One In The Chamber

Its not everyday that we get to cover the show of our very own contributors! Such was the case this past week when we caught up with Canadian Beats writer Gerrod Harris and his band, One in the Chamber, at an Indie88 Showcase night at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Besides Harris’ hard work to help promote musical talent across Canada, he plays drums in this 4-piece band alongside Mike Biase (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Christian Dotto (backing vocals/bass) and Cecil Eugene (backing vocals/lead guitar). I had the chance to sit down with the band in an impromptu interview via Facebook Live before their show, which you can check out on the band’s Facebook page. We briefly discussed what 2017 holds in store for them and what its like to be one of the bands to perform at the infamous last concert of Scott Weiland before his passing. If you want to check out this hard rocking band for yourself, they have an upcoming event at The Opera House on January 13th, or you can listen in to ArtsTalk on 102.7 CHOP FM on March 8 for an interview they will be conducting. We wish the band well as they head into studio this year to record their first album! - Canadian Beats

Albums: The Boston Session: Bootleg Demos and Live From The Rockpile
Release Date: March 10, 2017 (physical copy); May 12, 2017 (digital release)
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Genre: Rock

It is not very often that Canadian Beats gets to toot our horn for one of our very own contributors. However today we can proudly announce that today, Toronto rockers, One In The Chamber, featuring our own Gerrod Harris on drums, is releasing two albums: The Boston Session: Bootleg Demos and Live From The Rockpile. The albums were first released on CD at their album release show at The Opera House in Toronto, but they are now available digitally, for the first time ever! One In the Chamber features Harris alongside Mike Biase (lead vocals, guitar), Cecil Eugene (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Christian Dotto (bass, backing vocals). This band has been tearing up the local Toronto rock scene for a few years and has been featured on some pretty outstanding bills including the infamous last concert for Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts before his untimely death. We have the pleasure of reviewing both of the albums for OITC. Each has its own unique feel and represents a different facet of the band’s talent, based on the circumstances of their recordings.

The Boston Session: Bootleg Demos earned its name while it was being recorded at LMI Studios in East Longmeadow, Massachussetts with producer Scott LaFlamme (former guitarist for Bang Tango; current guitarist for Super Troup and Dreamkiller). The live recording was done over 5 days and this album includes the highlights from the recording session. Despite this being the first ever recording experience for the band, the songs feel incredibly plush with gritty riffs, screaming vocals and a beat you can bang your head to!

The album kicks things off with two explosive tunes, “Stage Lights” and “My Catastrophe”. If you are a fan of 80’s hair bands, you will feel right at home with the heavy reverb and guitar shredding, which is all capped off with the OITC modern touch! The album also features a slower jam, with the more progressive “Just For Tonight”. At the end of the EP, the listener is rewarded with “Crooked Step”, a song with enough swagger it would cause Mick Jagger to take notice!

It is refreshing to hear a live record from a local indie band! Fans can feel like they are right in the center of the concert experience while listening to Live From The Rockpile! The album features 5 original tracks and covers of Royal Blood’s, “Figure It Out” and Led Zeppelin’s, “Immigrant Song” (which is an OITC-concert crowd favourite) that were recorded live off the soundboard at The Rockpile in Toronto at their show in December, 2016 in support of the Mississauga Food band and Toys For Tots.

A few of the songs are found on both albums, such as “Lost Control” and “Crooked Step”. It is worth purchasing both albums so that you can compare a studio recording to a recording from a live performance and get the full listening experience. One In The Chamber will not leave you feeling unsatisfied in this department!

Want to check out One In The Chamber live? Chances are they will be playing in your neighbourhood soon as the band plays as many live shows as they can! Ottawa fans can check out the band TONIGHT at the Brass Monkey, where the boys will be opening for Dreamkiller. You can also check out our photo review of their recent show at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto! - Canadian Beats

This EP was released the same day as their debut live album, Live From The Rockpile. One in The Chamber is a Toronto based band who went to Boston to record with Scott LaFlamme (Bang Tango) and over five days this band recorded some demos, five of which are released on this EP.

