“Every one of us has been a “slave†to the corporate system,†says drummer Scott Rockenfield. Indeed, the members of Slave To The System have bled for the industry machine: Rockenfield has been performing for years with prog metal powerhouse Queensryche, where he first worked with guitarist/vocalist Kelly Gray, who is also adept in the producer’s seat. Guitarist Damon Johnson and bassist Roman Glick did their time with radio-rock mainstays Brother Cane with Johnson also enjoying a stint performing with Alice Cooper and in 2006 becoming a member of Whiskey Falls (Glick is fulltime bassist for Jackyl). Slave To The System became a musical vacation from the mandatory minutia. Johnson explains, “When we all met for the first time, we were just having a good time jammin'. Within three weeks we had written and recorded a whole album.â€
From the powerful buildup of the opening riff on “Stigmata†to the somber tone of “Walk The Lineâ€, Slave To The System grabs you by the ears and doesn’t let go. “Ruby Wednesday†is a strong driving rocker, while the powerful acoustic balladry of “Abyss†and “Live This Life†will have any listener singing along. The ballsy crunch and band-defining lyrics of the title track make it the definitive Slave To The System song. A solid debut album throughout, fans await the rumored completed second album and hope to see STTS on the road again very soon.