Control the Chaos

Oct 19, 2010 – Cinema has always played a huge part in popular culture. With a variety of stories and themes, one can be entertained for a lifetime. Drama brings the tears, action pumps the adrenaline and documentaries get us thinking. But if fear and horror are more your taste then nothing compares to good ‘ol American grindhouse.

With Tinseltown support from the likes of celebrity directors Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Rob Zombie, the grindhouse horror genre has bred cult classics in recent years such as "Planet Terror", "House of a Thousand Corpses" and remakes of mega-titles such as "Halloween" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It seems like the public can’t get enough of the intense imagery and spine-tingling sensation these films conjure, evident by the recent wave of huge Hollywood budgets to bring blood and guts to the big screen.

But the LA elite aren’t the only ones cashing in on the genre. Spawned from low-budget, independent film-makers, grindhouse horror films often blend gore with humor and a good dose of exploitation. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit and horror themes provide ample ammunition, leveraging sensationalist advertising and broad, lurid overstatements of the issues depicted. Sound like fun?

It’s more than entertaining if you’re the independent film company “3DT Productions”. Enter Tim Stover, a local indie film director getting ready to release the company’s first feature "The Back Room”- a grindhouse horror film shot in and around Las Vegas, NV. “I wanted to pull together more local talent to put in this movie and given the subject matter, we were intent on assembling a great heavy metal soundtrack for the film,” states Stover.

The film enters the mind of a serial killer. The rest, we’ll leave to online teaser trailers and the movie’s official release date for Halloween 2010. We’d say more, but we’d have to kill ya...

“Heavy metal isn’t the soundtrack for relaxation. It’s the score for intensity! And horror and metal music go together like Halloween and candy,” says Ed Fassio, CEO of Itchy Metal Entertainment and manager of the Vegas metal band: Control the Chaos.

“We’re always exploring opportunities to further grow our international presence, both for the band and Itchy Metal,” states Fassio. “When Tim approached us with the idea of having CTC’s music included in the film, we reviewed the project, discussed distribution and came to a licensing agreement (with 3DT) to use their songs for the movie. In addition, the band is preparing to release their new horror-themed single "Zombie", so the timing is perfect.”

For initial release, "The Back Room" will be distributed via retail channels by Canadian-based Black Flag Pictures and made digitally available via Netflix Canada.

"Montreal, Quebec-based Black Flag Pictures Inc. is a film studio, owned and operated by independent filmmaker Sv Bell. BFP produces and releases feature films in the action, thriller, horror and science-fiction genres. Founded in 1992 as SVBI Films, they established presence through work in TV commercials and music videos. Over the years the studio has built a strong reputation for producing high quality movies with production budgets less than a million dollars. Unlike most of today's independent studios that focus on extreme content, Black Flag Pictures targets the mainstream direct-to-video / television / PTV international market, with a focus on mainstream content and powerful storylines attractive to a large audience rather than just horror/science-fiction aficionados." – via www.blackflagpictures.com

Black Flag Pictures movies are currently available in these countries:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Georgia, Ireland, Kazakstan, Kyyrgystan, Moldova, Russia, Scotland, Slovak Republic, Tajikstan, Thailand, Turmeninstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

Since 2008, "Control the Chaos" has been developing their unique blend of Heavy Metal into their own creation dubbed “Vegas Molten Metal”. Acknowledged by the People’s Choice for: Best Teen Metal band in 2009 and Best Teen Band, All genres in 2010 by Vegas Rocks! Magazine, CTC embarked on their first self-managed, multi-state tour in June 2010 with performances across the west coast including opening for national headliners: Devil Driver, Kittie and Kataklysm during the six month excursion.

The film will feature tracks from the band’s sophomore release “Pendulum”. Their latest record is in final production and will be ready for public release by the 2010 holiday season including 2 new singles “Rise Again” and “I Walked with a Zombie”. In addition to other channel opportunities, Control the Chaos currently releases world-wide, digital distribution through TuneCore (iTunes, Microsoft Zune, Napster, Rhapsody, eMusic and more). "Control the Chaos" is managed as an "Itchy Metal Entertainment" production.

