам участников Mushroomhead, по окончании тура они собираются приступить к записи своего нового DVD. Позже Уэйлон становится постоянным участинком группы.

Posted By Hardmusic.dax.ru]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:08:02 +0000 Papa Roach Dave Buckner: drums
Tobin Esperance: bass
Jerry Horton: guitar

Status:active
Site:paparoach.com

Vacaville High's football field, January 1993, is where it all began. Jacoby Shaddix and David Buckner were both on the football team, but would spend more time talking about music then playing football. They were two confused 16 year-olds contemplating life after high school. Shaddix knew he wanted to be one of two things ... a rock-star, or a chef ... where as Buckner's talent was in his artwork.

There was a school talent show approaching and they decided to enter, so they hooked up with two other high school friends - Ben Luther, and Will James. Shaddix was originally going to play the clarinet in the band, but found he also had a strong vocal ability. Buckner was the drummer, James was the bassist, and Luther played the trombone.

The weeks leading up to the talent show were spent rehearsing in Buckner's garage, where they came out with two songs for the talent show - one being a cover of Jimmy Hendrix's classic, "Fire". They played this without a guitarist, but claimed that it was OK because their heroes "Faith No More" had also done the same. They entered the contest and were up against "Joey The Juggler" and a kid who sang a "barbershop quartet solo". In the crowd was Shaddix's mother, who heard a judge whisper "I hope they don't give up their day jobs". The band didn't win - but they didn't lose either - and they knew they sucked and had to put it right.

March of 1993 is when the REAL Papa Roach was born. They ousted Luther in favour of a guitarist - which came into the shape of Jerry Horton - who had heard about the band through an ex-girlfriend that was a fan. They then got talking, and one day Shaddix called up Horton and said "come over and jam with us dude!". They would practice everyday for up to five hours in Buckner's garage. They put themselves about and would play any show - they started performing at pizza parlours, coffee houses, beer keg college parties, and even once performed at a petrol station where James' mother worked.

Their first recording adventure came in 1994 when they hit "DB Studios" in Vacaville to record their first seven-track EP, "Potatoes For Christmas". All of the band appeared on the recording, besides Buckner, who went to college in Seattle for a year to study art. They had a stand-in drummer in the form of Ryan Brown, another high school friend, but this was only a temporary measure. They would sell the tapes for five dollars outside the venues where they played their gigs, in the fashion which the sale took place with Shaddix standing on top of their van with a loud speaker shouting "Papa Roach! What the f*ck, five dollars?".

A buzz was starting to spread across California about the band because they loved to play so much. They would travel all over Cali, in a van, to the venues where they would be playing support. These included The Cactus Club, The Berkeley, 3 Oaks Community Centre, The Troubador, The Edge, and The Crest. After relentless home-state touring, Papa Roach entered "Sound Farm Studios" in 1995 to record their two-track promo CD, "Caca Bonita". Sound Farm was a modest studio at most, sized no bigger than 30-feet-long by 30-feet-wide. With Buckner back on the drums, they did so and noticed the improvement since the previous year's effort.

The band knew they had something special and to have reached the next stage, they had to make some important decisions. They knew they needed a manager to help with booking venues, merchandise, and touring - so they hired Bret Bair in 1996. But with that hiring also came a departure, as they decided that their three-year standing member, Will James, had to go. He was heavily involved in a church summer camp, which prevented the band from practicing or playing shows over the summer. They did not have to look far for their new bassist because their roadie, Tobin Esperance, had played on stage with them before when James was not available. Esperance had been with the band as their roadie since 1993, and it was a surprise he lasted three years, because he never actually helped unload or load up the van with their equipment. Instead, he smoked all of their weed and drank all of their beer.

So with their newly acquired bassist in tow, they hit Pittsburgh's "ESP Studios" in 1996 to record their first full length album, "Old Friends From Young Years". The album was recorded for a mere 700 dollars and was funded by Tobin's father, Tony Esperance. Included on the LP were the college radio favourites "Orange Drive Palms" and "Liquid diet", as well as the drug influenced song, "829". This song was written the night after Shaddix took psychadelic mushrooms for the first time - he worked at an airforce hospital where he cleaned up blood, vomit, urine and faeces. On the 29th of August in 1996, he found a decapitated head in a freezer with all of the skin removed. Shortly after he took the mushrooms, he started to trip out and see visions of his estranged dad, crossed over with Jesus, as they both had beards and long hair. All of his friend's faces turned into dog's heads and he became a panicking mess. He called his mother in the middle of the night, as he knew she was strong, able to talk him through it, and calm him down. He vowed to never take them again.

Without any push from the band, the LP received massive airplay from small independent radio stations and college radios in Chico, San Jose, Davis, Sacramento and the Bay Area. To Papa Roach's surprise, they became number one in Sacramento's "Most Requested Playlist" for five consecutive weeks. Papa Roach celebrated the release of the LP with a CD-release show in February of 1997, at 3 Oaks Community Centre, which was attended by over 700 fans.

With Papa Roach's emerging popularity, they were being booked as support acts for more prominent and larger shows. And in March of 1997, they played main support to suicidal tendencies in front of a 1000-person sell-out in Sacramento.

They gigged steadily throughout 1997 and were playing up to 14 shows a month. They had headlined or supported many of today's up-and-coming acts - including Incubus, Will Haven, Powerman 5000, Static-X and hed(pe).

1998 saw another independently-financed EP, produced again at "Sound Farm Studios" in Vacaville, called "5 Tracks Deep". This EP had sold more than 1000 copies in it's first month and caught the attention of Warner Brothers, who in turn financed a demo for Papa Roach to record. They recorded five songs for the demo, including the hugely successful "Last Resort", "Broken Home" and "She Loves Me Not". Warner Brothers failed to sign the band, but this did not deter them from carrying on what they had already been so successful at. Also, it was their passion.

They went on to record another EP in 1999, at "Trakworx Studios" in California, which was produced by Justin Weis. "Let 'Em Know" was a clear example of the mature Papa Roach sound and was by far their best independent effort. Shortly after recording the EP, Shaddix received a call from DreamWorks Records, who offered them a recording contract. They felt vindicated to accept, as Warner Brothers had been less than complimentary about the demo.

