Antiverse

In this day and age of carbon copy looks and sounds in the entertainment industry, it’s nice to know there are still people out there who are willing to push the boundaries away from the norm. No one understands this better than the band Antiverse.

“Having a different sound comes naturally to us,” says bass player/vocalist Mike Hixson. “Every member brings something completely different to the music. When you match that with great chemistry, the results are bound to be interesting.” To compare their sound to that of today’s well-known acts, you would have to take different qualities from an array of different bands. For example, if you take the concrete experimentation of Tool, the progressive-mindedness of Dream Theater, the aggression of Pantera, the solid song writing and vocal domination of Incubus, and add to that a definitive style all their own, you would come very close to describing their sound. Guitarist Chris Mealy adds, "With us having a linear song structure rather than the usual circular structure, the listener is left with an enhanced version of a musical journey. Rather than starting and ending at the same point, the listener will end up in a totally different area than the one in which they began."

Antiverse formed in 2002 when Mike and longtime friend Simon Nyako (guitar) decided to start a project together. Having only a portion of the members needed, they started writing songs remaining unnamed. As if by fate, in February 2003 Mike met Chris and drummer Dave Jaskowick at a local music store, both of whom were coincidentally looking for a band to join. In June 2003 Steve Nyako, Simon’s older brother, was given the position of lead singer. After months of hard work perfecting their material, Antiverse began playing shows and indulging in shameless self-promotion as often as they could.

In August 2004 they took part in the Thunderplex Battle of the Bands and it gave them the opportunity to compete against some of the best bands in the area. With the voting of the competition being done by both the audience and qualified judges, Antiverse managed to beat out 39 bands in three rounds taking home the $1,000 grand prize. “That was such a great moment for us,” says Dave. “The feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming. It really let us see how hard work can pay off.”

After winning the competition, Antiverse lost lead vocalist Steve Nyako as he left the group for personal reasons and moved to Florida.

Unable to find a suitable new frontman, Antiverse focused on their instruments as they wrote new material. The unrelenting lull without a vocalist finally lifted in January 2005 when they found Doug Kilgore. He and Mike immediately began re-writing the vocal parts as to better accommodate the new lineup and then they went directly into the studio. Mike headed the session assuming recording, producing, and mixing responsibilities. “It was really hard not playing a single show for that long. But it gave us a chance to regroup and bond with our new bandmate – and now we’re back better than ever,” says Simon about the downtime.

Aside from all technicalities, Antiverse is a band solely dedicated to achieving their music oriented goals, “and loving life as we do it,” says Doug.