Even The Dogs

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Posted on JUNE 9, 2010:

SHINY METAL
Even the Dogs widens the metal playing field with new album

By G.K. Hizer

If you're like me, you've been wondering lately what happened to our local metal scene. Actually, I've been wondering what happened to metal in the Midwest, in general. With the exception of a few local acts such as Mercy Street, the days of straight forward metal seems like a thing of the past.

Before giving up hope, however, I received a phone call last fall from Eddie Green, lead vocalist of Even the Dogs with some exciting news. His local metal band had just scored a record deal and landed a management contract. Maybe metal isn't dead in Tulsa and the greater Midwest after all.

If Even the Dogs is to be taken as an example, that's far from the case. After slowly developing the band and its songs, the group's live show was enough to grab the attention of audiences and a key player in the music industry, sending Even the Dogs to the next level.

Although I hadn't heard of the band, it's not like the members haven't paid their dues. According to Green, the guys who ended up banding together all knew each other from the local scene, playing in different groups five years ago.

Lead vocalist Eddie Green and bassist Anthony Hinton were already playing together in Recycled Souls at the time, a local Christian rock act that developed a solid regional following and opened for just about every major Christian act that came through the area and needed a local opener.

Bassist David Odell was in A New Kind of Army during that period and guitarist Jerry Rivera was playing in 7 Wounds, an act that was just starting to blow up about the time Recycled Souls was ending its run, according to Green.

When Recycled Souls finally came to a close, Green, Hinton and Odell came together to form the core of what would become Even the Dogs. The addition of Rivera completed the group just a little more than four years ago, and the band took its time to fine tune its songs and refine its live presence. Since each of the members already had regional touring experience, the band gelled quickly and focused on developing its sound.

According to Green, "There were a lot of 'cores' out at the time: metalcore, grindcore, deathcore ... We just wanted to bring back straight up metal and breathe some life back into the metal scene."

By combining influences that ranged from Motown and classic heavy metal to modern rock and modern metal, Even the Dogs developed a sound that its fans have since dubbed "groove metal."

Drawing heavily from bands such as Sevendust, Hatebreed and especially Killswitch Engage, Even the Dogs seems to have found its niche somewhere in that realm. In fact, Green said, "Killswitch is our biggest influence. It's that 'melody meets mayhem' factor that we love and we derive a lot of how we write from them."

Even though they emerged from the Christian rock scene, the members of Even the Dogs don't consider their band a strictly Christian act. Instead, Green classifies the group as a metal band with a positive message, conjuring darker images from everyday struggles that anyone goes through. Even the band's choice of venues stretches beyond the Christian marketplace, with the group opting to play any stage it can land: from small bars to festivals.

Playing live is where the band really thrives, and Even the Dogs has built its reputation largely on its live show, which is what Green said really grabs people's attention. In fact, it was the live show that turned heads and landed the group its current record deal.

"On August 1 last year, we opened for Head (Brian "Head" Welch, formerly of Korn) at In the Field and exec Mark Nawara (of Driven Music group, Welch's label) approached us after the show and asked if we were signed," Green said. "It was kind of funny because we'd just returned from Cornerstone, showcasing for EMI, and they told us the days of playing a show and getting signed were over. A few weeks later, we're in Haleyville, Okla. opening for Head and getting signed."

Following the appearance at the In the Field Festival, things moved swiftly, as the band signed a recording contract with Driven Music Group within two months, followed by a management deal with Donnie Frizzell and a return to the record studio to crank out its label debut.

The resulting CD, Soul Shaker, is a hard-driving album of modern metal, colored by the aforementioned bands Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed and guitar riffs that give a nod to Pantera.

Although Driven is Welch's independent label, his industry connections help provide the smaller imprint with not only national but international distribution through Warner/ADA. As a result, the May 25 release of Even the Dogs' debut, Soul Shaker, launched the band in nine countries with both hard copies of the CD in stores and digital distribution through all of the common online outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.

