WEST MEMPHIS SUICIDE

I think I destroyed a speaker. The front speaker on the passenger side of my car keeps emitting a low, persistent hum, as if it's infested with bees. And when I turn up the volume, the speaker crackles like the voice of a pubescent boy.

Thanks a lot, West Memphis Suicide. I blame you.

This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been compelled to crank the volume during the second track on your debut album.

You guys begin the song -- which is hilariously titled Sex Rush -- innocuously enough, with a militaristic rat-a-tat drum lead, followed by a thick 'n' juicy bassline. It sounded good, so I turned it up, up, up.

But then, a mere 13 seconds into the track, you bring on the distorted, downtuned guitar assault. Ka-chunk-a-chunk-a-chunk go the guitars and crackle-buzz-crackle went my car speaker.

But I can't stay mad at you, West Memphis Suicide. Your album Songo Hollow is just too gal-darn fantastic.

Busted speaker aside (it had been abused many times before by bass-junkies Kyuss, so it's not entirely your fault), this album is one of the most impressive, intense and self-assured debut discs I've ever had the pleasure of growing deaf to.

It's not the most original, mind you. Not by a long shot.

I've heard this kind of gritty, southern-fried, louder-than-hell riff-rock before, mostly similarly from Black Label Society, the berzerkers fronted by Ozzy Osbourne's guitar-for-hire Zakk Wylde.

In fact, West Memphis Suicide could easily be mistaken for Black Label Society, if it weren't for one little detail: West Memphis Suicide is better.

I risk being pulverized for saying that, since Black Label Society fans -- affectionately known as SDMF, or Society-Dwelling Mother(unprintable)s -- are a surly, burly bunch who like to fight, drink and fight some more.

But I stand by that assessment: West Memphis Suicide's debut disc has more groove, more rawk and more cojones than the last few BLS releases. (I'll concede, though, that Zakk Wylde can still out-solo any guitarist out there.)

Despite what their name might imply, the guys of West Memphis Suicide do not hail from the American south; they're from Cambridge -- unlikely turf for music with this much swagger, drawl and chutzpa.

West Memphis Suicide is playing in an Underdogs Showcase with a slew of other new bands at the Opera House in Toronto on Thursday, Aug. 8.

My guess is they'll blow everyone else off the stage -- and perhaps blow an amp or two while they're at it.

- COLIN HUNTER - The Kitchener Record (Night Life) and Guelph Mercury

January 23, 2009 by Mangry

This band hails from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Featuring Chris Raposo (vocals, guitar)
Barry Martin (guitar)
Paul Oliver (bass)
Dani Cobb (drums)

When i first heard of this band the one thing that stuck out to me was the heavy guitar riffs. When you listen to these musicians the guitar work grabs you and then the drums come in with an amazing roar and tight bass lines, throw in the heavy lyrics and there you have it the perfect mix of talent you will want more I promise.

Personally I see this band as one of the hardest working bands in the indie scene here in Ontario Canada. That comes through loud and clear in the music and the lyrics, not only hard hitting but also very catchy; you will find yourself singing along. One thing about this band is they are very fan friendly, they have managed to build a dedicated fan base and talent that propels them farther with each show they do.

Chris Raposo was entered in the Dean Guitars shredder search, not only was he picked but he made it to the top 15 out of thousands of entries, which is pretty awesome considering he was judged by a top group of artists including Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Damage Plan, Hell Yeah). I’m sure this will bring them much more well deserved attention. As well as guitar he also is the front man of this group of metal heads, his lyrics are very well put together, catchy and very realistic.

One thing for sure these boyz are great at what they do and they have a chemistry that many search for in band mates. After all, if the band is great but the personal side sucks that does come through but that is not the case at all here, you can tell they all admire what each member brings to the table. They are not afraid to have fun as well which to me is very important to a band and the fans.

Their first installment of metal is contained in the CD Songo Hollow. With chunky bass and drum sounds then adding in the master shredding of the guitars, this CD makes for a metal heads dream from start to finish. I must recommend this CD to all that live and breathe metal as you will not be disappointed. As a result of hearing this album you will become one of the masses, joining up to support this band of awesome musicians. My personal favorite song is Redemption. Other new songs offer you a tantalizing treat such as Sex Rush, Rise, Suffocate and The Big Deal just to name a few.

