Artist description CHANGING SKIN, a melodic hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, was formed in February of 2001. Initially calling themselves Blindsided, they rocked over 100 shows in their first year and a half of existence and recorded their first demo CD entitled "Ground Zero," under that name. CHANGING SKIN has now finished their much anticipated second release. This latest disc contains six brand new songs featuring the current line-up: Carlos Lobato, Josh Barbarotta, Chris Harrell, Justin Philbrook, Ken Kato, and Nelson Dyer.

Music Style Melodic Hardcore

Musical Influences Tool, Led Zeppelin, Deftones, System of a Down, Rage Against The Machine, Reveille, Staind, Ill Nino

Similar Artists Tool, System Of A Down, Ill Nino

Artist History CHANGING SKIN, a melodic hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, was formed in February of 2001. Initially calling themselves Blindsided, they rocked over 100 shows in their first year and a half of existence and recorded their first demo CD entitled "Ground Zero," under that name. CHANGING SKIN has now finished their much anticipated second release. This latest disc contains six brand new songs featuring the current line-up: Carlos Lobato, Josh Barbarotta, Chris Harrell, Justin Philbrook, Ken Kato, and Nelson Dyer. From melodic vibes inspired by Tool, to aggressive outbursts resembling System of a Down, CHANGING SKIN has created a sound that is uniquely their own. With each member coming from a different cultural and musical background, the six have managed to create what is now the CHANGING SKIN sound. Their insane live shows have also created a buzz - these six musicians leave nothing behind when they take the stage. While the new release entitled "The Blindsided Basement Demo" showcases the band's tremendous musical growth, they remain committed to maintaining the high-energy live performances they have become known for. CHANGING SKIN began as Blindsided in the basement of founder and lead guitarist Carlos Lobato, in Braintree, Massachusetts, with drummer Josh Barbarotta joining him in the early stages. Once established as an original band back in February of 2001, Blindsided took that year by storm, by recording and releasing their first CD in August 2001. The CD was highly reviewed and received airplay on various local stations around Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Additionally, the CD was being distributed through several music stores including the New England-based chain Newbury Comics. Throughout the next year, Blindsided played over 50 shows including the WAAF & Budweiser Boston Battle of the Bands; The Hard Rock Cafe, Garage Band Records, and Samuel Adam's 12 Bands of Christmas Show; and shared the stage with over a hundred bands. In the coming months, Blindsided was forced to overcome a few frustrating line-up changes. The addition of frontman Chris Harrell in January 2002 finally gave Blindsided the voice and intensity they had been searching for. After only a few shows together, the new group was already stirring up the scene and becoming one of Boston's most promising rock bands. In the spring of 2002, now with Justin on bass, Blindsided stepped out on a regional level and started capturing audiences in the surrounding states. Connecticut has become their second home, followed by New York, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. They ventured out even further when they embarked on their self-sponsored "Intersection Tour," which covered 12 shows in 9 different states during the month of July, 2002. As Blindsided prepared to take the next step, the band decided to change their name to CHANGING SKIN and expand to a 6-piece band. In September 2002, CHANGING SKIN welcomed two new members: Ken Kato joined them on rhythm guitar and since Josh wanted to move over to percussions, Nelson Dyer was announced as the new drummer. Having to take another small break to regroup, CHANGING SKIN knew they would comeback stronger. Meanwhile, CHANGING SKIN has also found the time to record their latest demo, which they are proud to say was fully engineered by the band. The new demo was tracked, mixed, mastered and produced by the band in their home studio. Today, CHANGING SKIN is thrilled to have already had the chance to play with bands such as Adema, Nullset, Vice, Diecast, Murphy's Law, Tree, Gargantua Soul, [Minus], Dog Day Sunrise and many other friends. The band is now looking forward to sharing the stage with Disturbed, Hatebreed, Nonpoint, Flaw, and Black Label Society among others, at this year's Locobazooka. They have already started to book for the upcoming months and show no signs of slowing down. With their dynamic and intense live shows, CHANGING SKIN has built a loyal fan base in the New England area, while racking up over 55,000 hits on their website, selling out of their first demo "Ground Zero," and having played for sold out clubs around the New England area, including music festivals and showcases. Currently, CHANGING SKIN is focused on an upcoming full-length CD. They have already gotten back to work, as they are exploring a few opportunities with well-established producer John Seymour (U2, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Santana, with whom he won a Grammy Award for his work on the 1999 "Supernatural" album). Seymour and CHANGING SKIN have begun pre-production and will soon be recording. Still shopping for a label, CHANGING SKIN is also looking into another 2002 tour opportunity. After having accomplished so much in their first year and a half, CHANGING SKIN is looking forward to writing new material to be added to the full-length CD, while supporting their latest effort, and expanding their fan base throughout New England and the rest of the country. With their new line-up, their loyal fans, pulse pounding music, and intense shows, CHANGING SKIN will continue to rock audiences throughout the Boston area and beyond.

Group Members Carlos Lobato - Lead Guitar and Back-up Vocals Josh Barbarotta - Percussions Chris Harrell - Vocals Justin Philbrook - Bass Ken Kato - Rhythm Guitars & Percussions Nelson Dyer - Drums

Instruments Guitars, Drums, Bass, Percussions, Vocals

Albums Ground Zero (2001), The Blindsided Basement Demo (2002)

Press Reviews Hailing from Boston, MA, Blindsided has recently released their first demo EP entitled ‘Ground Zero’. Though still early in their existence, Blindsided displays their depth and understanding of music through these five strong songs. Combining the styles of rock, emo, and metal, ‘Ground Zero’ possesses strength and fragility intertwined to attract fans of many different genres. Vocalist Mike Degagne has a great dynamic range, singing ballad-style in the song ‘Halos’ while ripping it up hardcore-style in the song ‘Built to Fall’. The rhythm section of Dan Hanlon on bass and Josh Barbarotta control the low end perfectly, belting out fat beats when necessary and having the ability to blend underneath and not be overbearing. The guitar work is handled by Carlos Lobato, the brainchild and founding member of Blindsided. Though a relatively new axe man, he combines surprising technicality with driving melodies to produce a great rock sound. Overall, this CD is a great start in rock for this promising band. It is rare to hear a band confident enough with their abilities to include a nearly-instrumental track on a demo EP. Blindsided does this with the song ‘Essence’, using the entire track as a lead-in to the monster track ‘Semi-Automatic Playground’. The mellow ‘Halos’ placed right in the middle of the EP provides a calm beauty to placate listeners to the fury that follows. Blindsided may be unknown now, but things won’t stay that way for long. All the information anyone would need can be found at www.blindsidedband.com. Check them out before someone else tells you what you’ve been missing.

Location Boston, MA - USA

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