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King Misfit, Seven Year Riot, & Against All Evil @ The Room
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The Room Nightclub, above Chanosos on Ouellette Avenue started hosting rock shows a few months back,...The Room Nightclub, above Chanosos on Ouellette Avenue started hosting rock shows a few months back, and this past weekend they held one that was another success.
Three local rock bands shook the walls and crowd with their performances to a packed house.
The first band was Against All Evil, the modern incarnation of a boy band. Only now, this staple of my childhood can actually play instruments, write their own songs, and have (luckily?) lost the choreographed dance moves. Although this band might have used it, because despite well-written and tightly performed ready-for radio rock, the stage presence was a bit lacking. Of course, I would rather go to a performance of good music and a slow show than the other way around, so I was still pleased. And with the tone of AAE’s music, it would be difficult not to get into the set, even the obligatory slow jam. (Thank you, Adam D’Andrea!)
Seven Year Riot is a name I’ve heard a number of times, but never had the chance to see before this show. And did they ever deliver. A band that admittedly likes to partake of the alcoholic beverages and cause a bit of destruction, this is a group that fuses the accessibility of modern alternative rock with the grit and edge of metal to create some extremely enjoyable music. And adding that to the ridiculously entertaining to performance, and it’s hard not to love this band. Frontman Justin Forsyth might be part feline, judging from his panther-like jumping and prowling around the stage, and Anthony Ricci’s drumming was as solid as it gets. With songs about zombies and psychotic ex’s, these guys are writing songs that audiences can sympathize with, which certainly helps their cause.
Windsor’s version of Rhapsody, King Misfit is a symphonic metal band with a strong tendency toward the epically progressive side of things. With an impressive intro and a large light set-up, these guys are setting themselves up for a big show before even hitting the stage. The performance certainly came through, with tight playing of their seven-minute songs which are undeniably well written and arranged, tunes that any Dream Evil fan is sure to love. A seven string bass put out a tone that almost made me cry is was so good, a wizard-festooned guitar blazed through lead riffs, and a Rob Halford-looking lead vocalist wailed his way through the set list, stumping around the stage during the frequent instrumental breaks.
And let’s also give props to the sound and stage crew of the night, who did a wonderful job, and to Mark McKenzie and The Room for putting the whole thing on.
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Review of "Seven Year Riot" by Seven Year Riot
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Formerly known as Citizen Erased-after the Muse song of the same name-this Ontario modern hard rock ...Formerly known as Citizen Erased-after the Muse song of the same name-this Ontario modern hard rock outfit already has one record to its name in the form of 2009’s ‘Close Your Eyes’ e.p albeit under their former guise . The name change ultimately came as a result of the fact that anyone doing an internet search for the band duly came up with Muse rather than the band Citizen Erased itself and the band felt that a rebirth was necessary in order to move forward. The debut album has been a long time in the making mainly due to financing problems that have revolved around studio recording costs as well as producer availability, but the wait has been well worth it. Seven Year Riot has undoubtedly come up with one of the albums of 2010. The four songs from the e.p make the final cut (‘Close Your Eyes’, ‘Inner Circle’, ‘Head Case’ and ‘Stitched and Mended’) together with six others that match up to the high standard of that quartet. With guitars well up in the mix and an overall aggressive streak running right the way through it courtesy of quite brilliant production from and independent label, Seven Year Riot’s debut album sails close to the metal end of alternative rock yet retains enough hooks and melody to appeal to those with a more radio friendly appetite. The knock ‘em dead opener ‘Victims (Aren’t We All)’ and old favourite ‘Stitched and Mended’ open the album in style with a short interlude for the superb ballad ‘Autumn Rain’ before it’s back to the full frontal assault of live staple ‘Headcase’, the groove of ‘Inner Circle’ and the crunch of ‘Close Your Eyes’, all featuring a superb vocal performance from Justin Forsyth. Of the new material on offer the hooky ‘World On Fire’ and the stunning metal anthem ‘Black Wedding Dress’ ooze the class and quality that shouts major label. Undoubtedly that’s where this band are heading, as this is as good a modern hard rock album as you are likely to hear in 2010 or any other year. The band has already written songs for the follow up album, and if they are of similar quality to ‘The Fall’, which they recently played live on a local Ontario radio station then the follow up should be equally strong. Until then we’ll just have to make do with this classy and utterly essential debut album. www.myspace.com/sevenyearrio
