Chemtrail assembled and began constructing songs in the early months of 2006. The musical background of Chemtrail's members is a diverse one. Their resumés boast a history of punk rock, stoner rock, rock and metal bands ... all of which can be be found evident in certain parts of their song writing. Their music contains no vocals, they are an instrumental band whose songs communicate through raw emotion rather than lyrical messages. Loud-quiet-loud, inspirational build-ups and heart-wrenching soundscapes are all constituents of Chemtrail's sound.
2007 has proven to be a great year for Chemtrail. Some notable achievements throughout the year include a very successful run in a battle-of-the-bands competition over a six month period, scoring first place in the regional finals and making it to the semi-final round consisting of the top 15 bands out of 300. Being the only instrumental band in the competition, their success is a testament that music without words can be widely appreciated. Also this year, the band was nominated for four Asbury Park Music Awards. Out of the four nominations, they succeeded in taking home the prize for "Top Avant Garde Act". Last, but certainly not least, Chemtrail's debut album titled "Via Satellite" was realeased in September of 2007.
Chemtrail regularly plays gigs all over NJ and in NYC to very positive crowd response. They are constantly writing new material and continue to mature their sound. With Chemtrail's first full-length album out now and plans for some touring in the near future, it is a very exciting time for the band.
VENUE CREDITS:
The Starland Ballroom
Don Hill's, NYC
The Delancey, NYC
Lit Lounge, NYC
Arlene's Grocery, NYC
Club Midway, NYC
The Saint
The Asbury Lanes
The Wonder Bar
The Brighton Bar
and more...
Review by Manacast Reviews:
Since the great success of bands like the Icelandic group Sigur Ros, there has been a surge in music followers new to the scene digging through the Post Rock crates of record shops looking for soundalikes. If you are one of these people, try stopping by American group Chemtrail's page.
Having more in common with Explosions in the Sky than Sigur Ros, these guys specialize in creating elegant guitar riffs, combining them with simplistic beats and elaborating on them throughout their tracks using heavy distortion (and lots of volume).
A prime example of this can be seen in their track, 35,000 feet. Opening with atmospheric washes of distorted guitar and a gentle plucked melody, this track builds into a glorious uplifting epic full of crashing drums and soaring guitar solos.
The track Face Me is a more raucous affair, starting with raging guitars and furious drumming akin to Mogwai's recent rafter-shaker 'Glasgow Megasnake'. Just when you think this ones mellowing out, it shifts up a gear into a distorted sonic fury, before returning to its original theme for the coda.
Chemtrail's music is packed full of passionate warmth and poise. People looking for your next step into the world of post rock, you might just have found it.
