high voltage

While sex, drugs and rock and roll have fuelled many a teen fantasy, it normally takes many years for something, if anything, to make those dreams a reality.

At the ripe age of 16, Sean Royle has only been studying guitar for three years, but is already on his way to becoming a guitar hero. And his band High Voltage could be fulfilling some of those fantasies soon enough.With the enthusiastic support of their families, a solid CD/
EP, and a stage show that Gn’R, Priest and metalheads en masse
can rejoice in, High Voltage are shocking new music fans everywhere they go.

“I don’t have a nice chat with my mom and then write a song
about it,” laughs Royle on the strong parental support for the
band. “On the actual music, parents don’t really inspire us, but
it’s cool that they’re into it too. They’re really supportive and
stuff.”

Inspired by digging through their parent’s record collections, childhood friends Royle and Eric Martin (guitar) were set to form a rock band. Then with a cousin’s friend, Luke Arnold (drums), and the acquisition of Josh Alvernia (vocals) and Savino Capobianco (bass) from another band, the hard rocking juggernaut of High Voltage was born.

“I started off listening to more grunge stuff just before I
picked up the guitar,” recalls Royle. “It wasn’t until my sister’s
boyfriend showed me bands like Guns n’ Roses, Ozzy, Van Halen
that I guess I really started to get more advanced with my
playing.”While you can see and hear elements of their heroes in their performances, there’s little chance you find the band simply
carbon copying hits of old. It sounds familiar, but not phony.
Alvernia has vocal qualities akin to Axl Rose, but without the
baggage. Royle as prodigy easily conjures up flashes of Page,
Slash, Van Halen or even Rhodes, names often hallowed in the
world of rock and revered on classic rock radio, but rarely exalted on new rock indie stages and especially not by a band this young.

“What I like about the older bands is that there’s a lot more
energy in the music and the guitar really plays an important role,”
confides Royle. “In newer music guitar is just there, you know? It’s
coming back a bit in heavier metal, there’s a lot more crazy
guitarist again. However, I still find these crazy metal guitarists
are more worried about how many notes they are playing than the
feel.”

The feeling is immediate and sometimes astonishing,
particularly for the older crowd. Standing aside former Sunset
Strip rocker Rob Lamothe at a recent performance, you could feel
his astonishment at being ‘transported back in time to when he was starting out in the ’80s in California.’ Of course, his old band Riverdogs (featuring guitarist Vivian Campbell) has recently reunited, marking a return of another cycle based on hard rock. Lamothe’s sons, Josh and Zander, have even started up their own hard rocking unit, Bad Habit, proof that maybe you don’t have to
hate your parents’ tastes anymore. Maybe it’s just that kids like
the rock.

But veterans of the biz and average kids alike are taking notice. Whether amazed by their technical prowess or their
beguiling ability to time warp fans back three decades, or even by
their ability to do Gn’R better than they can these days, High
Voltage performances have won accolades at festivals like NXNE
and even the final prize at the Ontario–wide Garage Tour 2006 battle of the bands in Toronto.

Their talents have even attracted a
new notable producer. “Sean Kelly is a great guy and a great musician himself,” ruminates Royle on the kindred spirit leader of Toronto’s Crash Kelly who is also becoming internationally renowned for his skill on the axe. “Sean said he’d love to produce it, so we’ve decided on doing a full–length CD to be hopefully done by September.”

While it’s not ground breaking music, the talents of these five young men won’t go unnoticed. And if marketing trends offer up any direction, High Voltage may build on the grassroots fan
base they have now and go big time.

“We started out just bringing friends to shows, but it’s
grown a lot more to fans, too,” smiles Royle. “There are kids who
do listen to bands like Guns n’ Roses, Motley Crue, and those
guys immediately take a liking to us. But yeah, a lot of kids
probably wouldn’t normally listen to our kind of music, but they
seem to like it anyway. I guess rock is starting to come back too.
You’ve got bands like Wolfmother, Silvertide, Buck Cherry, Jet and
other bands that are more rock and roll style. Maybe even kids are
getting tired of the same old stuff that’s out there, like emo.

“Right now it’s hard to say where all of this is going,” muses
Royle. “Our age kind of limits us because we aren’t old enough to
play a lot of bars out of town. But it’s only been a year now since
we’ve started and I would have never guessed I’d be here talking
to you and us having to do a record.“We aren’t trying to start a whole new style of music, we just
play what we like to play,” he adds. “I guess in a way it’s kind of
original because that style of rock hasn’t been around for almost
20 years now. So I guess we’re kind of bringing back the old shit.”

- By Ric Taylor (VIEW MAGAZINE)

Hamilton Music Award Review – Nov 21 2007

My favourite part of the night was the High Voltage performance.

