NYS Music 20​13

Author: Upstate Metal

  • Zen and ART OF DYING

    “The Art of Dying comes from a longer sentence: ‘the art of dying is my life to live’,” explains Jonny Hetherington, frontman of Canadian rock band, Art of Dying, to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel, over their lengthy Skype interview. “And it was a real late night, kind of drunken conversation that kind of came to that exact sentence, ‘The art of dying is my life to live.’ But it kind of became just, between the members of the band, just became our motto, our theme of how we live, recognizing that life is precious and your time here is kind of limited or unpredictable at least so that’s it, that’s the band name.”

    Media Credit - Travis Shinn
    Media Credit – Travis Shinn

    Formed in the streets of Vancouver, BC by Jonny and the band’s guitarist, Greg Bradley, over the years this band has grown in many ways since the beginning in 2004, making band member changes along the way. Originally, the band started with Jonny, Greg, Chris Witoski (guitarist from 2005 till 2008), Matt Rhode (bassist from 2005 till 2008), and Flavio Cirillo (drummer from 2005 till 2008). In 2008, Hetherington and Bradley met their current drummer, Jeff Brown, then the rest of the current members made their way into the band, Tavis Stanley (guitar), and Cale Gontier (bass). When asked about how the band met, Hetherington recounted the details of the formation. “Greg and I met in Vancouver, I actually just moved out here and I pretty much sucked at playing guitar and singing at the same time. So I decided the best thing to do was to play on the street a lot so I would go down to Gramble Street or a couple of little spots that I had in town and I would just sit there and play my heart out all day long and all night long sometimes. One night, some dudes were walking by and they were starting a band and heard my voice and kind of…I guess they followed my voice for a couple of blocks because I was singing pretty loud. And next thing you know, that was Greg, and the next thing you know, we never parted ways since, it was like we decided to start a band right away. After a few years, we met Jeffy, who’s also in Vancouver, a drummer here, who was in a different band just a couple of doors down from us, in our jam space, and when the time was right, we just knew that after having Jeffy out once, we knew he was our guy. Then he had ties to Cale and Tavis who were living in Toronto, which is like…I don’t know…2,000 miles away. But he’s from Ontario, so he knew Cale and Tavis and we were heading out there for Canadian Music Week, which is a festival they have every year. And the timing was just perfect, we all hooked up, the five of us literally had a couple of beers together and we got along like we had been friends our whole lives, and the timing was right in our band to have them come in and the timing was right in the band they were playing with, to step away, so it was just perfect, that was about five years ago now.” He then chuckled and added, “I always joke that it was love at first beer, I guess.”

    Since 2007, the band has released a total of three albums; their self-titled debut, Vices and Virtues (2011), and an acoustic compilation Let the Fire Burn (2012), featuring songs from their sophomore album, “Completely” and “Get Thru This”. The band definitely has a unique sound, as some fans put it, “a mix of Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace”, particularly because of Hetherington’s voice. Of course, according to Jonny, various artists, going as far back as Led Zeppelin, broadly influence the band. “I know Tavis and Greg both hold the highest regard for those guys, I’m learning the Zeppelin catalog myself now a little bit, so I’m just kind of…I have saved that for this part of my life, which is kind of cool to be going through that,” explained Jonny. “But the thing that changed music for me the most was really the grunge years. Just when I heard Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains for the first time and Tool for the first time. A Perfect Circle, all that kind of stuff in the 90s just really resonated with me and the passion they were singing with and how good the bands were, the instrumentation, everyone seemed really great with what they did, it was a very real time in music… It was such a real movement, the closest thing our generation has to the 60s movement or whatever. So I feel really fortunate to be a part of that era and just to have grown up a little bit with those bands as an influence, because we try to follow the same rules in our music and if it’s not real, then we move on from it. So we try to be as real as we can in our recordings and as real as we can on stage, and what you see is what you get in an Art of Dying show. It’s really important to us to wave that flag of ‘we’re real people, making real music’.” Well, their fan base has grown greatly over the years, and these dedicated fans call themselves, Die Hards. On Facebook, Jonny created a group for the fan club called The Die Hards (Official Fan Club for Art of Dying), where the fellow fans post pictures of themselves with the band and/or pictures with videos from live shows, as well as their favorite lyrics, personal stories of discovering the band, and questions. This is a very successful way for the Die Hards to connect with each other and possibly meet each other at nearby shows. Since the creation of the group, the members of the club have become very close with one another.

    As for touring, the band is very tour hungry. They have featured in various hard rock and heavy metal festivals throughout the country including the 1st and 2nd annual Avalanche Tours in 2011 and 2012, both tours headlined by Stone Sour and Shinedown. They were also a part of the 2011 tour of Rockstar’s Uproar Festival, headlined by Avenged Sevenfold. As for other festivals, they performed at Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion and the 48 Hours Fest, all in 2011. Art of Dying has been known to tour with Disturbed and Three Days Grace. Currently, they are on the road with Saving Abel, part of a beneficial acoustic tour called Rock4Revival. When asked about the band’s favorite part about touring, the enthusiasm in Jonny’s voice was evident. “Touring, you know, I always feel like it’s our home. We all have our homes, obviously at home, but it just feels like for us the road is…as soon as we get home, we want to get back out again, so fun. It’s a little sad because a lot of the bands we’ve toured with don’t feel the same way. A lot of the bands are dying to get home and…I guess the more bands I meet, the more I realize that true friendships within bands are pretty rare, and I think a lot of people on Facebook and Twitter ask me stuff like, ‘I’m starting a band, what should I do? Give me some advice!’ My first advice is always to make sure you’re doing it with people you really like and people you really love and hopefully it’s with your friends because it’s truly how you’re going to make it or get by or survive, the support of true friendship. If it’s just a common, ‘We want to start a band, but we barely know each other…’ I don’t know! It could last too but at the same time, I just think the friendship part is very important so to me. Being on the road is just about embracing that time as a musician, as a performer and as a friend, and just really…whether it’s writing a song unexpectedly at 9 in the morning on the tour bus or whether it’s that perfect moment on stage, that night, it’s all a real good time for us.”

