Drenalin

Drenalin

(self-released)

The Akron-based Drenalin shamelessly bares its influences on its self-titled debut, giving obvious nods to mainstream rock acts Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Disturbed. But even though Drenalin adopted this time-tested formula for most of this 11-song album, the band occasionally adds elements of innovation that integrate quite well. The inclusion of acoustic guitar on the power ballad "Your Savior" is at once complex enough to marvel at the band's musicianship and simple enough to sing along with. The softer approach on "Dissolve" is done so well the track remains as crushing as any of the breakneck-style rock found on the rest of the album. Even the docile piano on the album's closer, "Hear My Side," complements Josh Surgeon's angst-filled vocals. - Tim Webb

Drenalin performs with Rebel Girls at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 21 at the House of Blues Cambridge Room (308 Euclid Ave., 216.523.2583). Tickets: $10. - The Cleveland Free Times

Local Spotlight - Drenalin

"Drenalin" (self-released)

Considering the post-grunge craze shows little sign of bottoming out, new Akron rock act Drenalin is throwing its self-titled debut effort -- replete with testosterone-driven anthems featuring razor guitar riffs and tortured vocals -- into the mix. Elements of post-hardcore on the mid-tempo "Inside" and the crunchy "Lost" position the quintet as contemporary, while the in-your-face "Justify" possesses a late '90s vibe. The Rubber City outfit shows its sensitivity on the hat-in-hand "Hear My Side," which is a piano-based ballad. While there is little new ground to be found on "Drenalin," that's not a knock. In fact, the group's solid songwriting and textured performance easily puts it alongside the Nickelbacks, Godsmacks and Breaking Benjamins of the rock radio world. Considering the local scene seems to be filled with either Metallica or My Chemical Romance wannabes, Drenalin not only provides something different but could also be the band most likely to break out of Northeast Ohio. Grade: B+ - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Here is a band that I just happened to come across by sheer luck on Myspace....Bands send friend requests all the time and I pay them no mind, I just add them and be done.....but Drenalin sent me a request with a note saying that if I messaged them I could download the album for free....well that's a good deal....sure I'm down....so I did and wow do I have to say I was in for a treat....Hard Rock music the way it should sound.....And a style all their own at the same time....If I had to compare them to any band I really couldn't, however I could say this....Take the best parts of Staind and fuse it with the best parts of Stone Sour and add just a little bit of Godsmack and you got a pretty good recipe for Drenalin, but I would go so far as to say Drenalin is better than those bands, or at least has the potential to be.....This little rock band from Akron, OH has the potential to blow up and become the next Staind or Stone Sour and maybe even be bigger.....There are no bad tracks on this album whatsoever, however a few stand out above the others....I personally like the songs Justify, Save The Day, Your Savior, and Dissolve...Hear My Side is the perfect finale for the album and we all know I'm huge on having a huge finale...Chain Reaction is an awesome power hard rock explosive track to mosh to......Overall, Drenalin is a band to look out for....Remember you heard it here.....This band is going to explode.....

1. Justify (5)
2. Save The Day (5)
3. Inside (5)
4. Chain Reaction (5)
5. Lost (5)
6. Your Savior (5)
7. Unseen (5)
8. Two Minute Warning (5)
9. Dissolve (5)
10. Fragile (5)
11. Hear My Side (5)


Thats right...I did give this album a perfect 5 and I know the band is gonna read this review and I'm glad because I hope they take what I've said to heart...This album is a perfect 5 and there is a big reason besides their explosive talent....and that is this album is a perfect naive untouched child....they haven't exploded yet so this is their baby....their chance to be them....DO NOT STRAY FROM WHAT MAKES YOU GREAT......that simple....Good luck on your career guys and never forget what made you great. - YR


That was the full review online:

http://livewilddieproud.forum-motion.com/youngstown-renegade-s-music-reviews-f22/drenalin-drenalin-hard-rock-t669.htm - The Youngstown Renegade

You have to give Josh Surgeon, singer of rock act Drenalin, credit for perseverance.

Despite the fact his Akron-based band suffered through seven lineup changes over the last two years, the group appears now ready to assault Northeast Ohio and beyond with its Breaking Benjamin-meets-Sevendust sound on new album “Ground Zero.”

