Warm Wax

Back in the late 80's early 90's, there were several collaborators trying to fuse metal and rap music, with varying degrees of success. Anthrax teaming up with Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park, Beastie Boys and Faith No More but it was all very schizophrenic and often the results were mixed, either a car crash or brilliant. That was until one Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, almost single handedly killed the whole genre off by dragging its cedibility through the mud. More recently a new breed of (repackaged as rap-core) metal/rap fusionists have energed with impressive results. Gone are the crowbarred together bands and not-one-thing-or-the-other experiments. Look at artists like Korn, Kid Rock or P.O.D who straddle metal and urban rap with consummate ease and the popular re-emergences of Rage Against The Machine and the newly reborn Linkin Park.
Warm Wax from Dublin have embraced the genre and do it fantastically well. Blending metal riffing and guitars with funk bass lines and punk-rapped lyrics. Its a brave shout because its would be all too easy to get it horribly wrong, or sound dated, but they get it absolutely spot on. If their claim of only being together for one year is right then they must have worked incredibly hard to be as tight as they are. As a musician myself I know how hard it is to blend some of the styles that they make seem so easy. From the funk bass/back beat juiciness of 'Step Back' to the moshy 'Urban Legend Kid' or gritty 'Make my move', WW bring the noise while keeping the back door tight as a funky mermaids nether regions (special credit to bassist Mark Mockler who works his nuts off and doesn't drop a note). Michael Mead - vocalist/MC/lyricist never lets up and has clearly already mastered his art, even his use of an East Coast American accent - normally worthy of some stick for a European - works fine because its totally in keeping. Stripped to his gym-body waist, looking for all the world like a young Henry Rollins, Michael is a really great rapper who, I am sure, will get regular comparisons to Anthony Keidis of RHCP with his very similar, shirtless bouncing and machine-gun approach. The significant difference here is that Warm Warx has taken the bull by the horns and gone where the Chilli Peppers should have gone before they went all soft and stoned. The fact that Warm Wax already have some instrument endorsements confirms to me that the industry think they're as potentially massive as I do. Excellent stuff.

Review by Drumhead

RANK: ****** 6 out of 6

www.myspace.com/warmwaxx - http://www.musicreveiw.com/50.html

Brian Whelan talks to a Ballymun band who are determined to overcome their unique obstacles to fame.

A young Northside rock band have triumphed over adversity and are set to play one of Dublin’s biggest music venues later this month.

Warm Wax, a young four-piece from Ballymun, will be featured at this month's Jack Daniels live sets in the Village, Wexford street.
The Band comprises two brothers, vocalist Mick and guitarist Lar Meade, along with childhood friends Mark Mockler on bass and drummer Keith Cleary.
The band view themselves as unique, having triumphed against the poverty in which they grew up in as well as a series of medical conditions affecting band members.
Lar suffers from epilepsy, vocalist Mick is dyslexic and Mark has two deaf parents, while his father also suffers from Reese's disease.
Recently, the band were featured on the VHI healthcare podcast because of their unique collection of conditions. They say that they don't let it affect them as they have an outlet that lets them embrace and cherish their difficulties.
Coming from what they describe as "one of the roughest areas in Ireland", the band sees music as away to escape their disadvantaged background and channel their energies into something more productive.
Guitarist Lar explained how the band's social background, apart from providing them with focus and drive, has also meant that they have had to work extra hard.
"Coming from Ballymun we've had to work much harder than other bands, we're not part of any scene and don't believe in them", Lar explained.
"We play in tracksuits and we get discriminated against for our fashion taste. We've been turned away by bouncers from our own gigs because we don't look like rockers."
Despite minor setbacks the band has enjoyed major success in just a year of gigging, with a single release at the end of the year and plans for a full length album to follow.
Lar explained how music provided the band with a positive force in their lives and helped them keep away from lives of delinquency and petty crime which too often people from disadvantaged areas can fall into.
"Our vocalist Mick sings about having a positive and better life and encourages people to try for a better life.
"Being in the band has helped Mick change his life, he's stopped hanging around the streets and he's got a good management job now. He's doing well in spite of his dyslexia."
Formed five years ago when the members couldn't even play an instrument, they have matured into their current eclectic sound, which mixes rock, rap and electro.
The band say they are all about their live performances and love to get people out of their chair and involves in the action.
In 2006 Warm Wax made it to the finals of a global battle of the bands which saw them perform in the Empire arena in Belfast, beating over 200 bands.
Speaking about the battle of the bands Lar commented on how far the band got despite having only started playing gigs.
"Right from the start, we were knocking veterans out of their place."
The band's music has featured in a documentary made by Doghouse Media and Darklight productions, which premiered at the Axis Arts Centre in 2006, as well as being used as entrance music for IWW tag team superstar wrestlers "The Bruisers".
Warm Wax list their influences as including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Muse, Pantera and Busta Rhymes and promise to provide high energy, catchy lyrics, killer riffs and a unique sound.
"It doesn't matter if you're a rap fan, rock fan or a pop fan, Warm Wax truly appeals to all music fans. Add all of the above to an energetic live show and you've just found you're new favourite band."
With confidence like that, Warm Wax seem set for stardom. - The Northside People