Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Heavy is as heavy does and not many commercial local rock bands do it heavier than X-Engine-X.
They've got the D-tuned, rubber-legged guitars, the hip-hop infused pummeling, the buzzsaw grind, the chugging riffs, the bellowing animosity and the gloomy brutality that you've got to have to earn a place on the Ozzfest stage. But the also have a quality many of today's Nu-metal and Rap-rock bands don't have - a keen sense of melody that elevates the six slamming tunes on the EP above the moshpit of soundalike aggresion and into a realm that makes you want to reconnect with these Inner Demons. - Darryl Sterdan
X-Engine-X (pronounced 10 Engine X) is a Canadian
metal band that got their name from an infomercial
about super engine oil that keeps your car running
forever. Sounds like a band with a sense of humor!
There is however nothing funny 'bout their songs! The
six tracks on their "Inner Demons" EP are loud,
in-your-face and most of all powerful slabs of metal.
They got a solid groove going on and Skelly's vocals
are a treat to listen to. I hear a rawer version of
Disturbed mixed with a healthy dose of Godsmack
("Away") and I happen to like it. The six songs sound
a bit alike but they are very persuasive nonetheless.
I doubt I'm the only one that feels this way about
X-Engine-X, cuz they already shared stages with bands
such as Nickelback (not a good reference), Filter,
Flybanger and Noise Therapy among others. With a bit
of luck, I can definitely see these guys going places!
- Thomas Dumarey
Discography
XXX EP - 2000
Distortia - 2001
Inner Demons -2003
Live Vids:
www.netvidtv.com/powertv.htm
Click “Class of 2003 chapter #1”.
www.netvidtv.com/x1.rm
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In early December 2002, X-Engine-X, Winnipeg’s loudest, high energy band returned home from L.A., where they were mastering their soon to be released Inner Demons. When mastering Guru Tom Baker (Marilyn Manson, Beastie Boys, Disturbed, and Rob Zombie) first heard the band a year before he decided this was just the kind of club band he wanted to work with. Baker arranged to meet with the band in L.A at Precision Mastering where he threw his genius into the mastering and the result is Inner Demons.
“There is defiantly a theme that runs through this album that is different from our last”, says Skelly, lead vocalist and rhythm guitar for the band. “It’s kind of a social album that looks at both the positives and the flaws in society.” As for the music; its pure energy that takes power to a new level of aggression. It’s Raw, unrefined but gleams with a ruthless shine. Sit back and listen or stand up and move, either way this music permeates your skin and rattles your organs.
Inner Demons is the bands third release, but perhaps really the first as a complete unit. Each member, SKELLY (vox/guitar), MYKE KURNELL (guitar/vox), JAY FRYZA (bass/ vox) and JERRY GIESBRECHT (drums), brings a very unique element to the music and everyone has their strong points. Skelly writes most of the lyrics, Myke provides precision, Jerry takes care of a lot of the business, and Jay the bands newest member provides the rhythmic glue.
Officially the band has been together since late 1998. Their previous Album Distortia, released in 2001, was more about frustration. “We had to get it down…well because it was time”, says Skelly. “But it was definitely more crude and dealt with a lot of pent-up frustration.”
During the making of Distortia X-Engine-X used three different bass players, this made the album interesting if not slightly chaotic. There were a lot of transitions in the early days as is evidenced on the bands first album, a 3 song EP titled “XXX” which was released in 1999 as a demo to meet the demands of the bands followers for a piece of the band to take home. By the time Distortia was released Jay had just joined the band. Inner Demons is a celebration of completion for the band.
Despite the power of all three X-Engine-X discs this band is primarily a live band and should not be missed on stage. This is definitely a band that prides itself on live performance whether it’s for a small club or thousands of people at a festival. Its emotional music, that has to be experienced in its rawest and most pure form to be appreciated.
X-Engine-X has completed several mid-western tours of Canada and shared the stage with the likes of NICKLEBACK, NOISE THERAPY, FILTER, FLYBANGER and the HEADSTONES among others. Dubbed the “Buzz” band of the year (92 Citi FM, 2000/2001) X-Engine-X is here for the duration. Regardless of their level of fame the band plays music because that’s what they do “We got our name from one of those infomercials about some “super” engine oil that keeps your car running forever,” said Skelly. “That’s a lot like how we are, fluid, forever and definitely indestructible.”
Inner Demons was released February 22nd in Winnipeg @ the ZOO. The band continues to do shows in support of this release.
The band has also been chosen out of 200+ bands as one of five local bands to appear on the POWER 97 FM’s “Class of 2003” compilation.
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