They sung Hog. A really fun awesome song that I love hearing at every show. Eric Martin kicked ass on drums. It looked and sounded like he's been playing drums for years and years.

Josh Alvernia sung like a pro as well. If you had to choose any night to be that amazing sounding, you would choose that night.

When you have hundreds of people and even more people on tv watching your every move you have to bring it all, and they totally brought it.

Their award was for best loud/metal recording.
- Heather Curtis - jamilton.ca / Hamilton Spectator

High Voltage is one of the best Rock bands that I have had a privilege to work with.
- Producer / Engineer (Police, Deep Purple, Jeff Martin, Alexisonfire)

http://www.sleazegrinder.com/reviewscapsulesOctober.htm

High Voltage
High Voltage

Now this is exciting. What we've got here are five not-quite-legal upstarts from Steel Town, Canada with long hair and mirrored shades hammering out vintage, big-balled arena rock songs that pay genuine homage to every single Golden God that ever tossed a television out of hotel room window.

If they were old enough to drive they'd be crashing their cars, if they were old enough to drink they'd be diving off rooftops into swimming pools, and if they were old enough to know what love was they'd be breaking hearts.

I don't know how or when they found the right records growing up, but they fucking found them, Jack – Alice Cooper, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Motley Crue – and they wore the hell out of 'em by the sounds of it.

The 70s swagger and 80s glitter dripping off of this five song debut is impressive considering they're a product of the 90s.

Ok, so I've beat the age thing to death, but come on, how great is it to hear a young band playing REAL rock n' roll and not that plastic, fashion mullet clone drone that's sweeping the nation these days?

They've been name dropped by Eric 13 (Sex Slaves), and with dudes like Sean Kelly (Crash Kelly), Nick Walsh (ex-Slik Toxic), and Ky Anto (Robin Black) stepping up to twirl knobs on this EP, there's no mistaking the excitement here.

They're good now, and they're just gonna get better.

-Jeff Keller

- Sleazegrinder.com / London, ON

"After seeing High Voltage onstage at Gage Park in Hamilton recently I invited the group on my radio show, Rock Talk. Besides being a kick ass group live they are thoughtful and articulate young men totally in tune with what it takes to be a successful act. If the planets align I see new homes for their folks in the future and maybe, just maybe, a new car for Uncle Greg. The world is out there boys, go take it."

Complete interview with live performance and of "Good To Be Home" will air on Sept 2, 2007 at 6:00 pm and will be posted on www.myspace.com/rocktalk - Greg Godovitz - Rock Talk co-host and frontman for Can-rock legend GODDO

Their CMJ showcase was the best set I saw all week... these guys are fucking rockstars!
~ Tommy Brunett - Universal Buzz - Tommy Brunett - CEO Universal Buzz

HIGH VOLTAGE, ROCK N ROLL!!!!

Howdy gang...... I hope all of you enjoyed your Victoria Day Long Weekend.

A few years ago, Marley, one of my dearest bartenders, suggested that I book a few younger bands for the summer. The Summer of 2005 gave me opportunities to offer Sundays nights to younger Hamilton outfits. There were 2 bands that she spoke highly of: Red Confidential, and HIGH VOLTAGE. Both of these bands were merely tickling the age of 16.

I have always been a fan of guitar driven Rock N Roll. Red Confidential reminded me of Johnny Winter's "Still Alive and Well" record married to Ted Nugent's "Free For All" disc. HIGH VOLTAGE was a different monster all together.

I remember this particular Sunday Evening very well. Marley spoke about HV as if they were going to be the next big thing. Considering that she has great musical tastes, I took her suggestions very seriously. So, I waited by the soundboard, and watched 5 young rockers unload their instruments on the stage. You could tell that these guys were in a band. They looked like a Rock N Roll band. Black jeans, black T-shirts, and perfect hair. This 5 piece looked like they could have been on the cover of a Montrose record or a UFO release. Totally slick!

Their mannerisms were in check, and they did not appear to be a typical teenage band. There was something very different about these young dudes. I have booked and watched many young bands who stuck closely to the "indie" scene vibe and fashion. Its hard to explain, but I am sure that all of you know what I mean. High Voltage did not look anything like an indie band. In fact, they looked like a band that played the Fillmore a few times in the 70's.

So, High Voltage takes the stage. Its honestly close to 90 degrees outside. There are close to 150 young rockers in the room, and you can feel the adrenalin from the crowd. It reminded me of one of my first concerts. All of your friends are there, the slight stench of pot from some possible outside smoking mixes itself with the smell of Rock N Roll.

I asked my doorman to watch the entrance, as I joined the teen rockers at the front. I was in awe. I knew within the first 30 seconds of the set, that these guys were going to be my newest favourite band.