So in October of 1999, the band got to quit their day jobs and sign on the dotted line. They celebrated with a party and had a cake with the DreamWorks logo on the top. The next step was to record their first major-label record, and they wasted no time as they hit "NRG Studios" in North Hollywood to record what would become the triple-platinum selling LP, "Infest". The album, produced by Jay Baumgardner, included four re-recorded old songs, and seven new songs. They explained to Baumgardner that they wanted the album to catch their live feel and all the emotions released within the live show - they were ecstatic with the result.

Prior to the release of Infest, they had to record their first video for their first release single, "Last Resort". At first they chose a theme of "dark" and "suicidal" but decided against it and wanted to include the fans in the video. So they put up a message on their website requesting the help of 500 kids for their promo clip and, in the end, had to turn more than 200 kids away.

Infest was released on April 25th, 2000, and sold 30,000 copies in the first week of it's release. The album was supported by a spot on the Vans Warped Tour in July of that year, a tour in which they received massive acclaim despite not really being a punk band.

The boys continued touring, and toured the UK in October of 2000 where they brought the streets of London to a stand-still when they were mobbed by fans. They kept up their tight work ethic and visited the UK once again in January of 2001 to yet again a massive response.

Later that year, the band agreed they made a crucial mistake by jumping on the Ozzfest tour, because it wasn't designed for a band of their calibre - the ampitheatres were concrete, the sound was zapped, and the fans were forced hundreds of feet back. This tour resulted in the band wanting to go home when Shaddix was attacked with a knife at a train station in Copenhagen. He ran out of the station crying and ran all the way to his hotel where they made the decision to take time out and go home.

The band took two weeks off and decided that this is what they were born to do and to throw it away would be a huge mistake. They returned to the UK and played the Glasgow festivals "Leeds" and "Reading", where found they had re-affirmed their belief in their music and had made the right decision. Although the Ozzfest tour nearly split the band apart, it was not all bad as they had a studio with them on this tour in the back of their second tour bus. It was in this bus that the birth of their second major-label album would take place.

In September of 2001, the band flew out to do some shows in Japan and then headed home. After a month off of recouperating, and Shaddix's appearance on MTV's "Cribs", they hit the studio once again. December of 2001 saw Papa Roach work with Brendan O'Brien at "Royaltone Studios" in Los Angeles. They had a great deal of the album already written, including the remake of "Walking Thru Barbed Wire" - a song that first appeared on their 1999 EP, "Let 'Em Know".

They spent 60 days in the studio - but it could have been longer - as during the recording of the second major-label record, their apartments were broken into and Buckner's laptop was stolen, which contained a lot of intro music and further undeveloped ideas.

After the recording, they headed to "Southern Tracks" in Atlanta, Georgia to mix the record. And by February of 2002, they had completed "lovehatetragedy". The first song to be released from the album was 1998's "She Loves Me Not" and when Shaddix was questioned for the reasoning behind this release, he stated "the song survived the test of time".

With some warm-up shows in May they played Chico, Modesto, Petuluma, and Vacaville, in their bid to get back on the road. Their debut track was released on June 10th of 2002 and hit number 14 in the UK charts. The following week, "lovehatetragedy" was released and hit number four in the UK charts. Prior to the release of "lovehatetragedy", Papa Roach decided to hit the UK for a couple of shows. Most notibly at the Mean Fiddler in London to some 800 fans, followed by a Radio 1 live evening session the next night.

Papa Roach celebrated the release of their second major-label album with a CD-release show at the Memorial Theatre in Sacramento. The show was attended by over 1000 fans and also hosted a free aftershow party.

Papa Roach then went on the Anger Management tour in America, flying the flag of rock as every other artist on the bill was either a rapper or a hip-hop artist. After that, they launched a full-scale European tour, which finished up in London on the 7th of November in 2002.

"lovehatetragedy" has sold over 500,000 copies in America since it's release, which certifies "Gold" status. We can only wait to see what happens next.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:07:37 +0000 Dislocated Styles - Jason Dubree - MC/DJ
- Chuck Epperly - Guitars
- Greg Forney - Keys/Vocals
- Joe Boogie - Bass/Vocals
- Clancy McCarthy - Drums

Official site:None
Status:Unknown

"Playing with these guys has really given me an understanding about how different music can hit you," admits Dislocated Styles guitarist Chuck, "I always try and understand why something is popular. Is it the hook, the guitar line, what? And the other guys in the band have taught me to understand how we can rock it like this or like that and make something great happen." And rock it they do! The six piece Phoenix, Arizona group combines heavy rock riffin', funky bass lines, jazzy keyboards, beatbox drumming and a hip-hoppin' mic style that is as unique as it is beguiling. Each member brings his own flavor to the incendiary mix, "When we started, we all listened to different music," remembers Chuck. " I have a '70's rock background and a really strong blues influence - Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Greg and I come from a similar place. Brandon and Jason were into hip-hop and Joe was really into funk. We have all these crazy record collections and if you throw them all together Dislocated Styles is what you get."

MC Mesi (Brandon Lawson), guitarist Chuck Epperly, and bassist Joe Boogie had been playing for most of their lives in bands together. Around 1996, the threesome met Jason Dubree and keyboardist Greg Forney and Dislocated Styles was primed to set it off. Though they were based in Phoenix, the band traveled to Tempe to make their name on the local club circuit. People were feeling it, " There's a unity when we play live," says Brandon, "we just go at it and make sure everyone has a good time." They quickly started gathering a strong following, but unlike some bands, you couldn't put your finger on your 'average' Dislocated Styles fan. "It's bizarre how we draw people in," says Chuck. "We bring in people that you wouldn't expect to listen to our brand of music."

