Identity X

With five years of songwriting and regional shows to its credit, Identity X is ramping up its game in 2008. Its already released a four song EP, and plans to put out a full length in 2009. The local alterna-metal outfit supplements its nu-metal base with forays into majestic melody and even thoughtful balladry. Its principles and ideals, meanwhile, appear to align more with grassroots punk than commercial rock, but tonight the group shares the stage with a couple of big names, Sevendust and Taproot at Club Zoo. October 2008. by Andy Mulkerin. - Pittsburgh City Paper

Article by Scott Mervis
Pop Music Critic
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
11-4-2009

"In January 2003, a band formed that would birth a new genre of music."

So begins the bio for Pittsburgh band Identity X, which releases its debut album, "Perception Is Reality," Saturday at Altar Bar.

New genres of music are pretty hard to come up with this late in the game, when the going consensus is that everything's been done. Identity X points to its combination of "rock, metal, jazz, blues and classical" as its X factor, setting the band apart from the pack.

"Our sound developed as the hard rock scene evolved," says guitarist Darin "D Napps" DiNapoli. "The music in our genre is a little more sophisticated today than the music that was popular in 2003. Current hard rock music has opened up the doors for bands to write more sophisticated compositions."


Identity X is a bit more complicated than most bands that would get played on The X, owing more to the busy arrangements of an Incubus or System of a Down. The sound is multilayered, with churning guitars, quick-changing time signatures and growling vocals and acrobatic ones from David Toole, who can jump octaves in an instant.

The ambitious lyrics match the high drama of the sound on songs such as "The Depth Perception," which DiNapoli says "is about focusing too closely on the trivial details of life -- money, work, politics, etc. -- and letting it distract us completely from our thoughts, time, relationships and everything in between."

The aggressive album opener, "Archetype," is based on a concept in Jungian psychology, DiNapoli says, "which describes the 'Archetype' as a subconscious creation of an individual's perfect soul mate. This archetype embodies everything the person wants in a partner and many times is the basis for choosing their relationships in real life. This song describes a situation where the Archetype is actually encountered in a dream. The subject sets out on a journey in hopes of reuniting with his Archetype in his dream."

Identity X had plenty of time, six years, to develop these sounds and concepts, as it took that long between the band's formation and its debut. Practical matters had a lot to do with it.

"Making a professional quality recording is very expensive," DiNapoli says. "We didn't have the funds back when we started because we were all broke college students. Our intention was to produce the best quality recording possible and it took a few years to save the money to fund this record."

There were, however, two EPs leading up to it and opening slots for bands such as Sevendust, Senses Fail and Story of the Year, not to mention a rather prestigious award. During his senior year at Robert Morris University, DiNapoli, Toole and a friend self-produced an "Archetype" music video.

"We took a course that required us to submit a professional quality production into a festival," he says. "I entered into the Academy of Television's Arts and Science Foundation's annual College Emmy awards and we took first place out of 80 entries in the music video category. They flew us out to L.A. for the red carpet event and the rest was history." - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Article by Rege Behe
Music Editor
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
11-4-09

Identity X sounds like the nom de guerre of a professional wrestler.

Which is fitting in that the music might be perfect for an arena-scale event -- loud, crunching riffs; a thunderous rhythm section; the ability to change tempo in an instant; and vocals that range from pitch-perfect melodic to back-alley screams of despair.

Put it all together, and you have a band that doesn't have an identity problem and, at its best, has carved out a unique space for itself.

Identity X features David Toole on lead guitar and vocals, guitarist Darin DiNapoli, bassist Chris Sheader, guitarist Martin Osacar and Jim Krieger on drums.

The CD-release party for Identity X's debut, "Perception Is Reality," will be Saturday at the Altar Bar, Strip District.

Admission to the 7 p.m. show is $10 in advance; $12 at the door.
- Tribune Review

Article By Scott Tady
Entertainment Editor
Beaver County Times
11-4-2009

As sophomores at Robert Morris University, singer David Toole and guitarist Darin DiNapoli formed Identity X, a band that a few years later would win a national video award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Hollywood.

Since then, Identity X has established itself as one of the top hard-rock bands in the Pittsburgh music scene. On Saturday, the quintet unveils its debut album, “Perception is Reality,” with a show at Altar Bar on Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

In this latest installment of “5 Q’s” DiNapoli reveals more about Identity X:

Q: Identity X has opened for six national acts, including Story of the Year, Sevendust and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack. Which of those shows stands out the most?

A: The Sevendust/Taproot show stands out the most because having the opportunity to share the stage with two bands that were influential to us when we started is a great experience. Also, the band members from Taproot were very personable people and shared industry insight to us after their performance.

Q: The video for “Archetype,” leadoff track on your debut album, won a prestigious College Emmy award for best overall production. What doors did that open?

A: The Emmy award that we won for the “Archetype” music video helped expose the band and our music to a larger, nationwide audience. People really started to take notice in what we were doing musically. Getting an award of that caliber gives us a level of legitimacy.

Q: “Perception is Reality,” sounds like a mix of metal, alternative-rock and maybe even a little prog-rock. If I allowed you just three words to describe your band’s style, what would you say?

A: Thought provoking rock.

Q: Which of the classes you and David took at Robert Morris’ Moon campus might most help Identity X as it navigates the turbulent waters of the music industry?

A: Once we started playing music at the professional level we realized that playing in a band is essentially like running a business. Courses such as management and marketing really helped us understand how to run a successful business. Courses in video production and graphic design helped give an added edge in marketing our image.

Q: Your press kit says “Identity X believes that every decision made today will have vital, consequential impact on the future.” Heavy stuff. What decisions can the band make Saturday, the night of your CD release show, which could have a vital, consequential impact on Identity X’s future?

A: The decision not to stink up the place with a poor performance! To support this decision we’ve been practicing relentlessly in effort to make this the best show the fans will see to date.
- Beaver County Times