ETHERIUS—Closter, NJ
An amazing prog-metal band from North Jersey recently came across my desk by way of my buddy Denise Santoro. After checking out their music video for the song “The Inevitable End” off of their upcoming EP, Thread of Life, which drops on August 24, this band is simply mind-blowing! The band I’m speaking of call themselves Etherius and they’re sort of an all-star band from the local Jersey music scene with members from some of North Jersey’s popular metal bands.
Etherius was formed last year by guitarist Jay Tarantino, who was the touring rhythm guitarist for my brother and instrumental virtuoso, Angel Vivaldi. Looking to step away from the “sideman” role and lead his own project, Jay looked to create a band that made music unlike the electronic stylings of the current instrumental guitar scene. Tarantino had the idea to combine his love of old school thrash bands like Megadeth, Testament, and Iced Earth with neoclassical shred and progressive metal. Jay hooked up with his old friend and drummer/producer Zaki Ali, formerly of Darkness Descends, after a chance encounter at NAMM the convention in Anaheim early last year. Jay and Zaki would finalize Etherius’s line-up a few months later with the addition of bassist Chris Targia and second guitarist John Kiernan, who I featured in June 2017 as a solo artist and fellow WWE-lover. Etherius is about to release their debut EP, Thread of Life on August 24, but for now, can be seen on various stages around the tri-state area the rest of this summer. If their music video for “The Inevitable End” was any indication of what we can expect from Thread of Life, all I can say is we’re in for a sonic metal treat. You can catch Etherius live at The Loft in The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY this Saturday night (8/4) with Within The Ruins or you can find out more info about Etherius online at Facebook.com/EtheriusBand.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My buds from Ryder are celebrating their second year as a band with an anniversary show at Dingbatz in Clifton this Friday night (8/3). Also performing will be Hyngd from Upstate New York, Cold Blooded Capitol, Royal Revolution, my bros from Out Of Bounds, Makes My Blood Dance and Sleeping Village. If you’ve never seen Ryder live, check out their live video for their song “Hard Time” from their performance at this year’s Rocklahoma at Facebook.com/RyderBand, where you can also find out more info on the band.
My bass bro, A.J. Tess from the band Corevalay, has a new project where he gets to dress like an alien. Yes, I said an alien! A.J. has been performing “alien” rock with former Piston Driven and Connected bandmate Fern in a project called Brothers of Alien Rock. The power trio recently performed in front of a captive audience in Roswell, N.M. during the Fourth of July week, and they have a new CD coming out. Check out Brothers of Alien Rock now at Facebook.com/AlienRockMusic.
And finally, my little brothers in rock, Brand of Julez are heading out on the road again. This time they’re hitting the road with Orgy and Motorgrater with stops in this area around September. The Zamora brothers are doing this right and making a name for themselves around the U.S. For more on the Brand of Julez boys, visit Facebook.com/BrandofJulez.
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:
8/2—The Last Martyr—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/3—Jersey Campfires Presents: Another Distraction/A Midnight Tragedy—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/3—Ryder 2 Year Anniversary Show/Hyngd/Cold Blooded Capitol/Royal Revolution/Out Of Bounds/Makes My Blood Dance/Sleeping Village—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/3—Jaded Past—Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
8/4—Etherius/Within The Fire—The Loft at The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
8/4—Psychostick/Urizen/Funghoul/Deth Kaktus/Broth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/5—Common Wealth/Rise Against/A.F.I./Anti-Flag—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
8/7—Within The Ruins/Phinehas/Great American Ghost/Subverse/Circadian Lapse/Lost in Tides—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/10—Dead City Crown/Exinfernum/Dark Reverence—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/11—Rahway/Eve to Adam—Fete Music Hall, Providence, RI
8/11—Legion/Metal Life Crisis/Sunless Sky—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/12—See Plus/Dead End/Shutter/Triangle of Safety/Kathodial—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/15—Eyes Set To Kill/Dayshell/Awake At Last/Vexes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/17—Sean Tobin—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
8/17—Mazzaroth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/18—Sean Tobin—Red Fox Beach Bar and Grill, Seaside Park, NJ
8/18—Zach Matari/Soapbox Sound/The Happy Fits—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/18—Fuel/Ropetree/The Revel/New Theory/Views Into Vastness—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
8/19—Monument of a Memory/Among The Thorns (EP Release Show)/TheWarWithin/It Gets Worse/Call of Sirens/For Those Who Can See/Acrolein—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/22—Sean Tobin—Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ
8/23—Arsenic—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/23—Mutant Daisies/C.R. & The Degenerates/The Big Swim/Smock—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/24—Out of Bounds/Corey Glover—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
8/24—Black Water Rising/Black Dawn/Alyxx—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/26—September Mourning/Kaleido/Charcoal Tongue/Libricide/Horriblyright—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/31—Morningside Lane/Our Fears (CD Release)—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/31—Sideslam/Spice Weasel/The Neverends/The Sugar Skull Gypsys—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
