STEMM

"I’ve never heard a mixture of music so perfectly screaming for heavy rock airplay…it’s as if PANTERA and a tinge of the melodic hook from CROSSFADE broke one off in the ass of HATEBREED…without even offering to pick up the dinner check!!!"

"This is easily the best produced Metal album since the days of PANTERA’s Far Beyond Driven and any KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album ever released…nothing can touch this one!"

AWAY-TEAM.com
by: Bam Bam
www.away-team.com/cdreviews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1239292281&
archive=&start_from=&ucat=3& - AWAY-TEAM.com

"Stemm present Groove Metal / Metalcore in a different light, in which both New Schoolers and Old Schoolers should enjoy."

"In Stemm's singer you can find a happy mixture of Phil Anselmo, Cory Taylor of Slipknot and even Disturbed’s David Draiman. With insurance, this is a hell of a mixture."

"Stemm is the best definition to how Metalcore should sound and act. With hope that upcoming Metalcore bands will learn from these people."

METAL EXPRESS RADIO
by: LIOR “STEINMETAL” STEIN
www.metalexpressradio.com/menu.php?main=reviews&id=2945 - METAL EXPRESS RADIO

"The UFC and Stemm make a great fit, as these dudes are real trench warfare guys, It translates into the power of the songs, adding impact to the more physical parts of the band’s tunes that some groups have to think about to get to."

"Stemm are a real band who embody a region’s frustration yet also embrace the outside world with identity intact, their eyes peeled and knives sharpened. There is a human side and a raw element, like the vibe of Louisiana’s Down influenced (but still their own rumbling beast of carnival purity)"

CRUSHER MAGAZINE
by: Morgan Y. Evans
www.crushermagazine.com/features11_08/featstemm.htm - CRUSHER MAGAZINE

"'Blood Scent' is hard-hitting, mean, and covers just about everything you need in a new metal act."

"This modern metalcore act brings the thunder, with crystalline radio-ready production and a sound that brings to mind Pantera and Metallica."

GOATS DEN

WWW.goatsend.blogspot.com/2009/03/stemm-blood-scent-cd.html - GOATS DEN

"Relentless and full of sound makes you wake up quick and realize these guys aren’t fucking around."

"STEMM are not afraid to show all sides of the band which entails the melody driven elements and their singer/guitarist Joe Cafarella not only has that rash rugged growl but damn the guy can sing."

"If I had to describe the album on whole I would say fans of bands like Pantera-due to the metal guitar attacks that are equally shown from song to song, Mudvayne and even Chris Cornell with the vocal arrangements and the melody driven areas that intertwine easily with the metal backdrop of sound."

THE DAILY ROCK
EAST COAST ROMPER
by: Stephanie Stevens

www.thedailyrock.com/2009/03/16/stemm-blood-scent-cd-review/
www.myspace.com/eastcoastromper - THE DAILY ROCK

"Chugging guitar riffs, heavy themes & dynamic metal song structure, STEMM have a new cd out that crushes the competition!"

Rock N Roll Experience
www.angelfire.com/rock/e4/march2009.html - Rock N Roll Experience

I Scream Records' latest signing Stemm should be seen as a breath of fresh air to music listeners who feel that the metal/hardcore genre has been getting extremely stale. With their debut album, Songs for the Incurable Heart, the band breaches the lines that separate metal and hardcore with traditional hard rock. This creates a new and unique sound that fans of both genres should be able to appreciate.


The vocals on this album are constantly changing, which helps keep it fresh throughout. Equal mic time is given to clean vocals and screaming, and the screaming styles seem to change quite a bit. One thing is clear from this release, and this is that both TJ Frost and Joe Cafarella really push their vocals to the limit. The singing on this album is what helps to set Stemm apart from other bands of this type, as they are closer to hard rock groups rather than metal or hardcore ones. The combination of these two styles work well, and is definitely something that Stemm should continue in the future.

Each track on Songs for the Incurable Heart changes tempos, keeping things interesting. The album starts off with the hard-hitting, fast paced "The Memory Remains", and after a few fast paced tracks transitions into some slower ones. Another thing that should be mentioned is the drum work. Dan Nelligan does an excellent job and combines traditional hard rock drum patterns with staples of the metal genre, such as intense double bass work. Stemm's instrumentals sound a lot more hard rock oriented than metal, which helps them to stand out.

Fans of hard rock music that don't mind a little bit of screaming will not want to miss Stemm's debut album. Likewise, metal fans who are growing tired of the same metalcore style guitar riffs and vocals will find Songs for the Incurable Heart to be a breath of fresh air. This album is definitely a surprise hit from I Scream Records, and hopefully the group will continue on to produce even more hit albums in the years to come.

http://www.iscreamrecords.com/

Chris Dahlberg
16 January 2007 - http://cosmosgaming.com/articles.php?id=533&articletype=review

Stemm is toeing a line between the better hacks and the true greats of popular modern metal. Eschewing even mid paced poppishness for a slower, almost numetal funk and riff combo, the singer, when screaming, is all hardcore flex, and when the melodious lyrics pop up he adds a throatiness that reminds me of Fear Factory, or even Sevendust who, in my opinion, were one of the few very good 'numetal' acts to come out of the 2000 popmetal scene. The compositions are actually compelling, in a more or less expected way, and so I have a hard time finding a real reason to dislike these songs. Moreover, the way the band performs them is without crap and with the idea to get the listener to forget all the popular bullshit and remember that metal CAN be both accessible and integral.

