By Katherine Guest –
Christmas lights trimmed the ceiling panels. Quaking vibrations of obnoxious stomping trembled beneath chair pegs, but the “fee-fi-fo-fum” did not come from the individuals attracted to foreign people or manners. They were not a xenophile. They were an amateur death metal band, at best, attempting to amuse more than just two lonely souls head banging in the front center stage.
Finally, there was a moment, silence.
Then, the distilled air illuminated the NEW ambiance of 80’s influenced progressive thrash metal in the dingy dive venue of 10th Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ. A melodic undertone grasped the attention of the unfocused audience.
“So, we’re Xenophile, our first song is called ‘Systematic Enslavement,’” announced lead singer of Xenophile, Roy Torres, 21, from Paterson, NJ, whose voice ranges many octaves.
Leart Begolli, 21, guitarist, from Cliffside, NJ, concluded that the band Xenopile pertains to a “collective form of music drawn from foreign influences.” More specifically, it was shaped by Middle Eastern and westernized sounds and styles.
According to lead guitarist, Ron Iglesias, 24, former NJCU music and arts major from Bayonne, NJ, “Systematic Enslavement” was influenced by thrash metal. “There’s [the] use of the Phrygian dominant scale, [three musical notes relative to Ancient Greece], which is featured heavily in Middle Eastern and Spanish music and was influenced by a lot of thrash.”
Although this particular song is now used towards the end of the set, its melodically appeasing, yet, misleading nature shifts the audience’s perspective to an extremist, heavy riff after about 30 seconds in. “System Enslavement” is one of ten diversified songs that feature intertwining ballads and a sense of melody with elements of hardcore and progressive tempos. “All the songs are a culmination of the past three years.” said Iglesias. “We don’t want to play ten of the same songs, which [is] why we play ballads. People comment on the diversity.”
Because of the diversification of the single, the band ultimately decided that their album, expected in early November of 2013, is entitled “Systematic Enslavement.” In part to the song, the band felt it represented the general concept of the album.
Iglesias further reiterated Xenophile’s overall melodious inspiration, “What really first and foremost influences us is a lot of 80’s metal that falls under the category of thrash metal. For example, Metallica, but that doesn’t even do the music enough justice.”
As an American heavy metal band, Metallica’s heavy instrumentation and aggressive tempos categorized the band as the forefather of thrash metal, along with bands such as Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.
On July 2013 in Guitar Center of Manhattan, NY, Frank Bello, American bass guitarist for the thrash metal band Anthrax, gave Xenophile some insight into the music industry. “We went to this meet-and-greet with Frank Bello from Anthrax and Ron asked them, ‘hey, how do you avoid getting screwed over in the music industry?’ Bello replied, ‘You don’t; you’re going to get screwed over.’ it’s unavoidable really,” said Macarena, 19, band manager from Tenafly, NJ.
In order to transcend beyond the music industry’s expectations, questions constantly arise about the avoidance of inevitable hardships. The money involved in working with promoters is a risk that ultimately follows.
Once the album is released, Xenophile established the idea of obtaining donations for future touring opportunities. Aside from audience funding, the band is focusing on profits from selling Xenophile logo printed t-shirts rather than gaining limited funds given by venues.
Xenophile confronted several blockading obstacles during their progressing harmonious voyage. “I’ve definitely seen progress, but something that’s very limiting is that they haven’t finished an album yet. I know they’re recording, but without an album, it limits the band from progressing completely and attending ‘high-end’ venues,” said Macarena.
Despite any hardships that might confront the band, all of the band members agreed upon their future goals. “Our aspirations are really to play a show every day, write a song every day, and release an album every other day,” said Matt Pavlik, 21, drummer from Fairview, NJ. Anthony Bianco, 20, bassist and former NJCU music and arts major, from Scotch Plains, NJ, favored this notion as his band mates nodded in approval.
In the meantime, The Aquarian, a weekly music newspaper that reviews music conventions in the New Jersey and New York regions, wrote a positive music evaluation of Xenophile’s performance in the July 2013 Jersey Shore Music and Arts Festival.
The band has extended its venues from playing in Trenton at Champs Bar and Grill, playing in Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, to Bootleg Mannings in Staten Island, NY. The Blue Room in Secaucus, during March 2013, was one of their biggest performances because of the venue’s convenience to commuters.
Future appearances include, Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, on October 19, 2013 and Montclair University Radio Station, who is executing a live interview of Xenophile on October 25.
For further background information on Xenophile, refer to Frank Wilson’s article titled “Xenophile” on The Gothic Times website (https://www.gothictimes.net /2012/10/26/xenophile/).
