North Jersey Notes: Sykohed

SykohedOne band that’s been making some noise in the area is a band called Sykohed. I have to admit that my curiosity got the best of me when I heard the name, so I had to go to their MySpace page, myspace.com/sykohed . Little did I know, it was Gonzo from Smoke fronting the band! I guess with Smoke now defunct, he needed something to keep him busy! The stuff that I heard on Sykohed’s page is worth the visit. Wow! The songs “Rippin’ And Breakin’,” “Fed Up,” and “Gotts” really blew me away! They’re heavy and the riffs are just what the doctor ordered! I also never realized how great of a rock singer Gonzo is. I guess that I never paid attention since his old band’s name was similar to my old band’s name, therefore, I guess I could’ve cared less.

Sykohed is the brainchild of singer Rob Gonzo, who was the former lead singer of the band Smoke. Smoke was a band with a very interesting history, and Gonzo felt that his time in that project had come to an end. Gonzo decided to pull all of his own original music out of storage and felt that it was time to start his own project. He searched for months to find the right musicians for his new project, and he finally settled on this new well-oiled machine he calls Sykohed. It was a name given to his onstage alter-ego. Sykohed’s heavy and unique style of music along with their energized live performance is winning them over fans quickly one by one. Joining Gonzo in Sykohed are guitarists Al and Scott, some guy named Art on bass, and John on the drums.

Sykohed is currently shopping around for management and a record deal. You can catch them live at a local venue near you! Who knows? They may get their management company and record deal in 2009 as their momentum starts to pick up! You won’t be disappointed!

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

The Compulsions performed at a pretty cool event recently with a very special guest behind the kit. They recently played down at the former location of the legendary CBGB’s in NYC, which is now the new home of fashion designer John Varvatos. John is worldly known for his infusion of fashion and rock ‘n’ roll. The special guest that The Compulsions had behind their drum kit was the new Guns ‘N’ Roses drummer, Frank Ferrer, or should I say Axl Rose’s Guns ‘N’ Roses? Because everybody knows who the real Guns ‘N’ Roses really is! Anyway, Frank is no stranger to The Compulsions as he was featured on some of the band’s earlier recordings, including college radio favorites “Down On The Tracks” and “Howlin’ For You!” Speaking of college radio, the college kids love the latest CD from The Compulsions, Demon Love, as it’s been topping college radio charts across the country! For more info on The Compulsions, log onto myspace.com/t hecompulsions.

My bros from Black Water Rising will be making a pit stop at WDHA to visit another bro of mine, Scott Evil, and his show Metal Mania this Friday night, Dec. 12. The boys from Black Water Rising will be playing a live acoustic set on the air that night and will probably be plugging their show with Life Of Agony at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, the following night, Dec. 13. This should be an acoustic set for the ages, so don’t miss it! That’s 105.5 FM or listen live online at wdhafm.com. If you want even more news on Black Water Rising, head over to myspace.com/ blackwaterrising.

And finally, promoter John Vargas, who some might know from the Love Sexy in Hoboken, NJ, is, in fact, back in Hoboken with a new club that he’s calling Bar Saints And Sinners. Bar Saints And Sinners will be a rock club on Friday nights where new music will be showcased! It’s located at 205 First Street in Hoboken, NJ. John says that if you have a decent sized fan base and think you can draw well in Hoboken, then he’d love to book your band.

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey and you want some exposure, send your demos and press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424. No cover bands, please!

Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!