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Point Blank
Founded: 2002
Current/Core Members: Sty Malone (vocals/guitar), Kyros (vocals), Mighty Mouse (drums/vocals), Zeus (lead guitar), Filter (bass)
Genre(s): Metal, Hip-Hop, Rap, Rock
Similar to: Eminem, Metallica, KoRn, Limp Bizkit
Web site: www.pointblankdk.com/
A visceral blend of abrasive, tuned-down metal with mainly rapped (sometimes sung) vocals, Point Blank holds a unique style in the Tallahassee music scene.
On 2004's "Verbal Assault," Point Blank lays surprisingly lyrically dexterous rhymes and flow over the band's particular, muddy-toned (which they refer to as 3DK, or Drop D Digital Krunch) guitar stylings, courtesy of lead guitarist Zeus.
Discography: "Verbal Assault" (self-released; 2004), "Live at Big Daddy's" (self-released; 2005). New tracks are now available for the 2006 release of Point Blank's second album, "Evolution."
by Paul DeRevere, FAMU student
Originally published March 24, 2006
- Tallahassee Democrate
Photo courtesy Point Blank "We take the energy of metal and the rhythms of hip-hop and play that with a chord called 'dropped D,'" Point Blank rapper Direct Approach said. "All of our songs are played in it and it really gives the songs a crunch and chunk sound that you normally wouldn't hear."
Beta Bar gets straight to the 'Point'
Point Blank performs this week
by Amy Tratenberg
March 31, 2005
Point Blank is a creative band of diverse musicians with diverse talents. The band calls its music "3DK" -- an energetic mix of hard rock, heavy metal, hip-hop and rap all in one. Since May 12, 2002, Point Blank has been sounding off 3DK-style, writing over 40 original songs, and gaining positive response to its music.
Its first performance was at the Miami Hard Rock Cafe, where it opened for the popular hip-hop group Mobb Deep. The crowd liked Point Blank so much that it was asked to return several times. In 2003, it entered and won the South Florida Battle of the Bands, and held its first CD Release party at the 2004 spring break celebration in Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood, where the members of Point Blank felt extremely grateful that college students from across the country were exposed to 3DK.
"We take the energy of metal and the rhythms of hip-hop and play that with a chord called 'dropped D,' " rapper Direct Approach said. "All of our songs are played in it and it really gives the songs a crunch and chunk sound that you normally wouldn't hear."
In May 2004, Point Blank relocated to Tallahassee and began headlining concerts throughout town at venues such as Bullwinkle's, Potbelly's and the Beta Bar. Its music has been played on X101.5 and Gulf 104, where it was the number one most requested band on the "Homegrown" show in 2004 and 2005.
After releasing two demos -- 2003's Wake Up and 2004's Darkside of Me, Point Blank completed its first full-length album in November entitled Verbal Assault, which was produced by the band with the help of Perry Neil at Tallahassee's own CFG Enterprises. It includes two bonus tracks that were recorded at Big Daddy's. The album is fully mastered and showcases Point Blank's older, heavier rock music with newer hip-hop sounds from this past year.
The band is comprised of five members, whose musical influences range from Slayer to Outkast to Cypress Hill. Lead singer Sty Malone is dominating on both guitar and lead vocals, with a driving, powerful sound to his rap and rock lyrics. Rapper Direct Approach is fast-paced and not afraid to come up with provocative rhymes. Drummer Mighty Mouse incorporates heavy metal into the band while adding vocals, too.
Guitarist Zeus finds influence in blues, metal and neoclassical leads. Bassist Filter adds touches of ska and punk to complete Point Blank's funky sound and a balance between its passivity and intensity.
Direct Approach says that the audience will find the show packed with energy.
"There's so much of it, they won't know what to do," he said. "We're just as into it as the crowd is. Last time we played at Chubby's, I got halfway through a song and jumped into the crowd and started moshing with them. It's just crazy."
