Band : AvoidingX

Album title : 4 Track Demo

Label : Own release

Distributor : Own release

Release date : 2008

Release : 4-track demo cd-R

Superior, Wisconsin...March 2006: the birth of a band with the weird name AvoidingX, the "X" standing for everything negative in your life you don't want there. A message which is built into every song the band was to make, a message meant to be understood and then get related to, so as the listener might step back and change what it is he doesn't care for in his own life...and hopefully pass onto something mre positive to make a change in the bigger picture.

Having played in cover bands before, the guys felt it important to step off that path, and start an all-original set-list. Simply put, what the band does when making songs is work on whatever riff guitarist Carl Soderlund comes up with, the other two musicians joining in and singer William Greely standing there with a pile of lyrics, jumping in with vocals when the spirit feels right. Although the band stays mainly within a 200 mile radius of their hometown to play gigs, their fanbase goes far beyond those confines thanks to Greely's clever tactic of asking people (through bulletins on the band's MySpace) to put up street teams in support of the band! To date, they have reached no less than 50,000 people that way.In January 2008 the line-up went through a change when the rhythm section was replaced by bassist Randy Graber and drummer Dereck Theiling.

Until now, the guys have...if I'm correct, at least...recorded a total of three demos (but that could also be only two). Their music, a rather simple kinda Nu-Thrash with a feeling for groovy catchiness, has been described at one point as "Thrash meets Disturbed", and somehow that is an opinion I can stand support! The band itself puts it as follows: "With ear pounding beats and soul slicing riffs, nothing but heart behind the music they write...".   Personally, I don't care too much for the somewhat simple constructions, as there's a mainstream feeling in 'em as well. On top, both the guitar and vocal sound is somewhat...dare I say boring, monotonous...to me, and the rhythmsection ain't really that versatile either! Then again, I'm afraid that with some promotion from a decent label, the guys just might make it big enough saleswize! Of course, the reader is always entitled to his/ her own opinion, but whenever a band is out to please as many people as possible, I tend to suspect sell-out tactics. Listen to àll songs on their latest demo (plus the track "Abusement Park" off their "To Whom It May Concern" demo) at myspace.com/avoidingx, and find out for yourself whether AvoidingX is something for you! Personally, I find the band to be an average warm-up act for something better...but that's just me being overly critical...and meanwhile I hàve, after all, given the band sóme credit for the effort they put in their music, didn't I?

78/100

Tony.