Spring Break
Band does not fit hardcore stereotype
ALEC WOODEN
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Let's play the stereotype game.
Ready? Close your eyes and think "hardcore music."
Let me guess - you are picturing head-banging rebel kids moshing to unintelligible screaming over ultimately talentless music? Got the picture?
Good. Now forget about it.
Athens quintet Aegis of Athena (formerly Tristan & Isolde) is out to prove that there is more to its steadily growing underground genre than meets the ear.
"We started off as a hardcore band, but I wouldn't really call us that now," said bassist and University student Chris Seibert. "We are definitely more technical and creative than we used to be."
The group strives to break the mold of what most would consider hardcore music by expanding its writing and playing styles.
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"We're a very melodic hardcore band with metal influences, very vocally and guitar-driven," said Robert Schmidlein, a vocalist and physical education teacher at the University.
Seibert readily agrees. "We're definitely still heavy, but our songs now include a lot more harmonies and some very active melodic riffs that people may not expect from typical hardcore music," he said.
By all admissions, the band came about by chance and simple necessity over any other factors.
"We were just a bunch of guys who wanted to get into a new project," said Schmidlein.
The musical lineup is rounded out by the guitar talents of David Barton and Sean Gahagan as well as the drum work of Tony Ulbrandt, all current University students.
Though still a young group, Aegis of Athena is wasting no time in making a name for themselves.
The band recently wrapped up an intense two-day session at Athens' own Bakery Studios to record its first full-length album, which will be released later this year.
The seven-track disc includes old songs reworked by the band, as well as songs that even regular concert-goers will find relatively new.
According to Schmidlein, the overall sound is "very melodic with a wide range of hardcore styles."
"We are working on trying to play more out-of-town shows and possibly tour this upcoming year," added Seibert. "We're hoping that this release might also help get us signed."
With the new album soon to be in hand, Aegis of Athena will have another weapon to couple with its already popular live shows.
"Our live shows can be pretty chaotic sometimes," said Seibert. "It's always fun to see the audience go nuts and be as excited about the music as we are."
Friday night will be a chance for the band to break out even further, as Aegis of Athena bring its unique sound to Caledonia Lounge for an evening of, in the words of Schmidlein, "sugar and spice and everything nice!"
