Xander Demos - Interview
1). What are the names of your members?
Well, it’s kind of a solo project/band project. On my first album, Guitarcadia, I used several different drummers and bass players. Now, we’ve got a good core for the next album: Xander Demos on guitars, Mario Brescia on vocals, Jeff Anzelone on drums, Adam Heusey on keys and Ben Chiarini on bass.
2). When did you all get together?
2012
3). How did you all meet?
I’ve known these guys forever, and Adam has been with me in several bands. Jeff is in Sabbath Judas Sabbath on the east coast with me, and Mario is our “practice vocalist” for SJS, filling in for James Rivera at rehearsals.
4). How would you describe your music?
Heavy Melodic Metal with Shred-tasty solos
5). Who are your major influences?
As a band: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Dio, Queensryche. Personally: Neal Schon, John Sykes, Malmsteen, Guthrie Govan, Brad Gillis, Shawn Lane, Vandenberg…the list goes on…
6). Complete the sentence: One day as a band we hope to…
make money on the road. Lol. It’s tough out there for new acts. So, that would be a definite goal!
7). Why should people listen to your music?
It’s musically interesting. You don’t hear too many albums that are 80% instrumental, like Guitarcadia was. The next album will focus more on the vocal side, but either way, the melodies are strong. It’s great driving music, too!
8). What are your plans for the upcoming year?
We’ll be recording and putting out the 2nd album, “Dancing Through Daggers.” I’ll be on a couple of great guitar compilations coming out. We’re touring, including playing some awesome festivals like Rock Harvest II , Spring Stampede, and Skull Fest, among others. I’ll be playing the National Anthem for an upcoming Philly Soul game in Philly..that will be cool! Just continuing to play live and support the music.
9). What albums/EP’s have you released so far and where can people get hold of them?
My debut album is “Guitarcadia” mixed by Cj Snare of Firehouse. You can get it at www.xanderdemos.bigcartel.com or digitally on itunes, amazon, rhapsody, etc.
10). Finally – say something profound that will make everyone think:
Don’t do this gig for any other reason than for the love of the music. If you do that, you will be successful a lot sooner than you think.
Check out what we thought of Guitarcadia below!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Well, it’s kind of a solo project/band project. On my first album, Guitarcadia, I used several different drummers and bass players. Now, we’ve got a good core for the next album: Xander Demos on guitars, Mario Brescia on vocals, Jeff Anzelone on drums, Adam Heusey on keys and Ben Chiarini on bass.
2). When did you all get together?
2012
3). How did you all meet?
I’ve known these guys forever, and Adam has been with me in several bands. Jeff is in Sabbath Judas Sabbath on the east coast with me, and Mario is our “practice vocalist” for SJS, filling in for James Rivera at rehearsals.
4). How would you describe your music?
Heavy Melodic Metal with Shred-tasty solos
5). Who are your major influences?
As a band: Dream Theater, Symphony X, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Dio, Queensryche. Personally: Neal Schon, John Sykes, Malmsteen, Guthrie Govan, Brad Gillis, Shawn Lane, Vandenberg…the list goes on…
6). Complete the sentence: One day as a band we hope to…
make money on the road. Lol. It’s tough out there for new acts. So, that would be a definite goal!
7). Why should people listen to your music?
It’s musically interesting. You don’t hear too many albums that are 80% instrumental, like Guitarcadia was. The next album will focus more on the vocal side, but either way, the melodies are strong. It’s great driving music, too!
8). What are your plans for the upcoming year?
We’ll be recording and putting out the 2nd album, “Dancing Through Daggers.” I’ll be on a couple of great guitar compilations coming out. We’re touring, including playing some awesome festivals like Rock Harvest II , Spring Stampede, and Skull Fest, among others. I’ll be playing the National Anthem for an upcoming Philly Soul game in Philly..that will be cool! Just continuing to play live and support the music.
9). What albums/EP’s have you released so far and where can people get hold of them?
My debut album is “Guitarcadia” mixed by Cj Snare of Firehouse. You can get it at www.xanderdemos.bigcartel.com or digitally on itunes, amazon, rhapsody, etc.
10). Finally – say something profound that will make everyone think:
Don’t do this gig for any other reason than for the love of the music. If you do that, you will be successful a lot sooner than you think.
Check out what we thought of Guitarcadia below!