    Out of the three albums, the band has a total of six singles with catchy yet powerful lyrics and tones. These singles include “Get Through This” from their debut record, yet another version was released in 2011 from Vices and Virtues, “Get Thru This” along with “Die Trying”, the very first song from that album. In 2012, from the same album, “Sorry” and “Raining”, and this year, “I Will Be There”. These profound songs manage to touch the Die Hards’ hearts and those songs remain to play a big part in their lives. After Drexel asked about song ideas and their evolution, Jonny recalled how he had coincidentally wrote a song that morning. “So this is actually typical in some ways for me, I woke up this morning, and I was dreaming. In my dream, I was writing a song, which is kind of weird, but this actually happens to me all the time now. I’ll either be on stage in the dream or I’ll be writing in my dream or I’ll just be humming a melody in my dream or something and that’ll wake me up, and when I wake up, I try to force myself to get up and go work on the song. Because if you’re lazy and just sometimes like, ‘Fuck! I just want to go back to sleep!’ then you totally miss your chance because it’s gone. So like this morning, it was way too early to get up but I just forced myself to get up. I pressed ‘record’ on my voice recorder, and hummed the melody from the dream and then grabbed my guitar and started working on the melody for about an hour. Then I kind of made some coffee and set the guitar down for a bit, and I like to let the musical ideas kind of mix up a little bit in my head for a bit and then I sat down with my guitar again and kind of found…I don’t know what the word is but it just all of the sudden clicks. The ‘Oh yeah, there is where it has to go!’ and it feels good and it feels right so you just follow that and then about three hours later, I got some lyrics now and I’ve got what I really think is a strong chorus and the whole thing, just…I got the verse, pre-chorus, and the chorus, and I know the bridges, I’m going to finish that as soon as this interview is done,” said Jonny, both he and Drexel shared a hearty laugh. “It’s just like that are really, really fun ‘cause the song kind of comes really easily. I know this one is coming that way. Sometimes there’s a song that sits around for three years and it’s hard to finish it because it’s not an easy one, but yeah, that’s generally how it works, and if I don’t write lyrics, or if I get busy and if I don’t have time to finish the words, I’ll usually do that later…I love Cuban cigars, so I’ll just light up a two or three hour cigar and just finish all the words to a song or two. Actually, recently too, there’s this really awesome friend of mine in Vancouver that lent me his store at night. He owns an amazing coffee shop, but it closes at night so he lent me that place to go finish songs, so I’ve been doing that a lot recently, and it’s just great to be in this dark, closed coffee shop, alone with my ideas and I’ve been able to write lyrics for two songs a night when I do that, so yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

    While talking about their songs, Drexel was eager to find out the story behind “Raining”, one of her favorite Art of Dying singles, featuring the former frontman of Three Days Grace, Adam Gontier. “That one’s weird, the lyrics for that one found me, and I think it’s all about fears and coming to terms with the fact that we’re all a little bit crazy, and we’re all a little bit messed up inside at times. Sometimes I feel like I have the best life on the planet, I’m in a rock band, I’m having fun, I have people in my life that are brilliant, and I love them, and so I often think, ‘Wow, I’m the luckiest guy in the world’. But then there are days when I feel like complete shit and just things inside are not right, and I hate those days, but I think I wrote ‘Raining’ to kind of say to myself that we’re all that way, and it’s ok and we’re all kind of…you know, it’s raining inside for all of us at different times and it’s ok. So it’s kind of like that comfort in numbers or something, just realizing that it’s a normal part of life.” Kate admitted that on rough days, she finds herself having the song on repeat at times, to help her get through them. “That’s actually how Adam Gontier wound up singing on it with us, he’s Cale’s cousin, and so we always bounced ideas off of him and stuff, just as a friend, and he always came back saying that song was his favorite in our group of songs that we were going to make the record with, so we just asked him if he wanted to sing on it, and he said yes, so I think that song runs deep for people, including Adam.”

    Through all the madness of touring and recording, Hetherington admitted to not having a lot of downtime, trying to manage the band with various documents and preparations for upcoming tours, from work visas to union dues being paid. “I’m always trying to get through these crazy to-do lists of stuff. I don’t just play music in the band; I do a lot of the business in the band as well so I’m always just whittling away at different things on the list of what to get done…It gets a little crazy when you care about your band, you want everything to work all the time and I don’t know whether I’m a bit of a control freak or whether it’s just I care so much that I want things to work, just always busy with either music or band stuff or trying to cook some food.” However, there is one downtime activity that Jonny is very passionate about, cooking. On Facebook, Pintrest and Twitter, he tends to post recipes for fantastic looking dishes. “When I cook, I really love it. I put a lot of passion to that too because it is one of the things I enjoy, really good food and having a beer or wine or cocktail that goes with that food. I love the whole experience of mixology and dining and eating and cooking and I think that’s probably…it’s a necessity in life, you might as well enjoy it and make it a really fun moment every day.” A little chuckle escaped from him as he added, “Although this morning, I just had a fried egg sandwich and a pickle, so I guess that’s not much of a moment.”

