A Glimpse Into Los Angeles Based Band, Beware of Darkness Articles, Featured, Reviews A Glimpse Into Los Angeles Based Band, Beware of Darkness By Johnny Zapp Alternative Rock. What does that even mean really? Wouldn’t “alternative” rock be an alternative to rock? So essentially, not rock? I hate labels. I’m sure I sound like an old timer with the “back when I was a boy” mentality but really, there is some truth to that. These so called “alternative” rock bands are really just getting back to basics; rock. That in itself could be classified as going against the grain by today’s music standards. Southern California’s Beware of Darkness is one such band. A power trio comprised of Kyle Nicolaides on guitar and vox, Daniel Curcio on bass and Tony Cupito behind the drums. The sonic bombast of this band is reminiscent of early Zeppelin. Within seconds of the opening riff of their debut single, Howl, they own you. The guitar is a fuzzed-out Telecaster serving up riffage with carefully controlled feedback and sensibility, while drummer Cupito takes a page from the John Bonham book with his approach, playing a stripped down 3-piece Ludwig with a classic Supra-Phonic snare, viciously attacking it with power and finesse. And last but not least, groove-master Daniel Curcio tightens it all up with various classic Fender basses and finger picking; a seemingly lost art these days. The vocals are powerful, raspy and from the gut. It always impresses me when a singer can take a note so high with such an intense, deep guttural power. Like Ian Astbury on The Cult’s Electric album, there are moments all over Beware of Darkness’s debut record, “Orthodox”, where you can literally hear the vibration of Kyle Nicolaides vocal chords. “Orthodox”, clocking in at 45:34, is intended to be taken in as a whole in one listening, as any record that stands up should be. They divided the 12 cuts into four sections, Ignorance, Loss, Depression and Enlightenment, as if it were a four sided LP. With tracks like Howl, Sweet Girl and Amen Amen, (nice touch with the Wurlitzer); the band has a clear understanding of what it takes to make a great rock record. My Planet Is Dead displays a killer bass tone and vibe similar to that of Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, and the album’s closer, Hummingbird, is just a man and his acoustic guitar with a vocal that will give you chills. The desperation in Nicolaides delivery is beyond phenomenal. The intricate blend of rock, soul and acoustic balladry, mixed with lyrics delivered by vocals that make you believe every word, is why we will still be listening to “Orthodox” 30 years on. At times I am reminded of Led Zeppelin’s third album or Queen’s first two LPs, but refreshingly so as Beware of Darkness pulls it off while clearly claiming their own unique identity. These guys get it. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these cats. Catch them on the Rockstar Uproar Tour now. BEWARE OF DARKNESS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM ARTICLE BY: JOHNNY ZAPP | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TheChivalrousLifeWebsite Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment.
