CANOBLISS

View the trailer at http://www.eljefemovies.com/ - El Jefe Entertainment

California Dreamin’…Canobliss Style

So tonight was another awesome night of the Stone Soup Open Mic Jam at Shenanigan’s on 31st & Sheridan in Tulsa. Every Tuesday from 9PM to Midnight (or later), local musicians come out and show their stuff and then jam out together. There’s always a variety of genres on Tuesdays….alternative, rock, pop, acoustic, country, and a few surprises.

Tonight was one of those “surprises” night. A hard rock band called Canobliss <http://www.canobliss.com/> from San Diego, CA graced us with a rockin’ performance that left nothing to be desired. Great instrumental skills, great lyrics, and a lot of energy on stage had the Shenanigan’s crowd throwing horns and rockin’ out.

The 4 piece metal band has been performing with its current members for 4 ½ years and were nominated for the 2008 Hard Rock Album of the Year and the 2010 Hard Rock Album of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards.

Derric Miller from hardrockhaven.net says they are “One of the most unique independent metal bands making music today.”

Their newest album, Man Is The Enemy, is already getting rave reviews:

“Man Is The Enemy has such ambitious melody and vocal arrangements to be both unique and radio-friendly in a breath” 4/5 – Craig Hartranft (dangerdog.com)

“…the lyrics are extremely smart and combined with their aggressive hooks makes for a headbanging experience” 9/10 – Denys Jaime (MyGlobalMind Webzine).

Currently on their 5th tour from September 23 through October 16, Canobliss is sweeping the Midwest with a fresh metal sound with their West Coast flair. They don’t have the typical metal look (no stereotype intended) but they definitely have the sound. And they are definitely fan-friendly. They hung around and partied with the Tulsans and even sat in on a few jam sessions.

I sincerely think that Canobliss is on their way to making a name for themselves. To find out more about them and their current tour dates, visit their website at www.canobliss.com. You can also find them on Facebook, iTunes, MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter.

Of course as with most bands, they do have some really cool merch for sale available on www.canobliss.com. Also, if you signup for their mailing list, you get TWO FREE downloads of their music…Riot and Hit The Floor.

-- Randy Webb (Shenanigans - Tulsa, OK)

Show was on 9/28/10 - Randy Webb (Shenanigans - Tulsa, OK)

Have you heard about Canobliss yet?? If not, listen up: These guys out of San Diego, CA are just about the dopest metal band on the scene right now!

Canobliss, made up of four very talented musicians, have been melting faces since the late 90s. There have been many changes in the line-up since then, but the guys say they’re 100% happy with the current lineup. Currently the band consists of Johan Maldonado- Vocals, Jon Russo- Guitar, Chenzo Vidalez- Bass, and Mike Russo- Drums. Mike tells me that Deftones, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Iron Maiden, System of a Down, and Megadeth are amongst their greatest influences. In listening to the three albums they have under their belts, you can definitely hear the influence of some of the greatest metal bands around. The guys are currently working on new stuff that can only be heard live. So put some pants on and come to a show!

I had a phone conference/interview with the guys and I am pleased to say that they are all super cool and exceptionally funny. I wish I could have met with them in person before the show, because just a phone call with them was so fun I could only imagine what it would have been like in person! It wasn’t a very structured interview, but I did manage to get some info out of them!

One of the best things I can tell you about this band is that they are completely self produced. Mike Russo, the drummer, is also the booking person for the band. It is so impressive that these guys are 100% self produced in a time when musicians are paying to play venues all over the place. They advertise by handing out demo CDs with all of their web and contact info on them. They also have a street team signed up so that their loyal fans can put out fliers for them. Since they’ve been making music for so long, they have a very loyal fan base in their hometown. These guys aren’t your typical, stuck-up, hometown douche-bags, either. They are incredibly grateful to their loyal fans and friends.

So far, the guys have only toured the Southwest. They tell me that they feel comfortable out here and people respond well to them. They haven’t branched out further east because, being totally self produced, they are regular guys with regular jobs and normal responsibilities. The guys are very proud of being self produced, but if the right offer came along they would most definitely accept. Johan says that signing with a small indie is too much of a risk because they really do love their music and it really is their passion. And who doesn’t want to be a rockstar? It is totally admirable that they aren’t willing to sacrifice their artistic control just to make a few bucks. The goal for these guys is to be able to make a living by making the music they love so much, rockstar status or not.

Rock’n’Roll! - BSceneLive

I told you it was going to be awesome, didn’t I? Canobliss shredded The Rock and impressed Tucson! Seriously, did you miss it?!