For additional information on “Control the Chaos” visit them online at: www.ctcrox.com

For more information on “The Back Room” & 3DT Productions visit:
www.myspace.com/thebackroommovie - Itchy Metal Entertainment

Vegas band "Control the Chaos" was ecstatic when veteran producer/engineer, Dave Hampton presented the opportunity to record and mix their latest project at the legendary "Village" studios in Los Angeles, CA - IME Publications

“What you have at the Village is exceptional sound, a unique ambiance and premium experience. This is the five-star resort of recording environments,” states Ed Fassio, band manager of Control the Chaos... - Mimoji

Amongst rock legends such as Lemmy, Dee Snyder, Lita Ford, Glenn Hughes and Flavor Flav, Vegas Teen titans: "CONTROL THE CHAOS", win the 2010 Vegas Rocks! award for BEST TEEN BAND, across all genres. - Itchy Metal Entertainment

Vegas Molten Metal sensation, “Control the Chaos” shattered milestones this week with major accomplishments, launches, announcements and partnerships. The band’s progress has been charging full steam ahead as they continue to go from good, to better and now officially – BEST!

CTC faced-off in six weeks of brutal competition and elimination amongst Las Vegas’ most aggressive talent in the Vegas Rocks Magazine “Teen Metal Mayhem” competition. The mission: To crown the city’s best teen metal band. In a nail-biting climax held at Vegas' own all-ages venue, The Farm - the band grabbed the glory and was humbled and honored to accept the title presented by VRM’s own 1Psychotic (one of the most honest and experienced rock journalists and brutal rock critics in the business) and Sally Steele (pioneering front woman and founder of the Magazine). Hosted by VRM’s president, Steve Eggleston a panel of judges including members of local bands Protest, photo-journalist Aaron Briese, Dario Lorina from Lizzy Borden, Tracey Rader from the Farm and many other industry heavy-weights and influencers held the daunting task of choosing the final winner. First prize included a professional PR package, a new ESP Ltd guitar, 5 hours of recording time at Snake Rock’s new S&K recording studio and placement on the front cover of Vegas Rocks Magazine’s upcoming issue, including a write-up in the magazine featuring the band.

“This is amazing. We are really excited about this and it feels great. The whole thing is surreal,” stated Brandon Rojas, lead vocalist. “It’s great. We are dedicated and we stay focused. We know that blessings got us here and the blessings will keep us here. This is for our fans, friends and family. Thanks to everyone for all the support,” added CJ Hulet, bassist for CTC.

In other news this week, CTC continued a blazing-hot online marketing campaign launching the band’s official CTC Street Team and gathering new members and fans at a lightning pace. With overwhelming response and speed, the increased popularity of the band resulted in their new ranking on ReverbNation’s website as the #1 METAL band in the Las Vegas market. This accomplishment puts the young rockers in an entirely different league of comparison, building both excitement and pressure as more and more eyes watch the band continue to fast-track.

Speaking of online, the marketing engine that is “Itchy Metal Entertainment” recently announced that Control the Chaos has also gained the #1 search engine return for Best Teen Metal band west coast, gaining the “Fierce-Five”a credential and validation badge on the world’s premier web-search tool, Google. “Truly, a respectable accomplishment; People don’t realize how much work it takes to achieve and maintain the number one spot on Google. It means people are looking, listening and checking out the band from all over the world. Google doesn’t play around, you can’t fake this stuff. Sure, you can pay mega bux and get the number one spot on any search result, but earning it through hard work and a well crafted deployment strategy is much more effective… and valid. It ain't easy. This, we are very proud of,” confirmed Ed Fassio – band manager and President of Itchy Metal Entertainment.

As the summer heats up, the band takes HOT to a whole ‘ nother level by partnering with “Indie on the Move” who helped broker a relationship with Pyro-Technique demons “The Hell Candidates” from Portland, OR. The duo will debut CTC at Portland’s Metal playground, Club Satyricon on August 21st. CTC will be continuing on for additional confirmed tour dates in Tri-Cities, WA and Seattle and then host the Hell Candidates through their first ever tour in Vegas, booking 2 shows together in early August with fellow rockers Shelter Red, also from Portland. Bands helping Bands... that's what it's all about!!! - Vegas Rocks! Magazine

The crowd chants, “CTC! CTC! CTC!” as the lights dim and the band ends their 40 minute set on October 10, 2009. The place: Cheyenne Saloon, known as one of the grittiest and toughest heavy metal venues in Sin City. The event: Fuse TV’s Slave to the Metal showcase, hosted by Uranium’s Mistress Juliya. The result: A commanding presence and another tough act to follow. This would be CTC’s final performance of 2009 as the band silently withdrew into concentration to re-forge their style, image and mission. It was time to be extremely focused. It was necessary to be specific. There was important work to be done…

