Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Leviathan is a NYC based quartet whose seven tracks employ some dirty, NYC based groove a la Circus Of Power and nearby neighbors The Misfits. With some other influences that range from bluesy rock, shown on the driving "No Heart", to the horror punk of the rocking opener "Misery", be ready for the onslaught of this dark edged rock 'n' roll outfit. With a bit of morbidity running through its punk metal mix, Leviathan aims for the blackest recesses of your mind, and succeed in finding them.- Reviewer: Mike SOS - Debut EP Review
The first band that pops into your head when you listen to this CD is Danzig. Not only does Shane Tierney sound like Glenn Danzig, but Mike Otero's guitar work comes close to John Christ's. These guys know how to rock, and they're not afraid of you. (AL) - Debut EP Review
This band's singer, Shane Tierney, must have taken lessons from Glenn Danzig because he sounds just like him. The whole band in fact is very Danzig/Misfits influenced, as well as by the Dead Kennedys, Fear, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Sabbath, and Anthrax. Their sound fits into the thrash/punk genre. The disc's opening track, "Misery", is similar to the DK's "Terminal Preppy". Other moshin' tunes include "No Heart", "Immune", and "Dirty Angel". There are also some slower, dark, brooding, spooky numbers on here, with lyrics that explore the dark side of life, hence the Sabbath/Danzig influence, which include "Turn The Screw", "Love Eternal", and "Swallow". This band does play quite well, and they really belt out the tunes, guitarist Mike Otero really shredding and cranking out some cool solos. For people who the Misfits, Danzig, or hardcore/punk in general, this CD may be worth checking out, although it is short, at less than thirty minutes long. These guys are also supporters of the West Memphis Three, as they include the web address (www.wm3.org) and also say, in the liner notes:" Welcome to the USA, where being different won't just get you ostracized, it can get you a death sentence"
-by Johnathan Mariante - Debut EP Review
I would say think of the way the Dead Kennedy’s played, not their sound but how they executed their music with that really loose but confident and rocking style. This is no punk rock though, it is much more akin vocally and musically to early
Danzig. The concept of this band is the wanting to prove their innocence and free the “West Memphis Three”. You know the 3 kids into hard rock/heavy metal from the early 90s who were erroneously convicted of the murder of three boys in town and were persecuted because of the way they looked and what they stood for in a ultra red neck backwoods christian bible belt town. Check out the webpage for them for more (www.wm3.org) or the HBO documentaries probably out on video. Anyway the music is good and proceeds go to their defense fund or some such deal. ~ Dale - Debut EP Review
Leviathan - Gather around, my children, and prepare to be blown away. Meet Leviathan- four great guys out of NYC. With the primal drumming of Danny Rivera mixed with Chris Gardiner on bass keeping the beat and some downright awesome guitar work from Mike Otero, you'd already think this band had it all! But, throw in Shane Tierney 's melodic vocal style and you get it all in one kick ass package! These boys are going somewhere, and in no time will be looking into a crowd of devoted fans singing (and screaming) their own words back to them.
An example of some of these lyrics is what you want? Well, then leave it to me to give you some more insight with the opening lyrics from the song "Love Eternal"...
"I see you now; see you there, in the end of the evening
I am the one who will make you mine
With a glance of my eye, you'll give yourself over
Introduce you to your darker side."
I had a chance to ask Shane what the songs meaning was, and this is what he had to say-
"The song "Love Eternal" is multifaceted in it's meaning. I really don't think that the themes I was addressing in anything I write is as important as whatever meanings people themselves get from them,but I'll try to fill you in to what was going on in my head when I wrote it. In many ways, the song is really just a statement illustrating the naturally seductive appeal of the dark, dangerous, mysterious, and the forbidden. The characters in the song are both intrinsically flawed in that they give in to their desires. Though the song is a song about a girl going with a Dahmer-esque guy, it could have just as easily been about anyone that goes too far trying to get something that think will make them more complete. Whether it's someone that goes broke because they bought a $10,000 wardrobe, or someone that buys the fastest sports car that ends up killing them, it's all the same. The real thing about the song is that it's all materialistic, both characters are interested only in the possession of the other, not in love, and that's their downfall."