    As of mid-May, Art of Dying is on the Rock4Revival acoustic tour with Saving Abel, originally created by Kayla Riley, one of the DJs from Sirius XM Octane. It all started with a small benefit acoustic show, Rock 4 Recovery, in downtown New York at the Gramercy Theatre in January of this year. Bands included Smile Empty Soul, Hurt, Art of Dying, Adam Gontier, and Before the Curtain. Because of the show’s huge success, Riley wanted to continue this as a benefit tour. “They took the bands from that evening and split it up into two tours and Adam from Three Days Grace couldn’t do it, so they got Saving Abel to do it. So basically it’s just Saving Abel and a couple other bands, I know Hurt and Smile Empty Soul are doing one leg of the tour, we’re doing the other leg and it’s all acoustic, and we’ve only announced a few shows right now, but it’s going to be almost two months of touring, so it’s going to be really cool. So we’re going to be all over the place with our acoustic set and it’s a lot of fun for us to have those intimate, really lower volume but still really fun shows. So on our Facebook and our Twitter and our website, we will be announcing the shows over the next few days, so if you wanna know if it’s coming near your city, just find us online and we’ll be announcing stuff daily.”

    Be sure to follow the band on their Twitter (@ArtofDying) and be on the look out for updates on their tour on Facebook. This is a band you will not want to miss out on!

  • Profile: HALF8N

    255599_194977673882019_2433957_nSpotlight on this small metal band from Central California who gives off a certain indescribable vibe to their music. Ladies and gents, I give you Half8n! “It is a play on the phrase Half Eaten. The spelling is reflective of the age of technology. Shortened words and slang so to speak. Quietly, in the dark, the other half has been eaten, consumed by the world and by what has been created for us and by us. Reflecting the behaviors of the people within the world with our music. Half of me/us has already been eaten away, the other half that’s left here in this shell is the half that I/we keep for ourselves,” explained the band via email to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel. The band consists of Dalton Whitman (lead vocals, guitar), Eric Avila (guitar, backing vocals), James Ruiz (bass), and Justin Casselman (drums).

    Bands such as System of a Down, Alice in Chains, Tool, Pantera, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, and Primus influence Half8n. “These are just some of the bands that influence our sound. What influences the topics, or subjects we touch on vary from: life, current events, love, sadness, the list goes on. There are so many emotions, and feelings, and things happening in the world, that we have influences coming from every direction. Having four separate band members, with their own lives, trials, and tribulations, gives us that much more to go off of.” When asked if the band had the opportunity to collaborate with another band, who would it be, they answered that it was a hard question to answer, but they ended up choosing Tool. “Every band has their own heros, but if we have to pick one, we agree it would be Tool. Tool – because the underground scene is still so original and pure. Fans are still about the music not the look or amount of money spent on advertising and costumes. All that aside, we believe that Tool could teach us a lot. Not just from a musical point of view, but a spiritual point of view as well.”

    The topic then turned to their music, about the evolving of their song ideas. “Dalton usually comes to practice with a general idea for a song, it’s usually a catchy hook, or a basic melody. Then as the four of us come together, and put our own mark on it, the catchy hook or basic melody evolves into an entire song,” they explained. “And it doesn’t always stop evolving when we’ve recorded, mixed and mastered it. Some completed song will be shelved even after mastering is complete simply because we feel like the song has not finished evolving. Some of our current songs are actually excerpts from a handful of our unpublished songs. Proving that we are not in control of the evolution of any one song, and we do not decide when it is complete. The pen is doing all the writing and we are simply holding onto the pen.” The band then individually answered Drexel’s favorite question; what does music mean to you? To Dalton, “Music is a chance to create”; Eric: “Music is a voice, a voice to be heard by everyone”; Justin: “Music to me, is perfection”; and James: “Music is our battle cry.”

    Be sure to follow the band on Twitter (@half8n), and check their music out on reverbnation.

  • Album Review: Rise by SKILLET

    Attention, Skillet Army, the band invites you to RISE with them in celebration of their newly released epic album Rise. Howard Benson produced Skillet’s ninth album and they recorded it in October 2012 through January 2013 at West Valley Studios in Woodland Hills, California. This time, Skillet takes their music to a whole new level; Rise is filled with darker and heavier melodies, and the band’s drummer, Jen Ledger, features her vocals in most of the tracks. Rise is the band’s best album yet.