All these memories of my rock n roll records came back!!! It was beyond expectations. The lead singer, Josh, performed like he was headlining at Copps. Complete confidence spewed from his tall slim body, and his voice reminded me of Axl's pitches from Appetite For Destruction.

The dual guitar slinging was courtesy of Sean Royle, and Eric Martin. At moments, I was reminded of the Iron Maiden dazzles, and at other times, these young rippers threw out gut wrenching, street noise guitar work. Their set lasted about 30 minutes, and from what I can remember, all the songs were original.

BUT.....when I found out that 3 of the guys in the band had just turned 16, and 2 were still 15 years old, it was a testament that Rock N Roll will carry on. They are the torch carriers!!!!

Their set ended, and I waited for the right moment to say hello. I introduced myself, and told them how much I loved their band. I must have appeared like a 40 year old man impersonating a 12 year old giggly girl. Regardless.......I was awestruck!

I recalled the mature lyrical content in their songs, plus the sophisticated hard rock sounds in their style. Here was a band that did their homework. A perfect example of Rock N Roll students who stole their parents' records to learn their chops.

Since the summer of 2005, I have booked High Voltage over a dozen times, and all of us have become close friends as well. I am fortunate to know their families. Kudos to them for the enormous support that High Voltage receives from their kin.

In the past 2 years plus, High Voltage has participated in various "Battle of the Bands" and walked out of these venues, VICTORIOUS!!!! Most recently, they won the Spring Music Festival battle. Who else????????

I must tell all of you who are reading this, you will get a chance to see this fine piece of Rock N Roll, on Friday May 25th at Club Absinthe. They will be supporting former Dogs D'Amour front man, Tyla.

So, as I reflect back to this Summer of 2005 show, I recall Marley smiling and saying to me......."Didn't I tell you? Uh? Uh? Uh?

You sure did, Ms Crawford! I am indebted to you.

She introduced me to my newest favourite band!

HIGH VOLTAGE, ROCK AND ROLL!!!!
- Lou Molinaro (Hamilton Promoter / DJ CIOI-FM)

"HIGH VOLTAGE put on a 'stadium rock show' last night at the Rooster. A band that engages the audience from the first riff. I know it's been said before, but these guys are way beyond their age and were probably born to do this. I look forward to watching this band grow..." - DERM CARDUFF (Y108 FM Program Director / ROGERS SMF Sponsor and Judge)

“Ask me ‘bout the clothes I wear…why I grow my hair…why I’m in a band…”

Some questions never get old, and the AC/DC classic these recent high school grads hold as their namesake easily sums up their music as “High Voltage rock n’ roll. Though speaking in the same language of classic arena rock legends (girls, rebellion, and awesome guitar riffs), these eighteen-year-old Hamilton natives don’t have to quote their heroes to have their voices heard, putting on an act fit for headlining the Air Canada Centre.

The hair on the dueling guitarists Eric Martin and Sean Royle, plus the locks on lead singer Josh Alverina, constantly pushing it off his face, put Rapunzel to shame. The tight pants weren’t the only part of the show with balls either.

The guitarists sported Marshall stacks, a Les Paul, and a gorgeous BC Rich Mockingbird to complete the rockstar masterpiece, and when the riffs took a backseat to the Slash-worthy solos, the singer turned on the handy smoke machine.

They were missing the pyrotechnics to pull off a Guns and Roses opening, but the boys seem well grounded to avoid a potential Axl Rose situation. Working their merchandise was none other than their parents! An awkward situation for other bands, these parents love the Aerosmith/GNR styled music, maybe even more than the boys in the band themselves.

HIGH VOLTAGE... Full of potential, and ready for blast-off.
- David Caliente - www.CampusX.ca

It’s always uplifting to see a (very) young band head out on that big rock ‘n roll highway armed with a sound that pays homage to some of my own heroes. In case of Canadian quintet High Voltage that means a mix of Guns ‘N Roses, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe.

With the average age of the band members being around 16-17 years old and the combo being together for a mere 3 years (with the exception of bassist Justin Bozzo who joined HV in the fall of 2006), it is quite astonishing how they pulled it off to sound this mature.

This is honest, raw rock ’n roll music with the only ingredients being a lot of heartfelt passion, drum, bass, guitar and vocals.

It was a pleasure listening to tracks such as “Mama Gold” (with the same type of groove made famous by Steven Tyler & his boys) and “Good To Be Home” (a beautiful ballad that would have been all over MTV if it had come out some 2 decades ago).

High Voltage are indeed a talented bunch and I hope they will able to make a dent in today’s musical landscape.
- Kris www.RockReport.be