Words: Dave Nicholls
Xander Demos
The guys at Rock N Growl Promotions are always good for sending through some bands to check out, so when they dropped us an email recently about Xander Demos, a rock/metal/instrumental guitarist influenced by the likes of Eric Johnson, Steve Vai and Vinnie Moore. With a one sheet that goes on to say that Xander’s style ranges from the beautifully melodic to the jaw-droppingly insane, I was looking forward to hitting play to see what was instore from the album, Guitarcadia.
Opening with Right Angles it’s immediately clear that we’re dealing with someone who understands their instrument, hammering onwards with riffs which will leave you drooling, backing rhythms which shake the foundations of your house and bring out the air guitarist in anyone who hears it, there’s no escape from the word go! Melodic, fast, powerful and carefully crafted, this opening track on the album sets the scene for what is to follow and shows that guitar orientated instrumental rock is alive, well, and better than ever! Nothing Major continues this theme once more, harking more towards 80’s and 90’s power rock or metal in its sound yet once again, showcasing the talents of Xander on the guitar. What I particularly like about this track is how the guitar work takes the place of any vocals, they’re simply not needed as you listen to it as the intricate lines bounce around you, lead you through the track and convey the message needed, it’s quite an incredible mix to behold and something which a lot of people are going to love.
Under A Darkened Sky and White Knuckle Driving once again continue to demonstrate the ability on offer here, showing how the guitar can be an intricate instrument when used properly, and as such can convey everything needed to the listener. The latter of the two tracks is a particular high point on the album for me, matching the title perfectly and forming into a track which you want playing in the car when hammering down a road at high speed, it’s unrelenting, fast and once again, performed to perfection. Title track Guitarcadia follows on and once again, sets a new bar for the album, showing that with each track on this album there’s going to be a surprise. Sweeping guitar tones open the track and build into a crescendo, the track slowly forming around you and creating a sense of drama which lures you in to listen harder, each note of the guitar mastery flowing out from the speakers and forming into a mix which is dramatic, powerful and simply mindblowing – it’s difficult to describe the feeling generated as simply , it sits you back and forces you to listen so you take it all in.
Woodshed Sonata marks a definite change in the progression of the album, this time forming into something far heavier, far more distorted and quite simply, far more evil. The pounding rhythm section behind the guitar work defines this track as more on the metal side of things, forming a sound which is heavy, hard hitting and one which live is going to kill the audience. This is a track which needs to be played at a very loud volume, the sort of thing which is going to annoy your neighbours but at the same time make you not care as you’re hearing something so epic. Boys Of Summer comes up next and almost sounds softer thanks to the heavy riffs which led into it, still though the intricate guitar work combines with a synth and forms into a track covering the well known track – only sounding fresher, new, and somehow updated. I love the fact that this is a cover of a track which everyone will know, it means you’ll be singing along in no time, joining in with the band and wishing you could hammer out guitar lines like this (in short, this is another reason why my Ibanez is in its case doing nothing at the moment – this just puts my playing to shame!). Going from instrumental tracks to one with vocals comes as a shock initially yet somehow it also seems to work, seems to fit and once again, leaves you sitting back in amazement at what you’ve just heard, I never had this track pegged as sounding like this yet here it is, incredible.
Chase The Sun once again returns us to the guitar focused tracks of the album, losing the vocals in favour of the guitar line once again and showing that when it comes to originality, this guy can do it with aplomb. Fast paced and perfectly formed throughout, I struggle to find any issue with any element of this track, so make sure you check this out – it’s almost like a showcase of the rest of the album which shows what you can expect to hear. Metagalactic continues this theme perfectly, once again darkening the sound and focusing on the lead lines of the guitar, the heavy rumbling backing track and the overall idea that music can do all the talking that’s needed. It’s only left then to Lady In Red to close the album, yes another cover, but what a cover it is. Personally, I dislike Chris De Burgh with a passion (well not personally, but his music!), so to hear Lady In Red performed like this was a strange one – yet it works! Losing the lyrics and letting the guitar play out the vocal line instead, the track has become something different, something which moves away from the dreary outlook of the original and become something more uplifting and more adventurous, a great track to finish what’s been a great album.
Once again after hearing an album I’ve been left feeling inadequate about my guitar playing, as simply Xander has taken things to a new level and shown what a guitar is supposed to sound like when it’s done properly! From the beginning of this album right up to the closing moments of it there’s not a note wrong, not a moment which seems out of place, or a track which doesn’t work. If you like guitars, and have wandered what they sound like when they’re played well, then this is an album for you – one not to miss!