To read the rest of these lyrics, visit Leviathan's site. (later included) Right now you can download an MP3 of "Love Eternal", but for now it isn't a very 'clean' copy. Speaking of which...
Recording began on July 15th for their EP at Spike Recording in NYC. Leviathan will be recording this 7 song (approximately 30 minutes) CD with the help of producer Matt Chiaravalle (produced Kittie's song "Brackish" and Crossbreed's album "Synthetic division"). Songs on the CD will include...
MISERY
TURN THE SCREW
LOVE ETERNAL
NO HEART
IMMUNE
DIRTY ANGEL
SWALLOW
As far as live shows, I highly recommend seeing these guys. Bring your moshing boots and get ready to party! The set is sure to be a crowd pleaser, and this is the type of band that feeds off of the energy of you fans out there! Right now it seems to be pretty much an underground experience, so catch them if you can. If you cant, hold on... I have a feeling you'll get to someday soon! Or... go out and get that EP as soon as it's made available.
The EP will be selling for $5 and $1 from each CD sold will go to benefit the WM3 (West Memphis Three). In case you aren't familiar with the WM3 benefit, they are three young boys in prison who may have been wrongfully accused of a heinous crime. Leviathan will be donating to this cause, and there is also another CD in the makes to help with this case. Leviathan will have a song on the WM3 CD as well, but it will not appear on their EP. If you are in a local band (or even a more known band) and are interested in learning more about this case, or would like to help out, or you just want to get more information on the band or this case, visit...
http://www.judascradle.com
or
http://www.wm3.org - Shannon Gavin
This is hard rock in its classic form, the power trio with the front vocalist. And drawing a comparison to the Rollins band wouldn't be a stretch, since there is a marked similarity. Shane Tierney handles the mic duties here, and while he doesn't seem to rage as much as Rollins does on occasion, when he ventures into Jim Morrison territory, as on "Love Eternal," the sound is spooky. And while this isn't hook-laden rock, but more lyric driven, the repetitive cycling through the chords and riffs of the band does get hypnotic, and when the vocals fall back, the lead guitar that explodes is that much more prominent. The disc closer, "Swallow," is to my ears, at least, the most successful cut, with Tierney sounding somewhat maniacal, and the band in top form as well. On the plus side, a percentage of the money taken in on this disc goes to the support of the West Memphis 3. - Sandy
Having grown up on all sorts of hard rock and metal, bands like Leviathan that take an old-school approach to the genre are always a pleasure to hear. The New York four-piece rose from the remains of All for Nothing and recently released their debut, self-titled EP. Though the group's music clearly reflects some of the best aspects of their predecessors and doesn't necessarily break any new musical ground, this EP is a solid effort that serves as a good introduction to the band.
Leviathan is a powerful group fronted by vocalist Shane Tierney with Chris Gardiner on bass, Mike Otero providing the guitar, and Danny Rivera rounding out the lineup on drums. While the music is driving and hypnotic, it really seems to stand as the framework on which the vocals and lyrics are laid. That's not to say the music isn't strong, but the vocals are definitely in the forefront. This style gives the breaks in the songs, where there are no vocals, just a little bit more punch than otherwise expected. Tierney's voice wholly reminds me of Glenn Danzig, so if you are a fan of his style Leviathan is sure to please - and because the lyrics are such a focal point of the music here, I'm happy Leviathan made sure to include all the song lyrics in the liner notes.