    The album begins with its title track and third single, hinting to the fans what to expect throughout the album. Definitely a great way to start the record. Powerful lyrics sung by Ledger and John Cooper accompany the dark tones. Towards the end of the track, mixed recordings from a panicked phone call to 911, news reporting, to a disappointed father yelling at his child, perfectly connecting all of this to the next song, the leading single, “Sick of It”. The quiet catchy beats start the song off, followed by explosive beats, courtesy of Ledger, especially towards the end, her pounding rapid drumbeats. Cooper’s wife and the band’s keyboardist/rhythm guitarist, Korey, complements the beats with an electronic pulsing melody. The lyrics to the song are very profound and influential. “Good To Be Alive” has a very light tune, gives the album a mini break from the dark melodies. It has a very uplifting vibe, then in the end, it returns to the dark tones, mixed operatic vocals as well John and Jen’s voices providing a teaser of the next track and the album’s recent single, “Not Gonna Die”. This track’s strong and catchy lyrics express the perseverance of surviving, giving a dramatic effect with the rapid, catchy violin strokes accompanied by Ledger’s pipes. Song number five, “Circus for a Psycho” begins with the band’s lead guitarist Seth Morrison’s crazy guitar riffs, demonstrating the continuance of their change in their sound. The chorus has a catchy tone that will haunt the back of your mind after you listen to it. Next, the album’s second single, “American Noise”, slows Rise down with beautifully written lyrics. Following is “Madness in Me”, filled with explosive electronic beats and guitar riffs. Towards the end, Ledger can be heard singing a teaser of the lyrics to the next song, her voice electronically remixed. In “Salvation”, Jen sings most of the song with the exception of John singing the chorus, her voice perfectly matching the tone. Again, this song is beautifully written including a great solo performed by Morrison. However, that is not the end of the featuring of Ledger’s vocals. She and Cooper perform “Fire and Fury”, a fantastic, passionate duet with a haunting melody. The mood changes with the fun, swanky track, “My Religion”, providing a Gospel-like sound. Midway through the song, a remastered version of “Amazing Grace” is sung by Cooper. The last two songs, “Hard to Find” and “What I Believe” both have deep lyrics, complemented with beautifully composed melodies. “What I Believe” was a great way to end the album, however it left the listeners with a need to hear more of the sweet, intoxicating beats provided by Skillet.

    All in all, this record is it, this is their best one yet. The lyrics and melodies will haunt the back of the listeners’ mind, to the point where they could be humming it in their sleep. Rise is available for purchase at a store near you and available for digital download. Be sure to check Skillet’s Facebook and website for tour dates. They are part of the Carnival of Madness tour this summer. Will you RISE in the madness with the band?

  • HARDCORE RULES! with Agnostic Front

    Thursday, June 13th: HARDCORE RULES! at Bogies with Agnostic Front, Lionheart, Brick by Brick and Aggressive Response.

    by Jay Frost

    Hardcore reigned supreme in Albany last Thursday night with a visit from the Godfathers themselves – NYC’s Agnostic Front. Along with Mediaskare recording artists Lionheart (CA), Troy-core staples Brick By Brick, and new local favorites Aggressive Response, this was an evening made of circle-pits and sing-alongs, stage-dives and dog piles; no egos, no attitude – just good times and that positive vibe you can really only find at a hardcore show.

    Arriving at 8:30, I made it just in time to run through the door for openers Aggressive Response. With most weekday shows beginning at 7:30 sharp, I thought for sure that my shitty day job was going to prevent me from missing yet another opening act. Thankfully, Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue saw fit to push the start time up to 8:30, allowing for total coverage.

    Aggressive Response is unlike any other band in the Albany scene right now. They draw on a much older and more diverse range of influences than their contemporaries to create a unique blend of punk and hardcore reminiscent of Fear and early Sheer Terror. With songs chock-full of high-speed virtuosic percussion, heavily-distorted buzz-saw guitars, clear and audible bass lines, and Jay Krak’s bulldog bark, there is nothing of the new-school to be found here. There is also a great deal of talent behind Aggressive Response.  The guitar tandem of Kurt and Joe effortlessly kick out electrified surf-rock riffs and solid rhythms built on double-timed blues scales. Drummer Jared is a madman, and though he’s responsible for laying down a barrage of rapid-fire machine gun beats, he sacrifices neither skill nor technicality in the process. Additionally, they possess a passion rarely seen in modern hardcore that colors their performance. As the stage comes alive with leaping spin-kicks, Krak spends the majority of his time pacing the wide open dance floor, ranting and raving like a lunatic.

    From the first note to the last, the dance floor was packed for Aggressive Response, who’ve built an impressive following since their live debut in March supporting punk rock pioneers Urban Waste and the FUs. Their set consisted of original material from their self-titled EP – a sleek, professionally-packaged six song affair with full liner notes – as well as two new songs and a cover of everyone’s favorite feel-good hardcore anthem – Sheer Terror’s “Just Can’t Hate Enough” – thrown in for posterity. This is a band to keep an eye on; stop by their BandCamp page to hear their EP in its entirety, and look for show announcements on their Facebook page.

    Following Aggressive Response was yet another excellent performance by 518 wrecking crew Brick By Brick. For ten years now, this band has not only held down the Troy-Core style, but brought it to the next level with countless local and regional performances with acts as diverse as Rancid, Exodus, Sheer Terror, Sworn Enemy, and Madball. With all this and three albums to show for it, there is no denying that they are the hardest working band in the area.

    B X B literally sounds better, tighter, and more crushing every time I see them. New drummer James Muller has not only mastered the band’s body of work with seemingly little difficulty, but has marked it with his own unique signature. Mike Valente has also progressed in his role as the group’s sole guitarist by adding dissonant, thrashy leads to his already solid repertoire of groove-oriented, break-down heavy rhythms. The 518 loves Brick By Brick, and tonight they showed their pride and appreciation with the customary chaotic flurry of fists and spin kicks.

    Recent times has seen Brick By Brick’s live show consisting largely of material from their second and third albums – 2006’s Wings of Angels and 2010’s Severed Ties –and the occasional inclusion of classics like “Free For All” and “Demon Eyes”. This evening was much the same, only with a few surprises for the old-schoolers in the room: first, their rendition of Straight Jacket’s “Final Cry” followed by fan –favorite and unofficial B X B theme song “Tearing Down”. This crushing call to arms has been noticeably absent from their repertoire as of late, so the ensuing maelstrom that was the pit for those few moments in time came as no surprise; big props to Rich Roberts for mediating the front-stage brawl for the mic, and to the band as a whole for setting the bar for the pit so early in the night.

