September to Remember!

Ten years ago the world changed forever after the citizens of New York City and Washington D.C. were victims of vicious terrorist attacks. In New York City, the "Twin Towers" of the World Trade Center were hit by two commercial planes loaded with innocent passengers, and in D.C. the Pentagon was also hit by a commercial plane. A fourth plane was crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to take control before it could reach the hijacker's intended target in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 died in the attacks.

Ever since then the world hasn't been the same, and ten years later we are still feeling the impact of the loss that the world experienced on September 11, 2001.

On Saturday, September 17, 2011, Horns Up Rocks is uniting forces with OFNR Radio and Bullspike Radio, to bring you an event dubbed "September to Remember". Performing that night will be Odd Zero, Biting Saints, The Saints Of Pain, Letchworth, and San Equore. Additionally, Jo Schüftan from Horns Up Rocks will be hosting and DJing the event.

Here are all the details:

When? Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 8 PM
Where? The Trash Bar in Brooklyn, NY: 256 Grand Street (L train to Bedford ave.)
What? September to Remember?
Cost? $12
Age restriction? 21+ with ID

Who?

- Odd Zero: An aggressive and driving Hard Rock band with a Metal and Punk edge. The band hails from New York City and blends old school Hard Rock, Punk and Metal to create an original modern sound. The band explodes with intense, heavy bass grooves, blazing guitar solos, powerful drums, and screaming vocals with thought provoking lyrics. They create the perfect balance between raw, frenetic energy and dark emotions.



- Biting Saints: This band employs a raw, brutal presence, technical know how and a fresh approach to lyrical content. They combine intensity and intelligence with savagery and musical approachability, creating an experience that is primordially terrifying, intellectually challenging, and deeply satisfying to the most jaded of music fan.



- The Saints Of Pain: A Dirt Metal band from Staten Island who possess their own brand of, dirty, sexy, oil drenched, high energy Rock N' Roll. This four piece power house straight out of the NYC underground perform songs that speak to the heart of the listener. The hard charging raw style of the Saints never fails to please.



- Letchworth: Not only can this band play a mean blend of Heavy Metal and Hardcore, but they are also a group of very interesting guys with a great story to share. When many bands would have called it a day, Letchworth have stuck together through thick and thin. With the completion of their mission with United States Army, the band can now get busy playing shows and continue spreading their musical ferocity.

- San Equore: This band represents the new generation of Heavy Music bands withing the tri-state area. Their mission is to represent the Thrash Metal scene through a fresh sonic perspective. To pay homage to their heritage, they decided to name their eventual band 'San Equore,' "San" meaning "Saint" in Spanish and "Equore" meaning "Metal" in Albanian.

Official flier:

We hope to see you there! Put your Horns Up for the victims of 9/11! \m/

Related links:
Official Facebook Invite

Letchworth: A Story of Perseverance

As sponsors of the "No Mercy Metal Showcase", we were asked to pick a band that we wanted to feature on Horns Up Rocks. Thanks to Letchworth's performance at Santos Party House, our decision was very easy to make. Not only can this band play a mean blend of Heavy Metal and Hardcore, but they are also a group of very interesting guys with a great story to share.

Letchworth consists of Josh Bynum (Vocals & Keyboards), Andy Parsons (Guitars & Vocals), Steve Wick (Guitars), Mike Rogers (Bass) and Tim Armstrong (Percussion). During their energetic performance at Santos Party House in New York City, they proved how important and relevant the upstate New York underground music scene is. We have seen plenty of upstate bands in the past and they always deliver furious music. As singer Josh Bynum mentioned, the scene in upstate New York is starting to gain strength again and a lot of new bands are making their presence be felt.

Influenced by bands like Hatebreed, Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage, Letchworth was started three years ago. After struggling to keep the band going after having two band members deployed overseas, they are ready to dominate the scene and make it stronger than ever. When many bands would have called it a day, Letchworth have stuck together through thick and thin. With the completion of their mission with United States Army, the band can now get busy playing shows and continue spreading their musical ferocity.


