Blinddryve

Melody, intricacy, and punch. Combining a gamut of styles as various as 80s thrash metal to New Age Metal with vocals that are at once catchy and powerful, Albuquerque's BLINDDRYVE are infusing the southwest metal scene with new energy.

Theirs is a sound crafted through years of dedication and honed in venues around the region. These include The Sunshine Theatre, Hard Rock Pavilion, Hard Rock Hotel "Wasted Space", Gothic Theater, Launchpad, El Rey Theatre and Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix.

Founding member Chris Sandoval said although the group was blindly thrown together in a band contest hosted by Albuquerque radio station 104.1 The Edge, it was their love and drive to take their music worldwide that keeps them going even today.

The band has come a long way from that fateful contest some four years ago that culminated at a gig at The Launchpad, one of Albuquerque's premiere music venues. They've supported some of the industry's best along the Family Values Tour 2006 and even played at Austin's weeklong SXSW 2006.

This quartet's tireless dedication and love of metal has led the band to play some of their idols like Korn, Lamb of God, Iron Maiden, and Deftones.

The band has also been played on radio stations across the region, including 94 Rock in Albuquerque, 104.1 The Edge in Albuquerque NM, KRWN 92.9 in Farmington NM, 106.1 The Rock Station in Gallup NM, 100.9 KRZQ in Reno NV, KOMP 92.9 In Las Vegas, NV, 98 KUPD in Phoenix and 106.7 KBPI Rocks in Denver.

Just a year after belting out their first album World Insane, the group is still looking to take things to the next level. The band hopes to begin work on their second studio album in earnest by January 2011, and follow up with a west coast tour the same year to introduce new audiences to their work.

The group says they see the five-state 2010 Monster " Emerging Faces of Metal" Tour as only one stop on the way to greater things: a chance to share their music with the world--or as vocalist Chris Sandoval put it "take over one city at a time".

The lineup changed a little over the years, but original members Chris Sandoval (lead vocals) and Daniel Gonzales (bass, Back up vocals) are currently joined by Jimmy J. Medina (lead Guitar, Back up Vocals) and Kirk Kapple (drums).

For more information on BLINDDRYVE, vist their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/blinddryve/.