I met the guys at their merchandise booth and was greeted with happy salutations and a hug from Johan. I eventually met Mike, Chenzo, and John, who greeted me in the same fashion. These guys are truly nice guys and a whole lot of fun! We chatted for a bit and I couldn’t wait to see them play. There were some great locals opening for them, Disciples of Prime amongst them, so the wait wasn’t too harsh.

Finally, the time came for Canobliss to hit the stage and I was pumped. They opened with Zombie Parade and the crowd immediately responded. There were more than a few fans singing along and a bunch of guys right up front head banging to the music. Canobliss did not disappoint. Every bit of energy the guys had was sweated out on that stage. Chenzo, the bassist, seriously goes beast when he plays. From the moment that Mike, John, Chenzo, and Johan went on stage they entertained the crowd and played their hearts out for them. The whole show was fun to watch and they sound just as good live as they do on their records. In fact, it’s more fun to watch them play than to just jam out in my car to their music!

If you missed it, you better not miss them next time. Canobliss hopes to come back in the Spring, but I’m hoping I can convince them to come back sooner. Get online, listen to their music, and buy their stuff at www.canobliss1.com.

By Mel Macabre - BSceneLive

About 10 percent of people who hear the band name "Canobliss" think its a reference to cannibals, estimates the band's drummer, Mike Russo.

The rest have higher thoughts in mind.

But they're all wrong, Russo said.

The name has nothing to do with either cannibalism or cannabis.

"It originally referred to a can of beer - a 'can of bliss'," Russo said.

That's not to say, however, that the California-based metal band hasn't played off of the more popular misconception.

"We have a T-shirt with a pot-leaf cutout of an album cover," Russo said. "We absolutely don't want to be pinned as a stoner band, but at the same time, we might as well take advantage of certain traits our name might have."

Canobliss has gotten good at making the best of what's been handed to it. The band makes its Amarillo debut Sunday.

The band was founded in the late '90s, but only bassist Chenzo Vidalez remains from that lineup. Russo and his brother, Jon, joined up in 2004. But the band's lineup didn't solidify for another two years after the arrival of singer Johan Maldonado and the departure of another guitarist.

"We're liking this vibe," Russo said. "For the foreseeable future, we're staying as a four-piece. We've got all the critical elements - bass, drums, guitar, singer. Plus, there's more room in the van."

That's important, because the band spends as much time as possible on the road, trying to build its fan base beyond its home city of San Diego, Calif.

This tour will be Canobliss' fifth time in Texas. It has found success in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and Russo is hoping to expand that elsewhere in the Lone Star State.

"When you're 3,000 miles from home and playing on a Monday night and there are five people in the bar and you're not getting paid, you kind of question yourself a little bit," he said. "But then you get the good shows on a Saturday night, a phat crowd - I think, 'That's why I do this.'

"You really look forward to the hot spots, and we try to add a couple of new spots every time we head out."

That extra room in the van also comes in handy when the Russo brothers get tired of each other's company.

"If you ask anybody in the band, they'll tell you we bicker a lot," Mike Russo said. "It's no secret that we fight all the time. We never seem to agree about anything in life except music."

One of those squabbles came to a messy end on the band's last tour of the Southwest.

"We call it the 'cheeseburger smackdown,'" Russo said. "We got into a fight with each other; I don't even remember what it was about.

"We had just gotten some Jack in the Box, and he just [filtered word] me off so much that I smacked him across the face with this bag full of fast food. Cheeseburgers and fries went everywhere."
- Amarillo Globe-News

Canobliss has been nominated for the 2011 Hard Rock Band of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards! - San Diego Music Awards

The Canobliss album "Liberation of Dissonance" was nominated for Hard Rock Album of the Year at the 2008 San Diego Music Awards! - San Diego Music Awards

The new Canobliss album "Man Is The Enemy" was nominated for the 2010 Hard Rock Album of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards!! - San Diego Music Awards

Canobliss is, quite possibly, the hardest working independent, unsigned hard rock/metal band in Southern California. Their DIY work ethic propels both their music and their performance, without the gnarly infection of managers, producers, or record company ilk. If anything, Canobliss has some formidable cojones to buck the system. Youngsters take note. Returning with Man Is The Enemy, a totally self-produced project from first to last, Canobliss returns to their consistent modern music play without bowing down to the nuances of current trends. Or maybe not?

