Lamps Burning

The members of Lamps Burning have a vision; That vision is to be heard by the masses, and they are not about to let anything or anyone get in the way of making that a reality. A Metal/Post-Hardcore outfit based out of Union City, NJ, adopted their name out of a biblical verse, Luke 12:35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning”. This has become the bands credo. Focusing on intelligent lyrics & music that has substance is what makes up their disposition. The band, having an opposing stance on a lot of the reckless hate & violence that plagues a substantial portion of the lyrical themes found on many metal releases these days, has fueled a passion for them to make a change in the genre of music that they hold dear to & also to bring a breath of fresh air to the landscape, while still remaining sonically brutal.

With the completion and release of a new demo recording, Lamps Burning is now ready to emerge with their guns blazing. Armed with an arsenal of pummeling songs, they show off their ability to amalgamate extreme guitar & bass rhythms, volatile drumming and passionate guttural vocals with unparalleled catchy singing & harmonies. This is an intentional contrast that makes up the bands formula for dynamic & smart, yet aggressively ferocious songs. Being a crew with a fierce diligent work ethic, they desired a recording that sounds nothing short of industry standard, one that would propel their music to new heights. They decided to trust their new effort to the owner, engineer and producer of Big Blue Meenie Recording Studio in Jersey City, NJ (former Quantum Studios), Tim Gilles. Tim’s studio (BBM) has produced or worked on records for 36 Crazyfists, Rage Against The Machine, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday & Anthrax just to name a few. Selecting three of their strongest songs, they entered the studio and began working relentlessly to create “In Three Days”, a release that will have an unwavering impression on anyone who listens to it. Right from the opener, “Sorting Out The Herd”, the music ignites into all out pandemonium. With its vigorous rhythm section to its merciless drumming, it is sure to become a crowd favorite. The other tracks on the demo, “At The Edge Of The Earth” & “Failure To Communicate” only add to the momentum of the recording. The band now plans to employ these songs and the rest of their repertoire to build themselves an unshakable fan base. With shows already being lined up, and the hunt for a label to call home, they are prepared to engulf the world with their strain of metal.

The formation of Lamps Burning began with the co-founders, guitarist, Rob Beltran & drummer, JR Pereira, back in November of 2004. Rob had departed from his former band only months prior to meeting JR, but they both knew immediately upon their first encounter that this was the person that each one was looking for. Rob had been in two previous local bands. Though somewhat popular in their area for a few years, none of those bands ever managed to go beyond their local scene. Despite the fact that JR was well seasoned for years practicing & perfecting his impressive drum skills in the comfort of his home, this would come to be his first role in a band. They went on for the next three years polishing up their sound and writing songs even though they were without a bassist & a singer. They got one step closer to completing the lineup in 2007 when bassist, Chris Vargas, answered to an ad on the bands page. Chris Vargas came in and blew the doors off their practice space with his immense low bottom sound and his very efficient playing abilities. Now they were down to just one spot that required to be filled. The most vital position in the band would indisputably come to be conquered by singer, Chris Barretto, the son of the famous Latin Jazz Legend, Percussionist, & Grammy Award Winner, the late Ray Barretto. Filled with the same passion that his father had for music, he has shown to be an incredible force and asset for the band. Having multiple talents including saxophone, piano, guitar & drums, Chris Barretto will help expand the resonance of Lamps Burning in future ventures.