FIREFIGHT—Fort Lee, NJ
So, a band reached out to me on the Aquarian website to check them out…well, their mom did anyway. I’m guessing she manages the band that her son is in. The name of the band is Firefight, and I gave them a listen, but they only had a demo (“The Fall of the Noldor”) and two live recordings (“From the Fire” and “Never Walk Alone”) to listen to, so it was tough to really gauge how great their music was. Whether I liked their music or not, however, I am ecstatic that these are kids and they’re playing some hard rocking music in North Jersey, and to me, that means the world! Their music might not be the quality I am used to hearing now, but they are kids and they are going to grow into amazing musicians as long as they stick to what they’re doing. I would never discourage what they are doing!
Firefight is a metal band out of Fort Lee, NJ. According to their bio, the band was formed by guitarist Ava Fisher back in late 2014. The band grew from humble beginnings with many lineup changes to a strong and improved lineup featuring singer Lily Koslow, guitarists Steven Vidal and Ava Fisher, bassist Josh Trifari, and drummer Tahnoon Murtza. Firefight created their sound by drawing from a variety of influences ranging from classic heavy metal to obscure, European-style power metal to even ancient lyre music. In other words, Firefight only plays the music they love, and are not swayed by the pressures of trends and popularity, which is basically the ideal of all things heavy metal. In November 2016, Firefight got their first taste of a big stage when they earned the opportunity to open for power metal legends, Sonata Arctica, at the Starland Ballroom in Slayerville, NJ.
Firefight is currently working on their debut CD, which they plan on releasing in the late this summer or early this fall. In the meantime, the band plans to play as many shows as they can to get their name out there on this competitive Jersey music scene. Keep your ears peeled for these kids. I have a feeling they’ll be around for a while. For more on Firefight, visit Facebook.com/FireFightNJ.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
I just got done listening to the new Corevalay EP, Forever. All I can say is…Wow! Now, I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been listening to my bro AJ Tess’ bass playing for a long time, but you can tell right from the title track that it’s AJ playing bass. The songs just have that AJ bass sound. What I really liked about these songs, besides the bass and guitar work, was the lead vocals of Phil Barbetta. I love this kid’s voice! He’s got a killer rock voice and the songs “Is It Easier,” “More Than Me,” “Rewind” and my favorite track “Miles Away” really showcase his voice in a way where you just want to hear more! Grab your copy of Corevalay’s Forever now at Corevalay.com.
Speaking of new CDs, the band Crust from Union, NJ recently released a self-titled six-song EP that I found pretty interesting. The songs “New Software,” “Turtle Boy” and “I Started As A Joke” really had a retro-feel to them, and I don’t mean ’80s hair band retro. I mean DEVO and Flock Of Seagulls retro. They label themselves as experimental progressive rock. I consider them alternative pop rock. It really is interesting music…Interesting enough for me to share it with all of you. If you’d like to check Crust out, visit them at OfficialCrust.Bandcamp.com.
And finally, one last reminder…I know that I mentioned this last week, but this Friday night, my band Rahway will be heading to my old high school, Saddle Brook High School, to “Save the Music at SBHS,” an event to raise money to help the Saddle Brook High School band buy new instruments and repair old ones. The event is part of my bud William Mulder, Jr.’s Boy Scouts’ project and should be a huge event, as instrument donations can also be used as the price of admission for this amazing event, which also features the bands Inside Riptide and Obsidion along with an all-star alumni jam session to conclude the evening. This is one event that is near and dear to my heart. That is why I’m bring it up again this week. For more info this event, visit RahwayBand.com.
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:
5/3—Jersey Campfire Presents: Ascending From Ashes/PAULUS HooK/White Void/Answer Infinity/Triple Scoop—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/5—SAVE THE MUSIC AT SBHS: Rahway/Inside Riptide/Obsidion—Saddle Brook High School, Saddle Brook, NJ
5/5—Yngwie Malmsteen/Midnite Hellion/Ripped—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/5—Skrizzly Adams/Mikell’s Plot/Stars Apart—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
5/5—Rocket Queens “All Female GNR Tribute Band”/OwlKill/War For the Crown/Atomic Minds/Kold Blooded—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/6—Michale Graves/Incognito Theory—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
5/6—Cycle of Pain/Lower The Veil/Legion/Out Of Bounds/Ideosphere/Shattered Skin—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/6—Borgo Pass/BLACK DAWN/Logan’s Room/John Wilkes Booth—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
5/6—Deaf Rhino/Sir Cadian Rhythm—The Mercury Lounge, NYC
5/6—Lethal Affection/Cowbell Superstar/Atomic Minds/School of Rock Wayne—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/7—Palaye Royale—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/11—Tura Lura/The City of Townsville/Broken Angels—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/12—Rahway/Resurge/Panzie*/Brand of Julez/Corevalay—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/12—Faith Remains/From the Depths/Stronger Than Death—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/13—The Inversion Circus/Metal Life Crisis/Steve Bello/The Way Out—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/13—Seas of Wake “Farewell Show”/Comb the Desert/Sinking Monroe/EchoLab/Among Us/RedCoat/Sean Henry Tonight and The Tonighters—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
5/16—Capture/My Enemies and I/Kingdom of Giants/Dayseeker/My Last Breath—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/17—Noise Brigade/Casual Friday/Empty Parking Lot/Atlas On Top—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/18—Rory Kelly/Natural Born Losers—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/19—Zipper-Head Productions Presents: The Return Of Swamp Rocker Rory Kelly—Ryan’s Pub and Sports Bar, Monroe Township, NJ
5/19—Raven/No Kings Among Wolves/The Donner Party/Fiakra/Flatleaver—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/20—End of an Era—Jersey Shore Festival, Grant Avenue Main Stage, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/20—Sekond Skyn/Life of Agony—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/20—Primadonnaz–Jersey Shore Fest at EJ’s Tap House, Seaside Heights, NJ
