BAND: Last Regret

By Rebecca Carter

Last Regret is the latest on the local Nu Metal scene. Together for only about a year to date, the band originated as the brain child of guitarist Joe Wanski and drummer Lazlo. Together they wrote several songs and eventually rounded out the band with Josh Monds on vocals, Colin Axewell on guitar and Dana Robarge on bass.

“We started playing shows in August of ’08 and it seems like we’ve never stopped since,” explained Lazlo. “We’ve been lucky in the last year and a half or so at some of the accomplishments we’ve had and we just hope to carry that momentum into the future and propel ourselves even further.”
Some of those accomplishments include being ranked #1 metal band on onstage.com and landing some gigs with the likes of Papa Roach at Oxxfest ’09 and with Otep at Rock the Ink 2009. “In terms of bands that inspired us, we’re talking about Korn, Black Label Society, Sevendust, Tool, Killswitch Engage, Mudvayne, Slipknot…I’ll stop there because obviously that list can go on,” said Lazlo. “The main thing we try to keep in mind when we’re writing songs is that we want it to be extremely heavy but also melodic.  Basically the goal is to make music, not noise.”

So far, Last Regret has played all over New England and hope to expand their touring, but their focus for the moment is on their album, which is being produced by none other than Beau Hill, without whom the glory days of Ratt, Warrant and yes, even Winger might never have happened. “The album we’re working on is our first and it’s pretty exciting because we’re really close to finishing all the material,” said Lazlo. “It’s also pretty mind blowing when we look back and realize we worked with Beau Hill on this album. Not a lot of people get that opportunity and we still pinch ourselves sometimes. We’ve come a long way since we started and the album just solidifies our goal, drive, and desire to achieve what we want.  It means a lot to us because we put a lot of work in it. We’re all really excited to finish the album, get it out there, and rock the teeth off of people.”

For more on Last Regret, check out www.myspace.com/officiallastregret.

BAND: DRG ( David Rivers Group)

The David Rivers Group is not just a one man show with some kind of back up band. DRG is a talented four person Worcester cooperative pumping out real rock and roll! Meet the players: Dave Rivers (himself!) vox and guitar, Andy Caplan drums, Tom Morris bass, and Bobby Morin on the keyboards/ ivory keys.

This band has its mind set on world domination ~ as Dave says, “I definitely want my music to be heard EVERYWHERE in any given city. I would die a happy man.”

DRG (as they wished to be called) recently racked up multiple Turtle Boy Awards including Best Rock Band, Write-in Winner for Best Singer/ Songwriter (Dave Rivers), Most Loyal Fan Base, and the most important and coveted: Best at Playing While Drunk! Not bad for playing music together only over a year…

What’s in a name? Dave Rivers started (three years ago) as a solo act and was booked for a show at Tammany that featured all bands ~ no solo acts. So, not missing a beat, he enlisted three phenomenal musicians and voila! Not wanting to keep the name Dave Rivers Group but also not able to settle on another name, plus realizing that name-recognition was coming into play, they stuck with DRG and are rockin’ the free world!

Loaded with high energy and packing a serious dynamic heat, DRG showcases six up-tempo, hard rock songs (“Pennsylvania,” about a father/son road trip to classic car shows, beers, grilling hot dogs) and six of the more mellow tunes (“Heavy Lies The Crown” penned after watching a “Sopranos” marathon)on its Myspace page.

But as Rivers points out, “We currently have songs we recorded ourselves in a garage with our own equipment. For what we used ~ it’s good. As a recording over all…umm, it’s not very good ~ but everyone wanted us to put something up, so we did. The new songs which, as a goal, we would like up by the end of the year are our best, our favorites, and feature the amazing rhythm section of Bobby Morin, our keyboard player who is not on the songs on our Myspace.”

Completely at a loss to pinpoint DRG’s sound or compare it to any other, Rivers offers this explanation: “Rebel Yell,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Comfortably Numb,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” are all songs we cover but they are cover songs that fit in with what we are doing!”

Check out www.myspace.com/drgband.