As Dislocated Styles' touring circle grew and they started to invade California, the band took the stage with the likes of Incubus, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Snot, Papa Roach, and Hed (P.E.). One of the biggest moments was when the band was asked to play The Edgefest in Phoenix in front of 15,000 people. The still-unsigned local faves shared a bill with Kid Rock, Primus, and Powerman 5000. "When we all walked out there, we all just looked at each other. It was a really good moment," remembers Chuck. "The crowd was so loud and they were awesome. We blew it up! I remember being so nervous before we went on and then I just said 'Fuck it. Whatever.' I'm not going to see this as anything different from any other gig we've ever done."

Dislocated Styles also found time to put out an EP, Spanking The Funky and a full-length entitled Elevator Music. The Band peddled both records at their shows, but if you'd like to score yourself a copy you'd better check eBay since both records are long gone. Soon enough, the major labels came sniffing around. "It was really strange," says Chuck, "because we never thought it would blow up like it did. We were doing it for fun and then it turned into something we could do for real." Though many wanted the boys to sign on the dotted line, the band was most impressed by the typically heavy-minded Roadrunner Records "We have always gone by feeling," said Chuck. "A lot of other labels approached us, but none of them were as good as Roadrunner. They were so real. I say 'Whatever feels the best,' and Roadrunner felt the best by far." By the end of 1999 the Southwestern collective had a deal and were set to record what would become Pin The Tail On The Honkey.

The final piece to the puzzle was producer Howard Benson (P.O.D., Zebrahead) and his partner-in-crime, engineer Bobby Brooks. In May 2000 the band locked themselves in the studio for six weeks in Sherman Oaks, California with the duo to put their mayhem on tape. Benson kept the vibe loose and free flowing. "He brought a lot of stuff out of us - stuff we didn't know we had," states Chuck. "It was so fun, he was such a good motivator."

Most of the album had already been written by the time the console board lit up, but a trio of tracks did get flushed out in the booth, including what would be the anthemic first single, "Liquefied." Hip-hop rhythms and a phat bass bounce swerve amidst a driving guitar riff as Jason Dubree (turntables) raps "I'm falling and I can't get up/And I tried to walk, but almost threw up/Only took a few shots, but I didn't last/This time Mr. Cuervo got the last laugh." "I think everyone can relate," says Brandon. "Liquefied" is pretty straight forward," agrees Chuck, "It's a common ground I think we all have." The shout-out sing-along chorus urges "Raise up your cup and drink up/It's as simple as that/In the club give me love/'Cause I'll give it right back."

"Fire in the Hole" is a blistering vitriol 'n' venom-filled rant about hardcore relationships gone horribly wrong. Brandon spits out the chorus with a particular vehemence, "Turn the heat up/We be getting' down, till the ashes hit the ground." "It's about one of those horribly fucked-up relationships that we've all had," says Brandon. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the bouncy pop vibe of "Clocks" celebrates all things green and bluntable. "You have to have a good time, you have to release," insists Chuck. "The way we release some of our negative energy and stress is by having a good time."

Pin The Tail On The Honkey is one of those records that defies categorization, but undeniably surfs the zeitgeist taking in a flurry of influences and spitting them out in a completely new form. Dislocated Styles are set to rip your head off and stick it on backwards with their particular variety of audio chaos

posted by Roadrunner Records]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:07:06 +0000 Devildriver Jeff Kendrick- guitar
Jon Miller - bass
Mike Spreitzer - guitar
John Boecklin - Drums

Official site:www.devildriver.com
Status:active

"DevilDriver" is the name witches give to the bells they use to drive away evil when casting their spells. But the DevilDriver we speak of is a band.

DevilDriver is not Dez Fafara's first band. In fact, the singer has been toiling in the trenches of the music industry since 1994, having sold well over a million albums worldwide, having appeared on nine soundtracks, and having spent countless years on the road playing hundreds of shows.


Dez Fafara - vocals

With DevilDriver, Fafara feels he has reached the point of sonic nirvana, where DevilDriver is the be-all, end-all. With its self-titled debut, DevilDriver exudes abrasive, formidable heavy metal from every pore, culling influence from the blackest of black metal, the deadliest of death metal, as well as the classic heavy metal cannon. Dez Fafara has always stood for heavy music and when others around him would not stand with him, he chose to stand alone. So, it's time for heavy music (and Fafara's) fans to focus on the here, on the now, and on the no-holds-barred DevilDriver.

DevilDriver, rounded out by guitarists Mike and Jeff, bassist John, and drummer Johnny B, was conceived in 2001, during the recording process of Dark Days, the third album by Fafara's other project, Coal Chamber. Fafara had wanted to add girth and heft to his musical output for quite some time. He had been contemplating moving in a fresher, more metallic direction when DevilDriver finally came to fruition. “I decided to make a life choice and a musical choice, and that choice was to get heavier and to follow my path more closely with heavy music,” admits a candid Fafara, who beams over DevilDriver like a father over his newborn spawn.


Jeff Kendrick- guitar

DevilDriver was assembled in an organic fashion: stolen from other bands around town. Things clicked, and the band, in its embryonic state, spent about a year hanging out and getting to know each other. Fafara knew in his mind and heart that once he finished touring with his other band, he would come off the road and dedicate his energy and mind to DevilDriver full-bore. “ My heart was going black in my previous band and I needed a musical and emotional change,” Fafara continues. “I had to follow my own love and passion, and that's brutal, extreme music, that doesn't play itself out to be on the radio or to fit in someone else's scene.”

DevilDriver is twelve songs strong, and was recorded at two different studios with two different producers. The drums and main guitars were recorded with Ross Hogarth at Rumbo, where a little album called Appetite For Destruction was done. The vocals, overdubs, and bass tracks were recorded with Dan Certa at Castle Oaks. It was a positive experience for all involved, and Fafara says, “It was gratifying to work with a bunch of wonderful musicians that wanted to do their jobs, where business came before playtime.” Fafara even goes as far as to deem the recording experience as “heartwarming,” since DevilDriver is a cohesive unit, where all the members were present during recording and functioning as a team.


Jon Miller - bass

Fafara admits that black, death, and classic heavy metal influences have reared their heads on DevilDriver, and compares his players to no one that he has ever heard. In essence, DevilDriver has formed its own style of rage, darkness, and fury. Songs like “Die (And Die Now),” “I Could Care Less,” and ”Nothing's Wrong?” could fuel a large nation's army.