    Northern Califronia’s Lionheart added a bit of contrast with their set. Hailing from the Bay Area and taking cues from the likes of Hoods, Machine Head, Madball and Hatebreed , Lionheart  are currently on the road in support of their third album, Undisputed. They’ve toured Europe at least a half a dozen times and have shared the stage with Terror and at least three of the four above-mentioned bands. Though there’s no denying that Lionheart are from the new-school, to dismiss them as “another metal core band” is unjust. Low-tuned guitars and double-bass heavy drum work deal out punishing slabs of mosh-core fit to rival any of their peers.

    Vocalist Rob Watson possesses a dynamic range that renders it nearly impossible to compare him to anyone else, achieving the perfect balance of guttural lows and scathing highs. His intense delivery locks in with the rhythm section, providing just as much of a foundation for Lionheart’s music as the drums and bass. This can be attributed to Watson’s role as their primary lyricist and the active part he takes in the development of Lionheart’s music. When asked in an interview about his contribution, Watson mentioned that as he pieces lyrics together, he develops ideas for how he wants each particular song to sound. This allows Watson to aid in the studio with arrangement and composition of the music itself.

    Lionheart has been a regular visitor to the Albany area for years now, something that will likely never change. If you’ve never heard them – or just haven’t seen them live – do yourself a favor and catch them the next time around. I’m sure it won’t be long.

    The change-over between Lionheart and tonight’s headliners ran a bit long, but as the saying goes, “good things come to those who wait”; and when you’re waiting on Agnostic Front, patience pays off double. A significant number of late-comers and stragglers arrived during the break, swelling Bogies to about half-capacity. Not bad for a Thursday night! Being that Black Flag had played the previous night, I’d imagine there were a great deal of sore scenesters reluctantly sitting this one out. I’m sure that some – like me – had to choose between one show or the other. Whatever the case, those who did make it were in for one hell of a performance.

    Right out of the gate, Agnostic Front brought it back to the old-school with “Blind Justice” and “The Eliminator”.  For a band that’s been at it since the early 80s, they had a wealth of energy to burn. Roger Miret had all the charisma of a carnival-barker as he stoked the crowd to a fever pitch and led the sing-alongs. Founding guitarist Vinnie Stigma provided a bit of comic relief with his on-stage antics, all the while remaining focused on the material. Much like the other older bands I’ve seen in recent years – Sheer Terror, DRI and Exodus, to name a few – Agnostic Front were tight as hell.

    Agnostic Front draws a very diverse crowd, as evidenced by the punks, skins (not the scary, Neo-Nazi kind), longhairs and hardcore kids alike tearing it up. Mosh-pit hospitality rules applied: no head-hunting, mind your neighbor, and if someone goes down, help them up.  There were no fights, no tough-guy posturing; just that sense of unity that so many preach but seldom actually achieve.

    Along with early tunes like the two they opened their set with, Agnostic Front delighted us all with more recent favorites – most notably “For My Family”, Iron Cross cover and NYHC staple “Crucified”, and the colossal “Gotta Go” from their 1996 come-back Something’s Gotta Give. Chants of “Oi!” filled the room as  Miret continued to stoke the crowd, telling us all to take one step forward and move around; he was startled a bit when an overly-enthusiastic slam-dancer drilled him in the chest while passing the stage, but continued without skipping a beat.

    Shortly after midnight, Agnostic Front concluded with their cover of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”, the studio version of which can be found on the Respect Your Roots compilation. As the undisputed Godfathers of the New York Hardcore scene, it is only fitting that AF pay homage to the Godfathers of Punk Rock – and what a way to cap off the evening! Though I never had the pleasure of seeing The Ramones, I can now tell my children someday, when I’m old and completely bald and they’ve just discovered punk rock that their father once moshed to that song. Hopefully they won’t respond with: “What’s moshing?”AF flier

  • Local Artist Spotlight: GOON, Violently Versatile

    After the end of hardcore powerhouse Fortress, a few of the members went on to form a new band with a new singer, and called it Goon. 

    This sounds like a familiar story, as this kind of thing happens all the time; bands change their name or start new projects and have to start over again from scratch. However, most bands that try something new end up failing, unable to match the popularity or creative ambition they once had. While still far off from the original fanbase that Fortress had, there is no doubt that Goon has the potential to reach it once again. If you’re looking for another Fortress, you’re not going to find it with Goon, and that’s a good thing.

    As fantastic and original as the former project was, this new band has no issues with creating new material. While they used to have a mostly down-tempo style before, Goon expands its horizons with ease. Their song “Parasite” is a perfect example of this, starting out as a kind of hardcore rock song, then rapidly transitioning into hardcore punk, and leading into its metalcore sound, before ending with a breakdown. That couldn’t be a more perfect representation of the versatility this band displays. It shows that they are willing to do different things, and have the talent to pull it off. If I have one criticism for them, however, it would be the vocals. The production of their music isn’t flawless, but it’s certainly good enough to hear the sincerity of each aspect of the band.

    So, it allows you to hear shredding guitar, thunderous drums, steady bass, and fairly weak vocals. In all honesty, I would say that their previous vocalist was better and did not sound strained when he screamed. Yet, the vocals are also as bare bones as you can get, and I personally appreciate that, because sometimes sincerity can go farther than the sound itself. Other than that, I have no criticism for them as a band. These guys are able to explore the different styles of hardcore, all while maintaining raw brutality and edge. I respect these guys for carrying on, doing something different, and being proud of their new band, as it is worthy of pride. While many of us miss Fortress, it is time to look toward the future, and the future is Goon. Personally, that makes me excited for the future.

