"Q"

Nightcrawler
Few musicians get a shot at the big time. Even fewer turn that shot down. But when management for the band Prong approached Eric Bousquet about filling a vacancy a couple of months ago, that's exactly what the budding bassist said he did.
"I was given the material to learn, and Prong is a huge influence on me personally," Bousquet explains. "But after a lot of soul-searching, I decided not to pursue it and instead stick with what I have going."
What Bousquet has going – along with bandmates Jason Hyde ( guitars), Eric White (drums) and Melissa Benerakis (vocals) – is Q, a melodic, metal outfit with just enough computer/sequencing savvy to attract both a strong local following (as evidenced by the 2002 & 2003 victory in the "Best Experimental/Progressive"category of the Valley Advocate's Grand Slam Reader's Poll) and some high profile attention in a mere three years of existence.
In fact, Benerakis informs us that the debut disc has been put in a temporary limbo of sorts while the likes of Sony and Roadrunner records look and see if Q has that magical "X" factor to make it on their respective rosters.
In the meantime, Bousquet says Q has become a darling of "comp" record producers in recent months.
"First, an indie label out of Miami, Fla. called Destruktion Records approached us about putting our song 'Fade' on their next release, The Real Underground v1.0, " he explains. "I guess they heard it on the Internet and liked it. Then Skipping Disc Records contacted us about submitting a track for consideration on an upcoming David Bowie tribute record."





Bousquet admits that he and his bandmates were apprehensive about the latter of these two propositions. "After all," he says, "we had to go learn and record this thing on our own with no guarantee it would make the record."
But Q accepted.
The track they selected was "I'm Afraid of Americans," and after a brief stint at Zing Studios with Jim Fogarty, the finished product proved an impressive amalgam of Bowie's original, Nine Inch Nails' subsequent remix of the track and Q's now-distinguishable sound of its own.
And it made the cut.
Furthermore, as Bousquet explains, the whole project received a major shot in the arm on June 6, when the thin white duke himself reportedly picked up on the tribute and wrote about it on his website, www.davidbowie.com.
"Since the write-up, Skipping Disc's web hits have tripled and we have received a ton of exposure – including another label looking to put 'Fade' on its comp," Bosquet says.
The Bowie tribute itself -- titled Spiders From Venus -- will be released nationwide this fall.
With so many irons in the fire and such a unique sound, Q certainly seems primed for world domination.
Visit www.thisisq.com for more information and updates.
Listen to the Nightcrawler's weekly music report with Quinn & Cantara on 99.3 f.m. each Wednesday at 7:35 a.m. Send correspondence to: Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; e-mail: garycarra@aol.com or fax to: (860) 698-9328.
- The Valley Advocate - Springfield, MA

Power, rage, darkness and beauty are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about the Springfield, MA based quartet, Q. But after seeing them live for the first time last night, only two words came to mind; “holy shit.” I stood and watched in awe as the world’s next huge band transformed a shitty sports bar in Manchester, CT into an arena for an hour and a half.
Q is a melodic metal/industrial hybrid with an absolutely amazing female vocalist. Their music is unbelievably fresh and their performance commands attention. I’ve been to All Stars in Manchester, CT plenty of times, but last night All Stars saw something they’ve never seen before, and so did I. Q brings with them their own light show, smoke show, and musical setup which enables them to include all of the sequencing and synth parts on the studio versions of their music. They were tight, powerful and loud, a combination that doesn’t exist among local bands in this area.
Melissa Benerakis is the lead vocalist for Q and is nothing short of spectacular. The first time I heard her voice, my mouth dropped to the floor, which is a reaction she must be used to at this point. Every person I know that has heard Q for the first time in my presence has had the same reaction about this woman. She’s got a beautiful voice, great tone and tons of energy, which would be good enough for most people, but then she does something that I’ve never heard from a female vocalist; she screams with the power and likeness of Maynard from Tool. Combine all of that with an amazing presence and what you’ve got is art.
Melissa is backed by an amazing trio of musicians, Jason Hyde (guitars), Eric White (drums) and Eric Bousquet (bass). Individually, they are seasoned and articulate musicians but together they make up an incredible band that deserves to be playing in front of crowds no smaller than 20 thousand.
Q is currently playing gigs all over New England, if you live in the area, do yourself a favor and see a show. For more information, music, pictures and show dates/locations see http://www.thisisq.com.
- BionicJive.org

Where can I find a band that has great lyrics delivered from an amazing female vocalist who swoops sores and belts out those lyrics over hard rocking guitar, bass and drums while still offering the electronic icing that makes the whole package so attractive?

I’ve attended several shows by the group and have been blown away each time. The radio is saturated with hardcore screamers who have created a din that no voice is clearly heard above. Therefore, I give all my attention to Q. Missy, the lead singer has an incredible range and demonstrates great showman ship piloting a hard rocking band through unexpected vocal twists and turns. The have masterfully covered David Bowie and Rob Zombie while maintaining there own unique integrity. This is a talent that few modern day rock bands are able to do so remarkably well.

