by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
What: Machina
When: December 19th @ 8 pm
Where: French Quarter
There’s new melodic metal coming our way in the form of the band Machina. Something about their sound makes me want to drink cheap beers in a questionable club. There’s a 90s grunge influence to their metal, so there’s a little dirt to their clean melodies, in the nasally (but rockin’) whine of their lead vocalist, Phil Taylor.
The band got its embryonic start when Phil Taylor started jamming and writing with John LeCompt. Both were in other bands at the time. Taylor was heading up Future Leaders of the World, and LeCompt was part of Evanescence. When Taylor’s band fell apart after Epic dissolved their contract and LeCompt left Evanscence, Taylor suggested that they team up. LeCompt also brought Rocky Gray (drums) from Evanescence (though he’s no longer part of the band). Current band members are Phil Taylor (vocals), John LeCompt (guitar, backup vocals), Thad Ables (bass), Justin Carder (drums).
“We were Future Leaders of America,” says Taylor, “but once we started writing together it became a whole new thing. It’s been Machina for two years now.”
Despite the clear demarcation between the two bands in Taylor’s eyes, many people see Machina as the logical continuation of Future Leaders, especially with Taylor’s distinctive vocals.
“I think the music’s a lot different…It’s heavier musically…Lyrically it’s not as politically driven, it’s more personal.”
The name came from the phrase “deus ex machina,” a plot device in Greek plays that used divine intervention to resolve a hopeless situation. It translates literally as “god from the machine,” as they would often fly their Zeuses or Heras in using some sort of complex machine.
They aren’t the only band to like the name and use it. A quick Internet search revealed several hard-rocking bands of the same name. Taylor isn’t worried about the commonality of the name, though. “There’s a lot of Machinas not in the United States…and it’s not like there’s any other band nationally touring with the name. We haven’t had to deal with it.”
The band is touring nationally, but they haven’t yet released a full-length CD. You can buy their 6-song EP on their MySpace website, myspace.com/machinametal.
The band has built up a fan base using Facebook, iLike and MySpace, with over 23 thousand friends on MySpace.
“We’re in talks with labels right now, so we’ll have a pretty clear picture soon. Hopefully, by early next year, we’ll know when a CD will be coming out.”
In the meantime, Taylor says, “We’re basically going on as if nothing’s going down. We’re just booking straight through. When the time comes, we’ll just make the time. [The CD] could end up being [recorded] next month or it could be next March.”
EU got the chance to ask lead singer Phil Taylor a few questions about music, merch and politics.
EU: What’s in your CD player right now?
Phil Taylor: I don’t know. Let me look. (laughs)…I got it at the dollar store.
EU: What’s your guilty pleasure CD?
PT: John Secada. That’s just the pretty obvious one.
EU: If Jessica Simpson and Homer Simpson were running for president, which one would you vote for?
PT: This is a really fun question. Definitely Homer Simpson. Because even though he’s an idiot, he always ends up on top somehow, by luck. Jessica Simpson just screws up, gets more and more STDs every month…I don’t know, I’m just bullsh*ting.
EU: What’s the coolest piece of merch a fan can buy on your website (besides the EP)?
PT: Hmm. I would say the CD release party poster. It’s signed by the whole band. We don’t really have that many of those, I think there’s like a hundred to a hundred fifty. I think that it’s a cool thing and we aren’t going to be making any more of them.
You can listen to Machina live here in Jacksonville at the French Quarter on December 19th at 8 pm.
|
