Sense Of Being

Sense of Being at The Scene 9/16/05
By James Rochette

Sense of Being returned to THE SCENE in Pompano Beach Friday night to a huge crowd. While the nights true headlines were Simplekill, Sense of Being packed the place with dozens of fans sporting their S.O.B t-shirts.
Vocalist Drew was still recovering from a bad case of strep throat, however, as the old saying goes, the show must go on. From the first shredding riff of their opener, to the last brutal scream on
K N I F E. The drum and bass combination of Earnest and Rafael was deadly, and then throw in the shredding riffs of guitarist Earnesto, this was one of Sense of Beings most brutal shows to date. Every fan in the house was on their feet up in front of the stage by the time the guys ended.
Drew’s vocals sounded excellent regardless of his condition, however, after the show, he couldn’t even bear a whisper.
This was one of those shows where you can honestly say that the band gave everything they had for the benefit of their fans.
- Metal Madness Media Sept. 2005

Talent will only take you so far - from there. You have to have drive, absolute commitment, and enough understanding of the way things work to put yourselves in the position to succeed. Sense of Being has all these things and they know
it. Having already shared a stage with major acts like Machine Head, Adema, and Strapping Young Lad, this young Ft. Lauderdale-based hardcore band has had a taste of what success feels like, and needless to say, they like it. Now they crave more of that addictive high, and they’re on a crusade to see that they get their fill. The plan? Promote, promote, promote, and rock the hell out of anyone standing in their way, including playing at The Scene at Pompano Beach on November 19th. They describe their sound as “brutally honest metal.” This stuff is an all out, balls-to-the-wall assault on your senses, with vicious double-bass drums, manic guitar riffs, and chaotic, screaming vocals colliding in a raging fit of intensity. If, by chance, you’ve ever wondered how it might feel to get hit smack in the face by a raging locomotive while desperately struggling to free yourself from a burning cage loaded with TNT, pay attention. “We come in and we look at this like, this is something that has to be done,” says singer Drew Dilullo. “I mean, this is not something we’re
doing...we are doing this for fun, but at the same time, to us, this is like a mission. We’re looking at this like, okay, either we’re gonna succeed in doing this or we’re gonna be working at Walmart the rest of our lives.” It is a classic struggle that has swallowed up far too many a band: succumb to the predictable world of the 9 to 5 job, or persevere and find
a way to make a living doing what you love. So far, at least, Sense of Being seems to be winning the war.
“We had to keep the door open because people were trying to peer in and they couldn’t squeeze in this room,” says Dilullo, referring to their CD release party last January at Solid Sound Studios in Pompano. “We were
doing a sound test, and right when we starting playing, we had all these kids in the middle of the room just going completely out of their minds during the sound test, like they were just throwing fists and the whole nine.
I was like, oh my god, we haven’t even started playing our show yet.” Perhaps it was this kind of overtly enthused fan reaction that led Ft. Lauderdale’s Culture Room to enlist the band to open for numerous major
label acts when they came through town. Or then again…“I would say act of god personally,” laughs bass player Earnest Christian. “Honestly, we had played Culture Room quite a few times with local bands and I guess they liked what we did, and they would call us and say, ‘Hey we need an opening act, can you come in last minute’?” As you might expect, Sense of Being managed to “make time” for the gigs, working around menial complications like a commitment to help a
family member install new tile, the responsibility of taking a friend to the airport, and maybe a hangover or two. “Yes, we will be there. We will be there definitely,” recalls guitarist Ernesto Paez of his reaction to getting the request to play with Machine Head in just a few short hours. “We will be there no matter what we
have to do, ”Without even consulting his fellow members, he gave his word that his band would come through, and that they certainly did. “I’d say they deliver one of the most chaotic, raw, energetic live performances in the local scene,” explains manager Monica Slazinski of In The Eye Entertainment. “They definitely own the stage when they’re
on it. It is Sense of Being’s stage no matter what venue they’re at, or where they are in the line-up.
Even if they’re the opening band, they definitely make their presence known.” Dilullo adds, “What you see with
us is basically what you get. I mean, everything about our band is totally upfront and in your face. Who we are onstage is just amplified personas of who we are as people. There’s no gimmick here.” But who are Sense of Being? What lies
beyond that killer live show and menacing sound? Well for starters, take the diversity of the band. Christian is African-American, Paez is Cuban, drummer Rafael Lamardo is from Venezuela, and Dillulo is, as he puts it,
“just the dumb Italian white boy.” It is, as Christian reminds, “not too common to have that” in metal music, and just one of the things that make the band unique. “There’s a level of respect here,” adds Christian, whose sister was
one of the final few contestants on the first season of American Idol. “Ernesto and I have been working together for four years, two bands. Drew and I were friends before. And Rafael came to this country to play music. He’s here to play music and that’s it. You add all those elements into one band and the seriousness of the band is just there.” So, with all the ingredients in place, Sense of Being are finally ready to take things to the next level, preparing to go into the studio and record a full length. This, says the band, is the one they will shop to labels; the one they hope will get them their break. Oh, and one more thing. “Touring is a must,” states Paez frankly. “And I say that in all honesty. You have to shop your shit around, not just here, everywhere else. That’s just something that I really look forward to personally, because that’s just
where it is man, that’s where you’re gonna get your recognition. You can
only do so much in one spot.” “I’ve given my life to this thing,” Christian candidly reveals. “I’ve put off college, I’ve put off family telling me no, this is not what you should be doing, you should be in school, and getting a family, and living the American lifestyle.”He pauses for a brief moment. “Fuck that, dude, this is what makes me happy. I mean, that’s it,bar none.”
- Rag Magazine Nov. 2005