METAL LIFE CRISIS—Belmar, NJ
This week’s feature band is a band that I became familiar with when my band Rahway performed with them at the The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ last spring. I thought their music was heavy and riff-tastic supported with some pretty amazing vocals by singer Gerald Franklin. I’m talking about Belmar’s Metal Life Crisis, and these guys have been making quite the name for themselves on the local music scene. We had the pleasure of sharing the stage with the Crisis guys again a couple of weekends ago at Tattoo Tony’s Tattooing for Autism benefit. My bud and guitarist, Shawn Kaiser, sent me a few links to listen to some of the bands recorded songs like “E.Y.E.,” “Ecodrain,” “Monster’s Feed” and “Metal Life Crisis,” and these songs really capture the band’s live sound and feel.
According to their bio, Metal Life Crisis is made up of four life-long friends, with strong musical backgrounds, who finally came together to create the progressive, hard rock, and metal music they’ve always dreamed of playing together. The average age of the members of Metal Life Crisis range from 46 to 53 years old, which makes them older than most bands on the scene, but more experienced. Guitarist, Kaiser, and drummer, Kevin Dixon, have played together their entire lives, while singer, Gerald Franklin, was once Kaiser’s guitar teacher. Gerald started out on bass with the band, but later shifted to lead vocals where he felt was more natural of a fit. Metal Life Crisis finalized their lineup in 2015 when Mark Yard joined band to fill the void on bass. The tremendous response to their music was proof that his band was meant to be together. As lifelong friends, the four members find it easy to create, perform and write music together. As a band, they are influenced by rock legends like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Queensryche, and I have to say that after seeing them live, Gerald actually hits the notes that these singers can hit.
Metal Life Crisis currently has a five-song EP out that they are promoting, but plan to soon make it a full-length as they are currently in the recording stages at Submergent Studios in Middletown, NJ. They hope to release the CD before the end of 2017. For now, they plan on continuing their domination of the Jersey region performing anywhere they can to get the Metal Life Crisis name out there. Metal Life Crisis will be playing at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ this Sunday night for Ill Nino’s Halloween Homecoming show. More details on that show below in Updates. For more info on Metal Life Crisis, visit Facebook.com/MetalLifeCrisisNJ.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bud, Tommy London, recently posted his debut show intro for those of us who couldn’t make it into the city for his debut show at the Gramercy Theatre a couple of weeks ago. The video is pretty hilarious and features cameos from some of Tommy’s friends like Lady Gaga, Cuba Gooding Jr., porn star Nikki Benz, Skid Row bassist Rachel Bolan, Guns ‘N’ Roses drummer Frank Ferrer, Panzie* singer Jasin Cadic, Jen “City” Arroyo, Murray Hill and Jimmy Webb, all asking “Who the f**k is Tommy London?” ending with Gaga introducing Tommy. It was definitely entertaining and worth the watch. For more on Tommy London and to check out his intro video, visit TommyLondon.com.
My brothers from Killcode were recently invited to perform at the Hard Rock Hell Award Ceremonies in Wales, UK, which will also be streamed live on Nov. 8. Before they head across the pond, however, the Killcode boys will be doing a handful of dates opening for legendary Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider on his solo tour including Nov. 2 at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, Nov. 3 at The Paramount in Huntington, NY, and Nov. 4 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY. The train keeps rolling for Killcode. For more on Killcode, visit Killcode.net.
And finally, don’t miss my bros from Negative Sky this weekend (10/22) at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ with 40 Below Summer, Ill Nino, hedPE, DOPE and this week’s feature band, Metal Life Crisis. This is set to be a heavy night, so make sure you get there early! If you need tickets or more info about Negative Sky, hit up bassist George Pond or visit NegativeSkyBand.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, NJ07424, 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:
10/19—Dead Fish Handshake/Plain White T’s—St. George Theatre, Staten Island, NY
10/18—Jersey Campfires Production Presents Asphalt Grey/Sunday Brave/Our Fears/ Paulus Hook/The Angry Pirates—Debonair Music Hall (formerly Mexicali Live), Teaneck, 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
10/21—Makin Waves Rock Circus featuring The Silverhounds, Coach N’ Commando, Mass Folk Commons/Anthony Carrera—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
10/22—Metal Life Crisis/Negative Sky/40 Below Summer/Ill Nino/hedPE/DOPE—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
10/22—Sentinels/Prevailer/Buried Under Ruined Nations/Oceans of Illusions/My Iron Heart/Count Yoru Lies—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/24—Mushroomhead/Unsaid Fate/Ventana/Ascending From Ashes—Debonair Music Hall (formerly Mexicali Live), Teaneck, NJ
10/26—Manilla Road/Fiakra/Firefight—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/27—Circadian Lapse/Te Kalliste/One Time Without/Prince and Beggar/Embrace Agony—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
10/28—From the Concrete/Eli/The Shaking Trees/A Door with No House/The Neverends—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/29—The Inversion Circus/Joy Ride—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/2—Whiskey Dick/Sekond Skyn/Flatleaver—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
11/2—Broken Angels—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/2—Killcode/Dee Snider—The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ
11/3—Killcode/Dee Snider—The Paramount, Huntington, NY
11/3—Symetria/Sampere—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/4—Triple Goddess/Black Dawn/Ripped/Zoso—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
11/4—Don Jamieson/Dusk—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/4—Killcode/Dee Snider—The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
11/8—Jersey Campfires Production Presents Anthems For Autumn/Blackout Paul—Debonair Music Hall (formerly Mexicali Live), Teaneck, NJ
11/10—Punky Meadows of Angel—Debonair Music Hall (formerly Mexicali Live), Teaneck, NJ