One of the things that attracted me to Canobliss on 2008's Psychothermia was their ability to bring their own personal invention to modern hard rock and metal. Much of this remains, yet this time I hear a slight degree of capitulation to commercialism. You can hear this on the Man Is The Enemy, Hit the Floor, and Black Cadillac, by example; fortunately, Canobliss does this with exceptional skill. For instance, Man Is The Enemy has such ambitious melody and vocal arrangements to be both unique and radio-friendly in a breath.

If I'm beginning to sound conflicted here, pardon me. I'm a listener first, and then a music critic. Derrama Tu Sangre blends the clean vocals with harsh vocals (but still understandable) in tandem with some near hardcore thrash to sound like typical modern metal. It's saved by some savvy ethnic guitar a two-thirds through. A good song, but you can tell I wasn't overly impressed. But then, on a song like Comatose, Canobliss returns to that modern melodic hard rock that intrigued me two years ago. And vocalist Johan Maldanado is postively magnificent. So it goes. From here to the end, I'm not sure what my impressions are. Things run together, but this was a characteristic of Psychothermia. Tools of the Trade is worthy. The final track Earth A.D.D may be my favorite as it reminds me of classic heavy metal with an edgier presence. Despite my initial, and maybe ongoing reservations, Man Is The Enemy is pure Canobliss: independent, ambitious, gritty, and entertaining. What more could you ask from today's modern rock? I dig it (again), and very recommended!

Some afterthoughts: lyrically, Man Is The Enemy touches on some personal (meaning the band) and sociopolitical themes. Honestly, except for Earth A.D.D., those themes are a bit vague. Again, the album work is awesome, reminding of early eighties thrash metal covers. And finally, just another kudo to Johan Maldanado who could just be one of the best unknown hard rock/metal vocalist in America. Canobliss should keep in eye on him lest some band swoop down and pick him up. - DangerDog.com

The USA modern metal scene just doesn’t have enough distinguished artists that manage that individual unique sound that the genre has been missing for a while. We get excited anytime the “old guys” like Megadeth or Metallica release something because all hope fails when it comes to new modern metal bands, maybe with the exception of Avenged Sevenfold, Shadows Fall, to name a few. The San Diego based Canobliss on the other hand manages to creat a distinct blend of cross genre newer modern metal that the genre has been missing. The band formed in 1997 and “Man Is The Enemy” marks the groups 3rd record with the same line up and 5th overall with different lineup.

The band’s diverse ethnicity reveals something interesting as it adds a layer of Spanish lyrics to the music cross-blending the metal parts in between with English vocals . A good example of this is the track “Derrama Tu Sangre” which in Spanish translates to “Spill Your Blood“. The carefully crafted build up in “Comatose” rises to a final confrontation of force as Maldonado probably laid down best vocal duties on this track. If aggressiveness is your thing, then you can’t stray too much away from “No Angel“ when the dual guitars kick in with a sledgehammering thunder. The fretboard is assaulted in “Zombie Parade“ with a sick rhythm riff that will have you jumping, great track the hardest and most grinding on the record.

The band has been described as “unique” and certainly that term applies here. The sound is modern metal and thrash but the lyrics are extremely smart and combined with their aggressive hooks makes for a headbanging experience. It does surprise me why they have not been signed to a big label yet as many other bands mediocrity gets acknowledged while bands like Canobliss take life on the road and spread the news the hard way. Don’t say you didn’t hear it here, go check the band, recommended if your a metal fan. - MyGlobalMind Webzine

Two summers ago (2008) the American Metal band CANOBLISS released the EP "Psychothermia", after three albums: "Wicked Necessary" (1998), "Demon Angel" (2004) and "Liberation Of Dissonance" (2007). Several gigs and hard work later, release no. 4 is out. Titled "Man Is The Enemy" saw the light of day on 8th May. Like before, all was in the hands of CANOBLISS, which means that this new album is also a self-release. But let's go back in time, very briefly. CANOBLISS was founded back in 1997 by Samson Pedroza (guitars) and Chenzo Vidalez (bass). It wasn't until 2004 that Mike and Jon Russo (drums and guitars respectively) were added to fill the vacant positions. Two years later vocalist Johan Maldonado became the band's new singer. And the rest is history, as they say.

Several themes were used for the lyrics. For example, the band's studio getting robbed in "Zombie Parade", losing a loved one in "No Angel", manipulating politicians in "Comatose" and even the destruction of nature in "Earth A.D.D.". This is thus another full-length and most likely the band's strongest effort to date, something the band themselves are convinced of, according to the press text.

