One of my favorite bands to kick off the New Year that I finally got to catch live towards the end of last year was a band called Seas Of Wake. For most of 2012, I heard how great this band was, but I never got to experience them live until my band, BlackOcean, shared the stage with them at the Harry Dullys memorial show at Dingbatz last November. These guys possessed a musical adrenaline rush with the stage energy of a national act. I finally gave them a listen at reverbnation.com/seasofwake, where I got to hear songs like “Lust And Mind,” “Dying Of Humanity,” and the more mellow “No Candidate For Love.” These guys were able to bring that stage energy to tape, which is rare in most bands. They’re the real deal when it comes to metal and that’s why they are one of my favorites for this year, so far.
According to their bio, Seas Of Wake formed in 2008 by high school chums, drummer Rick Montgomery and guitarist Mike Mocerino. Rather than think of themselves as a band, they feel more like a brotherhood, or a family working towards a common goal, willing to sacrifice everything for their love of music. Eventually, they found guitarist Bill Hermann to join the group. In 2010, they completed their lineup with the addition of singer Shaun Mason, who at the time was looking for a guitarist for his own project when he was introduced to Hermann. He told Shaun about the band needing a singer, and the rest, as they say, is history. Seas Of Wake pulled their tunes full of guitar riffs, melodic choruses, thunderous drums and basslines together to create their first demo, which featured songs like “This Feeling’s Mutual” and “Reversal.”
In 2011, Seas Of Wake would release their second effort, Virology, which featured the previously mentioned songs. The boys are still out there promoting this CD. In fact, I mentioned a few weeks ago that they were trying to raise money on kickstarter.com to help film a video for “Dying Of Humanity.” If you haven’t seen these guys live yet, you’re missing out! Catch Seas Of Wake live at Dingbatz on Feb. 23 with Sundown Conspiracy, or give them a listen now at seasofwake.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bros from Sekond Skyn have finally released something for us to listen to with their new and improved lineup. The song is called “Dissolution,” and it is absolutely awesome! No one is happier than me to see these guys back up and running! Give the new Sekond Skyn track a listen now on reverbnation.com/sekondskyn or hear it live next Saturday night (2/9) at The Saint in Asbury Park, when Sekond Skyn shares the stage with BlackOcean, Audio Machine, Lower The Veil, and BoundAlive.
Speaking of new songs, Tavy Castillo, guitarist from AfterThreat, recently emailed me to check out their new song “Vengeance” on YouTube, and the song is brutal! It’s heavy, nasty and simply riff-tastic! Metal fans will love this track! For more on AfterThreat, log onto afterthreat.webs.com.
And finally, my boys from My Bitter End will be releasing their latest EP, Nostalgic Sentiments, on March 19. The band’s leadoff single is actually the title-track for the EP and features former Through The Eyes Of The Dead singer Nate Johnson. You can hear the song on YouTube. They plan to tour extensively in the later part of the year to promote the EP. For more info on the band, log onto facebook.com/mybitterendofficial.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
1/30—Dead Fish Handshake/Eye Empire/3 Years Hollow/One Hundred Thousand—Architekt Music, Butler, NJ
1/31—Steve Brown and Terry Farley—Thatcher McGhee’s, Denville, NJ
2/1—In Spite Of—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
2/1—A Clever Con—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
2/1—Give Them Rope—The Note, West Chester, PA
2/1—Three Years Hollow/Brand of Julez/Bad Dog Bad—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/2—PUSH/American Angel/The Atomic Bitchwax/Jester/Spice Hound Music Company—Roxy and Dukes, Dunellen, NJ
2/2—Steve Brown and the Fallout—Grasshopper Too, Wayne, NJ
2/8—The Plot Thickens—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
2/9—BlackOcean/Lower the Veil/Audio Machine/Sekond Skyn/BoundAlive—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
2/9—Secret Country—Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ
2/10—Sardonica/Blackout Stereo/Darrow Chemical Co./Sinners/The Dirty Stayouts/Skunkdaze—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/14—Darkness Descends/Generation Kill/Gunfire N Sodomy (Featuring That Metal Show‘s Don Jamieson)—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/15—InDisguise—Nugent’s Tavern, Elizabeth, NJ
2/15—Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal/Rob Carlton—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
2/16—Facelift/Lyken21—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/16—Brand Of Julez/Fear Report/Dirty Black 7/Xero Gravity/A Vegas Marriage—Webster Hall, NYC
2/22—Lost In Society—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
2/23—Seas Of Wake/Sundown Conspiracy—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/23—Split Point—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
2/25—Thank You Scientist/Fishbone—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
2/28—Single Bullet Theory/Mother—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/1—Long Gone Day/Bastard Brigade—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