- by Amy Tratenberg
Discography
2003 -- "Wake Up" -- Demo CD -- 3 Tracks
2004 -- "Darkside of Me" -- Demo CD -- 5 Tracks
2004 -- "Verbal Assault" -- Studio CD -- 10 Tracks
1) I.E.S. (X101.5, Gulf 104)
2) Give In (X101.5, Gulf 104)
3) Beast Within
4) Bloodborn
5) Kaptain Krunch
6) Hypocrite (Gulf 104)
7) Release (X101.5, Gulf 104)
8) Walked On (Gulf 104)
9) Letting Go (Gulf 104)
10) Controversy
2005 -- "Live @ Big Daddy's" -- Live CD -- 6 Tracks
2007 -- "Live In Tallahassee" -- Live CD -- 8 Tracks
2007 -- "Evolution" -- Studio CD -- 12 Tracks
1) Heaven Awaits (X101.5, Gulf 104)
2) Burdens (X101.5, Gulf 104, Rock 104--Gainesville)
3) Bleed (X101.5, Gulf 104)
4) Surface (X101.5, Gulf 104)
5) New Anger (Gulf 104)
6) How Does it Feel (X101.5, Gulf 104)
7) Spare Me (X101.5, Gulf 104)
8) Wake Up
9) Imagine It
10) Too Much Too Soon
11) I Finally See
12) Timmy (Gulf 104)
2008-2009 Product Of Dysfunction
1) Spiders In Her Head
2) Out Of Time
3) The Creature X-101.5
4) Lost
5) Gorillas Of War
6) Indorphanated Coffee With Slayer Cream
Photos
Bio
NOTE: A VIDEO CAN BE FOUND AT www.myspace.com/pointblankdk.
Point Blank is a band of musicians with diverse talents and fountains of creativity. Just imagine throwing together a hard-rocker, 2 metal-heads, a funk-punk, and getting them not to kill each other, let alone write and perform music together. Somehow we pull it off without skimping on anything. The result is punchy, funky, "in your face," dynamic, and intense--we call it "Digital Krunch."
Sty Malone combines driving and punchy riffs with a powerful voice able to sing and rap with the same ease. Jon Raa brings full flavor to the band with an aggressive rap style, as well as ripping thru rock vocals like he's lost his mind. These two front vocalists play off of each other's words, representing two halves of the same mind, and having a lyrical conversation with each other. Mighty Mouse absolutely pounds the drums, assaulting the senses with a symphony of beats that range from tribal to speed-metal. His vocals erupt from angelic hymns to demonic screams. Zeus possesses an amazing diversity of Axe Mastery coupled with an emphasis on precision and intensity, allowing him to cross fluidly between blues, metal, and neoclassical leads. Bird, our 7 foot tall 5 String Base Monster, (whose tastes run from Metal to Metal), brings on the heavy bass, alternating between aggressive and passive notes with unbreakable confidence and groove.
This mix really grabs people of all different musical tastes in a very powerful way. People in the hip-hop/rap scene are opened up to rock and metal. Die-hard metal-heads who swore religiously that they would never accept rap as an acceptable form of lyrical expression are converted. We bridge gaps. As a result, we have thousands of fans across the US and overseas, helping us to win many awards including the #1 Most Requested Band on the Gulf 104 Homegrown show for 2 months straight. Many of our fans are devoted and have entered the ranks as "Minions of the Digital Krunch Legion." The "Minions" spread the word about our music, promote for our shows, run our merch table, and enable us to bring a crowd to almost any venue.
We have done well over 500 shows from Tennessee to Miami, and have opened up for national acts like No Address, Skindred, Mob Deep, Pepper, and Solace for Now. We have played at some high profile venues such as Church Hills & the Hard Rock Café of Miami, The Masquerade in Atlanta, Floyds Music Store in Tallahassee Fl. The Civic Center in Tallahassee Fl. and the 2004 Budweiser Spring Break Celebration in Ft Lauderdale ect.. Our music has received frequent radio play throughout Florida and Georgia, especially on Gulf 104 and X101.5. We are also played on numerous college radio stations throughout the country, and are part of the regular rotation in the US military radio station based in Iraq, where we reached the #1 most voted band by the Troops. We have been featured in several publications including the Tallahassee Democrat. We recently released our 2nd full-length studio album and are ready to go on tour and bring this act to the national level.
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