Friday Nov. 25th @ The Loop: Betrayer, Pitch Union & Awake to a Dream

Visit The Loop (156 Chatham St. W. Upper Level) this Friday, November 25^th for a look at some of Windsor’s finest alterative bands.

Betrayer has been part of the scene for years, is in fact one of the city’s longest-running acts. After winning a number of battle of the band competitions and doing  a fair amount of touring in Ontario, they took the better part of 2010 off, but returned earlier this year with a new member and new material. Since then, they have tirelessly played shows across Southern Ontario.

With the sound of a classic metal band, Betrayer is a throwback to the traditional sounds of Iron Maiden and Megadeth, while still keeping their own sound and style of song writing. A far cry from the guttural vocals of many meta acts happening today, frontman Jeff Klingbeil’s style of singing is smooth and rich, operatic, and clearly practiced.

 

 

Joining them onstage is another long-standing local group, Pitch Union. Also with vocals that stand out, this band has a lot more to offer, too. Their live performance commands attention as the room is filled by kaleidoscopic music with a distinct edge. The vertex between 70‘s psychedelic and modern alternative metal, Pitch Union has been playing shows since 2004, and there is definitely a reason they’re still drawing crowds seven years later.

 

 

The third and final band on Friday night’s bill is a newer one, post-grunge progressive outfit Awake to a Dream. And, despite the name, their music has nothing to do with the film Inception. Instead, they’re blending sounds from the early 90s with modern progressive rock. The outcome is an eclectic styling of music that takes unexpected turns in genre and structure.  Live performance by Awake to a Dream is generally amusing with it’s between-song banter, group members “quitting” mid show, and the possibility of a ukulele solo. Also keep in mind that these guys will be releasing their first album on New Year’s Eve at The Coach and Horses.

Betrayer, Pitch Union, and Awake to a Dream will be playing at The Loop (156 Chatham St. W, Upper Level) this Friday, November 25^th. Admission is free, doors open at 9 pm, and you must be at least 19 to attend. 

Fri. Feb. 18: Pitch Union vs. Planet World at the Coach

The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo’s) has groomed most of Windsor’s best metal bands of the past two decades (if not longer), simply because they’ve groomed the crowd. Thanks in great part to manager/booker Scott Funnel‘s work over the past decade (as well as prior manager Nick Belulis and Funnel’s current protege Nicole Feetham), the Coach’s willingness to take a chance on unknown locals starting out and putting many local acts on bills featuring national and/or touring acts, has strengthened the metal scene with a sense of nurturing and loyalty almost unrivaled in Windsor’s independent and underground music scene.

One of the bands who have grown up in Windsor’s metal scene is Pitch Union. Born out of the ashes of Paradigm Shift-X, Pitch Union’s emotionally driven heavy music (trapped deliciously between stoner rock and power metal) has packed the Coach & Horses for years now. They’ve managed to bring their sound on the road across Ontario, further enhancing their sound and improving their chemistry and confidence. These guys know how to captivate a room and crush an audience with their timing and ability to emote through a power chord or a vocal chord. Proof of that is their most recent single, “Yeah!” (which is available for free as part of January’s Windsor Music Sampler).

This Friday, Pitch Union will be teaming up with a more recent band, Planet World, for a huge rock and roll show down in the dungeon of the Coach. Planet World, a band several years in the making, draw on a sound that incorporates elements of such bands as “Hand That Feeds”-era Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, or Fuel, that electronic sounding hard rock that runs on melody rather than chaos. They’re currently recording their debut album, but two solid first singles are up for perusal on their MySpace.

Pitch Union vs. Planet World, The Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West, below Pogo’s), Friday February 18, 9pm, 19+

January 2011 Windsor Zene FREE Music Sampler

Continuing with our December Music Sampler (dedicated to December’s FunnelFest), we are proud to unveil our second monthly music sampler for you download, FREE of charge (compliments of the Windsor Zene and, more importantly, the bands and musicians involved).

We are looking to release a 12-14 song FREE music sampler every month, showcasing some of the best this area has to offer in original music. There are no genre guidelines and we encourage any local musicians to submit a track to windsorzene@gmail.com – please include production credits (producer, studio used, etc.) as well as writing credits, etc. All genres welcomed, from folk to death metal, from hip hop to rock.

January’s sampler features a preview of Poughboy‘s upcoming opus, The End of Men, the title track from Dave Russell‘s new EP Unnatural Disaster, a rare unreleased track from Vultures!, a glimpse at a new supergroup in Windsor called NeanderTHRALL (featuring members of The Heat Seeking Moisture Missiles and Gypsy Chief Goliath), as well as some entries from some great new talent such as Beijing Bike Club, Awake To A Dream, Weirdonia and Falling With Glory. Singer/songwriters Crissi Cochrane (who relocated here from Halifax, Nova Scotia last year) and Daniyal Malik (who previously fronted the band Allusion) lead off the sampler, which also features songs from veteran metal outfits Pitch Union and Tyburn Tree. Rounding out the rest of the sampler are a new track from Britpop inspired Bombs (lead by Ryan Yoker) and a gorgeous track from Luna Borealis, a side project featuring Jason Testawich from Surdaster.

Download your FREE January music sampler today (and spread the gospel!). December’s sampler is also still available!

Windsor/Essex musicians and bands who wish to be featured on upcoming sampler releases: Send one high quality .mp3 or .wav file to windsorzene@gmail.com. We can’t guarantee the month your track will appear, as they are taken first come first serve, but they will eventually be released. All genres welcomed and encouraged. The Windsor Zene is releasing these samplers FREE of charge and are not collecting any residuals from the release of these samplers. They are designed to encourage people to try out new music from their hometown.