The Almighty Grind

The Almighty Grind, fresh from a stint on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour, turns focus to online entertainment as it infiltrates the somewhat elusive video game industry.

- www.prlog.com

The Almighty Grind try to take heavy metal and hip-hop to another level with their first full-length record; 'Look At Yourself'. The dedication of members in this band is phenomenal. All holding steady jobs, the seven-piece group manage to find time to practice and promote their finely tuned sound. Their corrosive sound explodes with duel vocals and powerful hard rock that blends in conjunction with beautiful slow beats and melodies. TAG have built momentum since their formation in 1998 and have immediately set out to gain as much experience, prowess and enjoyment out of the bands existence as possible.

TAG is most impressive when exploiting their ability for faster, heavier tracks. Songs such as 'Move' and 'Miracle' and opening track 'The Other Side' are basic but really kick up a frenzied attack on their instruments, paying off with a breakneck and volatile sound that is energetic and passionately exciting. The slower songs don't use the turntables as much but this feature of the band adds an extra dimension to the bands sound. Often adding extra texture to songs, with swirls, scratches and sampled sounds.

'Miracle' is a dirty and aggressive track that is broken with a drumming/vocal breakdown that didn't appeal at first listen. As you repeatedly hear each track, you appreciate the innovative adventure of this album. The album has a mysteriously unpredictable feel as you are thrown from heavy and dark tunes to slower, rap-based tracks. This often works with the quality of songs the band produce but a few let downs notoriously hinder what could be a definitive album. 'Little Fly' and the slow Latin-styled ballad 'Wise Man' fail to reach the high standard the band have set themselves and reduces you to hold this band in the love/hate section of your appeal.

'Mind Control' opens with the rhythmic pulses of bass drum and spitting hi-hat that build into the destructive chorus layered by dark vocals and heavy guitar sounds. This dramatic flourish of power hits the bands hot spot of entertainment. When they kick off with all instruments blazing they truly sound like something you have to see live. Oppositely, 'Sun God's' genial feel and slow paced movement is a deep contrast from the heavier metal being displayed earlier in the album. The difference of the styles distinguishes the band as open enough to confidently tackle different styles and sounds that down cancel each other out on one album.

The Almighty Grind will appeal if you're able unfasten your tight grip on one section or genre and are able to experience the delights of rap finely mixed with rock and metal. There are a few flaws that reoccur throughout some songs but there is enough to satisfy even the most sceptical music lover.

Standout Tracks: 'The Other Side', 'Move' & 'Mind Control'
Added: June 3rd 2004
Reviewer: Mike Facey
- www.stateofemergency.com

Introduction
Hip hop and hard rock personify The Almighty Grind. While the group has undergone various line-up changes, the core members of TAG have remained: Fernando Navarro on guitars, Tom DeLong on bass, and Tony Duran on vocals. The latest additions to TAG include Ahmad Dillard on vocals and Kevin McPherson on drums. For five years, The Almighty Grind has been building momentum, both as a performing and a recording group. The band has played such well-known venues as The Roxy, The Whisky, and The Key Club in Hollywood, as well as various other clubs throughout the L.A. Basin, capitalizing on opportunities to perform with and learn from bands like (hed)PE, Burning Star, Zebrahead, The Guano Apes, Pensativa, and Shuvel. TAG has also continued to play shows in their hometown Inland Empire area with local bands such as Affliction, The Backyard Pimps, Second Chance, and Substance A. And, with the creation of many sites on the internet catering to independent bands, TAG has enjoyed continued success as their music has become available to the world. Songs on their three demos have climbed the charts on sites like Garageband, MP3, and Soundclick, while there ambitious live shows have earned recognition from such astute organizations as the Los Angeles Music Awards (2002 Nominees: Best Male Vocalist, Best Drummer, Best Live Performance). This success reflects The Almighty Grind's dedication to their music, and commitment to their fans.

Question 1: How did you come up with the name The Almighty Grind?

One of the hardest things for a band to do is balance its time between jobs and music. The members of this band work very hard at day jobs to support what we love doing most, which is writing, recording, and playing music, usually at night. We came up with name because it seems like, in one way or another, we are all part of the 'almighty grind'… i.e. wake up at 9, go to work, get off at 5 or 6… do it again. Our band and our music reflect the life we lead inside and outside of this continuous loop, and how we are all affected by it in some way or another… sort of a 'working man's' band so-to-speak.

Question #2: What are your influences, musically or otherwise?

Our influences are extremely widespread. Each member of this band comes from a different style of music and background… That's what makes us unique. To say that one band has inspired us above all others would be inaccurate. We take bits and pieces of everyone we've heard and meld that into what is our own unique sound and style.

Question #3: What other IE bands impress you?

We love the… they're our partners in crime. We also have enjoyed either playing with or going to see bands like All She Wrote, Substance A, Jet Moto Crash, Get the Girl, Western Division Conference, Ill Intent, et. al. (and others)… There are a lot of talented people out here in the I.E.… Without sounding like a 'thank you' speech for an Oscar Award, we'd really like to thank and recognize all the bands, even the ones we haven't had a chance to either hang or share the stage with, or mention on this page.

