Whisperwall

Local band Whisperwall prides itself on the ability to connect with fans and give them the best live show possible. Featuring Frankie Zarantonello, 19 of Wood River, on guitar; Justin Mathenia, 23 of Alton on guitar and supplying vocals; Aaron Peipert, 24 of Alton on bass, and Byron Beiermann of Jerseyville on drums, the guys say their show can't miss. "We haven't had a bad show" says Peipert. "Everytime we play, somebody tells me that its the best show they've ever seen us play, and I hear that constantly--so to me the live show keeps getting better and better".

Since the band formed in April, they've played every weekend and even travel out of the area to be seen and heard, the bands members said. "We've played around here a handful of times, but we try to stay gone over the weekends" Mathenia said.
They also play a variety of venues from Knights of Columbus halls and coffee houses to pastures, Peipert said.

Before shows the members constantly flyer around town or make contacts in the area who act as mini street teams to get the word out, Mathenia said. Sometimes before a show, the band tries to personally meet as many people as they can. They credit their networking skills for much of their success. They also pride themselves on putting on a genuine, fun show. They say they are actually having a great time on stage, unlike some bands they say are only trying to make it look that way.

"We get up there and its an instant dance party" Mathenia said.
To many people a speaker is something sound comes out of, Peipert said, but to Whisperwall "its something to stand on or jump off of" After the show the band likes to mingle as well.....continued. - Alton Telegraph

Whisperwall - Bangladesh
Posted on 07/18/08 by Susan Frances
Whisperwall - Bangladesh
Record Label: True Blood Records
Release Date: April 2008

Whisperwall, take a moment to flashback to ‘70s rock bands who got audiences out of their chairs and standing in the aisles of the concert halls they played. Whisperwall take that firmly packed energy and weld it into 2000’s post hardcore furnaces, stoking the flames with the melodic valves of lead singer Justin Mathenia. Whisperwall’s latest release, Bangladesh is a 6-track EP that moves from wild and feverish spins to smoothly ladled clusters and tenderly coaled vibes exuding a cuddly feel. The phrasing is controlled by the shifts in Mathenia’s and Frankie Zarantonello’s guitars. Their sonic fringes are fused as drummer Bryon Beiermann and bassist Aaron Peipert tinker with the speed of the melodies tempos. Whisperwall has undergone a lineup change as Zarantonello has been replaced by Brian Hutchinson and Jay Hollinger on guitars, and Peipert has been replaced by Jarid Mathenia, but the music is still rock ‘n‘ roll based.

As a unit, Whisperwall have the rock grips of the Foo Fighters and the melodic trusses of The Audition. Opening with “West County” and “Your Best Friend,” Whisperwall bring out their affinity for ‘70s rock tunage, which travels into the melodic rock trimmings and post hardcore coating of “New Found Interest.” The bass chords nail the rhythmic grooves with a spirited drive, and the spikes in the guitar parts are veritably laudable. The guitars frenetic whipping in “Two Bones” will give you a real buzz, and their slopes along “Wait For It” rocket and pull away through the transitions with a keen sense of staying on an even kilter. The melodic rock modulation of “Weeds” produces tenderness in its amplification which makes room for guest singer, Amy Mathenia to come in with very soft vocal harmonies. The lyrics reminisce, “This is our last goodbye / It gets so hard / Don’t know what to say / I can promise you, we’re gonna spend our lives with your stories on our whisky soaked lips … Overcame what would have broken the rest of us / Put aside the pain / Refusing to give up.”

Whisperwall’s release, Bangladesh is pure rock. It is music that incites people to get up out of their chairs and go ballistic in the aisles of the concert hall. The band took the best of ‘70s rock and reshaped it to fit contemporary rock measurements. It‘s music that lets you blow out.

Recommended if you like:Foo Fighters, The Audition, Tool

www.myspace.com/whisperwall - absolutepunk.net

Release Date: 2007

Whisperwall’s Greatest Hits record is truly for fans of power rock. Their shallots of punk and melodic escalations widened the band’s repertoire, but Whisperwall’s music keeps a rock steady consistency.

Sound: 9
Lyrics: 9
Impression: 9

Overall rating: 9

Featured review by: UG Team, on july 30, 2008

Sound: Whisperwall are a new generation of rock music addicts whose Greatest Hits album, though only 5-tracks in length, is enough to show that the band lives and breaths this stuff day in and out. Their music has a pop punk might demonstrated in their song “Taking This Over,” and energetic rock frequencies relatable to Puddle Of Mudd in their tune “Memphis.” Whisperwall plunges into melodic rock channels along “The Only Way To Keep You Safe” soaking up the tiers in soaring vocal rises by lead singer Justin Mathenia and sturdy rafters held upright by the rhythmic thrusts of bassist Aaron Peipert and drummer Byron Beiermann. The punk rock surges in the guitars by Mathenia and Frankie Zarantonello have the magnum power of Crossfade in tracks like “A New Way” and “Dallas,” but before you know it, the album is finished and you’re waiting for the disc to start over again. It’s that kind of an album. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: Whisperwall’s lyrics are about bouncing back from bad situations, keeping a positive outlook and having the will of a champion. The words in “Dallas” portray this sheer persistence, “We all live and learn / I guess I’m just the kind that has to live it twice / I refuse to be forgotten, but you’ll see how fast I’ll never remember you / Let the road claim your soul and sing you a song of forgiveness.” // 9

Impression: Whisperwall’s Greatest Hits record is truly for fans of power rock. Their shallots of punk and melodic escalations widened the band’s repertoire, but Whisperwall’s music keeps a rock steady consistency. If they are ever given a chance to break out of their local mid-west America parameters, they will be another name that you’ll see on the wall of famous rock ‘n’ rollers. Their sound is pure rock which burns brightly in their bellies. Whisperwall’s lead singer Justin Mathenia and drummer Byron Beiermann are still in the band, but the other members have been replaced. Now, Brian Hutchinson and Jay Hollinger are on guitars and Jarid Mathenia plays bass. // 9

- Susan Frances aka sweetpeasuzie (c) 2008


- Ultimate-Guitar.com