    Go “like” Goon on Facebook, here:

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Goon/117812998388480?fref=ts

  • Kicking Cancer’s Ass, Hardcore Style!

    May 24th: A Benefit for Justin King featuring Stigmata, Wisdom in Chains, Born Low, King Nine and Cheech at Bogies. I’ve never been prouder to be a part of the Albany Hardcore Scene.

    On the evening in question, Bogies was host to a packed house and a stacked line-up .This event, organized by Buddy Armstrong and Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue Productions, was held as a fundraiser for the King family. Justin King, who lent his six-string talent to a number of area bands (including Bulldog Courage), has been living with late-stage cancer for some time now. In an effort to alleviate some of the financial burden associated with medical expenses, a percentage of the door proceeds were donated to King. Additionally, special-edition event shirts bearing the names of the bands on the back, the front emblazoned in bold-block letters, “We Take Care of our Own!”, were printed and sold at the show.

    When I arrived at 7:30 that evening, the club was PACKED! It was a veritable “who’s who” of the Albany scene. So many familiar faces – old and new – greeted me with warm smiles, hugs and handshakes. It felt like the Old Days – they even had the courtesy water-jug out! I haven’t seen such a high turnout this early in the evening since I was a teenager, and as openers Cheech weren’t scheduled to play until eight. This can only be seen as a testament of how far the 518 will go to help a brother in need.

    All of the bands on the bill had a sound firmly rooted in the hardcore tradition, though none of them sounded alike. Boston’s Cheech was perhaps the most traditional, reminding me at times of NYC acts Killing Time and Sick of it All. Blending four on the floor punk-styled drum beats with metallic guitar riffing, straight-ahead passages and – of course – danceable breakdowns. Cheech began their set with some newer material, and later on broke out the oldies. Those in the know sang along or set it off in the pit. Incidentally, Cheech provided one of the highlights of the evening, at least on a personal level: as part of a double encore, they played their rendition of Sheer Terror’s “Here to Stay”. At this point, I had no choice but to participate in the ensuing sing-along.

    Long Island’s King Nine and Reaper Records recording artists Born Low had a similar take on the hardcore sound. That is not to say that they sounded the same, however, but both drew on more metallic influences than the other bands. With King Nine, I heard a great deal of Sworn Enemy (the vocals) and Madball, but with a brutal stomp beat akin to Xibalba and the Acacia Strain. Born Low was a bit more traditional, but still heavier than Youth of Today, Judge and Gorilla Biscuits. Though they frequently play Bogies, tonight was my first opportunity to see Born Low, and I have to say that they impressed the hell out of me. Where much of the newer Albany bands have gone the way of metal or “metalcore”, it’s good to see an Albany band like Born Low flying the HC flag.

    Next on the bill was Pennsylvania’s own Wisdom in Chains. Having never seen them live, their set was particularly enjoyable to me. Originating as a cross-Atlantic collaboration between members of the Dutch band Daredevil and PA bands Krutch and Mushmouth, Wisdom In Chains recorded one album with this line-up, only to reform years later. Perhaps one of the most unique bands on the bill, WIC’s sound took the best from the old and the new school: melodic Oi!/punk with infectious sing-along parts, Terror-style hardcore breakdowns, and careful attention to musicianship. Like so many of their peers around the globe, every member of Wisdom in Chains worked in collusion with each other with little show boating – save the occasional, appropriately placed guitar lead – to produce a rock-solid wall of sound. Fans of Terror, Sheer Terror, Blood For Blood and The Bruisers would love these guys.

    As if the supporting line-up wasn’t enough to satiate the tastes of the average hardcore fanatic, tonight’s main event was nothing short of a milestone: the return to the stage of local legends Stigmata after four years of inactivity. Featuring the classic line-up of Bob Riley (Murderer’s Row), Mike Maney (Ill Remembered, Dead Rabbits), Jay Sunkes (Burning Human, Dead Rabbits), Buddy Armstrong and Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Burning Human, and now Anthrax), Stigmata began releasing demos under the names Displaced Aggression and Cranial Abuse in the mid-eighties. Adopting their present moniker with the release of 1991’s The Call of the Just, Stigmata is universally recognized as one of the founders of “Troy-Core”, a style that blended Slayer-esque guitar riffing with the traditional hardcore sound. The band went on to release five full length albums, the last of which – Do Unto Others – was picked up for distribution by Victory Records.

    As the room went dim, the haunting, synthesized strains of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange theme poured from the sound system. Smiling ear to ear, Riley shot us all the bird and gave a brief dedication – as all of the acts had – to King before the band broke into their classic set, kicking the madness off with “Life for a Life”. From the stage to the bar, Bogies was as densely packed as it could be: the typically wide-open dance floor was full of spectators, who closed in to form a narrow “horseshoe of death”. The pit had been in full-swing since King Nine, but now the floor was no longer a safe place for the non-confrontational. Yours truly even caught a forearm to the head!

    With the exception of a few songs from Do Unto Others, the majority of Stigmata’s set list consisted of material from their third full-length, Hymns for an Unknown God, the album considered by many to be their finest work, as well as Bittner’s debut as their drummer. Though they hadn’t played together in years, the band didn’t miss a beat – it was like stepping through a wormhole into 1996! The intense double-bass attacks of songs like “Nothing But Enemies” and “Ignorant and Wired” were just as crushing as they were when I was a kid, and the sheer heaviness of “Murder of Life” and closer “Burning Human” solidified once and for all their timelessness. Unfortunately, if you didn’t make it out tonight, the likelihood of catching Stigmata on stage any time soon is slim to none – not for lack of desire, just conflicting schedules. If you did, consider yourself lucky to witness such a milestone.

