EMPIRE ON FIRE – Fairfield, NJ

I found this cool new band from Fairfield, NJ, who happens to be playing Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ on June 6 with my buds Arc’d Angel. The name of the band is Empire On Fire and their singer Karina Kari has some set of pipes! The band didn’t have much to listen to on their website, but there were teaser videos off of the band’s four-song EP, including a song called “Finite Heart,” and from what I was able to hear, Empire On Fire reminds me of the Jersey version of NYC’s Charetta, with great guitar work, strong vocals, and really good songwriting.

Empire On Fire is a five-piece hard rock, pop, and metal band out of New Jersey, who formed in the spring of 2017 when keyboardist Boris Zaks invited guitarist Brad Capinjola to join him in collaborating on a new project. Later in 2017, drummer Dan Prestup and bassist Semi Quaver joined the band to round off the instrumental portion of the band, while their search for the right singer continued. It wasn’t until the spring of 2018 when Empire On Fire discovered the talents of singer Karina Kari, who won the job. Once the band’s lineup was complete, Empire On Fire started preparing to head into the studio to record their debut four-song EP. They spent months writing new material and eventually selected Daniel Malsch from Soundmine Recording Studios in East Stroudsburg, PA to be the band’s producer. They finished recording in the summer of 2018 and released their first single “Finite Heart,” which is streaming everywhere. The debut EP was released last week.

Currently, Empire On Fire is looking for opportunities to play shows and promote their music to everyone who will listen through a variety of channels, including social media. They like to describe their sound as Evanescence meets Lady Gaga meets Van Halen. Yes, that means you must check them out! For more info visit EmpireOnFireMusic.com.

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

My buds from Orbynot unleashed their first music video for their song “Bury the Dead” off of their latest record Metal-Morph-Us. The music video looked like a full-blown zombie apocalypse, which is fitting for Dungeons & Dragons metal! For more info on Orbynot and to check out the video for “Bury the Dead,” visit Orbynot.com…. My brothers from Sekond Skyn landed a killer gig at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ on July 7 opening for Dave Ellefson from Megadeth. Ellefson will be performing a full set of Megadeth classics and songs from his upcoming record Sleeping Giants. This is an amazing gig for the Sekond Skyn boys! For discounted tickets, hit up Sekond Skyn at Facebook.com/SekondSkynMusic. By the way, speaking of Sekond Skyn and the Brighton Bar, I’d like to send a huge congrats to my Sekond Skyn brothers for being inducted to the Brighton Bar’s iconic band wall. That is such an amazing accomplishment! And finally, “The Rock Doc,” or Dr. Dave Rosenfeld from the band Out of Bounds has a new project he’s working on with his Out of Bounds drummer, Andrew Sosa. The name of the new project is called Tonal Crush, and Dr. Dave assured me that Out of Bounds is definitely not done. Tonal Crush will pick up dates that Out of Bounds can’t perform. Not a bad idea and it keeps you performing right? Be careful, Dr. Dave! One of the bands will become more popular leading to one going “bye-bye!” I only say this because I have been there! Anyway, keep an ear out for Dr. Dave’s new project, Tonal Crush, at Facebook.com/TonalCrush.

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:

5/30—Vicious Rumors/Voodoo Terror Tribe/Blud Red Roses—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

5/31—Ape Fight—Ruba Club, Philadelphia, PA

5/31—The Witch Kings/Night Gallery/Dark Reverence/Waking Dream—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/1—Empire On Fire/Arc’d Angel/Makes My Blood Dance/Rebels United/Mindrazer/Lucidity—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/2—Texas Hippie Coalition/Dirty Black 7/Zero/Chaotic Realm—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/11—Jernee Mill/Hinder—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ

6/13—Warrior Soul—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ

6/13—Damn Glad—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/14—See Plus—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ

6/15—Zach Matari and The After Parti/Soapbox Sound/Switch Mob/Mykesoul/Malibu— Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ

6/21—Unlocking The Truth/Dissentience/Wading Nine—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/22—NJ Metalfest 5 feat. Metal Mike from Halford/Lyken21/DETH KAKTUS/Pierced/Korotory/FULL SCALE RIOT/Prey Upon/Dead City Crown/Our Dying World/Know Your Enemy/Me With Creeps—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ

6/23—Shallowside—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

6/25—Moon Sand Land/Pictoria Vark/Kid Sistr/Gavin Caine—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ

6/27—Smile Empty Soul/Coldville/Dead Eyes/Answer Infinity/Our Fears/Circle of Grief—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

7/3—Bobaflex/9Electric/Spider Rockets/Sister Salvation/Libricide—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