Fafara admits to changing directions with his lyrical perspective. He says. “All the songs on the album are like the story of Faust, who sold his soul to the devil. I sold mine for my musical life. I write along those lines.” “Cry For Me Sky” addresses Fafara's take on his own funeral eulogy. “Out of all the songs I've written in my lifetime, this would be my eulogy song,” while “Nothing's Wrong?” is DevilDriver's take on “doing what thou will.” Fafara says “I Could Care Less” is about despising people's grandiose and pompous ways. The corrosive “Die (And Die Now),” which is so brutal that you can just see blood, guts, carnage, and flesh hanging from its jaw, is dedicated to the emotion of wishing someone was dead. “Everyone has that one person in their life that they wish was gone from the planet,” says Fafara. “This is my song about that one person.” There is a lyrical turn of phrase that says, “This is the last great hate song / So die / And die now.” Clearly, DevilDriver isn't masking its emotions or its intentions.


Mike Spreitzer - guitar

“ We wanted to avoid everything going on the States,” Fafara reiterates. “Do we have a hit radio song? We don't pander to what radio wants. We want to have a hit record for fans of heavy music. If a song is taken out and becomes successful, okay, great. If not, my middle finger is bigger than ever and I'll stay on tour for another two years!” Touring is where DevilDriver fully expects to bring its malicious metal to the masses. The band will be baptized into touring life on the exceptionally hard 'n heavy “The Blackest Of The Black Tour,” featuring Morbid Angel, Superjoint Ritual, and Danzig.


John Boecklin - Drums

DevilDriver just wants its music to be heard. The band just wants to get on stage and kill it every night. “This band will tour until the wheels come loose,” Fafara says.

Based on what we've seen from Dez Fafara in the past, and what he has assembled now, expect an explosion of massive consequence with DevilDriver. The band comes out of the gates with its fangs bared, ready to unleash its musical ferocity on the heavy metal world. Don't say we didn't warn you. So either join the DevilDriver party now, or brace yourself in a fetal position, because DevilDriver is coming and you won't be able to hide from the fallout generated by its self-titled debut.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:06:37 +0000 Coal Chamber Miguel'Miggs'Rascona - Guitars
Mike'Bag'Koks - Drums
Reina Foss - Bass

Status:Disbanded
Official site:None

Группа Coal Chamber образовалась в Лос-Анджелесе в начале 1994 г., и поначалу в нее входили только гитарист Мигель "Мигс" Раскона и вокалист Дэз Фафара. Вскоре к ним присоединился ударник Майк "Баг" Кокс, а бас-гитару отдали подруге бывшей жены Дэза Рейне Фосс, матери-одиночке. Рейна до этого никогда не держала в руках гитары, но быстро научилась. Одновременно придумали и название для группы. "Все получилось как-то сабо самой, - рассказывает Мигс, - просто Дэзу нравилось слово Coal, а мне - Chamber. Мы решили особенно не ссориться из-за этого и соединили слова. Так получилось Coal Chamber". Свой первый альбом ребята записывали почти три года, постоянно дополняя уже готовый материал новыми наработками. По словам Рейны старые песни казались им уже недостаточно хорошими, и им приходилось писать новые. Но три года не прошли зря - за время многочисленных выступлений в лос-анджелеских клубах был накоплен бесценный опыт и приобретены первые поклонники. Дебютный альбом команды, "Loco", сразу же привлек к себе внимание. На группу положила глаз Шарон Осборн, известная продюсер и по совместительству жена великого и ужасного Оззи. После того, как по ее приглашению Coal Chamber отыграли на Ozzfest, Шарон взяла молодой коллектив под свою опеку, сразу став в команде непререкаемым авторитетом. А сам Оззи сразу и надолго затащился, услышав запись группы. Мощная реклама сослужила хорошую службу, и дела у Coal Chamber резко поперли в гору. Сразу же после выхода "Loco" они принялись за второй альбом, "Chamber Music", на который у них ушло 14 месяцев. Практически все песни были написаны заранее, в перерывах между гастролями, но ребята очень долго не могли выбрать из кучи записей те 18, что войдут в альбом. Основным автором песен в группе является Дэз. На втором альбоме он обращается к теме сложности человеческих взаимоотношений, и при этом заявляет, все его песни очень позитивные и несут только хорошее, доброе, вечное. Но тут у группы началась полоса неприятностей. После инцидента в Колорадо, когда несколько школьников расстреляли своих одноклассников, команду обвинили в растлении младых умов и призывах к массовым убийствам. Отчасти этому помог и внешний облик участников Coal Chamber, которые насквозь пропирсингованы и сплошь покрыты татуировками. А вскоре случилась еще одна напасть. За три дня до назначенного микширования альбома "Chamber Music" парень, который этим занимался, погиб в автокатастрофе. "Мы были буквально раздавлены и не знали, что нам теперь делать. Другие люди нам совершенно не подходили". В конце концов, они решили сделать все своими руками. Результат оправдал их ожидания. Не потеряв в агрессивности и тяжести, группа стала звучать более мелодично и зрело. Стоит заметить, что с выпуском этого диска Coal Chamber помогал Джош Абрахам из Orgy, а также сам Оззи Осборн, который к тому же исполнил с группой кавер-версию песни Питера Габриэля "Shock The Monkey". Но группа не собирается останавливаться на уже достигнутом, хотя и несколько удивлена своей удачливостью. Ведь поначалу Coal Chamber задумывалась просто как прикольный способ убить время. Удачный пример того, как можно совместить приятное с полезным.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:06:09 +0000 Candiria Eric Matthews - Guitar
Michael MacIvor - Bass Guitar/vocals
Steve Fakelman - Lead Guitar/vocals
Kenneth Schalk - Drumset

Status:Active
Site:candiria.com

“I can tell you that it was the most violent and intense moment I’ve ever experienced” says Candiria bassist Michael MacIvor. MacIvor is referring to the Sept 9th, 2002 van accident that almost ended the career (and the lives) of the musicians in this seminal Brooklyn band. The band was driving to Cleveland as part of relentless touring in support of their then current record - The Coma Imprint. MacIvor continues “The memories of the van crushing down around me and being pelted with glass and metal are permanently etched into my mind. Apparently the eighteen wheel tractor-trailer didn’t see our 20’ vehicle. It drove right through our equipment trailer till it rear-ended the back of the van where a few of us were sleeping. The impact was so great that the van flipped over several times -skidding, roof-down for about 75 yards before coming to a halt. In the process Eric, John and I all were thrown through different windows of the vehicle.”

