Biography
When four highly skilled musicians come together, good things happen. This just happens to be the case with the new progressive-metal band Cast This Life based out of Dawson/Rainelle in West Virginia. Even in high school, the four have actively pursued this interest in music, which had led them to play in the school and jazz bands. Once high school was over, the five friends (including the old keyboardist Brandon) formed together and began playing a few talent shows. Many people around the community had expressed their positive opinions to the group which further inspired their ambitions to continue. However, with the pressure to make a living, some of the members in the band had been convinced to give college a shot.While three members had given college a try, they found that the band couldn't continue without practices, and therefore they had all collectively decided to focus purely on working on their own material. However, another obstacle would come between the band. Brandon, their past keyboard player, had grown distant and uninterested in continuing his role in the band. The band knew they still needed the unique sound of the keyboard, so Josh O'Dell gave up the sound of the second guitar to take over keyboard himself. The band had also grown out of their pure-metal mentality because their influences had changed. This led them to dropping virtually all songs written with Brandon to create a new and exciting blend of stylistic songs. Although, up until this point, the band had been playing purely instrumental; something they realized needed to be changed if they wanted to become something more memorable. Thus, their search for a singer had begun.
As soon as the word was out, many people in the community thought it would be a good idea to try to land a job as their vocalist. While many had come, few actually could sing. Soon, though, one person would leave a lasting impression on the group. Just shortly after their first practice with him, Eric would become the voice of Cast This Life, but he wouldn't last long. He had played only a few shows before the group realized his interests weren't in improving himself or creating unique music. The band soon found themselves in the same position they were in only a few months prior.
After a few practices without a singer, tensions in the band were pretty high. It was definitely a tough and frustrating time for them. That frustration didn't last long though, because Josh O'Dell decided to take on lead vocals himself. The task wasn't easy, but the band had been used to doing backup vocals, so the transition was probably a little easier and ended up being the best decision they had ever made. Soon after the vocals had been worked out, the group decided that a few quality demos were necessary. The band recorded at Liquitone Studios in Huntington WV during two separate sessions on February 20th and 23rd. The result was a three song demo showcasing a variety of material.
Up until this point, the guys have been actively promoting their demo and lining up shows. The only thing left to do is to build a fan base (which has already taken off) and get signed to a record label that understands the music.
By Caleb Sweeney (friend and fan)
--Cast This Life is:
Josh O'Dell - Lead Vocals & Keyboards
Tim Kaminski - Backup Vocals & Drums
Thomas Jenkins - Backup Vocals & Guitar
Chad Kaminski - Backup Vocals & Bass