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Seven Year Riot Album Review
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Il sempre più apprezzato alternative/rock, sound che grazie ai canadesi Nickelback in particolare ha...Il sempre più apprezzato alternative/rock, sound che grazie ai canadesi Nickelback in particolare ha conquistato negli anni un numero considerevole di ascoltatori, è figlio del primo lavoro dei connazionali Seven Year Riot (SYR), che hanno alle spalle un EP, datato 2009, e che porta il titolo di "Close Your Eyes" contenente quattro tracce che sono poi state inserite in quello che è appunto l'omonimo album e in uscita per la Digital Media Records; la band è nata sotto un altro nome: Citizen Erazed formatasi nel 2008 e cominciando di li a poco una serie di performances in compagnia di altre ottime band tra le quali Hinder, Default, My Darkest Days, Faber Drive e Hill The Villain e ricevuti consensi ovunque si sono convinti e decisi a voler fare e dare di più. Nome nuovo a parte il quartetto è il medesimo e composto dal lead singer Justin Forsyth, il guitar man Jim O'Neil, il bassista Jarrod Oglan e il drummer Jeff Azar per un percorso "move style" in scia oltre che dei Padrini Nickelback (a titolo personale), anche dei Three Days Grace e Shinedown lungo dieci tracce a cominciare dall'opener "Victims (Aren't We Fall)", che parte con 30 secondi di atmosfera davvero particolare perché sembra che arrivi dallo spazio un'astronave formato cd e all'atterraggio, aprendosi, appare la band su di un palco illuminato da un gioco di luci stellare e pronta a trasmettere pura adrenalina al 100% che prosegue con la bellissima "Stitched And Mended", che ha nel chorus il punto di forza mostrando la buona creatività della band stessa in quanto compositrice di tutti i brani e adesso chiudiamo gli occhi perché arriva la mid-tempo "Autumn Rain", delicata e puntuale come le frecce di San Valentino. Una piccolo tocco telefonico e riparte la grinta dei SYR con l'accattivante "Headcase" resa ancora più tale dalle sei corde di O'Neil e che si presta anche all'intrigante inizio della successiva "Inner Circle", dal refrain ottimamente supportato dai possenti cori e dall riff in stile "Over The Hills And Far Away" per omaggiare una delle icone del panorama musicale: il blues/rocker man Gary Moore, tra i più grandi del genere e purtroppo scomparso recentemente lasciando comunque, grazie alla sua voce calda e corposa e un ricco repertorio, un segno memorabile e piacevolmente indelebile."Close Your Eyes", la tilte track del già citato EP, è divisa in due parti: per una strofa che suona un rock intenso c'è un chorus dalle atmosfere in scia melodica, sembra contraddittorio, ma vi assicuro che il quartetto canadese ha saputo amalgamare assai egregiamente due sound ben distinti tra loro lasciando poi spazio a un altro momento di sola poesia con la cristallina leggerezza di "Hell And Back", impreziosita da un pregevole tappeto di tastiere. Ritorno al sano rock (e ai Padrini!!), con le coinvolgenti sonorità di "Behind The Mask", spettacolare il refrain incoronato dalle ritrovate e ben accette tastiere e dove Forsyth, al termine della seconda parte, sferra un colpo grosso attraverso le sue corde vocali quasi a gridare il valore della track, assolutamente d'accordo come per la seguente "World On Fire" ancora a tutta Nickelback e con un breve, ma altro interessante solo di O'Neil seguìto da una fisarmonica che riporta, per circa 15 secondi, a curiose quanto gradite atmosfere far west per poi tornare subito al presente con la conclusiva "Black Wedding Dress" anch'essa rivestita di un rock deciso e non da meno i cori, che accompagnano il grido del sempre più tuonante front-man a chiudere un debut album di grande spessore per una band che non scherza sia sotto il profilo qualitativo, sia sotto quello compositivo, da tenere in grande considerazione per un futuro dai potenziali mille colori. Link: Facebook - MySpace - iTunes
Recensione di Francesco Cacciatore
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CD Review and Interview with … Seven Year Riot
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Seven Year Riot are a band from Windsor ON. Formerly called Citizen Erased, this is a new life for t...Seven Year Riot are a band from Windsor ON. Formerly called Citizen Erased, this is a new life for the band with a new name and outlook. They have hard, kick ass music that immediately lops off your head while you wonder what just happened. The members of the band are Justin Forsyth (vocals), Jim O'Neil (guitars), Jeff Azar (drums and percussion) and Jarrod Oglan (bass).