The accident resulted in all of the members of the band being hospitalized with critical injuries, commencing a long, painful recovery period for the band. MacIvor continues “The accident put a huge stop sign up in front of us. We had been trucking along for all of this time pretty much living in a vacuum on tour. I knew if we survived this, that it was all a sign to make a change in how we did things.”

Indeed Candiria survived and eventually regrouped to record their new album on Type A Records, What Doesn’t Kill You…. According to front man Carley Coma, “it’s our most emotional album ever and we all should have died in the accident. This album never would have been made. But we didn’t and I think that it is going to be our best work yet.” In the face of such horrific adversity, the experimental band, which could never be accused of being “stagnant” has prospered, progressed, and grown even more.

Everyone knows that change isn’t the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is necessary for survival. In true Candiria fashion, What Doesn’t Kill You…, produced by David Bendeth (who has produced and mixed artists like Killswitch Engage, Breaking Benjamin, 40 Below Summer), keeps listeners on their toes with its honesty and cerebral experimentation, which earned the band its reputation as musical alchemists that fuse metal, hardcore, jazz, and hip-hip in a wholly original, combustible blend. Previous outings, namely 300 Percent Density and The Process Of Self-Development, have garnered nods from the likes of Rolling Stone, Spin, and Kerrang.

The band acknowledges that song craft was an essential focus of this record. What Doesn’t Kill You… not only builds on Candiria’s complex, hallmark signature style, it also expands and goes beyond, embracing change. “It’s an up and down journey,” explains MacIvor. “It’s less quirky and less from the jazz side. We did that in the past and we don’t want to make the same record twenty times. We did not want to become predictable. If everyone expects us to insert jazz parts, we thought, ‘Let’s not do that at all.’ Adding a jazz part didn’t feel right on this particular group of songs.”

The songs on What Doesn’t Kill You… pulse and throb, but also show a newfound respect for catchiness. The band also tried its hand at three part harmonies, adding another layer of dynamics to an already dynamic sound. Coma, who has rapped and screamed on past Candiria albums, demonstrates a deft, capable singing voice, and his sharpest lyrical focus to date.

“Down” and “Remove Yourself,” on first listens, might not even sound like Candiria songs to seasoned fans of the band. They’re some of Candiria’s simplest songs ever, to which drummer Kenneth Schalk says, “Whether you are simple or technical with your music, it does not measure greatness. It’s the song.” And both songs groove in such a way that they will take up real estate in your brain. They’re simple, yet unforgettable, just like “1000 Points Of Light” and “Dead Bury The Dead” is complex and unforgettable. And then there is “9mm Solution,” which roots itself in hip-hop.

From a lyrical standpoint, Coma treads more personal ground. “Down” is the band’s testament to trying new things and moving on. “Nameless King” is about stepping into a new arena, while “Blood” is a track about war. “1000 Points Of Light” is a rebellion anthem, and “Vacant” is about Coma’s father. The lyrics on What Doesn’t Kill You… are some of Candiria’s most potent and graphic to date, and it’s just another ingredient in a new improved recipe.

Upon establishing themselves, many hard rock bands, are afraid to try new things. You can’t say that about Candiria. The band has been trying new things since it formed in 1992. You can rest assured that as long as Candiria remains a band, it will continue to charter previously uncharted territory and take a sledgehammer to smash new ground.

It’s never easy for a band to endure sonic growing pains and life-threatening accidents. But you know how the old saying goes… What Doesn’t Kill You…

posted by Earache.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:05:43 +0000 American Head Charge Mr. H.C. Banks III - Bass
Benji Hellberg - Guitar
Justin Fouler - Keyboards
Chris Emery - Drums
Karma Cheema - Guitar

official site:www.headcharge.com
Status:Active

American Head Charge, the Minneapolis-based industrial metal band, which had its genesis nine years ago when Martin Cock (then known as Cameron Heacock) and Chad Hanks (now known as Mr. H.C. Banks III) first crossed paths in a Minnesota rehab facility, has up to now been known primarily for the radically dysfunctional behavior of the band members.
?We were definitely out of control on our first tour, Ozzfest 2001,? Mr. Banks admits. ?It wasn?t enough to just play our music; we also had to fire shotguns on stage and throw pigheads at the crowd. Chalk it up to a desperate bid for attention.? The Head Charge rap sheet ? which also includes getting into bloody brawls with their fans, smashing equipment they couldn?t afford to replace, reacquainting themselves with hard drugs and occasionally being locked up by the enraged fuzz ? has served to obscure the fact that these free spirits play the shit out of their instruments and make brutally powerful music of uncommon distinction.

But this distorted (though hardly inaccurate) perception of the band will likely change with the release of The Feeding, a seething mass of avant metal, nightmare grindcore and moshpit rock that alternates between pummeling ferocity and passages of all-out grandeur. It?s a stunning display of primally extreme music that?s guaranteed to scare the hell out of your parents

The album had its genesis during the limbo in which AHC found themselves after touring intensively behind their acclaimed 2001 debut, The War of Art ? two years of prolonged exile from the road and ongoing internal tumult that found several bandmembers in a virtual death match with their personal demons. ?Three guys in the band jumped into the chemical deep end and two of them went back to rehab,? guitarist Bryan Ottoson ruefully recounts. ?It got so bad I was nearly checked into a psychiatric unit for suicidal behavior.?

