Luke Simpson
Staff Writer
Few may recognize the hardcore music scene as artistic, let alone as music, but a few recent bands have heaved off the chains of stereotypes and come to the foreground of popular music.
A major stigma lies in the genre, yet hardcore bands are not all rap rockers like Limp Bizkit and Insane Clown Posse. One of these revolutionary groups, who write ballads of passion and breakdowns of aggression, is Symphony in Peril, soon to release their sophomore album, “The Whore’s Trophy,” later this month.
The album title, themed after Revelation 17 in the Bible, is represented graphically in the album’s artwork by a levitating woman with bleeding wounds and two different tracks: “The Whore’s Trophy I” and “The Whore’s Trophy II.” Repeatedly promoted as the soundtrack for Armageddon with its apocalyptic sound, the religious overtones are evident.
A heavily religious band, Symphony In Peril juxtaposes the assumptions of a conventional-Christian group with the band’s interpretation of faith. The quintet has created a 12-track album that expresses these beliefs.
Besides the staple heavy-rock songs, Symphony In Peril also writes melodic, dramatic tracks with heightened climaxes. The album begins with an acoustic introduction titled “Perelandra” after the C.S. Lewis book, and the track quickly transitions into the metal song, “For Now We See In a Mirror, Dimly, But Then Face To Face.” This track is also taken from a Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 13:12.
Before Symphony In Peril headed out of their hometown of Columbus, OH to play the Northern VA Hardcore/Metal Fest at KC’s, drummer Collin Simula expressed his thoughts on the upcoming release of their album.
“We made the point to make a solid record,” Simula said about the new album. “We wrote it in two months and went for more straight forward metal and hardcore.”
Symphony In Peril has been entertaining on the hardcore scene for the past two years and has seen huge success, mostly due to their first album, “Lost Memoirs and Faded Pictures.”
“I think the first album was a lot more chaotic,” said Simula, who is a multitalented musician.
Playing both drums and bass on the “The Whore’s Trophy,” Simula said the first album “encompassed over a year’s worth of writing since the beginning of the band,” and that it felt “disjointed.”
Still, pushing more than 13,000 copies of “Lost Memoirs and Faded Pictures,” people seemed to like the album.
Simula said the new “album has a stronger flow and fits together better.”
Besides their recorded music, the band is also known for live performances. This five-piece ensemble’s concerts are an opportunity for scenesters to slam dance and metal heads to headbang. In March, Symphony In Peril will be headlining the second night of the annual Facedown Fest at the Glasshouse in Pomona.
“We were just blown away by that,” Simula said, accepting the top billing as a blessing. “To headline this year is awesome.”
Formerly of the famed group Zao, Jonas now leads Symphony In Peril with his screaming vocals and eloquent lyrics. The lead singer combines the fury of the music and the fervor of the poetry to make a full tapestry of audio.
Yet, Symphony In Peril attempts to remain tolerant of other beliefs.
“We’re not trying to be preachy, but just talk about where we’re at,” Simula said. “It’s not just about music, but being artistic and about being open and respecting others.”
02-10-2005