This summer's schedule includes a few key appearances at festivals such as Midwest Rock Fest in Wichita on July 24, alongside bands such as Buckcherry, Texas Hippie Coalition and Drowning Pool. Even the Dogs returns to In the Field (located in McAlester this year) the following week, sharing the stage with The Showdown, Jason Truby and The Letter Black on July 31 before wrapping up the summer at Rock the River in Fort Smith with Kutless, Jason Truby and Stellar Kart on Sept. 18.

Before hitting the summer festivals and looking forward to more regional touring in the fall, however, the band is holding its hometown CD release party Friday, June 11, at Bob's with Fist of Rage, Raising Adonai and Sixes opening the show. Tickets are $16 in advance or $19 at the door to see one of Tulsa's latest breaking metal bands in the close quarters of Cain's side stage.

Although the label has chosen to initially push the disc with the single "Shut Your Mouth" and its corresponding video, my gut instinct is that it won't be the one to really launch the album but merely lay the groundwork for what's to come. Tracks such as "Soul Shaker," "When We Fall" and even "Infection of Silence," with its more immediate guitar riff, are more likely to help the band break out into a larger marketplace.

Even so, Soul Shaker is an impressive debut for a band on the rise. If modern metal is your thing, Even the Dogs might be just what it takes to not give up hope for hard rock in the Midwest. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7pm Friday for those looking to restore their faith in metal.


- Urban Tulsa

Even the Dogs, the hard hitting metal foursome based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has signed with Driven Music Group.Even the Dogs are honored to join a seasoned roster of metal bands, including Flotsam and Jetsam, Crossbreed, Godhead and Brian "Head" Welch.

Even the Dogs are the first "new" talent signed to the label, but they are no strangers to the metal scene or the stage. Formed in 2006, after the dissolution of their former bands, Even the Dogs had but one mission in minds to create music and a live show that was impossible to ignore. Comprised of 4 members that have been playing in bands since their teens, Even the Dogs brings a vast array of musical influence to their unique, but massively heavy sound.

Daring to bring the groove to the metal, concert goers everywhere have coined the genre, unique to Even the Dogs and their music, as "Groove metal" From day 1, Even the Dogs have been the band you had to see live , and on Aug. 1 2009, following their live set, they were approached by Mark Nawara of Driven Music Group, and the recording contract came shortly thereafter. Eager to bring their music to the masses, their debut cd is slated for release in early 2010. Watch for Eddie Green on lead vocals, Anthony Hinton on drums, Jerry Rivera on guitar, and David O'Dell on bass, collectively known as Even the Dogs, to be in your city, or a city near you soon. - Driven Music Group

Even the Dogs are both proud and pleased to announce their signing with Modern Music Management and Donnie Frizzell as our manager. Donnie brings with him 28 years of vast music industry experience and knowledge and will be a tremendous team member, and asset, as well as the 5th member of our band. Donnie, in his ca...reer both as a producer, and manager, has been involved with some of the biggest names in music today and some of music’s biggest legends. Artists such as P.O.D., Sevendust, Boston, Foreigner, Crowbar, Train, Tim McGraw, Etta James, The Ramones, Uriah Heap, Eagles, Black Oak Arkansas, Krokus, The Freddie Jones Band, Crooked X and the list goes on and on. For a complete history of artists that he has worked with, please visit his website at: www.frizzellrocks.com - WWW.EVENTHEDOGS.COM

"We are very excited to be working with the very talented band, Even the Dogs. We are looking forward to a strong future together." Mark Nawara - Driven Music Group, Inc. - Eddie

MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK
July 29, 2010
Host of bands ready to take the stage at ‘In the Field’
By Leilani Roberts Ott
Phoenix Life Editor

— Teenager Nick Hauff said you don’t have to be society’s definition of normal to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

This Christian rocker with his tattoos and piercings is part of the band Raising Adonai, based out of Haileyville. The band along with 16 others are playing soft and hard rock to heavy metal music at In the Field Saturday. It’s an outdoor Christian rock festival being held at the Southeast Expo Center, west of McAlester on U.S. 270. Hauff’s father, Jared Hauff, started the fest last year.

