Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Their attitude and delivery are punk at it’s rottenest. I don’t know that they worship the devil outright, but they probably like him enough to invite him over for a cookout, so we’ll give them some metal cred. And while I don’t want to discount the talents of the guys playing the instruments, the singer is a pretty unique site to behold. For the singer, it’s a whole other battle – against himself. At any given time during their show, it would seem that there are 3 or 4 voices in his head vying for control of him, and subsequently of the microphone. They twist, laugh, snarl, and explode in every song as he lyrically explores the most basic elements of frustration in the everyman’s life. The major theme here is a musical agreement that life is a major pain in the ass. With a little less sorrow and a lot more venom than their peers, it’s a no frills recipe for being fed up that is bound to earn them a following. Behind the singer’s madness is a pretty tight musical ensemble – something else you don’t always find in their genre. The melodies are quirky little lines that remind me of the mellower parts of Korn songs mixed with the sudden slamming of Fugazi, the overdrive of a mosh pit, and a few tricks so the guitarist feels assured that people don’t think he sucks. Not nearly as dense in their instrumentation as some, the bassist is given more room to groove along with the songs, happily proving that he’s able to do more than just copy the root notes of the guitarist. Instead, they play off one another, usually going in opposite melodic directions to create the same kind of conflict musically that the singer creates vocally. The band’s drummer employs a fairly diverse range of beats, and is apparently important enough for the rest of the group to put the project on hold for several months while he served his country. If you’re inclined to listen close enough, you’ll no doubt identify with the rants about life spent working for the man and dealing with other people’s sh*t. The music itself is fairly digestible even in the heaviest places, and you can always just watch and be entertained, wondering who’ll win the battle that is going on inside the singer’s head. For what it’s worth, his dementia is unlike any I’ve seen in town. - The Phantom Critic
Jonathan Sanders gave a score of 8.25 / 10. Comments were:
Nice production values! Solid bass line and ear-catching vocals push this one to the top of the heap. While this isn't the greatest song I've ever heard, I find the simple hook to be impressive enough to have encouraged me to play it again. Signal 7 may be onto something with this sound, particularly since the lyrics aren't all deadly serious. Good job, guys!
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 9, Freshness: 8.5, Vocals: 8, XFactor: 9
- The consensus
Discography
Service with a Smile - 2006
currently working college and non commercial radio
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Signal 7 is a hard rock quartet diligently designing music for the working man. Their lyrics arent confusing, deliberately discernable or designed to bring you to that happy place. They are descriptive frustrations of everyones life. The things in your head that no one hears. Why do they pull it off so well? They are hard working people and pull no punches in letting the world know how they feel and what they think about it. For you the listener its a great source of release after another day on the job. Their new CD Service with a Smile conveys this message over a hard rock beat with a similar in your face delivery.
The band began with the brothers Smitty and Jason. They would get together and play with a cousin that played drums at Smittys house on the weekends in the late 90s. The brothers switched instruments and began looking for a singer. After a couple of years of not being able to find a singer, the drummer left the band. Smitty and Jason continued writing and practicing with a drum machine. In 2001 a drummer, Ross, was found through a friend that had tried out as a singer. Steve was often at practices or just hanging out and decided to join in as the singer. The band came together with a personal style and began playing shows in the area in 2003. Just as it seemed the band was headed for greatness, Ross was called to duty in Afghanistan. 18 months later he returned and the band geared up for another run. Soon after their return to the scene they were signed by a record label and headed to the studio in March of 2006. With the CD completed and an arsenal of new songs, Signal 7 is headed back to the road for a tour soon after the CDs release.
The bands fashion style is also that of the working man. Jeans and a T-shirt and not a lot of flash, though they sometimes get more conservative if the situation calls for it. The band members have varying hobbies. Jason likes computers, Ross likes to shoot things and Steve and Smitty enjoy reading a good novel. They are all interested in creating a better music scene in their hometown area of Roanoke, VA. As Steve has said, I think music is one of the most important things in life. A way to let out things inside, or to express things that would in any other way be difficult to express. I believe music is emotion out loud. The band members all have a good sense of humor and like to joke around. They are friends to everyone and have a good time at whatever they do. Tool, Clutch and Helmet have been influences of every band member. Favorite bands also include System of a Down, Misfits, Ministry, White Zombie, Johnny Cash and Outkast.
With their many years as part of working society and even more years perfecting their individual style, Signal 7 is sure to be loved by anyone who has ever had controversy in their day to day lives. Music that you can relate to. Music that says what you want to say. Music that reaches your innermost thoughts and brings out that adrenalin youve been saving up!
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