CD: Auditory Implant

By Rebecca Carter

Most high school bands won’t last past graduation, and although the members of Auditory Implant went their separate ways for college, they couldn’t stay away for long and got back together faster then their first student loans bills came in.

“We wrote, recorded and gigged locally quite a bit,” recalled drummer and singer Josh Hunt. “The band was put on hold in 2000 as we all went off to college. In 2004 we got back together as Auditory Implant. We started writing and playing again and haven’t looked back.” With Josh, Andrew Lariviere on guitar, Andy Hunt on bass and the latest addition of Matt Johnson also on drums, the band which has now consistently been together for five years is about to embark on their first album.

“This Time is our first full length album,” explained Josh. “We’ve done some demos and EPs in the past, but this one is our baby! It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Steve Hunt in his own recording studio, ‘The Kitchen’ in Chelmsford, MA. The album took almost three years to complete. We wanted to get it right. We think the album stays true to our individual tastes and is an honest compilation of music we all want to be a part of.”

Maybe like The Beach Boys, but we hope not like The Jacksons, Auditory Implant is also a “family business.” With brothers Josh and Andy in the band, and their father producing, This Time brings together a number of different styles stemming from the influences of the individual members. “Andy and I grew up in a musical home. Our father is a jazz/fusion keyboardist and Andrew’s father is also a guitarist and has played in several rock n’ roll bands,” revealed Josh. ”We call ourselves a hard rock band, though clearly there are metal and progressive undertones throughout the album. We love the combination of groove rock: odd meters and intricate riffs and singable melodies. It’s all the stuff we love about rock mashed into one. Individually, Andrew definitely brings the metal. I like more of the pop side of things and Andy pulls it together with his melodic funk lines.”

For now, Auditory Implant enjoys playing locally (they charmed the crowd at Ralph’s in September) and although This Time was just released in August, they already have plans to return to the studio within the next few months.

For more information on Auditory Implant, including a list of upcoming gigs, check out www.auditoryimplant.com and www.myspace.com/auditoryimplantband. This Time is also available on Amazon and iTunes.

Graduate: Castine
By Tom Godfrey

For the past several years, Castine has been a rising star in the Worcester music scene. With their gigs getting bigger, as well as further into the entertainment meccas of Boston and New York, it is only a matter of time before they are no longer a Worcester band. Indeed, Castine stands on the precipice of mainstream success.

Since they last appeared in Pulse, Castine has racked up the accolades. They were in the finals to open Earthfest in Boston and recently nabbed top honors at the Turtle Boy Music Awards. They have also changed their lineup ever so slightly. Mike Kittredge remains on vocals and guitar, but Greg Hyder is now on drums, making way for newcomer Tom Morris on bass.

“I draw from a different pool of influences,” says Morris, “I play big rock bass, which has proven to be a great mix with Greg’s big beats and Mike’s big chords.”

“Switching to drums changed everything,” Hyder says. “Castine is a power trio which puts a lot of control in my lap as a drummer. I enjoy being in charge of the swing.”

And swing Castine does. Their sound is as frantic and melodic as ever. The first three songs from their upcoming E.P. Behold a Faulty Mind (recorded at Q-Division Studios in Somerville) sound simultaneously familiar and new. The tunes are still laden with clever lyrics, danceable rhythms and sharp, funky hooks; Kitteredge’s voice remains as dynamic as ever, but the music has a decidedly tighter rock feel to it. The band has grown, in part thanks to the new lineup.

“Greg plays so big,” says Kittredge, “he really fills out the sound. Tom is a very powerful player and adds a lot of muscle to the trio. He plays with quite a bit of confidence which comes through in the songs.”

The nonstop energy of their shows is becoming legendary. According to Kittredge, their song catalog is expansive enough to allow tunes to be linked together at a show so that song downtime is virtually nonexistant.

“It holds the crowd’s attention more than just playing a song, stopping to chat, then trying to get them interested again,” says Kittredge.

Castine’s flock of loyal fans continues to grow with every show played. It is only a matter of time before even Ralph’s can’t hold everyone.

For more on Castine and Behold a Faulty Mind, head to www.castinemusic.com.