To find out more about Xander Demos, check out the Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls.
Opening with Right Angles it’s immediately clear that we’re dealing with someone who understands their instrument, hammering onwards with riffs which will leave you drooling, backing rhythms which shake the foundations of your house and bring out the air guitarist in anyone who hears it, there’s no escape from the word go! Melodic, fast, powerful and carefully crafted, this opening track on the album sets the scene for what is to follow and shows that guitar orientated instrumental rock is alive, well, and better than ever! Nothing Major continues this theme once more, harking more towards 80’s and 90’s power rock or metal in its sound yet once again, showcasing the talents of Xander on the guitar. What I particularly like about this track is how the guitar work takes the place of any vocals, they’re simply not needed as you listen to it as the intricate lines bounce around you, lead you through the track and convey the message needed, it’s quite an incredible mix to behold and something which a lot of people are going to love.
Under A Darkened Sky and White Knuckle Driving once again continue to demonstrate the ability on offer here, showing how the guitar can be an intricate instrument when used properly, and as such can convey everything needed to the listener. The latter of the two tracks is a particular high point on the album for me, matching the title perfectly and forming into a track which you want playing in the car when hammering down a road at high speed, it’s unrelenting, fast and once again, performed to perfection. Title track Guitarcadia follows on and once again, sets a new bar for the album, showing that with each track on this album there’s going to be a surprise. Sweeping guitar tones open the track and build into a crescendo, the track slowly forming around you and creating a sense of drama which lures you in to listen harder, each note of the guitar mastery flowing out from the speakers and forming into a mix which is dramatic, powerful and simply mindblowing – it’s difficult to describe the feeling generated as simply , it sits you back and forces you to listen so you take it all in.
Woodshed Sonata marks a definite change in the progression of the album, this time forming into something far heavier, far more distorted and quite simply, far more evil. The pounding rhythm section behind the guitar work defines this track as more on the metal side of things, forming a sound which is heavy, hard hitting and one which live is going to kill the audience. This is a track which needs to be played at a very loud volume, the sort of thing which is going to annoy your neighbours but at the same time make you not care as you’re hearing something so epic. Boys Of Summer comes up next and almost sounds softer thanks to the heavy riffs which led into it, still though the intricate guitar work combines with a synth and forms into a track covering the well known track – only sounding fresher, new, and somehow updated. I love the fact that this is a cover of a track which everyone will know, it means you’ll be singing along in no time, joining in with the band and wishing you could hammer out guitar lines like this (in short, this is another reason why my Ibanez is in its case doing nothing at the moment – this just puts my playing to shame!). Going from instrumental tracks to one with vocals comes as a shock initially yet somehow it also seems to work, seems to fit and once again, leaves you sitting back in amazement at what you’ve just heard, I never had this track pegged as sounding like this yet here it is, incredible.
Chase The Sun once again returns us to the guitar focused tracks of the album, losing the vocals in favour of the guitar line once again and showing that when it comes to originality, this guy can do it with aplomb. Fast paced and perfectly formed throughout, I struggle to find any issue with any element of this track, so make sure you check this out – it’s almost like a showcase of the rest of the album which shows what you can expect to hear. Metagalactic continues this theme perfectly, once again darkening the sound and focusing on the lead lines of the guitar, the heavy rumbling backing track and the overall idea that music can do all the talking that’s needed. It’s only left then to Lady In Red to close the album, yes another cover, but what a cover it is. Personally, I dislike Chris De Burgh with a passion (well not personally, but his music!), so to hear Lady In Red performed like this was a strange one – yet it works! Losing the lyrics and letting the guitar play out the vocal line instead, the track has become something different, something which moves away from the dreary outlook of the original and become something more uplifting and more adventurous, a great track to finish what’s been a great album.
Once again after hearing an album I’ve been left feeling inadequate about my guitar playing, as simply Xander has taken things to a new level and shown what a guitar is supposed to sound like when it’s done properly! From the beginning of this album right up to the closing moments of it there’s not a note wrong, not a moment which seems out of place, or a track which doesn’t work. If you like guitars, and have wandered what they sound like when they’re played well, then this is an album for you – one not to miss!
To find out more about Xander Demos, check out the Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls.
