So...how many bands have you been in?

This is a blog from my now deceased Facebook.  Pay attention, you might learn something.  Written originally in September of 2009 and updated here and there...

My buddy Rafael asked me not too long ago "So how many bands have you been in now, like a hundred?" which got me to actually think about how many it had been. The following was mostly recalled and recorded during my workday today:

Lloyd - A "8th-grade-talent-show-one-off" band. The announcer called us "Rhoids," as in hemorrhoids. We played "Breed" by Nirvana. I don't think anybody cared. Mark Anton on guitar, Adam Selby on bass, Tim Andujar on drums, me on guitar and vox. (1995?) No recordings.

Such is Life - My first attempt at a "serious" band name, this band had several, several, several different lineups and was active over different time periods. I think the first lineup under the name of Such is Life was actually Adam on bass, Tim on drums, me on guitar, and Matt Bargnesi on vox. A long time ago, I used to try to keep track of how many different singers were in the band before Jack Young, and I think it was something like 11...People still ask me about this band, even today. (1996-2001) Lots of recorded demos, from 4-track to boom box to studio recordings.

http://www.myspace.com/originalsuchislifeorlando

Houseband of Uh - This was the name of my first solo project that consisted of various 4 track recordings. Everything from weird guitar sorta stuff to bad covers to somewhat actual songs. Lots of Butthole Surfers/John Frusciante worship. Occasionally I would put newer stuff on the internet under this name. (1997-2001)

http://www.myspace.com/nielanilaomusic

Lost Cause - I joined this band in high school after 3/4 of Such is Life got expelled/withdrawn. It consisted of (when I joined) the Brothers Curtis on guitar and drums (Nate and Jake respectively), Josh Robinson on bass or some sort of stringed contraption, and me on another guitar. At some point Rocco was supposed to be the singer and so was Robey. We didn't really play songs, we pretty much just jammed and made as much noise as possible. Some live recordings exist I'm sure, I think I actually have a taped practice. At some point Josh and Jake wrote a structured song and showed it to me, and then I recorded it one day at practice but with me on all the instruments, so that's not really fair to call that a band recording. (1997-98)

DIE - This has been my main band for the past several years. It was first formed in 2003 by Jack Young and myself. We began passing recordings back and forth over the internet since we lived in different states at the time. We both started getting into the more progressive side of death metal and black metal bands and began playing in that style a lot more. Both of us handle all duties, so that means guitars, bass, keys, drum programming, vocals all by us. In 2004 we finished our first album. In 2005 we moved back to Florida and tried to put a live lineup together while finishing up our second release, a 4 song EP. Between 06-08, we played about 6 or 7 shows with live members and recorded a few more songs to put a promo together (titled "2008 Promo"....catchy!) We attempted to play some shows again in 2010 until we were struck (once again) with a case of "disappearing drummer."(2003-2010)

http://www.myspace.com/diemetal

Mung Eater - My second solo project that was supposed to be just death metal stuff. The first five songs were done in 2004 and feature a very crude vocal style. Over the years I put out more stuff under this name that wasn't death metal but I didn't know what else to call it since Houseband of Uh is an even dumber name than Mung Eater. Now I just release solo stuff under my own name. (2004-present)

http://www.myspace.com/nielanilaomusic

Splattergun - An internet band co-op release! This project consisted of two internet bands combining powers to form a grindcore album. DIE vs. SEPIA DREAMER. We had met/learned about Sepia Dreamer (Sam Brokenshaw/Jonas Wrennage) through the ultimatemetal.com forums and they put out their first CD right around the same time the first DIE album was released. Naturally, we had to start making new stuff together and this is what came out. Everybody kind of did a little bit of everything, except for Jack who only did vocals on a few songs (although, to his credit, he did provide the best sample on the album). We did one album and then called it a day. Some good songs on here, although there is some really heinous drum machine usage. My favorite is probably "100 times the Asshole." (2004)

http://www.myspace.com/splattergungrinds

Sick Man of Asia - One of my favorite projects. This one consisted of myself and a strange Finnish person I met through ultimatemetal.com whose real name I have vowed to never reveal (seriously) on all duties, although I am the lone vocalist. This project has music in a sort of Fantomas, Butthole Surfers kinda vibe...noisy for the most part but some melodic passages hidden amongst the weirdness. We did one album with nine songs five years ago, and then he stopped responding to my emails. I miss him so, still to this day. Maybe I'll bring this one back one day with somebody else...(2004)

http://www.myspace.com/sickmanofasia

Blueskies for Deadeyes - I joined this band as the bassist in 2007 at some point. Half of the band (Pablo, Edwin, and Pedro) had played in DIE as live members and I was recording their demos at the time. Then DIE went on hiatus again and they needed a bassist so I stepped in for a few months. I also play bass on the demos. This band is one of those modern sorta metal bands that mixes the wacky, spastic metal sorta stuff (replete with 'Core vox) with the Sunny Day Real Estate kinda choruses. They have some really cool introspective parts as well. (2007)

