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RAZETOASHES – RAZETOASHES: RazeToAshes is a quartet based out of Boston, Massachusetts looking to expand their music reach beyond the northeast. RazeToAshes is a hard rocking band with a sharp, metal edge. They site a wide range of influences including jazz, pop and hard rock, yet their sound is uniquely their own... The songs all have cutting rhythms and sizzling guitars. [Brendan Mulhern], the lead singer has a deep voice adding to the drama of the music. ‘The Seven Seals’, the opening track, sets the forceful tone for the rest of the EP. I particularly liked the sharp leads and hard driving beat of the song along with some power packed guitar parts. The other three songs build on the energy of the first ending with the ominous ‘EndGame’.
• Recommended Tracks: (1) [USA/MA 2006 - web] (Review by Laura Turner Lynch for Kweevak.com) - Kweevak.com
Raze to Ashes combines classic hard rock influences with a modern day sound that brings a passionate, youthful attack to their brand of heavy metal. They offer a refreshing light of musical hope for the East Coast hard rock community! - Joe / Owner
"Beantown's Raze to Ashes deliver an amped up hard rock groove that has plenty in common with Tool and Metallica" - Smother.net
They all seem to play very good, and I know the guitarist is cause he plays the squiggly, squiggly, squiggly lick... - The Noise (Boston Magazine)
Raze to Ashes – S/T
Raze to Ashes – S/T / 2005 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.razetoashes.com / Reviewed 07 November 2006
There are only four tracks on this album, which usually means that individuals will have a hard time trying to figure out exactly how a band like Raze To Ashes operates. A number of individuals (such as the previously-reviewed Cody Marks) have been able to go forth and create something coherent in four tracks, but by large, this is not something that typically happens. Raze To Ashes start off their self-titled EP with “Seven Seals”, a track that blends together the metal of earlier acts like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest with the bass guitars of a Korn and a Godsmack meets Disturbed type of vocals. Each of the tracks on this EP are under five minutes, which is something that works in Raze to Ashes’ favor. The simple fact is that the band could conceivably add another minute or so to the tracks on this EP and not have individual listeners slighted in the least.
The double bass drums on a song like “My Country Right or Wrong” further make rich the compositions of Raze to Ashes. The only major problem that one can have with this disc is that it is too short; the four compositions all taken together only add up to seventeen and a half minutes. Even when the band is trying to build up a foundation for their music by repeating the same riffs and arrangements (as is the case with “My Country Right or Wrong”), there is enough in the way of differentiation in each consequent iteration of the band’s arrangement to keep individuals interested.
The band is able to make political statements, and golly gee, there are actually lyrics stuck on the back of the CD case for anyone that is interested to go forth and read at their own leisure. While each part of Raze to Ashes is solid, perhaps the king of kings for this disc has to be the guitar work that litters practically every track on the disc. There are so many different sounds to the guitars on this EP that individuals do not know if the band is trying for the Iron Maiden, the Helloween, or even the newer sound with any one given riff. I want to hear more from the band and really can do nothing else but hope and wish that the band can get onto Candlelight or SPV to release their full length. The band is ready for the big time, as this short album shows.
Top Track: Irony of Us
Rating: 7.1/10
[JMcQ]
- NeuFutur.com
"Just wanted to put a shout out to Tubby's on Saturday night. The sound was freakin excellent and all three
original bands were absolutely fantastic! We (Adrain Blitzer) didn't even deserve to be on the same stage as
these bands! We were absolutely floored with the talent these bands brought to this place. For those that
didn't attend, you missed some excellent entertainment. Some of the best I have seen in all the music
conferences I have attended in many years. We thank John Harris for giving us the opportunity to play with
all 3 bands. Bravo MMC 11!! Raze to Ashes, Mindset Defect, Solvi.... from Adrian Blitzer"
- www.MMC11.com
Raze To Ashes
by P. Grabowski
This I really liked. We need more of this Metal and Heavy Rock. It has taken a beating for a while now as you should know. These Boston based rockers are ready to burn up stages nation wide. From the sound of their newly remastered self titled EP they are ready... What makes them so good is they bring a good variety to their songs. With all their influences you'll hear something you like from this livewire band... I'm now a believer in Raze to Ashes.
- P. Grabowski
Discography
The EP, released July 2005, remastered March 2006
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In January 2004 Campbell Hoffman and Mike Burke joined the band Brendan Mulhern and Tom McManamy had been piecing together over the last couple of years. Each member brought their own tastes and styles to the project and the promise of a unique rock sound was apparent.
Over the next year and a half, the band, then called Endgame, worked hard to blend their styles in a way that would be original. Mulhern’s thick tone and candid writing style, combined with Hoffman’s technically advanced, shredding style yielded songs with rich harmonies and speed metal solos over a rhythmic backbone provided by McManamy’s rock/funk influences and Burke’s solid freestyle drumming.
In July 2005 the band released its self-produced eponymous EP as downloadable tracks on their website. This EP properly showcased their ability to write in different styles, as each song has it’s own pace and theme. Rage, Frustration, Determination, Desire and Hope are all presented in a straight-forward, no-punches-pulled manner that matches the personality of the band.
With the EP released, they then concentrated on winning over fans with energetic and tight live shows. But as the band started to write more, with Hoffman’s original material now included, and Mulhern’s writing maturing, their sound became heavier and subject matter more challenging. The Ideal has now become a focal point of the band’s writing. To reflect this change, and to more accurately describe themselves, the band decided to change their name to Raze To Ashes – to tear down the old world in order to build a new one. Infusing their songs with sudden time, key, and style changes and yet never abandoning their appreciation for simple melody, the band now take on both sides of the world’s partisan politics, demanding accountability in our leaders and responsibility in ourselves. No one is safe from their critical eye; not even themselves as they seriously question a rock band’s ability to make a difference and parody their experiences as a group.
In March 2006, Raze To Ashes re-released their now re-named EP as a professionally pressed record and began to heavily promote themselves . A stunning performance at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, MA in June 2006, which won over not only the other bands' fans, but the other bands' members as well, helped solidify Raze To Ashes' name in the local scene. In December 2006, the band were accepted to showcase at the 11th annual Millenium Music Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Raze To Ashes will use this opportunity to broaden their reach outside of New England and begin to establish a national profile.
In March 2007, Raze To Ashes will release their second EP, "Anarchy at the Elks", which will showcase their evolving musicianship and high-energy act. Since the band mixes different styles and tastes and are never opposed to trying new ideas, they have no use for labels. They refer to themselves as a rock band, pure and simple, and hope to market their songs and performances to as wide of an audience as possible.
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