Jared believes the festival draws both people that might not be comfortable going to a church and those that go to church every Sunday.

Even the Dogs, based out of Tulsa, is one of the nationally known Christian rock bands on the lineup.

“We believe that people should have a relationship and not get all tied up in a bunch of religion,” said Eddie Green, who does vocals for Even the Dogs.

The four band members played at the first festival last year in Haileyville and are excited to be returning this year to McAlester.

“We play metal. We’re too good looking to be in a boy band,” Green said, laughing.

It was at last year’s festival where Brian “Head” Welch, one of the founding members of the Grammy winning rock band Korn, was the headliner that Even the Dogs was signed with Driven Music Group, Welch’s label.

Green and Anthony Hinton, drummer, for Even the Dogs, started the band four years ago but they’ve played together nine years with another band.

“We prayed hard before we got on stage,” said Green about last year’s fest. “We left everything on stage.”

It opened doors. Although they haven’t left their full-time jobs, they have played almost every weekend somewhere. Hinton said being signed has made things happen for the band.

“It’s got our CD out on the East and West Coast,” Hinton said.

The new CD, “Soul Shaker,” is “everywhere,” Hastings, amazon.com, etc. Their music video, “Shut Your Mouth,” can be viewed at eventhedogs.com.

The success of Even the Dogs after last year’s fest is just one plus for Jared, the festival’s organizer.

“We try to reach people that aren’t going to normally go to church,” he said.

About 1,300 people attended last year. About 400 people “opened their heart to Jesus.” Jared and his wife, Shauna, and three children, including son Nick, 16; Noah, 7; and Olivia, 6, go to church and consider themselves “die-hard Christians.”

“It’s amazing, really,” Nick said of the festival. “You don’t get to reach so many people at the same time. We’re all really stoked and getting ready.”

The band includes Nick, vocals; Dalon Gibson, drummer; Jon Fryer, guitarist; and Clayton Griffin, bass.

“Hopefully, you’ll be hearing more of us in a few years,” said Nick, who started singing publicly with his mother at church.

It was their desire to find a place for their son to sing that led Jared and Shauna to start the festival. Shauna said most of the teens her son’s age think Christian hymns are boring.

“These kind of bands reach out and grab the youth,” she said. “The doors aren’t going to close down. You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Nick has tattoos and hair down his back, she said, but he is an inspiration to others after surviving an accident that should have paralyzed him from the neck down. He believes he was chosen to be God’s messenger.

“He’s very aggressive with his music,” Shauna said. “The lyrics will slap you in the face. We have kids that come up to us afterwards and say, ‘We thought Christians were boring, hypocritical. Music and kids — that’s our life.”



Reach Leilani Roberts Ott at 684-2908 or lott @muskogeephoenix.com.
- Muskogee Phoenix

IN THE FIELD 2010
OFFICIAL BAND REVIEW
OF
EVEN THE DOGS

Even the Dogs, a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, signed to Driven Music Group label exploded on the stage on July 31, 2010. Their charisma and hard style drove the crowd absolutely crazy. From the moment they took the stage until they walked off of the stage the crowd was mesmerized and just could not get enough of ETD. With their astounding vocals and their heart pounding music being top notch, they definitely set the bar for the two remaining bands for which they did not reach. They are definitely a 5 out of 5 in my book and in the majority of the fans present that evening. To top off their performance they are truly a mission based group with a true passion for GOD. I will book them any chance I get and recommend anyone else to do the same.


Jared J. Hauff

Christ’s Creations Limited
- Jared Hauff of Christs Creations Productions