The whole EP bubbles on the surface of dark, melodic metal. Leviathan is laid back enough that the music doesn't assault your senses, but it does demand notice. They move between different speed and style changes with relative ease - while most of the tracks here are all-out rockers, songs like Love Eternal show they can slow it down and still sound heavy. I love the nimble bass line and scorching guitar on Dirty Angel, and this is probably my favorite track on the EP because the music and vocals just seem to really come together well.
For a first release, I'm impressed and interested in hearing more. I do get somewhat of a sense that these guys are still holding back a little bit and being tentative about some aspects of their music. I'm confident that if they let loose just a little more their next release could be absolutely explosive. Leviathan's debut is well worth checking out, especially for fans of older metal, and if you live in the New York or New Jersey area I'd recommend catching their live show. - Delusions of Adequacy
Discography
"Internal Inferno" Released 4/6/04, with 10 tracks.
7 track Debut EP released 12/2002. Go to our website at http://www.judascradle.com to hear our new songs!
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
If music is considered the universal manner through which we can all communicate, LEVIATHAN is the possessor of some formidable skill in linguistics. Formed from the ashes of All for Nothing, the band truly came into being early in 2002, when guitarist Mike Otero joined vocalist Shane Tierney and Chris Gardiner on bass, who had been searching for the right person to join their efforts. LEVIATHAN’s display of haunting and aggressive vocals, combined with driving force of the guitar onstage is tempered by the cool edge of the music’s blues based bass arrangements, then left to be hammered into spectators by old school punk, tribal-like percussion rhythm.
The mixture that LEVIATHAN represents is a truly interesting one, partly due to the surprising amount of variety and similarity in influences among the members of the group. Chris is as much a fan of The Misfits, Black Sabbath, and Slayer as he is of Ray Brown and R.L. Burnside, and it is demonstrative in his bass work. Danny, the percussionist, grew up on Black Sabbath, The Misfits, The Dead Kennedys, and The Ramones. Shane takes his vocal influences from Howling Wolf, Jim Morrison, Henry Rollins, and Glenn Danzig, while Mike’s guitar work is a whirlwind of variety; ranging from Robert Johnson to Steve Vai, to Zack Wylde. Even after a brief conversation, anyone can tell that this is a band that knows where their sound comes from, and they intend to use that history to move the music forward, placing their own mark on it as they go. While many can claim that their music is different, LEVIATHAN proves that by being a band that is equally in control of the stage and the audience, whether they are opening for ICE T & BODY COUNT, MICHALE GRAVES, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, THE TURBO AC's, DEICIDE, THE EXPLOITED, THE MISFITS or DANZIG. This is one band that serves as a reminder to all that in order to be hard and heavy, all you need is talent, anger, and attitude. LEVIATHAN has them all in spades.
Their moniker, LEVIATHAN, was taken up for a variety of reasons, and many of those reasons can be seen reflected in their music and lyrical content. In the Bible, the LEVIATHAN and the Gargantuan were minions of Hell. The more contemporary meaning of the word is that of a giant sea monster, enveloping and destroying all in its path. Additionally, the definition derived from the writings of Thomas Hobbes cast entirely different light onto the band’s intentions. When asked in a recent interview about the intentions of the band concerning their overall message and theme, Shane replied in typical fashion, "There isn't a word that I could use to sum up what this band is about, so I'll have to create one- socio-political-occultism." With the January 2003 release of their debut EP, LEVIATHAN has to given the public a taste of what they have to offer, but since that album was recorded in July of 2002, the band has become much harder, tighter, and aggressive during their tour, still finding time to write twelve new songs in less than a year, six of which they released on their new CD “Internal Inferno” which was recorded for less than $1000.00- and in mostly single takes in less than 2 days. Caustic Truths Magazine named LEVIATHAN alongside SUM 41, THE MELVINS, and THE TURBO AC's as "One of the 40 Hardest Touring Bands Today." LEVIATHAN show no signs of abating their tour schedule, and continue to push forward, seeking as many audiences as they can find to preach their message to. Rest assured, after witnessing their performance, conversion to their fold is inevitable.
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