Music Style METAL Baby, Metal!!

Artist History 'It is gratifying to hear a song grow from the couch to the stage,' states Chris Carlson, guitarist of Serpent Crown, 'from the first notes written on my couch to realizing the full musical vision as the audience sings along to the song. That feeling is hard to put into words, much like our band’s sound.' 'In my mid twenties I still had the fire inside to record the music that I was hearing in my head. I had finished college and thought I would give songwriting a go. In the past, I was usually the hired gun that joined an existing unit where my own voice often had to wait. Usually the music was secondary and the party was first. I quickly tired of that mentality and longed for a group that shared my focus and vision. With Serpent Crown I have found just that. Pat, Jason, and Will are willing and able accomplices in the pursuit of creating great music that is exciting to play as well as sonically stimulating to hear. Finally the planets are aligning for me.' Thus the first piece is uncovered… The planets fell into place in an effortless fashion. Chris has known Pat and Jason for 10 years. The passion they share for music and the arts fused their friendships. The auspicious meeting between Will and Chris realized its explosive potential when they went from casual conversation about music, to practically tearing the plaster off of Will’s ceiling the first time they jammed together. The band is anchored by Will and Jason, sculpted by Chris, and embellished by Pat who takes risks without compromising the raw energy while creating larger, sonic horizons with every new song. Jason, Will, and Chris supply the canvas while Pat adds the paint and oils to create the image. The music keeps Pat’s stories alive. And another piece is now revealed… 'Writing and playing together is usually an explosion of ideas with a machine gun, rapid-fire exchange of musical concepts and we never seem to be at a loss for new ideas. I cannot fathom the concept of a ‘writer’s block,’ considering we have a library of song ideas to take us to a third record,' Chris boldly states. No longer a naive 18 year old, and not shy about the new-found confidence the years of playing have given him, Chris feels that most young musicians believe if they write a handful of songs, the record label comes calling. 'I once felt like I was able to take over the world with my guitar and demo tape. My place in the here and now offers me the reality of the industry and how it works. I now understand that the band has to do the first 99% before a label even wants to hear you.' The band plays the music of various styles that they love to listen to. Each member adds their own musical ingredients to create something exciting, bringing a multitude of influences and forging them into a cohesive sound. These sounds reflect a bombastic synergy formed by this quartet’s individual components of different, yet complimentary individuals. Chris explains, 'Our heroes that we listened to became our architectural references, but much like all forms of art, we, as receivers, compute the information in different ways and the end result becomes distinctively ours. We are not at all repressing where we come from in any way; a lot of my favorite albums never saw the Billboard Top 200. They barely made any impact in the American music market. I often liked records that fell under the radar of the popular music mainstream, from Marillion Misplaced Childhood to Dag Nasty’s Field Day to Anacrusis’ Screams and Whispers to Husker Du’s Warehouse: Songs and Stories. I always knew what the radio had to offer, but the underground music magazines told a different story of reckless abandon and complete uncompromising creative output.' Serpent Crown pays homage to the 80s, 90s and beyond while creating very heavy, contemporary soundscapes. The band’s debut CD, In Harm's Way, to be released independently in late 2002, is a culmination of hard work and dedication in the studio, at rehearsals, and on stage. This debut release is well-balanced with an equal weighting of harsh and soft, light and dark, fast and slow, with a sophisticated dynamic approach. The band’s sound is classic yet modern, fresh and energetic, a forceful rock delivery that rings with melody as well as rips with energy. 'There exists a great blend of all the collective influences and tastes in our writing and it shows,' Jason says. 'Pat can go from a smooth as silk Joe Jackson melody line to the growl of Savatage’s Jon Oliva in the very same song!' The band will continue to barnstorm the local music scene creating a considerable following that will surely increase by the thousands with the release of the CD. A world-class drummer who’s in demand for his percussive talents, Will also plays with some college friends in another local band called Vona. He performed live for the first time at age 11 when he started playing out with his father. 'Will was the final barb to completing this serpent’s crown of thorns. He is the perfect drummer for our brand of music,' Pat quips. 'He is enthusiastic and pragmatic in his approach and delivery of song arrangements. Rather than a drummer who follows guitar rhythms, Will is more of a musical leader who forces the rest of us to create more challenging music.' These bold contentions are backed up with the CD’s lead off single Cross the Red Line, and the song I Am Denied, a brooding ballad crosscut against a sophisticated series of precision riffs. Each song adding one more piece… Jason is a solid, traditional metal player who supplies a strong foundation for all of the tracks. He is sure to make a name for himself as he continues creating lines like those in the new song Something Strange, Pat and Jason’s first collaboration. 'Something Strange' has become my favorite song to play,' Chris says. 'This song must be heard! Jason has matured as a writer. His input is the fundamental component to the Serpent Crown sound.' Pat has the ability to absorb and refine all of the arts in which he immerses himself . He uses art, films, books and the news, and weaves them into compelling lyrical tapestries. Pat writes about what goes on around him, but also speaks of the journey inside, with a great vocal delivery that showcases his wide spectrum of emotion, full of wit and self-introspection. He delivers his songs with an organic, melodic vocal approach, gloriously loud and abrasive with unflinching candor. Blazing a path through the underground music scene, their debut CD is broad in scope yet still commercially appealing, filled with a string of clever, image evoking songs such as FearSign, a stand out track that speaks of dishonor and isolation, and Hero That Will Always Be, a tale of the importance of standing your ground. This music sets out to attain a unique concept, and attain it does. Mixing hard rock attitudes with intricate musical abilities, In Harm's Way captures Serpent Crown at their pinnacle as well as providing the final piece. 'Any artist takes considerable risks when they allow everybody else to see what is inside. We are confident that others will agree that the sounds we are creating are exciting ones. We hope that the people will listen with the same open mind that was used to create these songs,' states Pat. The pieces are all now in place; the rule of the Serpent is upon us. Be afraid of what is to come. Wear the Crown. Feel the power. You have been warned and your life will never be the same again.