  • OTHERWISE at Tammany Hall in NYC

    The crowd began to fill the empty spaces of Tammany Hall in NYC, mixed animated chatter bouncing off the walls. White and green lights reflected off of the red velvet curtains, giving the venue a very intimate setting. Four chairs sat there pleasantly on the stage, as well as a drum kit, waiting for its master to beat on its drums. Then the overhead lights dimmed as the stage lights brightened, and one by one, the members of Otherwise emerged from the shadows, making their way to the empty seats, with acoustic guitars, fans crying out their name, overjoyed to see their favorite Vegas boys. Their faces lit up at the sight of the fans who had gone out of their way just to see them.
    otherwise.tammany46They all sat down and began the set with “Lighthouse”; Adrian Patrick’s voice, as always, made the hairs on the back of everybody’s neck stand up. The ever-adoring Wise Ones cheered excitedly and mouthed the lyrics passionately. Next to play was the band’s unofficial party anthem, “Vegas Girl”, followed by “Silence Reigns” and their current single, “I Don’t Apologize (1000 Pictures)”. The set slowed to the tearjerker track, “Heaven”, and then sped up again with “Shapes of Metal”, “Crimson”, and “Spartacus”. Sadly, the incredible night had to come to a close, as Otherwise ended their set with a Billy Idol cover, “Rebel Yell”, and the well-known beautifully powerful song as the finale, “Soldiers”.

    All in all, these soldiers of music did one hell of a job for a last minutes performance. The songs on the set were chosen very wisely, the energy in the room was magnificent, every sound lit up every fiber of the fans’ beings, and as always the band was very connected with the fans. That night, Otherwise made their mark yet again. This summer, they are to tour with Sevendust and Devour the Day. Be sure to check their Facebook to see when the party hits a town near you.

  • Review: POP EVIL Rises from Trenches at ROTR

    Day two of Rock on the Range started off quietly, with a bright cloudy day and an empty stadium with the exception of the security in front of the barricade at the Monster Stage. Then the clock stroked 11 am, allowing the Rangers to enter the stadium, filling up the front of the barricade very quickly. Finally after 45 minutes of waiting impatiently, the outdoor music ended, hinting it was Pop Evil’s time to rock the stage. However, before the band arrived, the sponsors brought out the U.S. Army to salute the American Flag. Once they left, it was time to officially begin day two.

    The first to enter the stage was Chachi Riot (drums), second, Matt DiRito (bass), followed by Nick Fueling (guitar) and Dave Grahs (guitar). The last to make an appearance was the one and only, Leigh Kakaty (lead vocals). Pop Evil started their set with their hit single from the 2008 record, Lipstick on the Mirror, “Hero”, and from their latest record, Onyx, “Deal with the Devil”. Despite the name, the band was anything but evil. “Pop Evil was kind of just derived from where we were from; we kind of never fit in. At the time the band was originating, a lot of Michigan bands were starting to blow up and do well; some of them were hardcore, some were more alternative, and nothing we were doing seemed to quite be ‘pop’ enough to be mainstream but we didn’t fit in with the metal bands because we weren’t hard enough, so we weren’t really evil,” said Chachi Riot to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel, later that day in the Media Tent, explaining the meaning behind the band’s name. “So the two kind of contradicted and we just labeled ourselves, like we were the ‘anti-pop’ but we were too ‘poppy’ to be evil so it just kind of stuck. We started rolling and got a following and though some of us hated it, once you label it at any amount of  success, you stick with the name.”

    After the performance of “Monster You Made” from their previous record, War of Angels, Pop Evil continued their majestic set with the song from their latest record, “Sick Sense”, showing the change in their music style. “We were carrying a lot of stereotypes like being a party band, being wild and fun which is fine but we’re ready to be taken seriously, so we kind of put a halt to that. We got really serious, we challenged ourselves, we worked hard, and it’s been a different ballgame,” Chachi explained to Drexel, when asked about inspirations used in the new record. “As far as musically, we’re five different individuals that really listen to different music, and you hear that in the song writing, because everyone in the band writes, so we have songs like ‘Sick Sense’, that carries more of a Nine Inch Nails vibe and you have ‘Silence and Scars’ has been referred kind of like The Pixies I heard earlier, and we’ve gotten a couple of songs that sounded like Rage Against the Machine, and those are three bands that have nothing in common, but somehow we have managed to make it work in one album, so I really like the diversity in the band and what we’re expressing. It’s fun,” he added excitedly.

    The second to last song on their set was “Last Man Standing” and it was during that number when Kakaty did a different form of crowd surfing that took the Rangers by surprise, he walked on the hands of the fans, impersonating Iggy Pop. The final song was their dark, awe-inspiring single, “Trenches”, the song that strongly proved their determination of becoming the successful rock band that they have become. “‘Trenches’ is just like that for us, the whole album; it was like the perfect lyrical description of the album. And we felt like we’ve been waiting for so long to get out of the trenches and it’s just like we’ve been grinding and we’ve been working and we’re all from Michigan, which is not the most economically successful state, obviously, and everyone out there like in the Midwest, they get it and nothing is ever easy, nothing is ever handed out or free, and we’re just ready to work hard and overcome the obstacles,” explained Riot to Drexel about the story behind the song. To end it all, Leigh thanked the crowd for their continued outstanding support while DiRito smashed his bass guitar.

