VEXES – Asbury Park, NJ
Last week, the band Vexes, from Asbury Park, NJ, released their debut CD, Ancient Geometry, and thanks to my friends at Adrenaline P.R., I had a chance to give the CD a listen. Ancient Geometry is right up my alley. It’s full of heavy, bone-crushing guitar riffs, thunderous bass and drums, and vocal harmonies that go on for days. The songs “Helion,” “Decisions Are Death Here,” “No Color” featuring Mikey Carvajal from the band Islander, and the title track are songs you’ll want to listen to over and over again.
According to their bio, before forming Vexes in 2016, guitarist John Klagholz and singer and guitarist Charlie Berezansky and original bassist Brian Symniuk performed together in a more mainstream Jersey rock band, Vessl. After Vessl broke up, John re-opened the band’s vault of old riffs that he liked, but were too heavy for Vessl. John and Charlie got to work and developed the songs over time. When Vexes finally finished most of what would become Ancient Geometry, they sent the songs to friends and industry contracts, including ex-A Life Once Lost drummer Justin Graves from the Asbury Park music scene, who raved about the songs and ended up becoming the band’s drummer. After Symniuk left the band late last year due to various circumstances, another former member of A Life Once Lost named Bobby Carpenter began to fill in on the bass duties. While Vexes had an entirely different sound than Vessl, the two bands had one element in common. Both strived to expand beyond the parameters of traditional rock arrangements without straying from their musical roots.
Ancient Geometry should appeal to the fans of bands that Vexes love, but also to anyone who enjoys creative, eclectic and surprising hard rock and heavy metal. While Ancient Geometry isn’t a concept record, it’s definitely meant to be taken as a whole as opposed to digested in pieces. From start to finish, this CD takes listeners on a musical journey. Vexes are headed for a big year here in 2018. Catch them live and hear songs from Ancient Geometry! For more info on Vexes, visit Facebook.com/WeAreVexes.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers in Ryder have released a brand new live EP, For What It’s Worth. James Ryder and crew released the EP the day before Valentine’s Day with a release party at Blackthorn 51 in Queens. For What It’s Worth features live versions of the songs “Do Or Die,” “Is Rock ‘N’ Roll Dead?,” “Slave To Love,” “L.O.A. Club,” and “When It All Comes Down.” All of these songs can be heard in May at Rocklahoma when Ryder shares the stage with bands like Godsmack, A Perfect Circle, Poison, Cheap Trick, Halestorm, Ghost, Vince Neil, Ghost, Stone Temple Pilots and The Cult just to name a few. For more on the band Ryder, visit Facebook.com/RyderBand.
My girl, Queen V released a new music video for her song “Day One” off of her CD, Bridges: Volume 2. She released the video on the first of the month and it’s filled with performance footage from her album’s release week at The Cutting Room in NYC. Queen V returns to The Cutting Room on April 20 with “Queen V’s Spring Fling.” For more on Queen V’s Spring Fling and to check out the video for “Day One,” visit QueenV.com.
And finally, my boys from Resurge have put the finishing touches on their upcoming EP, Judgment Day, over at the legendary Showplace Studios in Dover, NJ. This will be the first release for Resurge and will feature the songs “This Is The End,” “Bad News,” “Say Your Prayers” and “Nothing Glamorous.” As some of you know, Resurge is the reincarnation of the popular Jersey band Audio Empire, reformed by bassist and my BFF, Roy Brunston. The boys are looking for a late spring, early summer release. You can catch Resurge live in a couple of weeks on St. Patrick’s Day at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ with Lynch Mob, Incognito Theory and War for the Crown. Resurge was also added to Missi Fieretag’s Birthday Bash at the Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ on April 28 with my buds KILLCODE, Arc’d Angel, Baelfire, and COMMON WEALTH. For more info, visit Facebook.com/RESURGEmusic.
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:
3/2—American Grim/Steel Spades Syndicate/Out of Bounds/Monitor/Tiny Hueman/Illusions of Grandeur/Lucidity—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/2—Jaded Past—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
3/3—Stereo Jo/Public Trade/Back From Nothing/Fat Chance/The Crowning/Slang Terms (EP Release Show)—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/9—Rahway/Paulus Hook/Dead Fish Handshake/Among Us/Know Your Enemy—Dingnbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/10—Anthems For Autumn/Devil’s Bubblegum/Autoerotica/NewBorn Kings/NO FUTURE (Sex Pistols Tribute band)—The Cricket Club, Irvington, NJ
3/11—Crazy Town/Davey Suicide/Blue Lizard—Dingnbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/16—Roughhouse/Corners of Sanctuary/SYMETRIA/Conquer at Will—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/17—Resurge/Incognito Theory/War for the Crown/Lynch Mob—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
3/17—Brand of Julez/Sometimes the Devil/Sunday Brave—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/23—Judas Priestess (All Female Tribute to Judas Priest)/Psychoprism/Orbynot/Uncrafted/Atomic Minds/Anatomy of the Sacred/Sampere—Dingnbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/23—Black Water Rising/Lower The Veil/Warhammer/BlackSky/Flatleaver—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
3/24—RONIN/Pop Evil—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
3/24—Crimshaw CD Release Party/BLACK DAWN/Brand of Julez—Arlene’s Grocery, NYC
3/30—Rahway/Sekond Skyn/BoundAlive/The Walk Arounds/Painted Doll/Monster Magnet—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
3/31—Under Blood Red Skies/Empire Fallen/Gathering After Ashes/Shivers, The Lifeless Butler—Dingnbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/6—Metal Life Crisis/Elm Street /DIRKSCHNEIDER—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
4/13—Buckcherry/Another Day Dawns/War For The Crown—Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg, PA
4/18—Life Of Agony/Borgo Pass—Saint Vitus, NYC
4/19—Life of Agony/Pain Method—Saint Vitus, NYC
4/20—Queen V’s Spring Fling—The Cutting Room, NYC
4/21—Janet Gardner of VIXEN/SINERTIA/Loaded Gun/Sunday Brave/Knightlife/Alden—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/28—Missi Fieretag’s Birthday Bash featuring KILLCODE/Arc’d Angel/Baelfire/Resurge/COMMON WEALTH—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
