20 Reasons Taken
Macomb, Illinois, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE
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20 Reasons Taken
Through This Fight
Record Label: 20 Reasons Taken/Sidekick Entertainment
Review by Sal Serio
February 2011
Milwaukee area poppy hard-rockers, 20 Reasons Taken, have just put out their third release, Through This Fight. While the group sometimes brings a hip-hop element to their jams, this CD is all rock ‘n’ roll.
The eight songs featured define the pop-rock manifesto of concise, no-frills arrangements. Hyper-pulsed drumming and layered guitar tracks punctuate their crunchy new rock sound, which is driven by vocalist Mison Bones’ emotive singing. At times, Bones’ vocalizing brings to mind some surprising associations to the bygone pop rock/new wave era.
Bones and his three tunesmith co-conspirators take a more sensitive approach to their music via real singing (rather than screaming), intelligent and thought provoking lyrics, staccato rhythms, galloping yet shifting tempos, and tasty lead guitar fills that avoid the typical metal shredding cliché. The music still sounds tough even given the more tempered edge that their brand of hard rock displays. A solid recording, mixing, and mastering job by Whit at DNA Studios brings all of these unique qualities shimmering to the surface of Through This Fight ’s listening experience. - Maximum Ink
The insistence that truly retro rock be taken with a grain of irony is something inherent to '80s reproduction. But with the '90s growing ever more distant in the rear-view mirror, the time for earnest dedication to the alternative rock paradigm is also slowing ticking away. Good thing for 20 Reasons Taken that it jumped on the bandwagon long before uncoolness was in sight, so its spot-on impersonation of vintage '90s post-grunge rockers like Sponge and Eve 6 should be grandfathered in on the group's 2010 release, Through This Fight. And while the mopiness hangs heavy on some songs, breezy power-poppers like "Calling Out" will get heads nodding.
- A.V. Club Milwaukee - A.V. Club Milwaukee
20 Reasons Taken from Milwaukee, WI. Just a real solid rock band here. No joke, the drummer, Brad Schwechel, was one of the finest I’ve ever seen live.
- Sonicbids (Tess) - Sonicbids
Discography
Through This Fight (2010)
inthecurrent (2008)
Redefine the Sound (2004)
The album currently receives airplay on roughly 200 stations through out the US and Canada.
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Bio
Veteran band 20 Reasons Taken knows a thing or two about the fight for success on the local music scene. Established in 2002, the Madison-based band has
worked together for years, overcoming the challenges and roadblocks that face musicians and are proud to debut their third studio album Through This Fight.
Known for their creative lyrics and versatile rock sound, 20 Reasons Taken got their start in Madison, Wis., branching out to play all-over Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. They have shared the stage with bands including Three Days Grace, Nonpoint, Public Enemy, Drowning Pool, Sick Puppies, and Sponge and played venues including The Rave, Summerfest, Turner Hall, and The Hard
Rock Café in Chicago.
Like any other well-oiled fighting machine, the band understands the value of having an arsenal of talented professionals on their side. This album will be their second collaboration with the
well-known Madison recording engineer and producer Mike Whitcomb from DNA Studios.
“Mark Whitcomb helped us get this down right. This is our most cohesive project yet,” said Mison Bones, lead vocalist and guitarist. “We have four guys that are pouring their hearts and
souls out on this recording, and it has been captured accurately with no compromise.”
“Through This Fight” blends many influences and crosses genres from straightforward Rock to
Pop-Punk in a way that engages the listener without sounding repetitive or unoriginal. More information on the release can be found at: www.20reasons.com or
www.myspace.com/20reasonstaken.
Band Members
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