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Break's Over

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:52:49 +0100

Break's over.
I took a few weeks off to focus on building a kickass Haunted House (Video to, hopefully, come soon!) at school and handle some personal things. Don't worry, you'll hear all about it on the album. So far there's eleven songs written and two tracks that've been sent out for collabs with other artists.
Regardless, some serious personal shit went down this past weekend and after a month of hardly touching my bass (and actually considering giving up at some points), I'm definitely ready to get back to work and take some names.
Expect some real news in the upcoming weeks. I'm on a mission.

- Hudson E

CKY Returns Home to Philly on Their Last Stop

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:19:41 +0100

CKY Returns Home to Philly on Their Last Stop

This past Saturday (August, 15), CKY ended their 3 month U.S. tour in support of their latest release, “Carver City”, in their home city of Philadelphia, PA. The CKY Alliance (the band’s fan base) came out in full force to see their native heroes lay ground at the Theater of Living Arts (the TLA), and the band more than delivered.

Once hitting the stage, CKY attacked fans with their distinct, in your face hard rock/punk hybrid of music, never letting the audience catch their breath. Each song was given an intense edge, as the band stormed through songs that spanned their entire catalog. Songs like “Escape From Hellview” and “Attached At The Hip” sounded even heavier and more intense live, while new songs “Hellions On Parade” and “Imaginary Threats” gave the fans a rush of energy. You could feel the crowd rapture into excitement when the first notes of “96 Quite Bitter Beings” were hammered out. In between songs and when the audience took a quick break from chanting (which only lasted seconds), the band teased the audience with 30 sample clips/ covers of obscure songs that included Cher’s “If You Believe In Love” and Flo Rida’s “A-I-R”. However, after a quick play, CKY stopped to highlight their silliness and went straight back into the fist pumping rock songs they are known for.

With its mix of technical yet simple melodic hard rock, CKY sounded extremely tight. Just looking at the band, you could tell that they relished in the CKY chants they received from their hometown loyals. Guitarist Chad I. Ginsburg took the role of the main cheerleader, making fans chant “CKY” whenever he had a chance while simultaneously blitzing through guitar solos and bouncing off everything on stage. Singer/guitarist Deron Miller traded riff duties with Chad while singing each note and chorus with drive and passion. The two guitarists added more brutality to each song as they wailed through riffs together, while drummer Jess Margera pounded through heavy drum patterns and bassist Matt Deis kept a strong presence onstage. Throughout the entire show, the band appeared confident and fierce on stage while hammering each song into the already captivated audience.

Before CKY took the stage, fans were treated to stellar performances from Post Punk/Metal band Fall From Grace, Doom Metal band ASG and Stoner/Jam Rockers Graveyard. With each band added their own sense of diversity to the tour’s last show, CKY stole the entire night as they performed their own unique style of music in the city where they got their start. To say the least, the band’s home town show was truly a success. Whether you were a fan since the band’s debut in 1999 with “Vol. 1” or became a fan recently with the release of their latest CD “Carver City”, you couldn’t help but leave the show ecstatic with joy.

