Sworn Rival

There are tons of young bands out there-garage bands, mostly with young men playing with a measured amount of angst and talent, but without a realistic plan.
Sworn Rival, a heavy metal band composed of four 15 year old boys from Downriver, isn't goofing around.
"What sets us apart is our work ethic" said lead vocalist Justin Maniaci of Southgate. "We practice a lot and we take this very seriously."
"That's true," added Chris Beaubien, the guitarist from Wyandotte. "We didn't set up our Myspace page until we'd been playing for at least six months. Most people do that first, instead."
Which is kind of backwards," said bass player Luke Salbert of Woodhaven. "It's not just about getting a MySpace page.
The group's drummer, Wolf Finn of Wyandotte, is the quiet genius behind the group. Wolf's musical skills do most of the talking for him.
Whenever Sworn Rival plays a show, the bandmates are always amazed at the response.
"It's neat to see kids you've never seen before, wearing your shirts and knowing every work to every song," Justin said.
"It's pretty cool that people have noticed us," Wolf said.
The band is hoping that even more people will take notice soon. Sworn Rival is recording its first full length CD, a 10-song album, at Bedrock Studios in Garden City. If all goes well, it should be released by late August or early September.
The band plans to get more seasoned by playing locally and then aim for some regional tours, possibly next year.
The band has played many venues, ranging from local outlets such as The Modern Exchange in Southgate to Clutch Cargo's in Pontiac and the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor.
Usually, Sworn Rival is the youngest band performing. That alone gets them a lot of attention.
Sometimes, though, the attention hasn't come without a bit of controversy. The band's toughest show's? In unison, the foursome says, "Jackson.
"It was a battle of the bands, and we just wanted exposure," said Chris, explaining how some of the other groups there were "giving us..a hard time."
"We were the only band not from Jackson," Wolf said. "And we took third place. Not bad.
While the teens are still dealing with typical teenage issues such as girlfriends, schoolwork and simply growing up, the experience has given them a glimpse of what could lie ahead.
Sworn Rival plays a couple of big shows in the coming weeks, starting with Dirtfest 2008 on Saturday in Birch Run. Seventy bands will perform on six stages. That'll be followed by another big appearance Aug. 29th at the Chrysler Arts, Beats and Eats festival in Pontiac.
Through all the hard work, the guys have gained some notoriety.

- Detroit Free Press