By:Patrick Faraday
Blackwood-s goal is to bring the sound of metal back to the mainstream. After the fads of boy bands, grunge, and run-of-the-mill hard rock, Blackwood has decided to bring back classic sounds.
Richie Blackwood-s guitar stylings are inspired by those of Van Halen, KISS and the Allman Brothers. Kevin St. James is following in the footsteps of drummers like Danny Carey from the band Tool and Mike Portnoy from Dream Theatre/LTE. Johnny Raven models his bass playing after bands like Guns N Roses, Misfits and the Stray Cats.
This Ôpower trio- plays well together in a live performance, with their songs as varied as their setlist. Each song is composed of numerous sections and has a variety of tempo and mood changes. In fact, Blackwood lets each of their songs speak for them, because they do not have a lead singer. The band has not found a singer that has the same values, interests and style they do, so they perform their music unadulterated by vocals. Rather than take away from the music, it allows the listener to hear every aspect of each individual song.
We do play an obscure, non-metal song, said Blackwood. The band-s take on Billy Joel-s Pressure is shockingly good.
Thousands of bands try to make it to the big time, most of them fail. Whether or not Blackwood makes it is yet to be seen, but they are making a name for themselves locally and are headed in the right direction.
Photos by James Escher/Herald