- Zach Shaw

Mayhem Fest Delivers The Goods in Camden, NJ

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:17:16 +0100

Mayhem Fest Delivers the Goods In Camden, NJ.
The sun is beaming bright. A parking lot is full of sweaty, die hard metal fans. And only the sounds of “SLAYER!” chants can be heard from the crowd. This can only mean one thing: Mayhem Fest has rolled into town. The second annual Mayhem Festival, co-headlined by thrash titans Slayer and the infamous Marilyn Manson, arrived in Camden, New Jersey this past Friday. With a lineup made up of 13 bands spread out on three different stages, this year’s Mayhem Festival delivered the goods. By giving fans such a unique caliber of bands, and the opportunity to interact with those bands and their fellow concert goers, it was close to impossible to leave the show without a smile (or an evil grin if you’re too hardcore to smile). The following is a summary of what went down at each stage and in my opinion which band had the best performance from each stage.
On the Main Stage, Bullet For My Valentine, who the metal community seems to have a love/hate relationship with, kicked things off. While the band didn’t blow my mind away, playing a new tune in addition to songs from their catalog, the U.K. metal band received a positive response from the audience and in return gave an energetic performance. Next, the equally loved/hated Killswitch Engage stepped up to the stage to deliver an entertaining set. While Adam Dutkiewicz’s onstage antics were a bit too goofy and distracting from the performance (I guess Kerry King was right), singer Howard Jones’ strength in his vocals and presence on stage are undeniable. While BFMV and KSE definitely gave it their all, everything changed once the one and only Slayer took the stage. As the band stormed through classics like “Angel of Death”, “Raining Blood”, “War Ensamble”, “Mandatory Suicide”, and “Dead Skin Mask”, you were left in awe of the power possessed by the Metal Icons. Each riff, each solo and each scream tore you from limb to limb. It still amazes me how Kerry King, Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo has remained such a tight unit musically after all these years together. And as for the other co-headliner, Marilyn Manson….in order for me to maintain a positive outlook on the amazing experience held at this year’s Mayhem Fest, I will simply state this: you think its fun to watch a clown in a train wreck until you actually see it occur.

BEST OF THE MAIN STAGE: Slayer
WHY?: …… Do I really need to further explain?!
On the Jagermeister Side Stage, fans were treated to performances from today’s future giants of metal. New Jersey’s own God Forbid stirred the crowd into frenzy with their in your face thrash metal, while mass-core sensation All That Remains had the crowd in the palm of their fingers throughout their entire set. The Jagermeister Stage’s headliner, Trivium, worked the parking lot as if they were performing to an arena filled with thousands of fans with its own batch of melodic metal.

BEST OF THE JAGERMEISTER STAGE: God Forbid
WHY?: All That Remains and Trivium gave top notch performances that made me into a giddy fan (that’s right, I am not ashamed to admit). However, the NJ Thrashers gave a stunning hometown performance that made this fellow Jersey Boy proud.
On the Hot Topic Side Stage, lovers of the underground scene were treated to pounding performances from up and coming favorites White Chapel and Job For A Cowboy, both leaving a mark on the audience early on. In addition, performance from fan favorites The Black Dahlia Murder and Behemoth made it next to impossible for fans to not jump into a mosh pit and cause chaos. If their performances weren’t enough to make even the pickiest metal fan happy, a performance from death metal gods Cannibal Corpse certainly did the job.

BEST OF THE HOT TOPIC STAGE: Behemoth
WHY?: This was a tough one. While seeing Black Dahlia Murder for the first time live made me into a devoted fan, and witnessing Cannibal Corpse live was truly brutal, I have to give it to Behemoth. For they are the first band I have seen who can deliver in your face, pounding metal while garnered in such medieval armor and white make up. That is simply kick ass!

- Zach Shaw

Sean's Sick

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:05:04 +0100

I don't have a lot of information to give at this moment in time but Sean Corbett, our drummer, has been having some health issues in the past week severe enough so that I just simply can't ask him to play with The Way Out Is Through any longer. No we don't have a new drummer, but we're looking at a couple of people to audition / jam with. I'll give updates as soon as I know something. But in the meantime keep Sean in your thoughts and check back for updates!

New Shows, New Members, New Plans, and New Free Music!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:49:57 +0100

Hello all,

It's been awhile since I last wrote, but I've got a couple news items that I thought y'all might be interested in...

Introducing...Ryan Daniels

Born in Bolton, UK Ryan Daniels was originally headed down the path of a classical musician. But after two years of training in the violin, Daniels was introduced to the otherwordly wailings of Robin Finck while he was touring with Nine Inch Nails on the Self-Destruct and Further Down The Spiral tours in 1994-1995. The devil music had him and wouldn't let go, as Daniels began pushing himself to get better sometimes even practicing up to 10 hours a day. Ryan's talents would go largely unnoticed however, as Ryan never wanted to partake in a project he wasn't excited to be a part of.
Almost 15 years later at about twelve-midnight, Ryan would end up hitching a ride in the backseat of Hudson's car from a concert and roughly six months later, he would meet with Hudson again at roughly the same time, to discuss possible membership within The Way Out Is Through. A small, quiet audition was organized, and after a jam session that went swimmingly, Ryan Daniels was invited into the band.
Ryan's influences have shifted over the years from Robin Finck, to John 5, but currently his interests have settled on Steve Vai. Ryan plays with the ferocity of a caged animal just dying to be free, with his roots in a solid rhythm tradition Ryan knows how to hold it down, but he certainly isn't afraid to occasionally cut loose with a dive-bombing, face-melting guitar solo.

