Press
Getting My Metal On
by: Leah Rainis
So, the other night I was supposed to go see Motherboar play at Regeneration Records (actually, I was first told it was in some kid's basement then it got moved to Regeneration Records), but I got a phone call as I was walking out the door. It was Motherboar guitarist, Brian Connor, saying that the band was now playing at O'Brien's two hours later. Due to postponing of start times and rising cover charges, I opted for falling asleep watching Blade Trinity with my boyfriend. I did, however, catch up with Connor the next day to see how Motherboar's first show was, what the band's been up to, and where they're going.
Motherboar formed in 2004 as the result of Ryan Gilber (guitar), Benny Grotto (drums), Joe Grotto (bass) Brian Connor (guitar), and Kenny Irwin (vocals) getting together and having the ability to achieve a product that is both innovative and technically proficient. Their musical stylings are based on early 90s grunge and 80s thrash music incorporating influences such as the Melvins, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. According to Connor, "bands aren't really looking back to grunge yetâ and I think it's time".
In early 2005, the band released a three-track demo CD and plans to spend the summer recording several tracks in order to release a five or six song EP by fall. I checked out Motherboar's demo and I have to admit that I don't really listen to much metal. So when I saw song titles like "Put Your Knife Where Your Mouth Is" I was a little skepticalâ but after listening to the four tracks available on the bandss website (www.motherboar.net) I realized I was wrong. All the songs were very tight with solid transitions with just the right level of heaviness and variety to appeal to a lot of different people.
As for their first show, Connor says it went really well, "people were singing the lyrics to our songs and we didn't expect that at all!"
Coming to terms with the fact that metal is a musical genre I know very little about and since most metal fans are as serious about their music as people who play Dungeons and Dragons are about their Dungeon Master status, I decided to enlist the assistance of some of my esteemed colleagues to see if Motherboar was able to whet the palette of the metal-hungry.
Marc, 22 – drummer:
"The shit is definitely tight; transitions are really good, pulling off the up-tempo to half-time feel quite nicely. I wouldn't consider myself
a metal connoisseur per se, but I know enough. The only complaint I have is the lack of melodic vocals, it can only help to have the contrast of
scream to sing. But, whatever, I would pay to see these guys. Rocks."
P.J., 19 – Texan and drummer:
Upon hearing "Now You Fear" P.J. exclaimed, "Oh shit, this sounds exactly like Motorhead." He also had this to say: "Yeah,
I think they're cool. They sound a lot like thrash but they utilize a lot of other metal styles and techniques. That first song ("Put Your
Knife")… the guitar sounds like Iron Maiden… they also remind me a little bit of Overkill."
Dan, 29 – Web Design/Programmer
"Motherboar reminds me of a lot of the hardcore/heavy rock bands of the late 80's early/mid 90's. They have a similar sound to Boston's own Sam
Black Church specifically with the Bass work. Some elements are similar to Scissorfight (New Hampshire) but Motherboar is more raw in sound and
execution. The throaty vocals remind me of Mastadon (Georgia) and coupled with the huge bassy riffs and drum work they could be mistaken for a
Mastadon cousin. While some of the tracks I listened to have the potential to be an anthem for this band (Terrordactyl) others come across as
completely amateur and childish and detract from the overall style; 'Put Your Knife Where Your Mouth Is' would have been much more effective
without "This is for your fucking grandmother you pussy". It would be hard to label this band as any one specific style, as they possess
elements of hardcore, metal and metalcore with some pretty technical guitar & bass work and interspersed moments of semi-melodic vocal work
within a largely hardcore vocal style. The greatest asset to this band is their music, it's fast, bassy, and overall pretty fucking good. I'd
love to see these guys live sometime. If you like Scissorfight, Sam Black Church, or Mastadon, I'd definitely recommend that you check these guys out."
Whether you're a metal maniac or your music collection holds everything from Kenny G. to Warren G., you'll probably be able to find a place in your heart (and your headphones) for Motherboar. For more information about Motherboar go to www.motherboar.net