    All in all, an excellent setlist, the whole band was very interactive with the Rangers, their performance was simply superlative. Be sure to check out their recent album, Onyx and to catch one of their shows. It is one band that you do not want to miss. 

  • MINDSET EVOLUTION Debut Performance at ROTR

    The crowd of eager fellow concert junkies and music lovers formed before the Jäger Stage of ROTR, waiting for the next band to make their appearance. Then the band makes their appearance known and the crowd begins to cheer, most in an excited manner, while some drunken. They began to play their first song, “We Are Stars” and the crowd threw their horns up, bouncing along to the beat. This band was very interactive with the crowd, made them feel like they were a part of the next big thing. This incredible band continued their set with “Ready”, “Invisible”, and quite a few more before performing their latest single, “Burn It Down”, which dropped recently. Who is this band, you ask? Introducing, Mindset Evolution.

    Originating from Peoria, Il., Mindset Evolution is a five piece active rock band, with members Rob Ulrich (vocals), Skylar Baer (guitar), Bradley Prentice (guitar), Josh Bodeen (bass), and Joey Gibbs (drums). They formed in 2005 with a goal to get to where they are now. “We wanted a way to say that you have to find a way through, over, or around obstacles, and sometimes you have to completely change the way to do that, so it takes a mindset evolution,” explained Ulrich to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel last night at Rock on the Range, in the air conditioned media tent. Well, indeed they have gone through many obstacles like working very hard to go from playing in their hometown to being a part of the Warped Tour lineup. And with that, they have a strong fan base, as well as becoming the winners in the Best Buy Music Gear Battle of the Bands. Throughout the years, Mindset Evolution has toured with bands such as Seether, Hinder, Breaking Benjamin and quite a few more well known names. “Honestly, a lot of it came from our home rock station. They have been huge supporters of us for a long time and they would always throw our names out for us, and it started picking up that way. Last year, we won the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Battle of the Bands and then we got to tour the whole nation. Last year, we got to tour with Godsmack, Shinedown, Staind, and Adelitas Way…it was killer, killer,” said Rob when explaining how they got to tour with such major bands. “And In This Moment,” chimed in Joey, when pointing to Drexel’s white rubber In This Moment bracelet. “Ah, they are murderous, they’re so good live, love them!” said Rob, enthusiastically. When it comes to their influences, the band as a whole has a very eclectic taste in music. For Rob, “Tool, well, everything that Maynard James Keenan does, Eagles, Beatles, Clearwater Revival, Jay-Z, Eminem, kind of all over the board…a little Garth Brooks, I love Garth Brooks.” As for Joey, he makes the statement that makes Drexel very excited, “I have to say Trent Reznor is a God, that’s about it. I’m a huge Nails fan.” Then he proceeded to mention that he listens to Motley Crue, other 80s music, as well as “a lot of electronic music, like Depeche Mode.” As a band, according to Ulrich, the genres are very diverse for each of the members. “I think that’s awesome, that’s what makes bands…it gives them the opportunity to create something special and have those kind of influences coming, they’re so diverse, that when they happen to come together in a song, it creates something unique for that band.” Gibbs added that, “It’s a unique influence for the band especially when we sit down and write together, different elements are coming out of our style.”

    Be sure to look out for their upcoming record, Brave, Bold and Broken, out this summer and their latest single, “Burn It Down” is out for digital download.

  • Review: IN FLAMES Fires Up ROTR

    The crowd by the Jäger stage grew with every passing second as the sun over Crew Stadium was setting. They wanted more, nay they needed more live rock music. Once the sun had finally set, the background music quieted and the stage lights turned to a light blue hue with white, hinting it was the next band’s, In Flames, turn to rock the small stage at ROTR. The cheering from drunk and excited Rangers increased immensely as each band member made their presence known one by one, starting with Daniel Svensson (drums), Peter Iwers (bass), Niclas Engelin (guitar), and Björn Gelotte (guitar). The last to appear was their frontman, Anders Fridén. In Flames was more than ready to show the concertgoers of Rock on the Range what they had up their sleeves.

    They started the set with the first and title song from their latest record, Sounds of a Playground Fading, followed by the next two from the same record, “Where the Dead Ships Dwell”, and “Ropes”. “I think it’s a song that we all kind of liked from the beginning, music wise, rhythm wise. Dynamically, it’s a really cool song, also a song we like to play live and since it is a live song, we consider it a live song, we wanted to incorporate how other people see it like especially the audience or fans or that people that go to our shows, so we asked them to help in making the video. It’s going to be interesting for us to see it through,” said Gelotte to Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel in the Media Tent earlier that evening, when asked the story behind the single.

    The rest of the setlist consisted of quite a few songs from their older records, mostly from their latest one. In Flames ended their set with “Deliver Us” and from their 2006 record, Come Clarity, “Take This Life”. For a first time performance at Rock on the Range, they sure did one hell of a job and gained a lot of new fans. “I guess our booking agent sorted it out. No, actually, maybe, I think they wanted to add what we do to the lineup, to get our diversity to what’s going on here. We love playing in the U.S., in general. This is the fifth time on this album so we did four tours, and now we’re doing this really short tour. We did a warm up show in Chicago yesterday, and today, we’re doing Rock on the Range, then we go to Mexico”, explained Björn to Drexel, after asking about how they got to be a part of this incredible festival.

    All in all, they showed Ohio what this heavy metal Swedish band is made of and In Flames picked a fantastic setlist. Their vibe was mind blowing and they are a must see band, if one has not seen them already.