While overseas guitarist Andy Parsons brought with him a cheap guitar and a Pro Tools rig, so whenever he had some down time he would record song ideas. He would then use the chapels keyboard to write drum parts and bass lines. Then he would send his band members in Albany those song ideas via email, and the rest of the band would polish those ideas and fine-tune them into a song.

This is how they wrote the majority of their upcoming album, which is coming out sometime within the next few months. If you get a chance to catch this band live, don't even think twice. Your ear drums must experience a furious Letchworth show packed with adrenaline and great people. Here is an exclusive piece we created, which includes an interview with Josh and Andy from Letchworth.



Special thanks to Heather Lasky for her awesome pictures!

Related links:
Letchworth on My Space
No Mercy Metal Showcase

No Mercy Metal Showcase # 2

On Saturday July 24th we headed to Santos Party House in Manhattan, for the second edition of the No Mercy Metal Showcase. We arrived early at the venue, and the anticipation could be sensed in the air. The bands were loading their gear, the promoters were making last minute adjustments, and the fans were waiting outside patiently. As soon as we arrived we ran into the guys from Severed, and the From Bliss to Devastation crew. Once the doors opened, the attendees didn't waste anytime and started pacing around the dance floor.

Once the music started being cranked through the PA by DJ Tim No 37, the audience put the word party into Santos Party House. Since the show was all ages, the crowd was a mix between young teenagers and young adults. We think it is very important to bring the young crowd in, in order to have them become part of the scene at a young age. Events like this might inspire them to start their own musical projects and this is very beneficial to the entire scene.


The night kicked off with We Fall As Heroes from Queens, a band that we have seen live numerous times and who make it evident that there are a few young up and coming bands with plenty of talent within the tri-state area. Following this energetic band, were Long Island's From Bliss to Devastation. A band we interviewed when they opened for the legendary Hardcore band Earthcrisis at The Gramercy. Their performances are always filled with fury and passion, and their music is very original. This elements will take this guys real far as long as they remain true to their craft.

Then it was time for the surprise of the night: Letchworth from Albany. As soon as they stepped on stage everyone started grooving to their perfect blend of heavy crunchy guitars, groovy bass and tight drum beats. Once the singer pitched in, it was refreshing to listen to a Hardcore Metal band that wasn't afraid of rapping over heavy music and then taking their music to a guttural level. The band even brought some cheerleaders, that made sure no one was standing still. We are cooking up a special on this band, because their story of perseverance is one that we must share with all of you.

Next up was Eyes of The Sun from Brooklyn, these guys brought in a unique moody sound to the night. The crowd enjoyed their set even though they sounded very different than the rest of the bands, which truly defines a music showcase. Once the crowd got doomed, it was time for Embrace Agony from New York. This band punished the entire audience with some brutal music, and then forgave them with some harmonic parts that were very well blended in.


Headlining the No Mercy Metal Showcase was the mighty Severed from New York. We have been following this band for the last 5 months and they are clearly one of the best Heavy Metal bands in the tri-state area. From all the times we have seen them live, this show stands out because simply put: they destroyed Santos Party House! They sounded very tight and heavy as usual, but the highlight was Christian Geraldino's (singer) interaction with the crowd. He had full control of the crowd and the attendees loved it!

The second edition of the No Mercy Metal Showcase was a complete success, and every band did a great job! We want to thank the great people from Gotham Rocks, Tech 9 Music and Tim No 37, for understanding the need of such an event! We are very proud to be part of this movement and hope that other cities get inspired to organize events likes this one.

Related links:
Official Site of the No Mercy Metal Showcase
We Fall As Heroes on My Space
From Bliss to Devastation on My Space
Letchworth on My Space
Eyes of The Sun on My Space
Embrace Agony on My Space
Severed on My Space