State Of The Art: West Virginia’s ZEROKING

ZEROKING

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is West Virginia.*

ZEROKING is a four piece Hard Rock outfit hailing from the city of Charleston WV.  Formed in 2004 by guitarist Shane Day and drummer Chris Webb.  The band’s core lineup was  finalized in September of that year with the addition of vocalist Andy Haught. The next two years saw the group writing original material and performing anywhere and everywhere they could.  After writing only a few songs together it was clearly defined which direction the sound of the band would go in for years to come.  Mid-2006 saw the release of their debut EP ‘The Sweet Sale of Excess’.   After a few personnel changes on bass over the course of the two years, ZEROKING finally added bass player Paul First to the fold. This lineup would prove to be the classic lineup.  More shows and writing followed over the course of the next several years.  The band saw itself billed with some of the biggest names in the rock world, playing shows with major artists such as DROWNING POOL, BLACK STONE CHERRY and POPEVIL to name a few.  All the while the foursome feverishly strived to improve their sound and complete songs for their first full-length album.

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Review | Downtrend – Southern Fried Hell Ride: Live

downtrend

Pikeville, Kentucky isn’t a rock destination by any means. To be completely honest it is really hard for a band to survive in an area that doesn’t have a very good music scene. Downtrend has been together since 2004 and has several releases in their discography. The band was formed by guitarist Josh Crum and bassist Jeremy Chaney. While most bands would have given up, the band has persevered and continued to dominate stages all around the region. The current line up brings with it great chemistry which can not only be heard but seen with the naked eye when they grace the stage with their presence. Drummer J.D. Hall and bassist Jeremy Chaney have a musical bond that dates back even prior to this band that helps them create a sound that is pure aggression all the while keeping an amazing rhythm. The band has blended together all their influences to juxtapose this eclectic sound. Front man Mike Jackson not only serenades with his authoritative vocal style but he also breaks out his harmonica skills that help the band achieve an original sound.

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