Inevitably, their struggles begat rage, and that could?ve paralyzed them. But what sets Head Charge apart is an almost alchemical ability to transform their rage ? at the world, each other and (perhaps most of all) themselves ? into dark art. Hence, the worse their situation got, the more inspired they became, as singer Cock and bassist/guitarist Mr. Banks ? now collaborating with Ottoson and keyboard manipulator Justin Fowler -- stirred up a cauldron of new songs and brought them to seething life with drummer Christopher Emery. While the band?s old label turned a deaf ear to their bold sonic forays, emerging producer Greg Fidelman, who?d engineered the Rick Rubin-produced first album, embraced the band?s new material. The band managed to get out of their deal, and sign with Nitrus/DRT. ?Rick Rubin was gracious enough to let us leave American Recordings without hassle. It could have been a litigious nightmare,? adds Mr. Banks.

With Fidelman at the helm, Head Charge spent four months on the album, and it evidences an unlikely, previously dormant self-discipline. Tellingly, whereas the sprawling The War of Art ran well over an hour, as if they could barely control their wild-eyed impulses, The Feeding clocks in at a dense 41 minutes, the compression serving to intensify their fury. The opener and first single ?Loyalty? sets the record?s brutal tone, as Cock spews recriminations with frightful conviction while also revealing a scarred humanity in his natural voice, a captivating tenor that sounds like the troubled emanations of some fallen angel. ?Dirty? would be an infectious, balls-out rocker were it not for Cock?s Satanic howling, which transforms it into the soundtrack to an exorcism. ?Walk Away? delivers a hyper-melodic, gloriously anthemic chorus, then proceeds to hack it to pieces in characteristically deranged fashion. Easy listening this ain?t. And yet the closing ?To Be Me? achieves something close to serenity, like the eerie calm after a thunderstorm?or a nuclear holocaust. ?It?s almost hopeful,? Mr. Banks acknowledges, sounding like he can hardly believe it himself.

There?s a line in ?Walk Away? that perfectly encapsulates this tormented but inspired band: ?We?re dirty and hungry and bitter and tired and broke and bruised and battered,? Cock shrieks in agony and defiance, adding, with all due irony, ?so happy.? Although Cock is the band?s primary lyricist, it was Mr. Banks who came up with the words (he admits, quite unnecessarily, that he was in a bad state at the time). Mr. Banks recited the line his partner, who knew right away that it would drop right into the hole he was looking to fill in the song?s crucial bridge section. ?For a while,? Mr. Banks says, ?that?s what we wanted to call the album ? with no spaces between the words. It just says it all.?

Also in the cosmic coincidence department is the filigreed, intertwined guitar figure that opens and closes the boldly provocative ?Ridiculed,? The Feeding?s roiling centerpiece. The part is actually two guitars, and the parts were conjured up simultaneously by Ottoson and Cock ? in two separate parts of the studio, out of hearing of each other. At the same moment, each of them entered the main room eager to play their new creations to the other band members and Fidelman. Only then did everyone realize that the two parts magically interlocked. Divine intervention? With this crew, that?s highly unlikely ? unless God has a truly twisted sense of humor (and with AHC there?s plenty of circumstantial evidence to support that hypothesis).

Mr. Banks describes his band?s dynamic as ?a constant battle between Order and Chaos,? and that?s an apt description of the corrosive yet savagely beautiful sonic onslaught AHC delivers on The Feeding. In the end, Order prevails ? if just barely ? which is a good thing for American Head Charge and their ever-growing legion of fans. If Chaos had come out on top, this dangerously self-destructive but supremely talented band would?ve surely imploded, leaving nothing but wrecked gear, lost souls and mangled body parts. Instead, with all their limbs still attached and pulsing with the endorphins of catharsis, AHC will spend 2005 on the road ? and this time, hopefully, not the road to perdition.

Posted by headcharge.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:05:18 +0000 Caliban Denis Schmidt - Guitar
Marc Gortz - Guitar
Marco Schaller - Bass
Patrick Grun - Drums

Status:Active
Site:calibanmetal.de

Named after the wild and deformed slave in Shakespeare's “Storm”, Caliban are five German musicians who despite their young age are already seen as veterans of the European metal-core scene.
The strange mix of animal-like coarseness, diabolical ruse and mighty impetuosity not only makes Caliban one of the most important characters in Shakespeare's dramas but also the patron saint to the musical orientation of this quintet from Germany's Ruhr region. Within just a few years they have become one of the most important and influential bands of that genre.

Formed in 1997 (under the name Never Again) Caliban signed to Lifeforce Records after recording a two song promo tape. The release of their self-titled EP in the summer of 1998 was the start of a co-operation which was to lay the foundation of Caliban's incredible success. Countless tours all over Europe including a few support gigs for bands like Morning Again, Earth Crisis and Cro-Mags strengthened their reputation and got them an ever increasing army of Caliban “apostles”. Their full-length debut album "A Small Boy And A Grey Heaven" (1999) finally opened the door to fame and became a European metal-core classic. Even then Caliban knew how to combine Slayer-esque, precise metal guitars with emotional hardcore shouting, leaving their own, distinct mark on that sound.
Initially seen as mix of Slayer, Poison the Well and Hatebreed by the critics Caliban didn't jump on the metal-core bandwagon just recently but rather lead the way representing that genre at home and internationally.

The following split EP with their friends from Heaven Shall Burn was to become another metal-core classic and when the band's second album "Vent" came out in April 2001 it was also released on Imperium/Howling-Bull Records in Japan which led to Caliban being invited to play at the famous Beast-Feast 2001 in Yokohama together with Slayer, Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard and mighty Morbid Angel.

Back from Japan Caliban went on their first US tour with Bloodjinn followed by another US tour with A Life Once Lost, Dead To Fall and The Red Chord in the summer of 2002 and an appearance at the famous Hellfest in New York.

In August 2002 Caliban entered the Woodhouse studio in Germany to record their third long play "Shadow Hearts". As third albums seem to decide on the make or break of an act, expectations for this record were very high. Caliban did, however, manage to transform pressure to a new metal-core milestone introducing a new style of post-modern, destructive metal-core with an unparalleled sense of heaviness and musicianship.

