REVEL 9—Long Beach, NY
One band that I can’t believe I’ve never written about, but always admired and even played a benefit for was the band Revel 9 from Long Island. I’m not sure why I never wrote about them, but when I saw them live a couple of weeks ago at the Jersey Shore Music Festival, it reminded me that I needed to write about them. These guys are tight, heavy, and amazing musicians. Singer DJ Pearlman is a hard rock singer through and through, and guitarist George Kazamias is a riffing machine!
Revel 9 consists of NY/NJ music scene vet and singer/guitarist, DJ Pearlman, award-winning guitarist George Kazamias, drummer Nidal Mahmoud, and bassist Tony DiPaola. This updated lineup brings a new energy to the project, both on and off stage that has really resurged the band in many ways leading up to their latest release, The Reality Crush. Launching an immediate assault on the local music scene, Revel 9 quickly became a band to watch. Rocking hard in front of large audiences since their debut release in 2011, The Razorblade Diaries, the band became a local favorite on the club scene, with promoters and fans. Revel 9 has blown fans away across the region, from sold-out home shows out on Long Island to performing at major area venues like the Mercury Lounge in NYC to the now defunct Legendary Dobbs in Philadelphia to a record-setting attendance show at Six Flags Great Adventure during its famed “Fright Fest” concert series. Revel 9 has also been known to play at most of the area music conferences and festivals including the Liberty, Jersey Shore and Long Island Music Festivals, CMJ, Millennium Music Conference, and MEANYFest.
Playing a huge role in the sonic evolution of Revel 9 is a remixer and producer named “Pull”, who has worked with the likes of Rob Thomas and Mick Jagger to Skillet and Shinedown. A longtime friend, Pull enjoyed some of Pearlman’s earlier material but always pushed the singer to dig deeper. Pearlman played some of the songs he had been working on that would eventually become The Razorblade Diaries, and through his guidance, helped define the sound of Revel 9. Pull and Revel 9 would hook up again to craft The Reality Crush, which the band continues to support. You can catch Revel 9 at The Rail in Smithtown, NY next Friday night (6/15) with Dino Skatepark, Craving Strange, Danger Club and Know Your Enemy. For more on Revel 9 or to find out where they’re playing next, visit Revel9.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bro, Steve Bello has finally released his latest CD, Marblehead, a couple weeks ago featuring the title-track and “Time to Fly.” I mentioned this a few times before the CD was released, but it’s worth mentioning again. Performing with guitar wiz, Steve Bello on Marblehead are bassist Chris Davison and drummer Ronnie Mormino from Inversion Circus, whom I finally met in person a couple of weekend ago at the Jersey Shore Music Festival in Seaside Heights, NJ. It’s no wonder Steve picked Chris and Ronnie to play on his new record. They’re like three peas in a pod! You have to check out Marblehead as soon as you get a chance. Pick up your copy today at SteveBelloRocks.com. He might even send you an autographed copy!
My brother, Rob Middleton has finally put his new project on the map by way of a new music video called “The Fist.” The name of Rob’s new project is Pierced and it features guitarist John Barone, bassist Mike Thomas and drummer Joe D’Aqui. The song and video are pretty bad ass, but I wouldn’t have expected anything less from Rob Middleton. For more on his new project, Pierced, visit PiercedTheBand.com, where you can also see the music video for “The Fist”
And finally, with Ashes of Your Enemy calling it quits with their final show back in early May, drummer Matt Goida can now focus on his new project Blud Red Roses, who recently released their new music video for the song “Writing On The Wall.” Matt is extremely excited about this project, which he called a bit more hard-rock than the Metal he was used to playing with Ashes. You can catch Blud Red Rose live next Friday night (6/15) at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck with Arc’d Angel, Sinertia, and From The Concrete. Or you can catch them the following weekend (6/23) at Dingbatz in Clifton with my bros from The Pain Method. For more on Blud Red Roses and their new music video for “Writing On The Wall,” visit Facebook.com/BludRedRoses.
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:
6/7—Danny Diablo and Mars/Full Scale Riot—QXT’s, Newark, NJ
6/7—Seven Spires/Hate Storm Annihilation/Erciyes Fragment/Sacred Ash—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/15—Revel 9/Dino Skatepark/Craving Strange/Danger Club/Know Your Enemy—The Rail, Smithtown, NY
6/15—Jersey Campfires Presents: Arc’d Angel/Sinertia/From The Concrete/Blud Red Roses—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/16—BoundAlive/Ripped/Till Death Do Us Part/Geoff Tate’s Operation Mindcrime—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
6/16—Lane Six Birthday Bash Tribute Night with Reality Suite/Tempt/New Day Dawn/Lunatic Fringe—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/21—Among Us/Shallow Side—House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ
6/22—Adolescents/Electric Frankenstein/Jon Caspi and the First Gun/Executors—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
6/22—The Foxfires—The Delancey, NYC
6/23—The Pain Method “What Doesn’t Kill You…” Release Show/Blud Red Roses/Defcon -1/Lobster Chicken/Vision Serpent—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/23—Metal Life Crisis/High Octane/The Walk Arounds—Jackson Moose, Lodge 1459, Jackson, NJ
6/23—The NJ MetalFest 4 featuring Whiplash (Final area appearance ever)/Psychoprism/Deadtide/Robots and Monsters/Scars of Envy/The Broken Co/Xenophile/Lyken21/The Donner
Party/Dead Girls Don’t Say No/Non-Residents/Fever Vein—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/23—Barren One—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
6/29—Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
6/30—Ropetree (CD Release Party)/Vextion/Lower The Veil/December Morning—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
7/7—Revel 9—89 North, Patchogue, NY
7/20—Sponge/Johnny Zostant Music/Incognito Theory/Mikell’s Plot/The Jumping Juvies/Mike Daly and The Planets—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
