The seeds of T.P.G. were sown in the summer of 2007, when Matt Altieri met fellow North Shore-based musician Luke Batten. An accomplished all-around artist, Altieri has been the driving force of such underground metal acts as Hail Plankton and the Bludgeoning and, most recently, has toured the nation as the new guitarist for thrash metal legends Deceased. Batten, meanwhile, was the drummer for Covalence, a funk rock band based in central Massachusetts. With Covalence on hiatus and Hail Plankton in need of new members, Batten, Altieri and Pete Legasey (also of Hail Plankton, the Bludgeoning) began gigging around the bay state as a hard rock "lounge act" performing classics by such head-banging stalwarts as Soungarden, Black Sabbath, Danzig and AC/DC. By the time winter rolled around, former Covalence slap bass wizard Andrew Simpson had joined the lineup and the group had begun to write original songs, first working under the name "the Cenobites" before adopting the name "T.P.G." (as in "The Porno Gods," or, if you prefer, "Toilet Paper Gang").
For a band that prides itself on cultivating a visceral, no-nonsense rock experience, the T.P.G. sound is refreshingly eclectic and multi-faceted. The Batten/Simpson rhythm section lays a foundation of danceable groove that many hard rock bands are sorely lacking. The Altieri/Legasey combo injects T.P.G. with a hard-hitting ferocity and impeccably timed harmonies that may have you singing along to passages where no vocals are present. The fact that Altieri, Legasey and Simpson can all hold their own on the microphone gives the group an added degree of versatility. If you are looking for a group that plays the same song ten times over the course of a set, look elsewhere – likewise if you are looking for a group that is desperate to foray into uncharted realms of incoherent, pseudo-musical experimentation. T.P.G. has the nerve and know-how to draw upon a wide range of rock, funk, pop and metal influences, but has the sensibility to channel it all into fun, sexually charged and delightfully dirty rock n' roll.