Beautiful Liar is a deviously infective track guaranteed to catapult the band into mainstream radio and television. And Fade will make sure they stay there. There album This is Q blends all the elements of rock and electronics into one sonic blast that hits you dead on and panting for more. Massachusetts radio 103.7 WAAF has been playing Q for the past year to great reviews and critical acclaim from both old fans and new adventures looking for the next big thing.

Venues that have have been asking themselves the question: “Now what?” Now have an answer. The answer is definitively Q.

Written by Alon Gordon
Editor and classically trained musician
- unknown

Shawn Macomber of the Nashua Telegraph has issued the following report:
For the national press, the shooting death of PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist Dimebag Darrell in December at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, was just another sensationalistic news story. But for heavy-metal fans worldwide, the murder was a tragedy.

Before the bodies of Darrell and the four others killed were cold, commentators were pontificating on cable news shows about the dark reputation of heavy metal and "reaping what you sow." It petered out as pundits ran off to chase down their next straw man.

Nobody bothered to stick around and take pictures of the heavy-metal community proving wrong every nasty innuendo thrown its way in the wake of the tragedy. While the holier-than-thou squad has lost interest, benefit shows have cropped up for both the Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund, which was set up to cover bereavement and medical expenses for the other victims — John "Kat" Brooks, Chris Paluska and Jeffrey "Mayhem" Thompson, and another special fund over at VH1's Save The Music Foundation.

SpiderBiteRadio.com, in conjunction with LFE Concerts and Sabian Cymbals, will get in on the charitable action with a tribute show Friday, Feb. 25, at Raxx Billiards in Manchester to benefit VH1's Save The Music Foundation. JOSH LOGAN & NOBODY'S BUSINESS, THYK, FEAR OF FLYING, Q, VEGAS TEMPER, PURGE DI and THRUST 13 will all be on hand performing covers of PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN songs throughout the night.

"We really wanted to come together and put a show on because Dimebag's music touched a lot of people in the area," said Tracey Vail, of the Manchester-based Internet radio station and independent label.

"PANTERA was a staple of the heavy-metal scene, and a lot of that was based on the fact that Dimebag created an entirely new style of guitar playing. Most heavy-metal bands out there today recognize how important PANTERA was."

Melissa Benerakis of Q, a NINE INCH NAILS-style, industrial hard-rock band out of Springfield, Mass., said when the call came from SpiderBiteRadio.com, her band didn't hesitate to jump onboard.

"It was an honor to be asked," Benerakis said. "We rarely do covers, and PANTERA is such a different style of music than us, but we still are very excited to be involved. Dimebag's death was a huge loss. He was an insane guitar player, a fixture of rock 'n' roll, irreplaceable. There are other people out there who can hold their own in a different light, but we'll never see the likes of Dimebag again. This show seemed like a good way to recognize that loss."
- BLABBERMOUTH.net

This is Q
www.thisisq.com
by Evil Dickie

Another outstanding band from the Springfield, Massachusetts’s area. Q does it for me. As a person who reviews music, I can say this is heavy rock meets, synth/progressive rock or something like that. Well screw that. I will break it down to these few precious words “Q’s cd has been in my car cd stereo for weeks and I can not get it out”. With that said, I like Q a lot. Fans of hard rock/metal, progressive metal, industrial and rock should fine something of this cd to really enjoy.

For those who say women cannot lead heavy bands (not sure if people like that exist any more) but if they do, piss off!! Vocalist Missy B growls with the best in today agro-rock/metal

My favorites songs are “Gone”, “What Am I’, “Change”, “Beautiful Liar” and “Emotionless”

Sing along lyrics for a freak like me are all over this disc. Heavy grooves, clean and heavy vocals, cool elements of keyboard….all of these descriptions add up to one thing, I really like this band. My next chance I will go see them live. Go visit their cd www.thisisq.com!!!

Songs
Emotionless
Beautiful Liar
What Am I
Change
Fade
Nameless
Gone
Inside
It
Everything
Suffocate

“…I will rise above this” - Q
- badtastemusic.com

We were about to be treated to waves of richly textured full bodied sound delivered by 4 artists from western mass simply called Q.
Not only was the music intense, but their stage presence nearly catapulted us into sensory overload.
Out of the initial darkness on stage emerged well placed visual effects that kept all eyes glued to Q's set.
Blue tube lights wound through the drum kit as complex and powerful rhythms set the foundation.
A neon glow edged the lead guitar as slick riffs flowed effortlessly from these talented hands.
We were pummeled by a powerful and intelligent bass line that was both scary and teasing as it drew us in closer.
And in the center of the storm was an incredibly strong vocal performance delivered by an almost dreamlike siren who lurked… prowled… crept…and just plain took control from her first note.
There just aren't enough adjectives to describe Q.
This is a band you just got to experience.
So check them out…You'll thank me. - WORMTOWN.ORG