North Jersey Notes: NUSE, Fear Factory, A Lesson In Violence and More!

Whenever I hear of the town named Manville, Frank’s Chicken House comes come to mind because it was the first strip club I ever went to! That was many years ago and I’m not even sure if Frank’s Chicken House even exists anymore. You know who does still exist, though? The guys from the metal band NUSE! I recently got an email that said the band was still together and that they wanted a new and young audience to know who they were. Well, I have to say, they don’t write hardcore metal like this anymore! The band still has that old school metal vibe that I loved listening to growing up, but their sound can still fit in with that modern local metal sound that we’re surrounded by today. It’s evident in songs like “Free Tattoos,” “Shine Box,” and “C8h18” off of their most recent CD, All American Beat Down.

The power metal trio NUSE was originally formed back in 1993 by three childhood friends: singer/guitarist Mike LaMastro, bassist Eric Mangual, and drummer Bob Mangual. Mike, Eric, and Bob have been friends for over 20 years and their life experiences together have been translated in their music. Believe it or not, there’s a funny story behind the name NUSE. According to Eric, these friends have ‘hung’ with each other so long, the name, which was originally NOOSE, seemed appropriate. Back then the band had five members and they couldn’t decide on a name, so they felt there was “No Use” in trying to make everyone agree on the name, so they officially started calling themselves NUSE. Since deciding on a band name roughly 20 years ago, NUSE has made a name for themselves, sharing the stage with bands like Type O Negative, The Misfits, Clutch and Biohazard. That’s not a bad resumé if you ask me!

NUSE released their debut CD, Hung Well, in 2002, but then re-released it in 2005 with the help of No Joke Records. In 2008, they released their second CD, Forever Starts Today, which helped the band gain some more notoriety. Back in May, NUSE released their third CD, All American Beat Down, and they’ve been getting nothing but positive feedback on their most recent effort! I guess it’s true that musicians really do get better with age! Check NUSE out now at nuse.tv.

 

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

A few of the best local metal acts will be supporting the return of Fear Factory next Wednesday night (8/15) at the Starland Ballroom. It will be my old buds, Dispute To Flames, my new buds, Xero Gravity, and my bro Shottie and his boys, Ashes Of Your Enemy, whom I will be interviewing next week because they have some amazing things happening for them. This should be an amazingly brutal show, so buy a ticket from one of these local bands and show your support for the local scene! You can contact or find Dispute To Flames, Xero Gravity, and Ashes Of Your Enemy on their respective Facebook pages.

My bros from A Lesson In Violence have been working their tails off on their long-awaited full-length CD that they’re calling Where The Truth Could Lead. This will be the first release from the former members of Dead Letter Box, Split Vision, and Vintage Lust. For more info on the upcoming release from A Lesson In Violence, log onto facebook.com/alessoninviolence.

And finally, last year, we lost a great friend, brother, guitarist, and engineer to the North Jersey music scene in Mike Koenig from the band LowBuz. Mike lost a long and hard-fought battle with brain cancer and is sorely missed by many of us. Many of you who never got to see them live really missed out! Those who did get to see a Smoke Star and LowBuz show will definitely agree! I recently talked to the band’s former singer, Jeff Dixon, and it sounds like he’ll be keeping Mike’s legacy alive with a brand new LowBuz CD. Jeff recently went into the studio to help remix some of the last recordings they did, which he said were Mike’s “favorite LowBuz songs to date.” This will be a great tribute to the late Mike Koenig and an amazing way to keep his legacy alive! Find out when the new CD will be released at reverbnation.com/lowbuz, where you can also hear an unreleased song called “Enemy.”

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!

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

Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.

NJN Concert Calendar:

8/10—The Brigantines—Langosta Lounge, Asbury Park, NJ

8/10—Judge The Fallen—Willie McBrides, Hoboken, NJ

8/11—Lower The Veil—Seven Days Bar and Grill, Keyport, NJ

8/11—Panzie*–The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA

8/11—SYKA—Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ

8/14—Steve Brown—Rhodes North Tavern, Sloatsburg, NY

8/15—Xero Gravity/Dispute To Flames/Ashes Of Your Enemy/Fear Factory—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ

8/16—Scarlet Carson—The Delancey, NYC

8/16—Steel Panther/The Bad News—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ

8/16—Dead Fish Handshake—The Whiskey Bar, Hoboken, NJ

8/16—Shadowplay—Café Wha?, NYC

8/16—Steve Brown and Dennis Zimmer—Sands Casino, Bethlehem, PA

8/17—InDisguise—Le Grande Fromage, Atlantic City, NJ

8/17—Kucklebone/Burning Red Sun/Dispute To Flames—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ

8/18—John Rango and Friends—The Canal Day Festival, Wharton, NJ

8/18—Steve Brown and Dennis Zimmer—Sand Bar, Brielle, NJ

8/18—Scarlet Carson/Sundown Conspiracy/August Infinty/Mother/Fate Strikes Twice/Beyond Visible—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

8/18—Borgo Pass/Dormitory Effect—Even Flow, Bayshore, NY

8/24—Audio Machine—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ

8/24—Set It Free/Skid Row/L.A. Guns—Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ

8/24—Steve Brown and the Fallout—The Beachcomber Bar, Seaside Heights, NJ

8/25—Long Gone Day—Speakeasy Bar, Belleville, NJ

8/26–Kill Devil Hill/Generation Kill/the JJ Lang Band/Fever Vein/Doomsday Prophecy/Give Them Rope/Pyramada—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

8/31—Blue Food—Sullivan Hall, NYC

8/31—Kosmic Daydream—Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