Grab your metal horns, hold ‘em high and hold on tight! Visit the bands MySpace page and be prepared to bang your head!!!

- Mangry’s Metal File ( rockandrollreport.com)

... thus making a congratulatory devil-horn gesture in honour of Cambridge band West Memphis Suicide, for snagging a nomination in the Ontario Independent Music Awards. The band is nominated in the "Best Metal" category, and rightly so.

Their debut disc, Songo Hollow, is one of the ass-kickingest heavy albums I've heard in ages (read my full review). Their music chugs low and loud like a steamroller, but swings with the kind of deep-south boogie mastered by bands like Black Label Society and even Creedence Clearwater Revival. I'd be willing to bet that the award nomination is the first of more (and bigger) to come.

Check out West Memphis Suicide live this Saturday at the Preston Music Festival.

- Within Earshot

West Memphis Suicide is no longer one of the best kept secrets on the indie music scene.

The Cambridge metal outfit, which has garnered comparisons to Pantera and Black Label Society, has only been together for a year but is already creating a buzz with its three-month-old independent release Songo Hollow and the foothold they've created in the Toronto club scene.

With a tight set, melodic riffs and a lead singer who can carry a tune instead of just grunt and growl, West Memphis Suicide - Chris Raposo (vocals, guitar), Barry Martin (guitar), Paul Oliver (bass) and Dani Cobb (drums) - has risen from obscurity to earn airplay on Y108 out of Hamilton and get an Ontario Independent Music Awards nomination for Best Metal Group. The awards are on Oct. 16 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

"We've been working at it really hard and it's good to finally see something from it," Raposo said following the band's blistering 45-minute set at the recent Preston Music Festival.

"You know, you work hard at something and it's a nice feeling to finally reap the rewards."

But like most indie bands, there's been more reflux than reward. The group has played in some seedy establishments, clubs where their instruments won't tune and places barren of patrons. If the nomination or airplay leads to something, Raposo could care less how they got there.

"Just when you think you made an inch, you're set back two miles," he said.

"It's all perseverance. It's about digging your nails in the dirt and whenever you get kicked in the face, you just dig your nails back in the dirt and keep climbing. You keep knocking on doors and eventually they'll start to take notice.

"We have Toronto promoters calling us to be part of stuff that we're not even entering or places we haven't dropped off press kits to. They're calling us and saying they've heard the band though the local Toronto circuit and they'd heard our stuff and would love to have us. It's really starting to pick up, but it was a crawl the whole way."

While the band itself has only been together a year, the individual members are veterans on the scene. Oliver and Cobb were members of Tudisco, while Raposo and Martin were in The Hang. The bands knew each other well.

"We were almost rivals. We would bring a crowd and they would bring a crowd and it was head-to-head all the time. Things fell apart (with our bands) and we put all our differences aside because we loved the tight end of Tudisco and they loved the songwriting of The Hang. It came together and felt really nice."

The band's MySpace page denotes that the members are all in their 30s and Raposo scoffs at young cookie-cutter industry bands that burst on the scene without paying their dues.

"If I want to listen to 19-year-olds screaming I'll just go to the schoolyard," Raposo said.

"Our songs are based on experiences we've had. That's why every show we just try and push it out as much as we can and try and be as real as we can. Age is about how you feel. Just like West Memphis Suicide. It's an attitude; it's not just a name."

The fact that they are older seems to help them better connect with their audience, which, if the music festival was any indication, are hardcore about their hometown band.

"We joke all the time that we don't have fans; we have family. I think the people enjoy the closeness that they don't get with other bands that are trying to be too tough and too rock n' roll."

With West Memphis Suicide riding their current wave of success, Raposo has no bones about where he'd like to see the band in five years.

"Hopefully we'll be on tour and we can take everybody with us. That would be awesome."

- BIll Doucet - Cambridge Times

Best local albums of the year...

One of the biggest perks of my job, aside from all the free stationery I pillage from the office supply room, is that local bands send me their CDs and I get to write reviews about them. Score!