One day in the recent past, I had some time to kill which doesn't happen often anymore these days. I was scouring the internet for new music and bands to write about, and I found this band on Supernova.com and contacted them to see if they were interested in some media.
And so here we are. What follows is a CD review and interview with links at the bottom of the page to where you can find the band and info on the band. I've also listed 4 shows the band is playing in the next 2 months for you to catch them:
Jade: What personal goals has the band as a whole achieved in the last year?
Justin: Well, to start, we FINALLY released our album. This was massive for us, because it seemed as if all the things we wanted to do were kind of hinging on the release of the disc. It was over a year in the making, and at times it felt like we would never get it done. So that was huge for us, as well as the overwhelming response we received from around the world.
Jade: What goals in relation to the band are you setting now to work towards over the next year?
Justin: We really are just trying to become a well known name. Radio rotation is a huge goal for us, because we want to reach the mainstream, and come out with a bang. Touring is also a goal, as we would love to break into the united states and begin touring there.
Jade: As a band, what has been the best thing that has happened, and the worst thing?
Justin: I think I can safely say that there really hasn’t been a “worst” occurrence for us. Sure, there have been ups and downs, but that comes with any band. As for the best things, we’ve been very fortunate to have been able to share the stage with a lot of big names and subsequently get great exposure so we’re very thankful for that. And I think I speak for us all when I say that the fans and the constant support have been and will continue to be the best part of what we do.
Jade: How do you see the current state of the Corporate Music Industry in Canada? And how do you see in comparison to the DIY band who puts out their own music independently? And, how do you feel that either (the music industry and DIY bands) help in the creativity within a band?
Justin: Hmm…well I know there is a lot of complaining about the state of the music industry today, and while I would like to see certain things done differently, the bottom line is that it’s all evolution. The internet was a MASSIVE game changer to the music industry, and certain people embraced it, others didn’t. I think the state of the industry right now is just a byproduct of the quickly evolving use of technology. It’s easier now more than ever for a DIY band to get their music heard without a label. We did it for a couple years and had success with it - you just have to embrace and use every avenue that's available to you. To answer the second part of the question, I think the state of the industry is actually HEALTHY for a DIY band, because it’s now imperative for a band to push their boundaries and attempt things that will get them noticed in an over-saturated sea of music.
Jade: Do you feel that the band have control over how your music reaches the fans? (IF yes) Why do you feel this way and what factors into that?
Justin: In the beginning, absolutely. Until you are signed to a major label that calls all the shots, I think it’s completely up to the band to decide how to get their music out there. As I mentioned above, there are SO many ways for music to be heard now, I think every band needs to jump on those outlets. We put our entire album up on our My Space page to listen for free, because we wanted people to get our music as easily as possible. As far as I see it, even if you’re with an indie label like we are, nothing is stopping you from getting music into the hands of people that want to hear it. Find a way, and do it.