http://www.myspace.com/blueskiesfordeadeyes

Putrescent Secretancy - This project was formed with Justin Haile in 2007. Originally it was just going to be a side project. One day we were goofing around jamming at the studio I was working at and came up with a song that was a goofy ripoff version of Meshuggah's "New Millenium Cyanide Christ" with Justin on guitar and myself on drums. After that we began recording and churned out a 4 song EP titled "Reconfiguration of Reality" which eventually turned into a full length album.   Justin and I handled the guitar and bass duties, while I also had to drum program. Eventually in 2009 Justin put a live lineup together consisting of a fill-in bassist, Tim Andujar, and himself and then Jack and I joined as well.  We played a few more shows around town and then the fill-in had to leave.  Jack moved to bass and we hired Franz Hoffman to be the new vocalist while I went back to fulltime guitar.  Jack then had to move, and we trudged through a few more shows with no bassist before I decided to leave.  There is an EP of unreleased material that will probably see the light of day at some point... The music in this project could be described as death metal with a good dose of psychedelia thrown in for good measure. (2007-2011)

http://www.myspace.com/putrescentsecretancy

Rape Festival - an extra brutal death metal project formed with Glenn Wilkes from Nailshitter. Later, Adam from Nailishitter also joined. I had been wanting to work on something with Glenn for years, ever since I saw Double Veteran play at DIY records with Such is Life a loooooooooooong time ago. So in 2008 we began recording some songs. At last count, there were 9 songs total and seven of them were completed. But then we kinda got sidetracked...but eventually we got everything finished!  Be sure to check this out on this here site where you are reading this, this is some of the most evil music I have ever had a part in writing! (2008-10)

http://www.myspace.com/rapefestival

Existential Symmetry - my newest project formed with Pablo Rebolledo from Blueskies. These recordings are pretty much the essence of jamming...just coming up with ideas and recording more ideas on top of the old ideas, with more ideas added until it becomes a big idea...so far it's just been instrumental stuff, but the music has a pretty wide spectrum and goes to a lot of different places.  We have 5 songs written at this point and Pablo is itching to release it somehow, you can take a listen to it on this here website.  This is some of my best stuff, I hope that Pablo would say the same, stay tuned for more of this project... (2009-present)

Etheric Plague - I joined this band as the drummer while Putrescent went on a "find a new drummer" phase. Etheric was a musical brainchild of Justin's for several years that never seemed to get the proper treatment, their debut EP that I recorded for them in 07-08 is easily the most haphazard recording I've ever been a part of (which is saying a lot since I also recorded Whisper Dying's debut EP), although I wasn't in the band then. Etheric's new lineup also consisted of Mike Henderson on Vox (still) and Adrian Latscu on the bass. It's a blend of death metal and grind, I didn't have that much experience playing drums in that style before, much less at all, so it was a trial by fire to say the least. We did two shows with the new lineup before Justin and I decided to focus again on Putrescent. We began to re-record the songs again with me on drums but at this point we abandoned the tracking.  One day I'll probably throw the demos on here...(2009 - 10)

GUEST RECORDING APPEARANCES:

Self Made Profit - guitar solo on "Behind Me Know" (2005)

http://www.myspace.com/selfmadeprofit

Cryptic Throne - "Apocalyptic Extermination" : Bass, vox. Originally they didn't want bass and I had to talk them into it. Then the singer got fired and I got asked to do that too. This is a mean little black metal cd and is actually the only recording I've done so far that's actually been released on a label.

(2008)

http://www.myspace.com/crypticthroneband

Whisper Dying - "Terror in the Eyes of the Villian" : Some backup vox, a keyboard part, and some guitar here and there. (2007)

http://www.myspace.com/whisperdying

Along Side Oni - "The Sound of Reprise" : Guest vox on "Intro," some cleanup bass parts. (2008)

http://www.myspace.com/alongsideoni

Werebuckler: This is Jack's solo project. We actually collaborated on the writing of a few songs and I do some guitar solos here and there. (2007-08)

http://www.myspace.com/werebuckler

Mongolian Death Worm: Guitar solos on two songs on the album "Alien Worm Enslavement" and also some live shows on guitar as well. (2008-09)

http://www.myspace.com/mongoliandeathworm

What Passes For Winter: Bass on some of their newer demos, and some backup vox on a song. (2009)

http://www.myspace.com/whatpassesforwinter

Happy Haunt: Bass (2009)

GETTIN' PAID, GETTIN' PAID:

Weeks' Mom - a wretched, wretched but somehow handsomely paid cover band. Me on guitar/backup vox. Not much to do musicwise in Columbus, MS...Hilarious recordings do exist. (2004-05)

Momentum - Pablo has a church band. At some point, they needed a drummer. I stepped in, and there was much rejoicing! There are some incredibly nice people at that place, and it gives me something to do on my Saturdays. I like playing drums! (2009)