This release saw a matured band moving further in the direction of harmony and melody without ever denying their metal and hardcore roots. The following tour in Japan with Killswitch Engage and Shadows Falls strengthened their musical way and it was the friendship with people like Mike D (Killswitch Engage bass player who is now also designing T-shirts for Caliban) which helped to finally establish them in the US metal-core scene.

In January 2004 Caliban entered “The Room” studios in G&?teborg/Sweden to record their fourth album “The Opposite From Within” which was produced by In Flames front man Anders Friden and mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (e.g. Machine Head, Killswitch Engage, Arch Enemy) at the Backstage Studio in the UK.

In the meantime Caliban have inked a deal with Roadrunner Records who will release Caliban's new album “The Opposite From Within”. Fans can look forward to bombastic, straight guitar walls, driving drums, dynamic tempo changes, double bass mosh attacks and hardcore bass lines but also melodic sounds that seem to break through the aggressive shouting parts almost unexpectedly.

The fact that they are excellent, emotional and thoroughly honest musicians should open the doors for them worldwide. But let&?s keep the last words to the singer Andy and his lyrics in “The Beloved And The Hatred”:

“a daring mixture of shelter and temptation
the one who dares will gain the blame
lines weave into my heart
to tear it slightly apart
where is your love?”

Posted by roadrunnerrecords.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:04:53 +0000 Bloodsimple Mike Kennedy (Guitar)
Nick Rowe (Guitar)
Kyle Sanders (Bass)
Chris Hamilton (Drums)

Status:Active
Site:bloodsimpleband.com


bloodsimple don’t want to be judged by the merits of their past, but they know that it’s probably going to happen. And they’re ready.
“People are going to be blindsided by this record, and I can say that with confidence—I think this is my greatest work,” says frontman Tim Williams, who along with guitarist Mike Kennedy, spawned bloodsimple from the ashes of their acclaimed metal-core outfit Vision Of Disorder. While VOD were visionaries on the heavy music front, bloodsimple offered the pair an opportunity to stretch their musical muscles, further expanding their hard-hitting dynamics from sheer aggression and amplified rage, to subtle soundscapes that stress their uninhibited extremes.



“Tim and I had talked about doing this type of project for awhile, and when VOD came to an end, we realized that this didn’t have to be a project, it could be a band,” says Kennedy. The duo began collaborating on bloodsimple in late 2001, but it wasn’t until the addition of guitarist Nick Rowe nearly a year later that, according to Kennedy, “we really took off—That’s when we really started writing three-dimensional songs.”



Rowe, a classically trained musician with rock roots and more than a decade of jazz schooling, was sharpening his teeth as a producer when a mutual friend introduced him to the VOD veterans. “I knew nothing about them or their band when I first met them, and I think that was kind of good,” says Rowe. “No one knew what to expect, and it naturally worked itself out. When we met, we met in the middle, and the middle turned out to be something interesting.”

Interesting. Invigorating. Annihilating. And Pacifying. The opening track “Straight Hate,” swings like a sledgehammer with blinding fury, while its album-closing bookend, “Plunder,” sweeps the senses with a peaceful bidding and subdued calm. “Blood In Blood Out” is a soul-searing blitzkrieg of sensory overload, “The Leaving Song” takes a soul-searching sonic step back, while “Sell Me Out” offers a melody-infused medium, offering the keenest insight into a band that isn’t afraid to nurse the wounds they so readily inflict. “Lyrics are important to me, and I go over them with a fine-tooth comb,” says Williams. “I put love into them, I put hate into them, I speak to people through the music, and don’t want to be some stereotypical guy that’s writing about fucking chicks and getting drunk—that’s so cliche.” And cliche is something bloodsimple will never be.



“I wrote ‘Straight Hate,’ because I was reading articles about the war in Iraq, and how difficult it was for the soldiers over there. I wanted to write something where the words would help them through the day. It’s not political a song—I don’t care about the reasons they’re there, I just know that they are there, and it’s difficult for them and their families and that’s enough for me.”



Other songs range from the emotional release of a loved one on “Plunder,” written with Kennedy on a cliff in Maine, to the painted picture of a relationship gone south in “Sell Me Out.” Then there’s “Flatlined,” a song that took an emotional turn for Williams after it was written. “I actually wrote that song from the shoes of a junkie, it’s about addiction, the feeling you get from leading that life, and one day just never waking up. One of my best friends loved that song, and he ended up dying just like in the song—A song like that really sets us apart and makes bloodsimple what we are.”



“Half of this album is brutal, and the other half… You don’t even know where it’s coming from, yet it’s all a part of the same album,” says bassist Kyle Sanders, whose previous credits include the industrial-metal trailblazers Skrew, as well as a more recent tenure with Medication. “The dynamics of this band are just unreal—It never feels like it’s too fast or too slow, but there’s still a range that goes from one extreme to the other, without ever compromising either.”



It was that bold disregard for genre constraints—and their incendiary live show—that attracted Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray to bloodsimple, making them the first release on his Bullygoat Records imprint of Warner Bros. Records. “bloodsimple opened for Mudvayne in Philadelphia, and it didn’t take long for me to understand that they have the songs, energy, ability and live performance needed to captivate an audience.”



“This is the band I’ve always wanted to be in,” echoes drummer Chris Hamilton, a former member of Downset and Medication who’s also recorded for such scalding acts as Crisis and My Ruin. “bloodsimple is a collective, and everybody brings something really strong to the table, there’s no weak link in this band. Most of us have done this before as a profession, and we wanted this one to be the real one for the long haul.”



More than anything, says Kennedy, “bloodsimple is inspired by musical freedom.”

“I love straight-up heavy bands, but that’s not what we’re doing,” agrees the frontman. “I love to sing, and I love to scream, and the older you get, the more influences you have. We want to take listeners on a journey, and we sequenced the album that way—It takes you from the gate and smashes you in the head, but then it takes you to a different place. We didn’t want to run with the pack—We knew that bloodsimple would never be like other bands.”
Posted by bloodsimpleband.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:04:28 +0000 40 Grit Status:Disbanded
In a day and age of savvy marketing campaigns, manufactured pop icons and force fed hum until you bleed choruses, it is rare that a band can emerge truly by word of mouth and the sweat of their brow. The San Francisco East Bay's 40 Grit is that band.

