The New Weapon
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The New Weapon

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"Happy to come home again"

The members of this Calgary-based hard rock outfit are always more than eager to come home again.

This weekend's two-night gig is just another trip back over the border for this five-piece heavy rock band with deep roots in Saskatchewan - since all member are from various locations across southeastern Saskatchewan, a trip to the provincial capital is an easy one to make.

Not only is it a chance to visit with family and friends, it remains the band's second home - The New Weapon has recorded its originals at a Regina studio and plans to return in the new year to record its inaugural album.

The band is a combination of two bands which also have Saskatchewan roots. Now that they've been together for about a year, they realized that the band was able to move on to the next level. That means there are ambitious plans for a 2008 tour and a recent decision by lead singer Blake Berglund to say good-bye to his day job.

"I'm lucky because I'm able to make a living from the music full time," he says over the phone from Calgary.

"It's got to the point where I don't have to cut grass at the golf course anymore - it's pretty sweet."

Recently, the band and its members have enjoyed some success, including sharing the stage with the likes of fellow Canuck rockers Social Code. This has the band thinking big - there are plans for a 40-date tour across Canada in the new year. Dates have already been pencilled in as far east as Winnipeg, but there's a hope the tour can extend even further east to Toronto, as well as into the U.S. to Seattle.

As for the band's sound, Berglundsays that any new material comes as the result of a joint effort. Any band member can bring an idea forward, and then it's up to the rest to help meld ideas to form a final product. It's a method that's worked out very well, says Berglund.

"We have a really cool process. We bring our ideas to the table and if anyone has ideas we can say them. And there's never any arguments. We have to go with the majority at the end of the day, but it works great," he says.

Berglund says each member brings something unique to the table - Berglund concentrates on vocal melodies, guitarists Travis Rennebohm and Tyson Bachert introduce riffs while bass player Dan Rose serves as a pseudo producer. Bachert's brother, Derek, rounds out the sound on the drums.

Berglund believes the sound is a natural blend of each members likes, which include Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Stone Temple Pilots.

"I guess the '90's are the newest era to come back. We didn't sit down and try and form our sound. But it's our twist on our influences," he says.

"It's music that's easy for people to get into - It's a fresh spin on the common sound." - The Leader Post


Discography

The New Weapon Demos - January 2007
Includes: "Dawn," "Hope I Die (Before I Get Old)," "Honey," and an acoustic rendition of "Kinda Had a Feeling"

January 2008: 3 separate demo tracks: "Random Hero," "Don't Leave me Here," and "Foreign Ground"

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Bio

Calgary nights are cold; upon the eve of an eviction, even colder. Still, a pair of road warriors has options: a bassist’s mom’s couch, an ex-girlfriend’s best friend’s suite, or a 1989 Chevy Van dubbed “The Oceanman.” The choice is clear, and what better for guitarist Travis Rennebohm and vocalist Blake Berglund than a home away from home?

The means of shelter changed drastically yet diet stayed similar. Borrowed 7-11 Jerky still tasted better than paid-for, and Bow Valley beer tasted relatively fresh – considering its price of five dollars for six beverages. What could be better? Bless the release of Bow Valley Strong 7%, an extra percentage of alcohol for a measly fifty cents per case. Upon first consumption a young drummer winced and muttered “This is The New Weapon.”

Childhood friends Blake Berglund and Tyson and Derek Bachert placed nationally in the top ten of The Molson Canadian Rock Search and shared the stage with heavyweight acts such as Theory of a Deadman and Emerson Drive. Later, circumstances separated the threesome, but no circumstances could keep the special forces of rock from reuniting with twice as much talent as before.

Blake Berglund as vocalist, Travis Rennebohm as lead guitarist, Tyson Bachert as rhythm guitarist, Derek Bachert as drummer and the freshly found musical guru Dan Rose as bassist, formed in perfect chemistry. Upon first rehearsal the words were muttered, “This is The New Weapon.”

Within their young ten month history and collective forty years experience The New Weapon has showcased original material along side Days of the New, Faber Drive, Skye Sweetnam, Social Code, Tupelo Honey, Idle Sons, Trooper, among many others generating a total sale of 2500 copies of their debut e.p. With their unique sound and novel writing style, the members have created music for the recording and performance of established and upcoming Canadian artists, broadening their abilities and cornering their market. With ruthless guerilla promotional tactics, The New Weapon will soon become a household name. Attitude and heart drive the band while their impeccable friendship binds them together.

2008 calls for attainable goals backed with a national tour, continuous recording, and incessant writing.

Upon first hearing, the words will be proclaimed: “This is The New Weapon.”

“We aren’t cold, we aren’t wet, we aren’t hungry, classify these as good times”