Their sound and stage presence is described as fast and aggressive, but no one could have predicted just how fast the career of one of Vegas’ loudest and most promising young acts would be.
Vegas Molten Metal rockers “Control the Chaos” have accomplished things that more tenured acts find hard to achieve across several years, let alone right out of the gate. From playing famous venues in front of sold-out audiences to producing and releasing their own debut EP, the band has built an incredible resume which helped skyrocket them to one of the most recognizable names and respected bands within the Vegas metal music scene. With dedication and an incessant appetite for success, the youngsters held a rapid-fire performance schedule in 2009, playing 152 shows in less than 12 months- all while still attending high school. So ambitious was the band’s management company (Itchy Metal Entertainment) in strategic marketing efforts, that by mid-year the band proudly commanded one of the most coveted achievements in today’s technology driven marketplace: the #1 search return on Google for best young metal band west coast and continues to develop as the internet’s beloved face of adolescent heaviness.

Intentionally staying independent, the group’s non-affiliations allowed them to freely integrate into the intricate entertainment fibers across the west coast. Trusted advisors, supporters and entertainers from the worlds of music and television including Rock, Metal, Punk, Reggae, Hip-Hop, R&B and Jazz notables quickly became part of the Itchy Metal Entertainment family. CTC’s business acumen and relationship agility fueled a movement and model that others would admire. From Los Angeles to New York, the band’s notoriety grew beyond the west coast finally capturing the attention of executives at Universal Music, NBC, industry scouts and tastemakers within the RIAA.

Finally, in December 2009 the band gained the ultimate symbol of validation when an A&R scout from a London-based label proposed an official record, distribution and international touring contract. Equally excited and humbled, the guys had a ton to digest. Deciding this was the best direction and most logical next step for the band, CTC entered into full negotiations on January 1st, 2010. (At the time of press, the band remains in discussions. Final announcements regarding label and release information is TBA).

Along with making the hard decisions necessary for progress, the band also decided to officially part-ways with current front-man, Brandon Rojas. Joining the band as lead vocalist in March 2009 during a heightened period of activity, Rojas spent 9 months with CTC. “Brandon was a big part of our first release. We wish him the best in all his future endeavors and thank him for his time. Our lead vocalist position is officially open,” announced the band’s manager, Ed Fassio.

Today, the band is an energetic force staying just as intentional and increasingly deliberate. Although success is never guaranteed and the future has yet to unfold, Control the Chaos is definitely one to watch. With Las Vegas being the ultimate backdrop where smart wagers and high-risk stakes can pay-off in abundance, one can surely bet that CTC will continue to expand. The future is extremely bright for a band once described by Vegas Rocks! Magazine as “One of Vegas’ Rising Stars…” - IME Publications

“One small step for Vegas, one GIANT step for Control the Chaos!” stated Ed Fassio (CEO of the band’s management firm, IME) – paraphrasing the experience of Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon 40 years ago.

“There are a few extremely proud “first” moments that you get to experience as an artist and team. This is definitely one of them. To see this dream transform into something that the band can fully share with a world-wide audience is truly an amazing thing,” concluded Fassio.

Under the guidance and production of rising director Daniel A. Chandia and David J. Hartley of Hartley Entertainment group, Control the Chaos’ first full-length video takes the audience through an in-depth look at the bands’ personal trials as they’ve emerged as leaders in the Heavy Metal genre across the Las Vegas and west coast music scene. Since their initial public performance in September of 2008, the band has continued to sell-out venues across the west coast including break-through performances at the world-famous “Whisky-a-Go-Go” nightclub on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip.

Video production was shot on location in various settings across southern Nevada, with the most notable backdrop being I-95’s “Keyhole Canyon”. Facing near 130 degree temperatures and elements that included larger-than-life wasps, bees and an abundance of very agitated rattle-snakes, the band endured 4 full days of filming while the video was edited, manipulated and finally, brought to life.

Future plans for the video release include world-wide presentation through various online formats including all major social networks. Additional television broadcasts will initiate through popular cable-on-demand services with future outlook on major networks.

The group’s simultaneous DVD release will include band, management and production commentary, a full biography of Control the Chaos, entitled “Behind the Chaos”, exclusive photos and extensive “B” reel footage of the making of the “Blackened Sunrise” video. - Hartley Entertainent Group

Summer's here and it's getting hot again, especially for Vegas' own "Control the Chaos" as they launch their summer 2010 touring schedule to include Los Angeles, Seattle and New York... - IME Publications