Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
It was a sweaty,shoulder-to-shoulder packed,standing room only atthe hard-rocking Machine Shop as Powerman 5000,Reach 454 and Morphic took aim at local heavy rock fans.The Friday night performance showcased the rising quality of national and regional acts marking Flint on their summer calenders.
Opening act Morphic,one of the top bands to emerge from Detroit music scene,featured a barrage of music heavily influenced by Tool and A Perfect Circle.Vocalist John Webb's stage presence and delivery mixed well with a band that understands musical dynamics.
The only missing element seemed to be the lack of showmanship from the rest of the band on this night.I f they can get into the performance as much as their frontman,this act could be the next "big thing" out of detroit to be picked up by a major label. - The Flint Journal
March 19, 2004
The Lowdown: With extra-loud head-banging guitar riffs and more than a smattering of unintelligible screaming, Morphic is not your run-of-the-mill Motor City rock band. In fact, it's more than just a hard-rock band. It's a conceptual, multimedia concept -- designed with agitation in mind.
"We want to make people nervous," says singer John Webb.
The Sound: The band has heard it all before. New metal. Screamo. Tool. Helmet. A Perfect Circle.
But the guys of Morphic aren't trying to imitate anyone. Their backgrounds are too diverse and their ideas are too out there to follow in anyone's footsteps.
Webb, 25, and guitarist Josh DeVries, 26, have known each other since they grew up in Clinton Township and even played together in an alt-rock jam band. Drummer Matt Marrocco, 22, and bassist Wes Alfonsi, 26, quit an alt-pop rock band and joined forces with Webb and Alfonsi in late 2000. The group's psychedelic sound was pushed into heavier territory with the addition of a second guitarist, Andrew Hale, 22. "Low Frequency Response," Morphic's six-song debut CD, was released in February 2003.
With thumping bass lines, a two-guitar core and Webb's apocalyptic vocal style, the Morphic sound is most often compared to Tool. And for good reason.
The Concept: Morphic is also an aesthetic and conceptual project conceived by Webb and Morphic's unofficial sixth member, photographer and Web designer Jason Heien, of Mindchip Industries.
"We want to make people uneasy and keep them wondering," Webb says. "It's kind of boring and cliched to just be in a rock band and play music. This is different. It's a whole media assault."
The current theme of the Morphic Web site (www.morphicsound.com) is that of a pending investigation of the band members' criminal activities, which grew out of the previous premise that they were being stalked (perhaps by themselves). Next up for Webb and Heien: Communism.
"If you really listen to the songs," Webb says, "they're all about strife."
Live gigs: 10 tonight at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan, Detroit. 313-961-4668. With Behind Every Smile. Wednesday at Bullfrog Bar and Grill, 15414 Telegraph, Redford, 313-533-4477. April 10 opening for Soil at the Machine Shop, 3539 Dort Hwy., Flint. 810-715-2650.
Liz Hill, Free Press Special Writer
- Detroit free press
MORPHIC:
I hope I don’t piss anyone off here!! Someone would better review this act with a taste for metal/grunge. Picture STAIND meets DRY KILL LOGIC in sound. Tired of the money pumped corporate based “you will listen to this radio” shit, MORPHIC was formed to throw their hats in the ring of “fuck you, there is more to music than that”. Their sound is very tight, almost machine like. The stage presence of John Webb is one of energy, pain, and disgust for society’s bullshit. With a ringing very strong guitar x 2, a bass line that can be felt and a drummer that that is big, hard and heavy, MORPHIC is a definite go see.
www.morphicsound.com
- www.tvtranzmission.com
Discography
Low frequency response (ep. relesed 2003)
(Played on 89.x,wrif,and bananna,misc college stations and websites )
New ep due to be released in feb.2005 Tony Fagenson of the band Eve 6 producing tracks on the record.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Morphic has been around since the start of 2000.
The band has opened for many national bands in their time together such as but not limited to-(the used,power man 5000,cold,earshot,finger 11,kitte,30 seconds to mars,trapt..etc)
Morphic has been steady in their growth in Detroit and surrounding states as well as showcasing in New York and Los Angeles.
Our influences are across the board from bands such as refused to radiohead.
What sets Morphic apart from other bands is that night after night the band comes out full force playing tight and putting on a show that is worth paying money for, and that morphic continues to change and grow with time not staying same and always looking to push themselves further with their art.
Links