Group Members Jason Axtolis (Bass); Patrick Brower (Vocals)

Press Reviews SERPENT CROWN - SAMPLER (B) indie, 2001 3 tracks, RT: 13:51 [ http://www.SerpentCrown.com ] [ /artists/253/serpent_crown.html ] [ serpentcrown@attbi.com] These guys are Chicago's latest entry into the much-respected, long- standing genre of "thinking man's metal," a genre whose standard bearers include Queensryche, Savatage, Fates Warning, and Crimson Glory. A couple of those icons must've served as direct influences for Serpent Crown's members, especially old 'ryche. The tracks on this sampler have a rawness that evokes memories of Queensryche's s/t EP and first full-length, THE WARNING. The music is definitely metal, but there's this kind of "delicate edginess" to Chris Carlson's guitar parts that makes you think of Mr. DeGarmo and Mr. Wilton listening to old Iron Maiden. Vocalist Patrick Brower shows off his diversity, too, as he's able to both cut through like a thin stiletto and bludgeon like a hammer. Rounding things out, bassist Jason Axtolis plays some decidedly fun lines and drummer William Garrison (cliche alert!) keeps everything together. Good stuff, but my chief complaints? Carlson holds back too much and the production (especially the guitar sound) is a little thin. Maybe this is just a demo and the full DEBT OF PAIN album will have more punch and kick... Tracks: "Cross The Red Line" recalls old, mid-tempo 'ryche (and really needs more soloing), "Forever Bound" is gnarly, inspires air-bass, and finds Brower switching gears to "dirty Jon Oliva" mode, and "A Hollow Place" starts off like spooky old Maiden before picking up to near-thrash madness. Check out "Forever Bound" at the band's MP3.com site, and consider me very curious to hear the finished product. These guys definitely have the tools. - Tim Wadzinski, Detritus #142.5

Location Chicago, IL - USA

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