Emerging in early 1997, word on 40 Grit spread like a New Mexican wildfire. Carving it's own unique sound in the burgeoning San Francisco scene rich with hard rock history, the band embraced what has become known as the "Bay Area sound", and brought it the element it is so deservedly needed - songs, while remaining true to their metal ethic. With the train moving full steam ahead, guitarist Chris Anderson is realistic; "our music now has to take us further".

The bands now infamous, explosive, live performances established 40 Grit as contenders with now legendary shows with Meshuggah, Testament, Stuck Mojo and Puya. The gigs left an indelible mark, keeping folks coming back for more. Thiscombination of the sometimes haunting and intense vocals, a thundering, rhythmic and hypnotic bottom end and drums that pulse like a beating heart, set the mode for audience participation. Couple this with team of awesome guitarists made people take notice and realize 40 Grit is a band to be reckoned with. Early accolades from the world&?s metal press came fast. Germany's Rock Hard magazine dubbed them the "Best Unsigned Band". Stateside coverage in Metal Maniacs as well as England's Kerrang! and Terrorizer followed --all without the benefit of a record deal.

On what seems to be a meteoric rise, frontman James modestly puts it, "We keep maturing with every song we write. We just never give up. "

That climb to the top continues. With each show, the band expanded its area of influence. By June of 1998, 40 Grit was a highly sought after opening act, garnering an invitation to perform at the Milwaukee Metalfest. In December of that year, veteran noisemakers, S.O.D., invited 40 Grit to come and perform at their huge hometown show in New York City. This was the band's chance to make themselves known on the East Coast. That following February, vocalist James (Santiago) and bassist Kevin Young performed vocals with vocalist Billy Milano on S.O.D.'s return album, "Bigger than the Devil." Stints at the world famous Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven (almost unheard of for an unsigned band), Holland in 1999 made it official: 40 Grit are now an international force.

2000 has shaped up to be the year of 40 GRIT. After completing work on their upcoming debut, the band has begun its never-ending tour schedule playing gigs with Soulfly and Skinlab. If last year is any indication, European tours will be in the works.]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:04:02 +0000 36 Crazyfists Thomas Noonan - drums
Steve Holt - guitar
Mick Whitney - bass

official site:www.36crazyfists.com
Status:Active

A Snow Capped Romance is a romance with people, places and situations... a romance with life itself for 36 Crazyfists' vocalist Brock Lindow. "The last record (Bitterness The Star - 2002) had more depressing subject matter. It was about dwelling on bad relationships and negative things. As we toured and played these songs all the time, we realized that we needed to write more positive material. There will always be things that depress everyone, but A Snow Capped Romance is about getting past that stuff and focusing on the good things that have happened in your life," says Lindow.

Alaskan born and bred, Lindow, Steve Holt (guitar), Mick Whitney (bass) and Thomas Noonan (drums) who now reside in Portland, OR, immediately took to the road following the release of Bitterness The Star, touring the US with the sonically varied likes of Candiria (who became super '36' fans), God Forbid, Chimaira, Diecast, Hotwire, among others and embarked on the European Road Rage tour with their labelmates, Killswitch Engage and Five Pointe O, and got their touring legs firmly underneath them. After their hectic tour cycle, the band took time off to write new material. I started writing templates for songs and laying down ideas, says guitarist Steve Holt. Musically, everything is more focused. We all had ideas about what we wanted to accomplish, where we wanted to go and how we wanted the music to be. A conscious effort to keep the album clean was in effect as well. As Lindow explains "It is much harder to find alternate ways to express yourself, lyrically. Looking back on the last record, the cursing just didn't sound right to me. I tried to avoid it this time."

Lindow expands on his lyrical progression, saying, I didn't want to write about the same things again, because my life is so different from when I wrote the Bitterness... record. The epic Cure Eclipse is one of the first songs the band wrote during the 'Snow Capped sessions and it set the right tone. This song set the format for the entire record, says Lindow. It helped me get past situations I was in prior to writing the record. There is even a lyric that says, 'This year cure me' and that's an overall theme. That said, it was the feverish At The End Of August, that became the earliest public offering from the band, having been featured on the MTV2's Headbangers Ball soundtrack. It's one of my favorite songs it's about friendship. It's very aggressive, and it's a great rock jam, says Lindow making it perfect for the compilation. Installing The Catheter is a really inspirational tune. I talk to myself when I write," says Lindow. "The 'you' in the lyrics is 'me.' Basically, I'm saying, 'Change my life' rather than continually talking about anything that keeps me down. While the lyrical content may veer off into new directions, Lindow's utterly distinct vocal style, which falls somewhere between System Of A Down's Serj Tankian and Thursday's Geoff Rickly, remains constant. Consequently, A Snow Capped Romance is a more mature, focused album that taps into a vein of emotionally charged aggression in a signature '36' fashion. This sophomore effort promises to thrust the band to the forefront of the "(scr)emo" / post-hardcore movement.

The right team had to come together to make such a powerful album. A Snow Capped Romance was produced by James Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever). '36' chose Wisner specifically to achieve some natural sounds - he is good with harmonies and worked really well with Brock, says Holt. The band then switched gears and chose veteran Andy Sneap, arguably the most notorious mixer in heavy music, who has worked with Earth Crisis, Killswitch Engage and Arch Enemy, among others. The combination proved perfect and brought out the best in this unique act.

Brock, Steve, Mick and Thomas also assert that the album title is a tribute to their home state, one most Americans don't keep in the forefront of their consciousness due to its physical distance. The whole record is also about the love we have for Alaska, admits Lindow. We want to always remember where we are from. It's good to be in love with your surroundings. A Snow Capped Romance is sure to start many a fan's love-affair with the music of 36 Crazyfists and fans should know the love is mutual. "We love touring and getting out there to meet fans," says Lindow, "look out for us on the road this time around. It is going to be great!"

Posted by 36crazyfists.com]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 10:03:36 +0000