Question #4: How do you think the IE music scene could improve?

For starters, we'd like to see the local radio stations, like X103.9 and KCAL take a more active role in promoting local acts. Some of these stations have local shows, which feature local acts, but when it comes to advertising shows at local venues fall tremendously short unless paid for by the nightclub owners, or bands themselves… and it is typically expensive. What would be cool is if X or KCAL were to put up a Shows page on either of their sites spotlighting local venues, and who's playing at them; sort of a Calendar of Local Acts. That would really help many of the bands here. Or, to give local bands a discount on spot radio advertising. Either way, the talent's out there, but only a few individuals are supporting local acts to get them off the ground, other than IENoise.Com and a few others. Luckily, we have publications like the Skinnie Magazine, which is actively helping to put local I.E. acts on the map, and, they are very affordable when it comes to advertising.
Secondly, we all need to find a way to have shows in Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga, which are for all ages. There are many kids under 21 who would love to come and support local bands, but can't get into nightclubs because of their age, or, because of transportation issues, can't make it down to the Showcase Theater in Corona, or the Glass House in Pomona, which have a lot of all-ages shows. If we could get around this problem, the I.E. Music Scene would explode. You have this whole population of kids in the Alta Loma, Upland, and Rancho area that is just waiting to be tapped in to.

Question #5: What are you up to at the moment?

Summer is upon us right now so we're playing a lot of 'end-of-the-school-year' shows for some of the colleges and local clubs. In between these shows, we are finishing up our first full-length album, which we are hoping to release sometime in mid-August. And, we have been promoting the I.E. music scene at Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools throughout the Southern California area by playing free shows during lunch time intervals, and for special events. It's a lot of fun to see many of these kids react to our music, which is always positive. In fact, we played one show at the Sun Valley Middle School out in Sunland (by Burbank) and you'd swear that we were the equivalent of the Beatles to these kids… yelling and screaming through all the songs… cheering… it was really inspiring, and complimentary.

Well, there you have it... One of the Inland Empires most unique and talented bands coming to the forefront of regional and national attention... and we had a chance to sit down with them one on one to get a glimpse into their world... what makes them tick... for more information about the band, stop by their website at www.thealmightygrind.com, and take a listen to these guys. You will not find another band on the airwaves today that is quite like them. Until next month, stay glued to the airwaves, eat your vegetables, do your homework, and most of all, support your local bands! - Mike Barret of I.E. Noise

If Rancho Cucamonga rap-metal band The Almighty Grind doesn't make it big, it won't be for lack of focus or maturity. The sextet appears to have its collective head screwed on tighter than most people in their mid-twenties, let alone hard-core musicians. By the time he was 21, guitarist Fernando Navarro had saved enough money working in a medical lab to buy a house in Rancho Cucamonga. When he reunited with the core members of his old band Never More - a regular on the West Hollywood heavy metal circuit - the house became HQ for the new band.

"We wanted a place to practice," said Navarro. "Our garage is kind of like a little studio, and in my living room, we're always recording music. We use Cakewalk Pro Audio for most of our pre-production." Navarro, singer Orlando Costa and drummer Mike Reynaud gained notoriety with Never More while still in high school, and Navarro said it "took a lot out of them." After a few years apart - during which Reynaud moved to New York - they were ready to make music again.

"We have such a good music chemistry, that we couldn't just leave it," said Navarro. "We came back together, and we said, 'Let's just start making music again.' We wanted a totally new direction, totally stay away from the heavy screaming death kind of sound. We all were a little more mature and had a bigger concept of music." The new direction involved adding three new members...

We wanted a totally new direction, totally stay away from the heavy screaming death kind of sound. We all were a little more mature and had a bigger concept of music." The new direction involved adding three new members beginning with veteran Orange County bassist Tom Delong. Next they added vocalist extraordinaire Ahmaad Dillard (A.D.S.), which lead to the inclusion of rapper Tony Duran (a. k. a. Koffin). The sound of The Almighty Grind's 10 song demo is like Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit, but Navarro says the band's new album is more hip-hop and bears a more original stamp.

"In the first CD, we were kind of searching for our sound," he said. "All of us were writing music together for the first time. Now, we know what we want musically, we know the direction that we're going toward. I think [the new album] would separate us more from saying, 'Yeah we're like Limp Bizkit or Rage.'" Navarro noted the new album has a more positive tone than Limp Bizkit, and it won't bear a "Parental Advisory" sticker for explicit lyrics.

While the members of The Almighty Grind don't have a record deal yet, they are pursuing every possible avenue to get their music out there. Three songs from the band's EP appear on the Extreme Sports rock climbing video "Bishop," and the single "Free My Soul" made it to No. 18 on GarageBand.com…

Interestingly, the band wrote "Free My Soul" for a compilation CD put out by their partial sponsor: Hurley clothing. Hurley didn't use the song, but it turned out to be The Almighty Grind's biggest hit. "Hurley wanted something commercial, and we really wrote it for that purpose," said Navarro. "It was something we did in like 17 hours; we just went into the studio and wrote it. It was a full day of no sleep; we just went in there and threw it together."
- Rick Mortensen of the Daily Bulletin