Naturally, a few of the albums I reviewed over the past year were kinda stinkers. But I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of tunage being cranked out right under our noses here in the K-Dub.

And so I present My Top Ten Local Albums of 2008. (Feel free to comment, disagree, gripe, snipe, burp and argue with my picks. Such is the beauty of these completely subjective lists).


10. The Tyler Schwende Band, Beautiful Catastrophe. A richly textured and slickly produced pop-rock record that belies the word "catastrophe" in its title. Though the songs are built on simple pop foundations, Schwende's musical chops shine through when he builds multi-layered instrumentals atop those foundations. Read my full review.

9. Full Length Mirror, Fabulous Fables and Other Stories To Tell. A surreal, otherworldly album that hearkens to the days of tie-dye and the chemical recommendations of Timothy Leary. Bandmates Cory Williams and Wayne Bond concoct psychedelic head-trips that pay homage to late-'60s garage rock while also sounding thoroughly now. What a trip. Read my full review.

8. Self-titled EP by The Sound Foundation. A galloping ska-pop adventure that almost, but not quite, captures the raw energy of the band's live shows. These funky youngsters combine elements of rock, funk and ska to create a sexy (and sax-y) hybrid designed to make people party. It's a tantalizing tease of the full-length album now in the works. Read my full review.

7. Daddy Long Legs, King for a Day. The young vanguard of Kitchener's strong blues scene, the boys of Daddy Long Legs deliver the album their fans have been waiting for -- a 12-track steamroller of electric boogie-blues. With guitars set to stun and harmonica player Junior Malleck breathing fire, King for a Day proves these guys to be blues royalty indeed. Read my full review.

6. Arrows, Knives are Falling From the Sky. This album was recorded in a remote cabin in a wooded area of northern Ontario, and strangely it shows. There's an earthiness to the post-punk music created by Ryan and Jackie Stanley, a married couple from Guelph (who have since changed their band name to Cursed Arrows). This isn't happy Kumbaya music for the tree-hugging crowd, mind you; it's often dark and haunting, like a night at a secluded cabin in the woods.

5. Ace Kinkaid, self-titled. This hot-off-the-presses album found its way into my CD player a few days ago and has been spinning in there ever since. This is a strange, complex and challenging album that jumps genres with ease. There's nary a word sung on the disc, nor is there a need -- the instrumentals spin amazing yarns. Fans of Battles and Mr. Bungle will love this.

4. Moglee, Recess. An aptly named album given that the music is as fun and carefree as a 15-minute playtime in the schoolyard. Case in point, the chorus of The Penny Song goes like this: "La la la! "La la-la la-la!" It's sunny, infectious pop that takes cues from Jamaican reggae, Japanese cuddle-core and New York indie-rock. Read my full review.

3. Saigon Hookers, Stray Dogs. Loud, dirty, raunchy . . . and catchy as all get out. K-W's indefatigable princes of punk opted to go high-tech this time around, releasing Stray Dogs as a download-only album. Chances are a bunch of computer speakers have since been blown out by their high-octane assault. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, Saigon Hookers is the best name for a band ever. Read my full review.

2. What's He Building in There?, self-titled. Whether you think this album is a masterpiece of a mass-of-crap will depend on your tolerance for hyperkinetic, schizophrenic bursts of insanity. I happen to think it's a twisted masterpiece, but I concede I might just be weird. Imagine passing out on a rollercoaster and having a nightmare while unconscious; this album is that nightmare. Read my full review.

1. West Memphis Suicide, Songo Hollow. My pick for best local album of the year is a 10-tonne slab of southern-fried rock 'n' roll so thick and heavy it melted my car speakers. If Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Sabbath got into a boozy bar brawl, this would be the soundtrack. Front man Chris Raposo is one of the best guitar shredders in the country, a skill he shows off in abundance on Songo Hollow. Two big devil-horns up. Read my full review.



It looks like 2009 is going to be a rawkin' year in this neck of the woods, with lots of local bands working on full-length albums to follow-up on the EPs they teased us with in 2008.

Bands, if you'd like to get your CD reviewed in the newspaper, just drop send 'em (or drop them off) to me, Colin Hunter, at The Record, 160 King St. East, Kitchener.

See y'all in the new year.

- Colin Hunter