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Friday, July 20, 2007Stonehigh in the Palm Beach Post, Friday, July 20, 2007
Category: MusicBy Bill MeredithSpecial to The Palm Beach PostFriday, July 20, 2007If you're 21 or older, you may remember "metal" bands that didn't have singers who sounded like a baritone Satan screaming in the deep end of a pool of Jell-O (that perplexing modern metallic phenomenon called "screamo").But metal has always been a relative term. It was used in the 1970s on acts from Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin; '80s hair bands Motley Crue and Poison, '90s grunge groups Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, and today on Tool and Sevendust. In essence, it's the single-word term you use to describe a hard rock band - like West Palm Beach quintet Stonehigh - when there isn't a better one.Stonehigh's hip-hop-sounding name isn't a reference to drug use. It's inspired by the Bible passage about Joshua and the 12 stones, which were used to make a pillar from which to pronounce the greatness of God. Yes, Stonehigh is a Christian metal band, something vocalist Steve Beaulieu isn't shy about. He even croons in church on mornings after he alternately sings and shrieks at nightclubs."We're not trying to use it as a label, but at the same time, we're all Christians and don't deny it," he says. "Our goal is to be able to play at both churches and other venues, but most of our musical influences aren't Christian bands. The Christian recording labels are practically obsolete anyway, since there are openly Christian bands like Chevelle and Evanescence playing at Ozzfest now."Beaulieu is only 22, drummer Dave Bolenbaugh 18, guitarist Wil Taylor and bassist/vocalist Zack Bonchak 19, and guitarist Jon Ross 23.They're in the age bracket of most screamo noisemakers, yet the music by these full and part-time employees and students features memorable melodies, hard-edged harmonies, and odd-timed rhythms. Audio on the group's MySpace page includes the fan favorite Take It Back, and there's a live video of the alternately tuned Down and Cold ("We play in dropped C," Beaulieu says). Both songs are candidates to make the group's forthcoming studio debut, This Calling.In the meantime, the group's budget live CD, Live From South Florida, is available at shows. Recorded in 2006 at SunFest, it features Take It Back and another highlight in SDP, with Bolenbaugh's creatively-timed 6/8 drum cadence.Stonehigh is confirmed, and waiting to hear its forthcoming dates for, the Armed Forces Entertainment Group tour, in which they'll perform for American service personnel in the Middle East."I can't wait for that," Beaulieu says. "Just put me on a plane - I don't care how long it takes to get there. We all discussed balancing the excitement and the fear, but how many bands get to go over there, especially at a time like this?"*********************************************Friday June 27, 2008 Stonehigh in the Palm Beach Post, Category: Music By Bill Meredith Special to The Palm Beach Post*** West Palm Beach Christian metal quintet Stonehigh has band members in their late teens and early 20s, and all unified during live shows for several years before even recording the new self-produced debut, This Calling.The CD itself took more than a year to complete, but it was time well-spent, as working with national engineers Matt LaPlant and Justin Thomas added both muscle and production value (without too much of either).Stonehigh is a metal band that happens to have Christian members, rather than a group using music as its pulpit. Vocalist Steve Beaulieu roars on the live favorite Awakened, and guitarists Jon Ross and Wil Taylor open Heretic and Flight 71 with memorable riffs.Recording at Miami's Dungeon Studios (where Dashboard Confessional has recorded) aided the deep, resonant tones of bassist Zack Bonchak and drummer Dave Bolenbaugh, and Beaulieu gets points for his co-production throughout with LaPlant.Down & Cold and Take It Back, both engineered by Thomas at Orlando's Gridlock Studios, sound radio-friendly. The band is now resting up for an East Coast run."They spent 14 months recording this album, and all need some time to get their personal lives in order," says manager Tyler Whittington. "In August, they'll be working the Eastern Seaboard up through Massachusetts, coming through Ohio, West Virginia and Tennessee on the way back down." On the Web: www.myspace.com/stonehigh.