A good, crisp and sharp recording complements the band's strengths and keep the energy level high. The musicianship is more than adequate, but certainly not on the Lamb of God tier. The only real drawback to all this is that the band, for all it's verve, is another popular modern metal band, so the vortex is sucking in the background no matter how hard you try to ignore it. If you can get zen on this thing you can get the metal you need from it. But if you can't you spend as much time thinking about the bands you don't want to hear anymore as you do thinking about this band, and that is a problem. There are clichés and you will hear them.

The bottom line ends up positive, though. This four sing EP/Sampler had me nodding and losing myself even as I worked. Perhaps the brevity of the thing adds a little to it's charm, but I would like to hear a full length to see for myself. Great quality, great performances and great composing that even the specter of popmetal boredom can't completely shroud, this is a chugging little listen and gets a recommend.
- www.metalreview.com

"Chugging guitar riffs, heavy themes & dynamic metal song structure, STEMM have a new cd out that crushes the competition!"

"...they are a 4 piece band that plays music I’d best describe as “Power Metal”, which is a term that I first remember hearing Pantera use, & it really says it all! "

-Bob Suehs, Rock-N-Roll Experience

- -Bob Suehs, Rock-N-Roll Experience

***Face the pain with STEMM***

It's Saturday night, the gladiators are preparing for battle. You hear the music and you know what's coming: the anticipation is growing; the blood is pumping, and the adrenalin levels are rising. Suddenly, an eruption of sound is unleashed followed by a barrage of heavy guitar riffs and repetitive beats of loud drums. The warrior screams "Time To End the Suffering" and begins the battle.

The event is the UFC and the band behind the sound is STEMM. Since 2003, STEMM has been providing the sound and music of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and has carved a mark for itself in the MMA extreme fighting and metal communities.

Vocalist Joe's answer comes with a smile when being asked to choose between ultimate fighting styles 'ground & pound' or ‘submission of the senses' to describe their music, and he comes up their own style: "Fighting Through Life" Music.

Five years into their existence, the four band members from Buffalo, New York, have been very successful. STEMM are Joe Cafarella (vocals, lead guitar), Steve Crowl (bass), Alex Scouten (guitar), and Dan Nelligan (drums). The band member's influences are wide-ranging, including Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to Metallica, tool, Pantera, Sevendust and Sepultura. "Some of us are even getting heavy into country lately. If it's a good song, we will give it kudos no matter what genre," Joe says.

In their creative process, the band does everything but fight. In writing their music Joe explains "we all put in our 2 cents, someone is always bringing in a guitar riff or a few ideas and we work it out as a band. I like to do a lot of arranging. It's a great challenge that I enjoy taking on." In writing the lyrics, the approach is the same as Joe explains further "lyric writing is an open door policy in STEMM. I normally write a lot of the lyrics, but there have been many, many times where Steve or Danny has come in with their ideas and just like the music, we work it all out."

STEMM's music is not only inspired by direct personal experiences but also indirect life experiences: "Every day life situations that hit us on an emotional level. We don't even have to experience the situation ourselves to be inspired," Joe says. "Sometimes it's a friend, or a current event and we try to interpret what it would be like to be in that situation. Sometimes, our friends and family outside of the band need a voice also."

The band not only leaves a lasting impression on UFC fans, but delivers knockout live performances. What Joe really enjoys the most when performing live is "looking out into the crowds and seeing people singing your songs back to you and going crazy! It's very surreal for us because we wrote these songs at work or in our bedroom. To see so many people connect with us is unbelievable."

The energy STEMM transmits in their music and on stage is highly contagious and surely gets you going. The band's aspiration, to achieve "world domination," as Joe puts it, may not be in the far future. Read on and find out more about STEMM and their role in the UFC and The Fight Network.


"In your own words" – ONE on ONE with Mel and Joe

Mel: How and when was your music discovered by the UFC?

Joe: We started working with the UFC in 2003. Our music was passed on to the music director for the UFC by a mutual friend. We have been working with the UFC ever since.

Mel: Where were you the night your music first premiered on the UFC? Which event was it?

Joe: Actually, I was in my living room in my house and the UFC aired our music for the first time on a TV program called AS REAL AS IT GETS on ESPN.

Mel: Which UFC heavyweight fighter best fits your style of music?

Joe: Randy Cotoure. We're getting older, but we can still stand with the best. (laughs)

Mel: How has your affiliation with the UFC helped your music career?

Joe: They broke our musical career and exposed us to a world outside of the metal genre. We are very proud to be known and affiliated with the MMA Fight Community. Because of the UFC, we have performed at many MMA related types of fight events. It's amazing to see how many people know who we are from the UFC. Plus, we have built a friendship beyond music with many people involved with the UFC. It's a special family to be a part of that, we do not ever take for granted.

Mel: Which one of your band members could last the longest in the octagon against Rampage Jackson?

Joe: I would say our drummer, Danny. He plays a lot of double bass, he's always moving. I figure he could run around the octagon and tire Rampage out before he could do some serious damage to him. (laughs)

Mel: How did The Fight Network come across your music?

Joe: Pure chance again. The music director just happened to be in Buffalo, New York, as the local radio station was playing our music and he loved what he heard, researched the band, and found out that we were the UFC band as well.

Mel - www.indiesolo.com