The band is made up of Mike Biase (lead vocals and guitar); Cecil Eugene (lead guitar and backing vocals); Christian Dotto (bass) and Gerrod Harris (drums and backing vocals). They have been gigging around Toronto and Southern Ontario for some time and made the decision to work the famed LMI Studios in Massachusetts owned by LaFlamme (Dreamkiller recorded there).

LaFlamme gets the best out of this band and I am curious why this is labelled as demos. The songs speak for themselves and sound perfect the way they are presented. It is hard to imagine the songs being improved from these early forms.

This is a tight, rocking band. They owe a great deal to the heavy metal artists of 1980’s and they wear this on their sleeve. But even in a rather short EP, the band presents that they are more than just a rocking outfit. One of the highlights off the EP is the ‘ballad’ “Just For Tonight”. This is not the standard ballad one expects from a heavy metal band, but rather an interesting mix of harmonies and instrumentation that produces an overall edgy sound.

This is the strength of this band, they are not afraid to infuse different sounds and genres into their heavy sound. One hears grunge at times, and at other times there is a tip of the hat to the 1970’s hard rockers.

It is interesting that they decided to release two albums the same day. They are both worth your time. What both releases do, especially this EP is give an indication of what the band is capable of. One In The Chamber is a talented group, with excellent playing and strong vocals. With the right producer these guys could blow the roof off their career.

The Boston Session: The Bootleg Demos is a great start for this band. I look forward to more music from them, but in the meantime we have this and Live From The Rockpile. - The Spill Magazine

One In The Chamber is anything but conventional. Their debut EP was a collection of demos (The Boston Session – Bootleg Demos) and their debut mini-album is a live set from two concerts. The more accurate title for this would be Live From The Rockpile and Live From The Opera House, but they set on Live From The Rockpile, which is as good as title as any. The recordings come from a show at The Rockpile (recorded on December 23, 2016) and The Opera House (January 13, 2017). The onstage banter about Metallica being on the same stage weeks prior is wonderful to listen to as it is obvious this band are great admirers of Metallica.

One In The Chamber is a Toronto-based band featuring Mike Biase (lead vocals and guitar), Cecil Eugene (lead guitar and backing vocals, Christian Dotto (bass), and Gerrod Harris (drums and backing vocals). They have been gigging around Toronto and Southern Ontario, and this live release is evidence of their live performance.

Live records are often tricky. While the artist wants to maintain the excitement and energy from a live performance, there is also a need to make it sound as good as possible. Often there is a great deal of studio work done to the live tracks. This is not the case with this album. It sounds like the music comes right from the board with minimal work done to the music.

This is a good thing. This band should be presented as raw, because that is what they are, raw rock’n’roll. They are heavily influenced by the 1980s metal scene, but they are also well aware of the genre as a whole, as evidenced by their cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, a brave attempt at a much loved, iconic song. They do it well, with a slight spin of their own. Biase cannot duplicate Plant’s vocals, but he does not need to. He has his own style and it is just fine.

What I like about this live album the choice to include two covers — “ Immigrant Song”, and a cover of Royal Blood’s “Figure It Out”, which is a clear highlight of the album. The band also includes songs not found on their debut EP. “The Ballad of Captain Jack” is brilliant. This makes the listening experience that much better and much more interesting.

The playing throughout is top notch and the vocals are perfect for the music. As with their debut EP, this band presents itself as a very tight unit and a band that clearly enjoys what they play. But as with the their debut EP, this feels like a sampler of what is to come. This band is full of promise and I would like to hear a complete album from One In The Chamber.

Until they release a full length studio album, this will have to do. It is an excellent live album, and another great introduction to the band. It is well worth a listen. Fans of heavy metal and thrash (yes I include them as they do borrow from that genre as well) will enjoy One In The Chamber and their live album, Live From The Rockpile - The Spill Magazine