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