Jade: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard the music before?
Justin: This is always a tough question, because I really hate to put labels on it. It’s hard rock with melody. I could say we sound like so and so, but I find that immediately puts an image in peoples’ minds. And if I say we sound like a band they don’t like, they won’t listen…you know? I’ll say this: We write rock music. It’s hard rock with a melodic edge. And as one venue owner put it, we have “Pop sensibility with Rock Credibility.”.
Jade: Who are the primary songwriters in the band? Collectively, how does the songwriting process go within the band?
Justin: The primary song writers are Jim (guitars) and myself (vocals), who write the music and lyrics respectively. Generally a songwriting process begins with Jim having a rough riff or chord progression and building from that. If we are writing as a duo we will spend time constructing the entire skeleton before bringing it to the band. If we’re writing as a band, it starts with the riff, and we kind of just see where it takes us. No song is ever done in a day, we always re-visit it, and make tweaks until it just sounds right. I will add lyrics as we go, finding words that sound right, getting the flow right, then I will sit down and craft the lyrics until they work for me.
Jade: How did you come up with the band name?
Justin: We basically spent a couple months compiling a giant list of names we liked…some were full band names, others were just cool words we thought would be cool IN a band name. It got to the point where we HAD to pick one. So we sat down at a pub, got a round of beers and vowed not to leave until we decided on a name and three hours, twenty-four beers, and eight shots of Jager later, Seven Year Riot was born.
Jade: What is your opinion on the current state of the East York/Toronto/Ontario music scene? Do you feel that there are enough venues for bands to book club shows, or, do you feel that there is competition for the club slots?
Justin: To be honest I am really not sure. I feel there are enough venues, but it feels that bands are striving for just the premiere venues and don't like exploring all their options. There is definitely competition for club slots, and that is bound to happen with an over-saturated market. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter where you play, as long as new faces see you, and your word spreads.
Jade: How has the new CD changed life for the band members?
Justin: Well, things are still pretty much the same for the time being, but becoming busier with every day. We’re all completely blown away by the response we’re getting, and I know Jarrod (bass) and I are spending more time than ever replying to fan questions and input. Things are moving up slowly but surely.
Jade: When you were in the studio recording the new CD, how was the overall experience for each member of the band? What were the best and worst times?
Justin: This was actually the first time we were hardly ever in the studio all together for the recording of something. Because we all still balance jobs and school for the time being, we recorded the entire album while working around everyone’s availabilities. It’s not the way I would have preferred things done, but it was unavoidable. So Jeff did his drums, then Jarrod did bass, then Jim did guitars, then I did vocals, and we pieced it together and made it happen. Using the technology at our hands however, we were able to always keep in contact. For example, our producer (Martin Bak at SLR studios) would email me the track that Jim completed that day, so I was able to offer input, etc. So it was as if we were all there anyways. I can only speak on my own behalf, but the worst times were those six to eight hour sessions in the vocal booth. I started to lose my mind.
Now onto the music of this band. This 10-song CD really stands above others in the hard rock with melodic edges realm that will definitely give Nickelback and Shinedown a run for the money in the near future. First off is the song “Victims (Aren't We All)”. With a melodic beginning of 40+ seconds that lulls you into thinking it's a ballad-type song, the band launch into the song full force and smack you in the head while screaming 'wake up!!'. Nice. Although I can hear influences of other bands' music, all members of Seven Year Riot are making that sound their own. Choppy, hard guitars with vocals that are strained and on the edge combined with the sublte foreboding sound of the drums and bass, this is a really good song. It's very well written with good time changes that makes this song very radio friendly. The second song “Stitched and Mended” is equally just as good and in some respects is better than the first. A steady drum beat that the guitars and bass follow to create a sound that is almost mesmerizing and the vocals float seamlessly on the melody of the song and beckons you to listen. That is great songwriting in the melodies folks. Both songs seem to speak of inner conflict, dark desires and evolutionary changes from within that are hidden in some ways to other people. The fourth song called “Headcase” is this writer's favorite song on the CD. Sarcastic and scathing lyrics, explosive and dangerous music that's on the edge and vocals that just sound so pissed off make for a great song. Other standout songs are “Close Your Eyes” which is a fast, head-banging song that speaks of taking whatever you can get; “Behind The Mask” which has hard and fast drumming and speaks of swallowing your pride and admitting defeat and of falling apart in some way; and the final song “Black Wedding Dress” which is a pure musical assault song in every way. This is one CD that you want to have in your collection if you like the musical styles of Shinedown, 30 Seconds to Mars and Muse. You can buy the CD here on iTunes for under $10 Canadian.