"Man Is The Enemy" is a title that can be used in many situation, be them political, environmental, social, and so on. And this is also reflected on the album cover. The first song is "Hit The Floor", which starts with a guitar intro, creating a sort of tension, after which midtempo Metal breaks loose. And you instantly know this is a hit, indeed. Especially the bursting bridge and pounding chorus stand out. Speaking of the chorus, it sounds emotional, but in the power sense. It's not Emo Metal, rather "power" Metal, only not like what one usually understands by that. Johan's singing is clean, but powerful and fits this music perfectly. Musically - like before - bands like CIRCLE II CIRCLE, DISTURBED and KORN come to mind. Things get less heavy at some point, you can even call it a clean break, followed a bit later by the required soloing before letting the chorus kick in again and put the song to sleep. It's a hit, it's a very good opening track.

"Pale Rider" builds with rhythmic drumming and guitarwork. The verses are reminiscent of KORN, as the bass- and drumwork are in that vein, while Johan's vocals are covered with an effect that made me frown and of which I can only say "yuk!". Definitely not a good move, in my opinion. The chorus is where the power is and the singing more normal. And that result sounds much better than the verses. But all in all I can only be positive about the music (to some extent), while the vocals ruin the song. One very good song and one, well, pale song indeed. But fear not, there's still enough material coming up.

The title track is another highlight. "Man Is The Enemy" has an calm intro that is in the same style as METALLICA's "Nothing Else Matters", which by itself is already well done. But then the power breaks loose, power coming from the guitars, but Mike's drumwork provides a perfect and variable answer to it. The vocals sound like that of PLACEBO's vocalist, to some extent. Yes, it shows what Johan's capable of. Pluspoints for this song go to the rhythm (a bit AMON AMARTH-ish) and mainly the very nice drumwork, which is a key factor. The bridge holds musical power and angry vocals, while the chorus is clean and again emotional with slower, more melodic music. As if to show the other side of emotions, expressed through both vocal input and music. Oh yes, there's room for a guitar solo, too.

Johan Maldonado most likely has Spanish roots, hence singing "Derrama Tu Sangre" in Spanish (and English). What the title means, I don't know, but I do know that this song rocks! It commences with a melodic power part, though at a slow tempo, which is basically the chorus melody. The verses that come afterwards sounds very hyperactive and mainly the drums are responsible for that. The Spanish influence comes out in the bridge, in a powerful manner, and in the chorus, where the music sounds more melodic. The part before, most likely the pre-chorus, is what most understand by Power Metal: fast, double bass drumwork typically for e.g. European Power Metal, to name one element. The solo moments are wild, also to reflect some sort of emotional expression. The acoustic moment with Rock influences, to break he heavy flow a bit, sounds absolutely great and helps to keep the listener's attention. Other than that, no complaints.

And the highlights keep piling up, as "Comatose" and "No Angel" are the next in line. The first of these tracks has a guitar intro, of which the melody continues as more instrumentation is added. The verses are rather calm with Johan again using a PLACEBO-style voice, set high in the mix. The musical power is let loose in the bridge and the (straight-forward) chorus. Emotion plays another role, especially when you consider the lyrical theme. Frustration is one word you could use here. Melody is another important element in the chorus, and all together form a very good result. The drums play a very vital role, especially since it's from that instrument that playfulness and variability comes. The obligatory guitar solo wasn't forgotten. "No Angel", although it's about a sad event, starts with the verses in an active and heavy manner. Clean vocals here, nothing brutal, so to speak. The sadness can be heard in the bridge. Well, anywhere in this song, but particularly in the bridge. The chorus is where power is set, from both the music and vocals. The solo comes later, during which the bass comes through the speakers at a louder than normal volume, a decision I have nothing against.

In "Black Cadillac" CANOBLISS lower the bar a little. It starts with a fading guitar riff, building and creating a tension with the drums following by providing a beat. Meanwhile Johan comes in with some vocal work. It's another dark song, but somehow there's never a real outburst or powerful drumming, though Mike does use his kit sufficiently through a.o. the toms. Wait, forget that. The music does break out later on and there's even a ballsy chorus. While this song is not a highlight like the others, it is a lot better than "Pale Rider". There's one more song like "Black Cadillac", i.e. good but not a real highlight. And that is "Coffin Case Passion". This is a dark, groovy and powerful track. The verses are devoid of that (power), but the bridge and chorus offer it all the more! The music reminded me of DISTURBED, which is not unusual, as on the "Psychothermia" the Americans also had songs that sounded like that. However, it's less wild than the other songs.