New Show on September 12th!

We'll be playing a street side show at The Shrewsbury Shuffle on September 12th! Check out details of the event here!

City Streets for Free Download.

If you haven't already taken advantage of this do it soon, it's only available for two more months! Go and download this demo of a new song off of my upcoming full length, the song City Streets. Microsoft has been kind enough to sponsor the song and thus make it available for free download WAY before the next CD is even remotely close to being finished. Speaking of which, the closest I can think of that getting released is some time towards the end of next summer, and that's assuming I can get enough saved up to pull it off.

A Crazy Idea And A New Goal...

On Mediocrity...

I'm the kind of guy that either wants to be the best or the worst at something. My rational for this is that if you're one of the two, you're most likely to be remembered later on. Think about it...everyone knows such great bands as The Beatles, Rage Against The Machine, Radiohead, Dr. Dre, etc. But everyone also remembers such terrible bands/artists like WIlliam Hung and oldschool Britney Spears (whose new stuff is a guilty pleasure of mine though, I must confess.). Amidst all this no one bothers to remember the artists that are generally viewed as "okay". For example not many people have heard of the band "Television" (a 70s punk band that kicked ass and opened up for The Ramones on more than one occasion) or remember "Chronic Future" (Those one hit rap-rock wonders from a few years ago that had the single "Time And Time Again.").
As such, mediocrity is something I have come to loathe and despise more than anything else. When I get on stage I either want to blow your mind or I want you to walk out pissed at me for wasting your time. Last semester was a learning experience. It was my first time operating a band under this model and it was my first time being in a serious project outside of "Faster! Faster!". I learned a whole lot and Clark University proved to be an excellent test market for what The Way Out Is Through has to offer. Now, I have a much better idea of what and what not to do. Last semester was mediocre, but this semester I'm positive things will be different. You're either gonna love us or hate us.

The Goal

The Way Out Is Through is a unique project in that it's chief aim is versatility. I want to be able to play at an electronica festival as well as punk clubs and Family-Fun-Days. Bandages is a bit of a selfish album, During the past performances of TWOIT I was more focused on expressing what I was going through at the time, and less focused on showing my audience a good time. Set lists were designed to convey a certain feeling that I was trying to express, not what the audience was wanting to feel at the time. There's a line that I have learned to walk, a line between expression and entertainment. After looking at the results from a survey I sent out awhile ago, conferring with some random fans to get their opinion, and having a lot of discussions friends, family, and other artists that I respect...I think the central problem was that I expected too much from my market.

A Three-Part Solution

Here's what's going on, we're going to start playing a bunch of new material, but at the same time we're holding onto the songs that perhaps weren't so appropriate for venues that we've played before. In other words, TWOIT is learning multiple set lists.
Right when we start rehearsals we're going to be focusing on our "Party List", mostly funk-rock songs like "Don't Care" (with a whole slew of new ones that I've written over the summer) and a couple of covers that we're sure you're going to enjoy. This set list is meant for parties, dances, and can be tailored to be family friendly for the kiddies. All in all, this is probably the set list that everyone at Clark University wanted last year, but didn't get.
There's going to be the "Indy-Electronica" set list, which will have a more electronic feel to it and will have songs like "1900" and "City Streets", this will be aimed more at Indy-Kids, Art-Rock lovers, and (let's be honest here) Stoners.
Finally there's going to be the "Rock Show" set list. This is going to be where songs like "Endorphin", "My Best Shot", and a bunch of new songs end up. This is targeted for club gigs, metal bars, etc.
Ultimately, the band is going to become three separate acts within one band, changing to accommodate the venue and the audience. It'll be the same band, same members, but things like stage antics and dress are going to be different depending on the set list. (Wearing all black for a family oriented show just seems pretentious you know?) On gig announcements I'll be sure to include what set list is going to be played that night. For example, on our Myspace instead of just reading "Venue - Time - Cost", you'll see "Venue - Time - Cost - Funk/Rock/Electronica".
All in all, I feel like this decision is going to make the band a lot more viable for playing any kind of venue / audience while simultaneously allowing me to express myself in whatever way I chose. This is also a little risky. I'm gonna be asking a LOT from my guys here, and there is a chance of, instead of becoming "Great" in one market, we might become "Great" in one market, "Horrible" in another, and "Okay" in the third. I can't think of a time when a band has actually made it a goal to not play only one genre live, but who knows...maybe because it hasn't been done before, that's exactly the reason why it'll work.