Still, we have to ask, what was going through his mind, say, after the sixth band lineup didn’t work out?

“What it came down to, it wasn’t so much not being happy with the music or playing out, it was more about finding the right combination of guys who had the same goals and aspirations that Dan [Gutter, guitar] and I did,” said Surgeon, calling from his Cuyahoga Falls home. “It just took that long to get to the point to find that lineup of guys and we really haven’t looked back yet.

“We’ve been playing out religiously, and these are guys that are around more than our girlfriends or wives. It’s just the perfect combination of band members and the sky is the limit as far as we’re concerned from here on out.”

Right now the band — Surgeon, Gutter, T.J. Jones (guitar), Nick Rescina (bass) and Josh Lipply (drums) — is excited about “Ground Zero,” which has been described as sounding similar to the band’s self-titled debut only with more hints of mainstream accessibility. This includes the anthemic and energy filled “Give it Back” and the ballad “One Second Chance.”

Currently the act is playing its new material, along with covers such as Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” and Killswitch Engage’s “The End of Heartache,” to as many music fans as possible.

“At this point we’re trying to get out of Northeast Ohio,” Surgeon said. “Northeast Ohio has been very good to us, but we’re trying to break out of the region and get more into Columbus, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan and even Indiana. We’re starting to do show swaps with bands that want to come up here. And so we want to get our music in front of new ears.”

Part of playing out includes additional gigs in the Youngstown area, including shows at Barley’s and various festivals. In fact, after submitting its music to Vexfest officials only to be turned down in the past, the band is scheduled to make its festival debut this Sunday.

“We’ve submitted for three years running and this is the first time we got in,” Surgeon said. “When we look at the rundown of the bands playing, it’s like 80 percent Youngstown bands, so for us to be invited out, we’re very flattered and very happy to finally get out there. Our type of music is very popular in Youngstown. So to get the opportunity to play there in a super prime spot, we feel very fortunate and cannot wait.”

As far as appealing to a wide variety of music fans, you hear bands all the time profess providing everything to everyone. So when Surgeon verbalizes such a boast, what makes his reasoning any different? The answer is it probably isn’t; however, what’s more important is that he believes in not only Drenalin’s future but also its music.

“I think we’re going to be bringing a little bit of something different to the table than most of the bands that will be at Vexfest,” Surgeon said. “We’re a band that practices twice a week, plays out two or three times a week and we’re big sticklers on our sound being tight and sounding as good as possible. And I think with the things we’re playing in our set, there’s something for everybody.

“So if you’re not necessarily into the hard rock genre, we’re still going be playing some songs in our set that I think you’ll enjoy, will catch your attention and maybe even convert you into liking a little heavier rock than you’d listen to. But the bottom line is our live stage presence cannot be matched. We’re nuts on stage. Visually and sonically, we’re stimulating.”

http://www.vindy.com/news/2009/aug/20/drenalin-delivers-a-sound-stimulus/ - The Youngstown Vindicator

Benny's Pick of the Month - BuzzbinMagazine.com

"DKC"

Straight out of Akron comes Drenalin. A mixture of strong rock vocals mixed with kick ass metal instrumentals, DKC starts off with a hypnotic guitar riff, almost relaxing...but that lasts about 10 second, and then the metal kicks in and the experience begins. The strong harmonic lyrics mixed with the angry growl, similar to that of Linken Park, keep you wanting more. The fierce double guitar and heavy bass riffs accompany a strong drum performance that from start to finish keeps your head bobbing and your fingers tapping. DKC has so much raw metal energy that your grandma will jump out of her seat and start trading blows in the moshpit. Not only is DKC a track that every fan of metal should have in their collection, Drenalin is a group that everyone needs to see. Drenalin has hit the music scene head on and are taking no prisoners. -Benny - Buzzbin Magazine

