Alan Tecchio

Well, I have finally given in and entered the MySpace world later than pretty much everybody I know. But when you’ve got a friend who is a huge supporter of your music that’s willing to create the page, it really wasn’t a hard decision. The thing is, I am so full-on plugged-in for my day job selling ads and writing columns for Steppin’ Out Magazine that having another online presence aside from the mag’s website (so-mag.com) and my current band’s site (sevenwitches.net) was not a thought I particularly relished. But here I am thanks to a guy named Rich. Thanks Rich! I wonder, does this officially make me a sellout after all these years of Resisting Success? Seriously though, I hope you enjoy Rich’s handiwork that focuses on all the various musical projects I’ve been involved with over the years since 1985. That was the year that I made my first real recording with Hades. (Prior to that, the only studio singing I had done was with my band Prophecy and that was just a two song demo) The Hades years began with a 45” (if you remember those, it means you’re old like me!) called The Cross with a B-side titled Widow’s Mite. Both songs were later rerecorded for the first full length Hades CD Resisting Success on Torrid Records which saw the light of day in 1987. After that, the band released If At First You Don’t Succeed (also on Torrid) in 1988 which followed with many shows. Locally thanks to our bassist Jimmy Schulman, we were able to get great opening spots at the legendary Brooklyn venue L’Amour. We warmed up for everyone from Anthrax to Megadeth, Overkill, Metal Church, Armored Saint, M.O.D. and the list goes on. With a great buzz and rep in our area we left for a tour in Europe in 1989 for the first and last time. We broke up while overseas due to increasing stress between band members. Shortly thereafter I moved to Austin, Texas to sing for the Noise Records band Watchtower. Their singer Jason McMaster had been a longtime penpal of mine and when his other band Dangerous Toys got signed he thought I might be a good fit for ‘Tower. I was... but only for about a year. The band and I had different ideas as to how the vocals should sound while writing new material and suffice it to say, I thought it best to pack my bags and leave. I moved back to New Jersey and ended up joining Non Fiction with former Hades bandmate Dan Lorenzo who had a vocalist spot open in his new band. We released a CD called Preface in 1991, (which was really only a CD printing of a demo we had made) and we built a loyal local following supporting it. The next year Hades did one of their infamous “reunion” shows. This time it was at a club called Studio 1 that N.F. had been doing really well at. This show turned into the Hades CD Live On Location. The next year Fiction put out In The Know on the Grand Slam label through IRS records. This record was a big step up in sound from the first one and once again we went out and played loads of gigs to support it including opening for Overkill in the States and ‘Kill and Savatage in Europe in 1993. The next CD though was in my mind, our best–It’s A Wonderful Lie. However, by then we had lost our record deal except in Europe, (thanks SPV!) and the wind was being gradually taken out of our sails. We continued playing shows but with the fire burning down, it was only a matter of time before we called it quits. In 1995 I was asked to sing on the Power CD Justice of Fire. NJ guitarist Dan Dalley paid me to sing on a CD that to this day, some think is the very best thing I have ever done–bar none. I think that’s cool since opinions are so subjective. But I never lived with those songs or played them live so it was a very different scene for me. Even with some of the ‘Tower stuff I had been a fan first and knew all the parts to a handful of tunes including The Fall Of Reason and Instruments of Random Murder before singing them myself. Regardless, I think the Power CD contains some amazing moments when I listen back to it. N.F. disbanded not long after I did Justice and I pretty much stopped singing and spent my time and energy working hard at Steppin’ Out instead. But the need to have music in my life was too great to ignore and though I swore not to have ambitions of grandeur with a new group, I did want to play live and record again. Mike Cristi, who played drums in Fiction had switched to guitar and had some cool riffs that he and I started woodshedding on. We recorded two demos and played a bunch of bars throughout 1995-1996. This was followed with another break from music after arguing with a club promoter at the end of the night over getting paid $50. I was thirty