SHOTBLUE

I Am the Avalanche
Our Rival
The Break Up
Shotblue
Analise
July 8, 2005@ Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA)
Text and photos by Richie Wu
West Covina's own Analise took to the stage with passion worth mentioning, for sure. As I stood in front taking it all in, I became very impressed with what the band was cooking up. Songs like "Broken Hearts" and "Leaving Memories Behind" were very well crafted and even better live than the recorded versions. Singer Larry (yeah, that's right: it's just Larry. I looked everywhere for his last name and came up short) was obviously the focal point of the show and did a fine job. He constantly interacted with the Chain Reaction crowd and deserves an A+ for his performance. The rest of the group were rockin', as well. Check 'em out on www.myspace.com/analise and Pure Volume to listen to some great tunes and find out where they are playing next.
Another cool band from the L.A. area is Shotblue. Going on right after Analise, they were just as riveting and definitely brought their A game. Their sound encompasses everything that is screamo and hardcore. What's even better than that is that it's done well. Now that the hardcore genre has infected the mainstream, it seems to me that there is an influx of lame bands trying to ride the coattails of the legit. Shotblue is clearly not one of those bands. As I watched them, it became apparent to me that they are the real deal. Every single song was scorched with righteous grooves and screeching riffs. Good stuff all around! Songs like "Heart Attack" and "To Die For" really give you a feel for what Shotblue is all about. Lucky for you, both those songs are on Pure Volume for your listening pleasure. Unfortunately for you, the Chain Reaction gig was to be their last until the end of summer, so you'll have to wait awhile to see them live.
New wave and with a new vibe, The Break Up gave everyone a breath of fresh air when it was their turn to blast. I enjoyed their performance immensely. In fact, I am still grooving to their CD in my car. Nothing but pop hooks and riffage. It's great. I couldn't stop from laughing during their set because they reminded me of that band from SCHOOL OF ROCK. I don't know what it was that reminded me of the movie. Maybe it was their keyboard player's facial expression. Regardless of that, hearing The Break Up was what kept my spirits high while waiting to see I Am the Avalanche.

The Breakup
Once Our Rival stepped up, I knew something was different. Remember how I just stated that some bands seem to be jumping on the hardcore bandwagon? Well, this is a prime example. Screaming for the sake of just screaming drives me crazy when it is not adding anything to the music. Also, Our Rival displayed not one inkling of melody throughout their entire set. Moreover, it seemed like every tune started with the same riff. I hate to criticize someone's life work, but come on!
The moment had arrived: it was finally time for I Am the Avalanche. A new band on Drive-Thru Records, the show was compiled of many great moments. I was glad I was able to check them out, because they were leaving that night to drive back to New York, which meant that I would not be able to catch them for a while. The place was really jam-packed with people by the time they went on. Most of the time, fans banged their fists in unison high in the air. They played many great tunes: "Wasted", "Emergency", "Dead and Gone", "New Disaster"…There were just so many. However, one mishap that killed the show was when bass player Kellen Robson unexpectedly broke a bass string and they had to end the show. Pretty crazy, I know. As people searched for a bass, singer Vinnie Caruana told a couple of jokes. It sucked for everyone, because we wanted to hear their complete set-and I'm sure they wanted to give it to us. However, a member of Whole Wheat Bread jumped up on stage and started rapping, which really saved the day. He played with the band, including bass player Kellen (minus a string), and the night ended well. Soon they'll be coming back to the Los Angeles area, where I plan to catch them again. There are so many places that you can find out more about them, such as the Drive-Thru Records' site, Pure Volume, and My Space. It would be wise of you to look them up to find out how great they really are!
- Skratch Magazine