quinta-feira, abril 19, 2012

Lower the Veil - The 100th Monkey

 
 
In Boston, Massachusetts, on May 13, 1980, Damien Baldwin was born into a musical family.  His mother was a concert pianist and his father an amateur guitar player.  Baldwin began writing his own songs as a teenager and taught himself to play the guitar. 
 
Damien's dream was to one day front his own band that would perform the songs he wrote.  He played in local bands as a teen which helped him to acquire a stage persona and sharpen his skills.  At the age of 19, he was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident when he was struck by a drunk driver.  After his recovery, Baldwin decided to join the United States Military.  During his service, he married his high school sweetheart and decided to pursue his music career after his discharge.
 
Baldwin and his wife moved from Massachusetts to New Jersey in 2000.  It was at this time that he began attending local music gigs in search of his band.  Damien met his bassist, Rob Lampe, at a local music gig.  Lampe was fronting his own band at that time but Baldwin persuaded him to join him in his new venture.  Lampe connected Damien with a drummer and rhythm guitar player and called the band, "Friends of Bill Wilson."
 
In 2008, Friends of Bill Wilson released their first album entitled "Surface Tension."  The music was edgy and intriguing and seemed to strike accord with the band's following.  Their fan base began to increase and FOBW was ready to take it to the next level.
 
 In December of 2010, Baldwin and Lampe presented his demo to Renee Ludwig, a local talent buyer and asked her if she would represent Friends of Bill Wilson.  After critiquing the demo, Ludwig felt that this band was far too talented for just the local music scene.  They pursued other avenues in the music industry to acquire a recording contract.
 
In the spring of 2011, Baldwin decided to make a few changes within the group.  He dropped the rhythm guitar, and replaced his drummer with Casey Ferry, another local musician who had local success with two other bands.  Ferry performed with one band for 10 years until the tragic death of the lead singer.  Baldwin felt that the chemistry among all three players was perfect and he now had a fine-tuned, creative machine.
 
In order to reflect the new incarnation, Baldwin decided to change the name of the band to "Lower the Veil."  The band caught the attention of 6 time Grammy Award winning producer, Joe D'Anofrio, who attended one of their performances in June of 2011.  
 
The band has completed their second album entitled "The 100th Monkey," which was released on January 28, 2012.   Out of a desire to express his passion for the characteristics of the mind and reality, Baldwin feels that this is his best body of work to date.

 
Band Line Up:
Lead Vocals:  Damien
Guitar:  Damien
Bass:  Rob Lampe
Drums:  Casey Ferry

Tracklisting:
1- The Giving Tree
2- The Sawyer
3- Burning Whale
4- All That's Real
5- Tess' Song
6- Celebrate Murder
7- Once Upon a Time
8- Stand
9- The Way It Is
10- The 100th Monkey
 
Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal - E-Zine