Falling somewhere between Breaking Benjamin and Sevendust, local hard-rock act Drenalin is hoping to enter the next phase of its career with sophomore effort "Ground Zero," which includes the radio-friendly sounding "Escape." "The second album still has the same Drenalin sound from the first album, but this has a little more mainstream feel to it," said singer Josh Surgeon. "It's definitely a little bit more aggressive on the guitar side, but as far as melody goes, it's probably a step up from the first album. So it sounds more mature. We still have heavy, aggressive guitars and really huge drums, but there's a big focus on harmony." Over the next year the quintet -- Surgeon, Dan Gutter (guitar), T.J. Jones (guitar), Nick Rescina (bass) and Josh Lipply (drums) -- has plans on touring the album throughout the Midwest. To celebrate "Ground Zero," the act has booked a CD release show for 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 at The Robin Hood, 503 E. Main St., Kent. Opening are Otis, Light Weight Slams and Give the Signal. Tickets are $3. Call 330-678-9300. - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer

POSTED: 02:54 p.m. EST, Jan 27, 2010

Though the Internet may seem like the great equalizer in terms of guerrilla marketing and direct fan base cultivation, there is simply too much of everything for many music fans — even those who enjoy sifting through the DELUGE of young, ambitious bands — to hear it all.

The music of Drenalin, a Cuyahoga Falls/Akron-based quintet consisting of singer Josh Surgeon, guitarist Dan Gutter, guitarist T.J. Jones, bassist Nick Rescina and drummer Mark Peddle, falls squarely in the post-grunge/alt-metal realm that has become the de facto sound of "active rock" radio (a mix of classic rock and a few choice newer artists) and contemporary hard rock. The band will perform Friday at the Barley House in downtown Akron.

It's a very popular sound with current hit-making bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and Shinedown selling tens of thousands of records mixing earnest tenor vocalists with post-grunge and metal-flavored start-stop riffs, the occasional hardcore/emo scream and often quiet verses leading to arena rock choruses.

Drenalin's sophomore album Ground Zero released in late 2009 (download the band's self-titled debut for free at http://www.drenalinband.com/album/) is a strong, well-produced slice of contemporary rock with songs such as the catchy lead single Escape, with its big, fist-pumping chorus, and DKC, with a quiet verse and big grinding riffs.

The album took two years and three new band members with more flexible work schedules — Surgeon and Gutter are the only remaining original members — to complete. The band of 20-somethings aspired to a more mainstream rock sound and the 14 tracks are catchy enough to land between Back in Black and the latest Puddle of Mudd single on active rock radio playlists and that's exactly what co-founder Surgeon is hoping will happen.

The band doesn't play Akron often, concentrating on building a fanbase through the region and playing clubs in surrounding states such as Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, but members consider the Barley House show an important one.

"The great thing about Akron is we pull our Cleveland crowd and our crowd from Canton and even some of our crowd from Youngstown," Surgeon said. "It's a great center location and the Barley House is one of the nicest, biggest clubs in downtown Akron. They have a lot of room there and they've always been really good to us."

Drenalin may need all the room at the cavernous bar/club/restaurant as the band's fans have shown their support garnering the band Best Local Original Band in 2009 in the Beacon's Best contest as well as winning the 2008 Rock 106.9 Battle of the Bands beating out 18 competitors, the 2007 Battle of Standing Rock in Kent besting 60 other area bands and opening for national acts including Saliva, Sponge and Taproot.

Though Drenalin's tunes match up well with hit songs from already nationally established bands, Surgeon knows that in every city with a music scene there are several bands using a similar musical blueprint and realizes that his band has to offer something more to separate itself from the crowded field of aspiring rock gods.

"We focus a lot on our live show and the common feedback we get is that our show and our live sound sounds better — more raw and real — than our recordings. As a musician that's a huge compliment," Surgeon said.

On stage, the band uses wireless instruments and "we're constantly moving, jumping around and interacting with the crowd, so it's not one of those shows were you just go and watch the guys stand there and play music. It's a visual and musical experience," he said.

Though the musical blueprint may be familiar, Surgeon said, the proverbial devil is in the details.

"We try to focus on having a diverse sound on the album," he said. "We get compared to [Atlanta alt-metal band] Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin a lot, but if you listen to one of their albums, it's pretty much straight across the board as far as the songs go.

"We focus on almost making a roller-coaster ride on our albums," he continued. "The first song might be bash-your-head-against-the wall heavy, but the next song may be the sappy love ballad."

Drenalin already has written half of its third record and is hoping to finish it this year. So far the band has been handling all of its own business but is hoping that by the time it is ready to unleash its next musical offering it will have found a manager, booker and/or producer to help take the next step. - The Akron Beacon Journal