A
Wake up Call for Boy Bands!
To call Reveille a boy band would be a
disservice. Sure they are a group of five young guys, but the similarities
to cheese and cracker groups like N Sync and the Backstreet Boys end right
there. On
first listen it would be easy to also dismiss these guys as a Rage Against
the Machine knock off. Listen further and you will discover that their
music goes much deeper than that. They have an attitude, sound, and personality
all their own. If a comparison must be made, then their music comes across
as Pantera meets Anthrax with a little S.O.D. thrown in. The vocals do
sound similar to Zach's of RATM at times but they can also be compared
to the Beastie Boys, Kid Rock or Infectious Grooves at their heavier moments.
Not being a fan of many of the rap and
metal fusion bands of today, I was reluctant about taking on the  task
of profiling and reviewing Reveille. I knew from reading up on the band,
they did deserve special treatment from us, but was I the right person
to do it? The simple fact of the matter was there was no one else available
to cover the show the night Reveille came to town. So I dusted off my note
pad, popped their Elektra debut "Lace" into the CD player, put the top
down and headed off to the legendary Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood to see
them in action.
The Album:
"Lace" hits you in the gut from the first
note. A powerful tapestry of distortion and anger-laden vocals propel the
album through its 12 tracks. From the opener "butterfly" to the closing
track "dark horizons", Reveille proves to be masters of their craft. Steve
Thompson (Korn, Metallica) establishes one again why he is considered one
the world's premier producers with the work he did on "Lace".
The Show:
I arrived at the Whiskey in the proper
state of mind, ready for an aggressive show. I later discovered the
Whiskey show was a special occasion for Reveille, it was their first headlining
gig in the city of angels. Unlike other southern California music
clubs, the booking agent for the Whiskey obviously knew what he or she
was doing because the opening bands were a perfect match for the main event
of the evening.
The crowd was in a rowdy mood as Reveille
hit the stage. They launched into a duel guitar assault with a funky rhythm
section of hard-hitting drums and powerful bass. However, it was the pure
anger  infused
lead vocals of Drew Simollares that stole the show. Ever wonder what pure
rage sounds like? Have a listen to Reveille and you will know. The most
surprising thing about this band is they are so young. None of the five
members looked old enough to buy a beer at the bar that night. Nevertheless,
that didn't keep them from doing their jobs well. If MTV played one of
their videos on TRL you had better believe record sales would skyrocket
into the millions as the younger viewers would forget the superficial cheesy
boy groups that dominate the station and turn to a "real" band that knows
how to rock!
Reveille rocketed through their hour long
set with the aid of an enthusiastic audience. Drew takes his job as front
man seriously as he thrashes about the stage screaming out lyrics of injustice
and anger. There wasn't a dull moment to be had as Reveille kept
the energy level in high gear and easily justified their major label status.
At the end of the show I had to admit that even though I normally wouldn't
be interested in a band like Reveille I was pleased that I had the opportunity
to see them.
If you are a fan of heavy music, you do
not want to miss this band. First you should pick up their CD "Lace" and
if you have the opportunity to see them live, you will not be disappointed.
Fans in the eastern U.S. can catch Reveille this summer when they will
be part of Ozzfest 2000.
The Call to Arms:
To close, I am issuing a challenge to all
of you. I want everyone who reads this to help kick N Sync and their
elk out of the top of MTV's TRL by requesting Reveille's latest video "the
phoenix". Together we can prove to the world that a band can be young and
still kick ass.
Click
here to cast your vote at MTV.com
Visit
the cd store to get your copy of Lace (it's even on Sale!
Wanna
hear Reveille? Watch their videos online? Click Here!
Read
the Reveille Bio to learn more.
Links
to other Reveille sites
Keavin Wiggins - Keavin
is the managing editor of antiMUSIC and rocknworld.com
Photographs
were taken from the Elektra web site and are Copyrighted material used
here courtesty of Elektra Records
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