Danzig's Mother @ Aldo's Lounge in Altoona, PA
Chapter 12 started there set a few minutes after I arrived and that set the tone for the rest of night to be a feast of old school metal. As you may remember in a previous entry on my top 10 bands of Pittsburgh I had Chapter 12 at my 4 slot and said that with a second hearing they would probably slide into the 2 slot. Well as soon as they got through the intro of their first song they were at 2. This band is incredible not only in the quality of the playing and singing, but also in the writing of the songs that they do. If you're a Megadeath, Metallica or Iron Maiden fan, then this is a band you need to see. They are fronted by lead guitarist and singer Todd Boyd. This guy is one hot guitar player and every solo he did absolutely amazed me in its scope and ability. Then there is Sean Notman on Rhythm and lead guitar who not only has the tome and feel but also some very impressive chops to his solos. The rhythm section is rounded out by brothers Bill Marnell on bass and Gene Marnell on drums providing a solid base for the soaring music that was put upon it.
They opened with an original Parable, which hit hard and heavy yet still melodic in the grand tradition of progressive thrash metal. They continued on with some more of their originals of which Beloved was a high point. They then pulled out a cover of Iron Maidens Wasted Years. They closed out the set with three more originals, an Untitled instrumental, Through the Flames and Our Sacrifice. The only complaint I had during their set was that Todd's Guitar tone is the traditional Metal sound which has the problem of getting lost in all the overtones in the room. So some of the solo work by him was hard to hear. All in all, one amazing performance.
-Metal Mark
Barsmart.com Entertainment
Chapter 12, although not the originally called by that name, was conceived in the minds of Bill and Gene Marnell in early 1997. The first form of the band became known as "Laughing Sam", although the line-up was not solid and no true musical ideas ever came to life. The band began to truly take shape in early 2000 when guitarist Todd Boyd joined the band. Later that spring, guitarist Paul Baumgart was added and the line-up was completed. "Parable", as they were then called, spent the next couple of months growing as a band and as individual musicians. "Parable" played a number of shows and began to develop a following.
In late August 2002, Chapter 12 was faced with a lawsuit from Parable.com, the large Christian book retailer. The suit, for trademark infringement, was eventually settled out of court, but Parable was forced to change their name to "Chapter 12".The band then recorded a self titled 3-track E.P. In 2003, Chapter 12 began writing many songs for their first full-length album, "Revelations", which was recorded in June/July and released on August 1st. Chapter 12 found themselves earning limited airplay on Pittsburghs 105.9 The X Edge of the X program and began to play more prestigious venues in front of larger more diverse crowds in Pittsburgh. Some of those venues include: Pittsburghs Hard Rock Café, Mr. Smalls Theater and Club Laga, which has since been closed.
The band continued to play shows throughout western Pennsylvania and grew in popularity. In the spring of 2005, long time guitar player Paul Baumgart left the band. Nevertheless, the threesome forged ahead into the studio to record their best works yet. With producer Dave Watson (Grave Desire), they recorded and released Last Thoughts of We Who Are About to Die in the summer of 2005 to rave reviews. The 5-track E.P. features their newest hits Our Sacrifice, Beloved: The Shame of Adam and Through the Flames. Once again Chapter 12 enjoyed airplay from both local rock stations in Pittsburgh. In late 2005, Chapter 12 recruited talented guitar player Sean Notman to join the band. With him, Chapter 12 is continuing to play shows across the area and striving to diversify their fan base.
Chapter 12 Official Site
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