SYMETRIA—Flemington, NJ
So my brother, Tim McMurtrie from M.O.D., Full Scale Riot, Rhythm Trip, Murder League All-Stars, etc.-fame hit me up a few weeks ago to tell me about a new metal band that he signed to his new label, Tripsquad Records. Now, I’ve heard of the band, but never really knew much about them until now. The name of the band is Symetria, and I have to admit, they kind of remind me of early Anthrax. Trust me, that is a compliment by all means. Singer, Vince Santonastaso’s, chops are very similar to that of Joey Belladonna’s on songs like “Time,” “Stomp,” “All The Same” and “Symetria.” The riffs in these songs are crunch and the drums are thunderous, but like all metal songs, the stars of these songs are the vocals.
Hailing from Flemington, NJ, Symetria set themselves on a mission to connect with their fans and touch their lives as music has done for them. Singer Vince Santonastaso and guitarist Kevin Cust met playing in an Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica cover band, but Vince knew after playing for over 15 years it was time for more, and Kevin was eagerly ready too. This was just the beginning for Symetria. Bassist Fernando Carrera was an old friend of Kevin’s and filled the bottom end void after a move back from Cali. The missing piece of the puzzle was drummer Blair Smith, who was discovered by way of the website Bandmix. His style and ability to bounce around, change time and lay a groovy beat made the band bring him back, and Symetria was born. The band spent the next few months writing, but after seven songs, they still felt that a second guitarist was needed to really solidify the band’s sound and power. Regardless, the band played their first show in Nov. 2016, a Toys-for-Tots benefit in PA, where the response to their music was overwhelming. Soon, Symetria began engaging with Tim and his fledgling label. The boys started recording their debut full-length CD at Trax East in South River with producer Eric Rachel and Tim. During the recording process, the guys found guitarist James Soto, and while James isn’t on the CD, his influence is. The lineup for Symetria was now complete.
Symetria’s debut CD is finally set to be released by way of Tripsquad Records this Friday (9/29). How else do you celebrate your CD’s release? You open for Overkill Crowbar at One Centre Square in Easton, PA, which is what Symetria will be doing Saturday night! Talk about killing two birds with one stone, huh? Release your debut CD and open for your idols in the same weekend. For more on Symetria, visit Facebook.com/SymetriaBand.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers from Sekond Skyn added a new bass player to their lineup, replacing former bass player Brian Jennings with Bill Cornett. Bill made his Sekond Skyn debut at Dave and Buster’s Dockside Café in Philly a couple of weekends ago. The addition of Cornett couldn’t come at a better time since Sekond Skyn is in the studio recording their next CD with producer Mike Thompson again. Mike is known for his work with Down, Superjoint Ritual and Black Label Society. For more on Sekond Skyn, visit Facebook.com/SekondSkynMusic.
My bros from MoTHER will be heading out on the road in Oct. with former Hinder lead singer Austin Winkler on a short run of Northeast dates with a stop at the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ on Oct. 26. MoTHER is currently supporting the release of their latest single “Medicine,” which guitarist Mike Gowen says, “will visually bring to life the essence of the band and showcase where we came from and who we are as musicians as artists.” For more on MoTHER, visit RockYourMother.com.
And finally, some shows you won’t want to miss this week, tonight (9/27), Tommy London’s debut solo performance at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC with Johnny Pisano’s Punk Rock Pizzeria, KT Mullholland, and All Night Sounds. Then on Saturday (9/30), my band Rahway will be performing at Tattoo Tony’s Tattoo for Autism VI event at the VFW Post 2179 in Port Monmouth, NJ. Also performing will be Tony’s band, Broken Past, High Octane, Danger Danger singer Ted Poley, The Knuckle Heads, 6 Gun Sound, Ryder and Metal Life Crisis. Also on Saturday night, Mikell’s Plot will be opening for The Machine, the Ultimate Pink Floyd Tribute band, at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. Mikell’s Plot will be releasing their six-song EP at this show. For more info on these shows, just visit each band’s Facebook pages or websites.
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:
9/27—Tommy London/Johnny Pisano’s Punk Rock Pizzeria/KT Mullholland/All Night Sounds—Gramercy Theatre, NYC
9/30—Tattoo for Autism VI: Broken Past/High Octane/Rahway/Ted Poley/The Knuckle Heads/6 Gun Sound/Ryder/Metal Life Crisis—VFW Post 2179, Port Monmouth, NJ
9/30—Xandria/Kobra And The Lotus/September Mourning—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
9/30—Mikell’s Plot/The Machine—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
9/30—Symetria/Overkill/Crowbar/Havok—One Centre Square, Easton, PA
10/4—36 CrazyFists/The Last Ten Seconds of Life/Charcoal Tongue/The Silencer/Me With Creeps/Empire Fallen—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/5—Tides of Man/Ranges/Gatherers/Vexes/Fence≇–Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/6—Dead N’ Wasted/The Cryptkeeper Five/Darrow Chemical Company/Devil in the Belfry/J-Sin Trioxin acoustic/Paul Mauled acoustic/Jess-O-Lantern acoustic—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/7—Barren/Answer Infinity/Callout/Eva Under Fire/Crimshaw—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
10/7—Don Jamieson/The Shift/Scottish Widows/Tilted—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
10/15—One-Eyed Doll/Doll Skin/Lunatic Fringe/Lethal Affection/Junkanoo—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/19—Saint Diablo/Erciyes Fragment/Debauched Beauty—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/21—Motograter/Dead City Crown/INCOGNITO THEORY/Black Dawn/Dead Atlantic/Generation Underground—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/28—Damnation Fest 2017 featuring Throwdown Syndicate/Ixion Lux/Metal Life Crisis/COMMON WEALTH/Ashes of Your Enemy/Stagger/Broken Past/Scars of Envy/Voodoo Terror Tribe/Negative Sky—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