Demos for Bandages Available For Free Download.

Now that Bandages (Click here to download it for free!) has been out for a few months I thought it might be pretty cool to do something a little extra and release the demos that I used going into the studio. Just a little something extra for anyone curious about the creative process or just wanting some semi-alternative versions of the songs that appeared on Bandages. Most of them sound really different from how the recordings turned out, and they'll probably end up sounding completely different from the re-recordings of "1900", "My Best Shot", and "Don't Care" that I record on the next album.

Support TWOIT!

Interested in supporting The Way Out Is Through? Purchase Bandages online through pretty much any online outlet you can think of, iTunes, Napster, Amazon, etc. All the money received goes directly back into the project and anything / everything will help keep me going.
No money to donate but still want to help out? Drop me a line on Reverbnation, Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace and let me know what you'd like to do. Nerds (Web Designers and Photoshoppers, etc), Artkids (Photographers and Flier Designers), Tanks (Roadies, Muscle), and Hustlers (Merch Table Workers and Ticket Sellers) are always wanted.

Microsoft Makes Possible The Release Of A New Song!

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:44:21 +0100

Now, personally I'm more of a Macfag myself (I'm typing this on my sleek and stylish black Macbook while sipping my mocha-latte cappuccino with 2% milk and a twist of orange.), but I have to have some respect for any company intelligent enough to hire one of my older sisters. Regardless, I never would've released this song so far ahead of schedule unless Microsoft had made it worth my while.

This song "City Streets" is a demo off of the new album, release date and more info are all TBA at the moment due to financial reasons, but you can bet I'll be keeping you posted. "City Streets" is a song inspired by living in a place that you're happy to be in, about finding the right environment and just enjoying being there. It's a little different from other songs I've done in that I've never actually recorded a spoken word piece before.

Enjoy!

Bandages Review at KeepMetal.Com!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:53:39 +0100

"...to end this here, I must say that this is a strong album from TWOIT. This band has got talent. They have a nice base to build up on. They are young and if they continue progressing, they'll make it far. Very far." - Jevin O. Sewaruth, 6/8/00, Keepmetal Music Blog

Review Of TWOIT at Nibb's Music Blog

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:16:38 +0100

"Fresh, inventive, emotional, deep; all choice adjectives when I first heard the EP Bandages from the newley formed Massachusetts band The Way Out Is Through. Here is a band that is in the infant stages what potentially could turn into a successful outfit. Each track on Bandages is it's own monster complete with a story that delves deep into the story teller's psyche. The variety of musical styles used on each individual song makes you aware of the talent that TWOIT possess." - Wisco Nibbs, 6/2/09, Music Nibbs

A Common Misconception...

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:47:58 +0100

From what I understand there's this common misconception that you need to have a Myspace account in order to have access to someone's Myspace profile. This is incorrect, but in order to better facilitate the obtainment of Bandages (and so that I can give out a web address that's easier to remember), I'm creating another link to the download here for your enjoyment.

Don't forget however, if you feel like being AWESOME and supporting The Way Out Is Through you can purchase our EP on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, and more.

But let's face it...I'd download it for free too so why bother? At the end of the day, I just want you to listen to my material.

Enjoy!

Slowly But Surely

Sun, 17 May 2009 18:33:59 +0100

Bandages is now officially available for download at all regular online MP3 vendors.
iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, Napster, etc.

Then again, that's only if you want to pay $5 for the CD. No, I won't be taking away the free download on our myspace any time soon. ^^