years old and remember thinking to myself, “I am way to old to be in this scenario”. That break lasted right up until 1998 when Dan Lorenzo asked if I would be interested in a Hades reunion where we would be actively writing new material. Just like with N.F. we made a demo that became a CD–Saviorself. Out of nowhere we got a three CD deal with Metal Blade records and The Downside and DamNation finished out that contract in 2001. In 2000 we were able to go and play the famous Wacken festival in Germany which was a real thrill for all of us! Hades stopped jamming after that and once again I was not doing too much musically for a while. In 2003 or so I started a recording project (though honestly, it never got out of the demo stage) with my friend Justin Jurman. We called it Saturnine Smile and wrote roughly twelve dark, emotive, acoustic based, amazing tunes together. We worked on songs throughout 2003 and 2004. I was asked to sing on one of Jack Frost’s solo CD’s in late ‘04 and it lead to my being asked to fill the vocal spot in Seven Witches. So S9S got put on hold (which is where it remains) but those tunes will definitely see the light of day sometime in the future. I may even put one of the demo tunes up here if there is enough interest. The 7W gig turned out to be a very flexible one and within Jack I found a great producer who created the best environment for me to sing in that I had ever experienced. That’s big for a singer. Being comfortable and properly, accurately coached in the studio is key to giving great performances and not burning your voice out. We rushed out the Amped CD in 2005 having been on a very tight deadline, (Jack was already in the studio when he asked me to join) and though I do like the disc, when I listen back now I think parts of it do sound rushed. Nevertheless, we toured Europe with Demon and Iron Fire and did some Stateside runs with W.A.S.P. and Kamelot. Once we got home, writing began for the CD Deadly Sins which came out at the end of 2007. Having had a good chunk of time to write, demo and record this new material, I think D.S. stands heads and shoulders above its predecessor. Work on a live record is being planned as of this writing and we have some gigs in the works as well. Hopefully we’ll find ourselves in Europe this summer for some festivals! You know, it’s funny–just the other day I was asked to be a guest speaker at a communications class at William Paterson University where I went to school way back in 1984. I went there for two semesters before dropping out to follow my dream of singing in a metal band. I spoke to the class mostly about my day job and my part time gig as a NJ motorcycle safety instructor but at one point I was asked what it was like to be a “real” musician. I had to admit to them that I actually do not consider myself a musician, real or otherwise. I love to sing, write lyrics, melodies and harmonies and do it to music that inspires me. I have some very rudimentary ear training under my belt but that’s about it. I have to give thanks to the musicians I have been lucky enough to work with over the years. I owe my inspiration to them and I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best in my opinion. At the end of the day, I am glad that there are actually people out there who appreciate the results of these collaborations. Thanks for visiting my MySpace! I guess I am a sellout after all! Free Dark & Gothic layouts at darkerhearts.com
Autumn Hour Videos Fade Out from Dethroned Autumn Hour at Jack's Music: Unbelievable Autumn Hour at Jack's Music: Techcceleration Autumn Hour at Jack's Music: Here Comes the Rain Again Autumn Hour at Jack's Music: End User Autumn Hour at Jack's Music: Dethroned Autumn Hour with John Ostronomy of Talking Metal performing: Green Manalishi (clip 1) Autumn Hour with John Ostronomy of Talking Metal performing: Green Manalishi (clip 2) Autumn Hour with John Ostronomy of Talking Metal performing: Fade Out Autumn Hour with John Ostronomy of Talking Metal performing: Mob Rules Autumn Hour: "Techcceleration" rehearsal Autumn Hour: Alan Tecchio tracking "Here Comes The Rain Again" vocals Autumn Hour: Alan Tecchio tracking "End User" vocals Autumn Hour: Alan Tecchio "End User" background vocalsNon Fiction Videos Non-Fiction - Reason to Live Non-Fiction – The My Way Non Fiction In The Know NON-FICTION "FIRST AND LASTING IMPRESSIONS" LIVE NON-FICTION "PUT IT OFF" NON-FICTION "PEAKED" LIVE NON-FICTION CBGBs “Not a Part of Your Life” NON-FICTION "Sound Decisions" live at CBGB's NON-FICTION "Listen" CBGBs NON-FICTION CBGBs PREFACE NON-FICTION "Put it Off" live at CBGB's NON-FICTION "REASON TO LIVE" LIVE