City of Treason

South Florida bands illstruck, Needless to Say, and City of Treason were in Buzz Junior's studio Sunday to tell us all about their upcoming albums and music videos, and to promote their upcoming show at Pineapple Groove in Delray this Saturday July 9th! The bands will all come together to rock out for a good cause--supporting the Toby Center For Family Transitions, which helps the children of divorced families recover and adjust to the changes that may come. The guys were pretty open and funny in the studio. Listen in to all the fun and excitement that went down Sunday night! I promise these guys will have you laughing! The show at Pineapple Groove is only $5 at the door and will run from 8:30 to 11:00 pm. There will also be raffles and really awesome prizes given away like a autographed guitar, signed by all the bands! Make sure we see you there! - 103.1fm The Buzz

One day, not all that long ago, The Kahuna handed me a CD that he thought I would like. I listened to it, and he was right. I really liked it a lot! I downloaded it on my computer, and just let it play constantly over the next few days. It is one of those CDs that you start out liking and then as you listen to it over and over again, you like it even more.

This past Saturday The Kahuna called me up, and told me that this same band was playing at a local club and asked if I would like to go. I really enjoyed the CD and I had the night free so me The Kahuna and I, along with our better halves, went to see the show. As I said, I really enjoyed the CD, but I was not prepared for what I heard. This band ROCKED! I would throw an expletive in there but we need to keep this family style.

The band is called City of Treason.

City of Treason is made up of Nick Nathaniel doing vocals, Christopher Sommella on the guitar, Scott Rippons playing bass, and David Saketkoo on the drums. Four guys, a small venue, and a huge sound. I love arena rock, but you can’t beat the intimacy of a smaller venue. It doesn’t give the band a place to hide or cover up their lack of musical skills with reverb, echo and distortion. In a small venue, if the sound is not crisp, it all becomes a mash up of noise. Small venues also separate good musicians, those who mastered their art, from fair musicians who play power chords along with screaming vocals.

One thing that really caught my eye was their stage presence. It did not matter to them that they were playing a local club- they rocked the room, and everyone in it as if it was a huge arena. Their sound could easily fill up a hall of 15,000 people. Even Mrs. Kahuna, who is not a rock n roll fan of any sort, left very pleased with what she heard. She was able to understand the lyrics of each song. I think that is very important when making music. If you are trying to send a message or tell a story in your music, it should be heard clearly.

What hit me first was the crispness of the music and the tonality of the singer’s voice. Each of the band members brings a strong sense of musicianship that emanates throughout the album and translated extremely well to the live show. Being that my first love is hard rock, with a soft spot for heavy metal, I’m not sure how this band is yet undiscovered. I believe that what is missing in today’s rock and roll is one thing-musicianship, and these guys have it. Each song on their self-titled CD explodes with heavy guitar, not power chords, but rather a specific melody that leads to very memorable song tracks that make you want to listen to it again. The bass line, which also carries the melody of the song, is similar to Zeppelin, Yes and the Who, amongst many others, who used a bass line to enhance the song with a complimentary melody. The drums provide a strong back beat with interesting rhythms that drive the song without exhaustion. If you can listen to any of their songs without moving your head back and forth or tapping your feet…well, you just need to get your hearing checked.

But, it is truly the vocals that tie everything together. The unique tonality of the singer’s voice rises above the guitar, bass and drums and stands on top of the music. This band is a definite throw back to the golden age of late 80’s and early 90’s metal when you had great Rock singers, the likes of a Sebastian Bach or even Axl Rose.

The last piece that blew the Rock Chick away was hearing the acoustic version of some of their music. Again, in the acoustic version of any song, there is no place to hide.

Overall, I was absolutely blown away with City of Treason. They will be a band that Keeps Rock Alive and there is no doubt in my mind that, soon enough, they will be selling out arenas and concert halls all over the country. If you haven’t had the chance to hear them, here are some links to their music. You will not be disappointed. And after you hear them, come on over to the KeepingRockAlive.com forum page and sound off on what you think. ~ Tyla Conn - Keeping Rock Alive

Fort Lauderdale rock band City of Treason just put the finishing touches on their self-titled EP. I got my hands on a copy and I have to tell you, it's definitely the sort of album you have to listen to with some volume. The album takes you down a repaved six-track hard rock road with an overall theme of independence, overcoming and taking off social blinders; a message they hold fast like a secular rosary. What I loved most about the EP is that the songs (which are just as obscure and left open to interpretation as any metal song is expected to be) are diverse; it's no cookie cutter album. Each song is a different message; a completely different ride than the previous track, perfectly juxtaposed on the debut album. City of Treason makes their mark with the EP, using the medium of music to convey life and death, love and loss, and the power of the human spirit. For details on their CD Release Party December 11th at the Culture Room go to Facebook.com/cityoftreason. ~ Kyle Willis, WeMerge Magazine - WeMerge Magazine