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From the Desk of Calvin Daniels
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Review -- SEVEN YEAR RIOT -- Self-Titled
Indie
9-out-of-10
Seven Year Riot must have read my mi...Review -- SEVEN YEAR RIOT -- Self-Titled
Indie
9-out-of-10
Seven Year Riot must have read my mind in turns of hard rock when they headed to the recording studio to do this disk. I like heavy metal ... to a point. Once the vocalist feels the need to scream into the microphone I turn off in terms of interest.
But driving guitars and heavy rhythms are just fine, and that's exactly what you get with Seven Year Riot, well at least until they turn it down and give you a pretty rock number like Autumn Rain, which is a great cut. It's a strong vehicle for the vocals of Justin Forsyth. Forsyth is joined by Jim O'Neil on guitar, Jarrod Oglan on bass and Jeff Azar on drums in this Windsor, ON-based unit. Of course they can crank it way up too and still hit the sweet spot. Stitched and Mended is great, and Headcase plane rocks.
Now yes, the CD comes with a parental advisory for explicit lyrics, so be warned, although on the comparative scale this is rather modest. Of course as we see on TV every show comes with a warning these days.
This is an exciting debut from a great new voice on the Canadian rock scene. Grab it and hold on.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/sevenyearriot
— CALVIN DANIELS
-- Review first appeared in Yorkton This Week newspaper April 6, 2011 - Yorkton, SK. Canada
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Music To My Ears: My Top 4 Picks for Bands
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If you want to hear some of the best Rock/Alternative music in the region - you have to see CITIZEN ...If you want to hear some of the best Rock/Alternative music in the region - you have to see CITIZEN ERASED. Band members Justin Forsyth, Jim O'Neil, Jeff Azar, Jarrod Oglan are amazing on stage and really have a passion for what they do. Citizen Erased has self produced two EPs (Self-titled 2008 and 2009's "Close Your Eyes" now available thru "iTunes") and are working on completing their highly anticipated debut album "Begin Transmission". They are an amazing band - a great new rock sound they play everything from Three Days Grace to Shinedown and so much more. Follow them on "Facebook" at www.facebook.com/CitizenErased.
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The Sounds of the City
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Debuting in the fall of 2007, Citizen Erased – Jeff Azar, Justin Forsyth, Jim O'Neil, and Jarrod Ogl...Debuting in the fall of 2007, Citizen Erased – Jeff Azar, Justin Forsyth, Jim O'Neil, and Jarrod Oglan – have performed with several big-name artists, including Finger Eleven, The Trews, Thornley, Inward Eye, and Rides Again. With over 25 years of performing experience between them, they feel that they have “something” different to move into the music spotlight. If seeing is believing they know that it only takes the right person in the music world to hear them! Their inspiration and motivation comes from new tunes that are released by some of their favourite musicians, and it pushes them to reach farther and higher towards their potential. Their goal is to become a household name in North America, and, they have their eye on signing a major recording deal soon. Recently, they were endorsed by Monster Drink, which is so appropriate because they produce an energy-packed show that is very fan oriented. Their audiences feel that they are part of the show – not just spectators. Check out Citizen Erased at www.myspace.com/citizenerasedmusic
supersonic