With those songs out of the way, the road is clear for the last three, all highlights. "Zombie Parade" is a song that has power and speed! Woohoo! At this stage in the tracklist it's more than welcome! It's a bit dancey, like old KORN, but with better music and vocals, obviously. This changes into a melodic bridge (through guitars and vocals), followed by an uptempo Power Metal chorus. The solo is a must and can be found later on. Overall, top notch result! Mike (drums) sets in "Tools Of The Trade", after which the music turns to Thrash. A very nice continuation, if I may say. Very nice. The verses are done at midtempo and with powerful riffing, while the Thrash influences come back in the bridge, but all slows down in favour of melody in chorus, which is also when the dark and emotional aspect comes out. Other than that, it's an energetic song with lots of drive. But where the other songs have a solo, this one lacks it. Fine by me, as it helps to distinguish songs and compositions. But of course, a solo is mostly better, in my opinion. Last but not least there's "Earth A.D.D.". The music fades, but before the song really takes off the created tension should make you extra hungry. Once the music does advance at full power, you get a ver nice midtempo, energetic song. The band speeds it up for the bridge, but shifts back a few gears in the chorus where, again, an emotional touch was injected.

"Psychothermia" was my first acquaintance with CANOBLISS' groovy/Progressive/Nu-Metal vision on Metal. And it was a positive experience, for the largest part. After that I was hoping to be hear more and checking out some samples on MySpace a few months ago made me even more excited than two years ago. "Man Is The Enemy" arrived several weeks ago (thank you, Mike) and I've been listening to it many times. I took it with me to work, listened to the album at work, several days in a row. And I can't do anything else but highly recommend the album to anyone who's into groovy, modern Metal with a Progressive touch. Yes, there's a Progressive touch to the compositions. And yes, it's the band's best album to date. Just head over to the band's MySpace page and convince yourself of the quality of CANOBLISS. Then contact the band to purchase your copy of "Man Is The Enemy", one of the highlights of 2010. - Thoughts of Metal

"...their new CD is a slamming and unique offering in the glut of sameness that is metal."

View the full review at

http://www.hardrockhaven.net/reviews2007/oct2007/Canobliss%20-%20Liberation%20of%20Dissonance.php - Derric Miller - Hardrock Haven

"San Diego's Canobliss bucks modern American rock and metal trends by delivering music rich with melody, progressive arrangements, and believe it or not, clean vocals. This crew is very good! Simply, it's hard to believe that Canobliss is unsigned and generally unrecognized. 'Psychothermia' is filled with clever arrangements which deliver great music. Go to their website and buy this album!" 4.5/5 -- Craig Hartranft (DangerDog.com)

GO HERE for the full DangerDog.com review!
http://www.dangerdog.com/reviews_2008/canobliss-psychothermia.php
- Craig Hartranft (DangerDog.com)

"Why the fuck aren't these guys signed to a major label? Seriously, if any major/independent label A&R's are reading this review, then sign these guys immediately, at least track them down and give them a bit of your time. It'll be a travesty if they don't make it as I think they are one of the best bands to come out of the US in the past few years."

GO HERE for the full Live4Metal.com review!
http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-663.htm
- Steve Green (Live4Metal.com)

"One of the most unique independent metal bands making music today... Canobliss marches to a beat only they can hear, feel and recreate for you, and the band is well on their way to leaving the underground far behind them." 7.7/10

GO HERE for the full HardRockHaven.net review!
http://www.hardrockhaven.net/reviews2008/sept08/Canobliss%20-%20Psychothermia.php
- Derric Miller (HardRockHaven.net)

"...an infernal Groove with which charley horse in the legs is guaranteed" -- Xeledon (Metal.de)

CLICK HERE for the full Metal.de review! (German)
http://metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=11057
- Xeledon (Metal.de)

"When Canobliss get it right, as they do with opener Riot, then you can see them hitting the big time.”

View the full review at

http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-547.htm
- www.live4metal.com - by Steve Green

"I'm a fan."

Jen (JensMetalPage.com)

View the full review at

http://www.jensmetalpage.com/reviews_mp3.htm
- Jens Metal Page

" The songs rock and are catchy, heavy and melodic all at the same time. This is the type of band that a good label signed and gave a push too, could sell many, many records."

Chris Forbes (MetalCoreFanzine.com)

View the full review at

http://www.metalcorefanzine.com/reviews35.html
- Chris Forbes (MetalCoreFanzine.com)

"They reminded me of... old-school bands that use their vocals in a more intelligent fashion."

- "as I hear it"; San Diego Reader 11/21/07

"Intense, aware and defiant." - TAXI