Gun Metal Gray

Gun Metal Gray’s Island of The Damned is Shining Heavy Metal

Sometimes the music that connects and makes sense surprises you. When I heard Gun Metal Gray at Planet Rockstock earlier this month I turned around and said “Wow they are awesome!”. Yes they are heavy metal, loud and in your face but the raw energy, vocals and guitar sound from the lead and rhythm spoke to my music DNA.

Reviewing heavy rock is a new venture and I will have to find the vocabulary but when I listened to the album Island of The Damned I knew that recorded and live this is Shining Heavy Metal.

Here goes… Opening with Revenge the guitar slam the opening fast, furious but never rushed rhythm rising in a crescendo of chords, melding together increasing the tension and the opening lyrics spit out across the melody. This is music that is hard-core driven and yes there is swearing and the pace is fast but it all makes perfect sense and fits the glove that is Gun Metal Gray. What makes the band work is the energy of the vocalist, David Damone, who has one task to do deliver the lyrics and ensure the timing of the band is perfect he does that in the studio and on stage. David is a front man with attitude pumping his stuff and remembering at all times the song is the main element of a rock show. The first three tracks are longer winding around the talents of the band We Are One opening with precision drumming from Jeff “Mufffin” Stumpf; before the signature vocals gruff and weighed with emotion. The pair of guitars do not do battle they join together peel away and support the vocals and each other. The timing and guitar power from Nick Wright and Christian Koch is a magical potion strong within Gun Metal Gray and makes them stand out from the crowd. Ed Allison the Bassist keeps the rhythm section going with deep riffs of the line that holds the rock together so there is no splitting into individual pebbles as they sing; We Are Strong, We Are One describing the band exactly.

The title track is fast guitar and again draws from every member and the vocals and guitar once again hog centre stage adding colour and texture combined with the raw energy of driving heavy rock. Closing with The Final Battle, the tempo quietness capturing the relief of after a drama, a storm this is a track that shows a gentler side and the true depth of Gun Metal Gray’s shining metal music.

The journey the sepia GMD map inside the CD takes you on a journey through the songs to the Island of the Damned and onto where X marks the spot of The Final Battle! on the other side reflecting this set in 1715 long before heavy rock the script gives you an insight into GMG thinking when putting these six tracks together. There is nothing random, every note and word has been carefully considered. Island of The Damned is greater than the sum of its individual band members and each song is part of a chain of events where there are causes there are consequences.

Bluesdoodles gives this CD NINE doodle paws out of TEN ….

Track Listing

1. Revenge
2. Cursed For Eternity
3. We are One
4. Shipwrecked
5. Island Of The Damned
6. The Final Battle - Bluesdoodles (UK Music Reviewer)

Gun Metal Gray... The Spirit of Classic Metal with a Modern Edge

By Rachel Rocks

Gun Metal Gray is ready to put on a show you won’t forget. This five piece metal band from Harrisburg, PA has been melting faces and rocking area stages for almost three years and rapidly growing their fan base along the way. John O’Connor on drums, and Nick Wright, on guitar, are the original founding members of the band. They quickly found David Damone for the front man position, and even though they’ve undergone some member changes, their current line up has Christian Koch on guitar, and Myles on bass. They originally started building their fan base by being a cover band playing a lot of your favorite 80s metal music, but with the release of their first EP “Salvation” they are ready to save the world from the decaying world of pop culture music and bring back the spirit of classic metal with a modern edge.

Nick Wright and Christian Koch, their two mind-blowing guitar players, are also the main writers of the band. Gun Metal Gray released their first single, “G\m/G” in 2013. It quickly became a huge crowd favorite and a sing along, or what they like to call “Gang Vocals” at every show! Ultimately “Salvation” is a collaborative effort of the whole band as each song would morph at every practice until it was complete, which didn’t take long at all.

With their fans screaming for more originals at every show, they wanted to come out with some quickly, but also professionally. They started working on “Salvation” in January of 2014 at MDW Productions with the help of Darin Warren, and Mike Washkevich, who mixed and mastered the EP. With their balls to the wall, they knocked it out and had it ready to release on March 29th at their CD Release party at The Strand Capitol in York.

I had the privilege to sit down with all the guys and have our own little listening party of their new EP. It was my first experience sitting down with a band and hearing them discuss the writing process and the logic behind every note. It’s quite interesting watching a band sit back and enjoying their own music without playing it at the same time, although there were plenty of “air instruments” happening around the table. “Salvation” itself was created to show people how they are prepared to bring back the “from your gut/heart ROCK music, the Spirit of classic metal, but with a modern edge”.

Their first song “Doom” is a mini story in itself, portraying a post apocalyptic era. We are in a decaying world of pop culture music. Music has lost its artistic integrity. If you’ve never been to a Gun Metal Gray show, just by listening to “Doom” you can quickly visualize how these guys don’t just play music, they put on a show! You can see the lights, pyrotechnics, and their shredding guitars. They are definitely bringing back ultimate instrumental solos from every member of the band.

“Chains That Bind” is the transcendent part of the album. It’s the stage of the journey when you finally breaking free from everything holding you back. Half way through this track there is a definite change in tempo and even the style of the song, that represents the moment of breaking free. The point when you can’t take it any longer. I can almost guarantee you that by the end of this song you’ll be chanting along, “From the chains that bind you!”

“Salvation” is rising up from the ashes, or finding salvation. It immediately starts with a killer drum line from John O’Connor on drums, that will get you rising up right there with them. The lyrics of this song leave plenty of spots where I’m sure their fans are already singing along. The end of the song leaves you hanging and helps you realize that this is only the beginning of the new world of music that Gun Metal Gray is bringing you. I hope you’re ready!

“...you never know who’s watching and it’s good to always put 100% into every show!”

Some of you have already proved you are more than ready, and you want more! Gun Metal Gray has performed in many different venues throughout the mid-state and beyond. They’ve even had the opportunity to play before some national acts. Their first National Act was Slaughter. They took full advantage of this opportunity and they used this night with an amazing crowd to record their first official music video for their single “G\m/G”. They have quite a few amazing videos on their Gun Metal Gray YouTube channel that you can check out for yourself. They also had one of their newest fans, Merlin Miller, from the Discovery Channel show ‘Amish Mafia’, introduce them. Merlin helped draw in even more press and fans to the show. You might be wondering how did a metal band like GMG get to know a guy from the Amish community…

One night in 2013, Gun Metal Gray was playing a show at The Ritz in New Holland. It wasn’t a great night as far as their crowd was concerned, but one thing about them is they perform their hearts out no matter if there are 50 people, or 5,000. After the show Merlin Miller and Alan Beiler from ‘Amish Mafia’ came up and introduced themselves. They wanted Gun Metal Gray to play at one of their ‘Hut Parties’. Gun Metal Gray quickly agreed and their business deal quickly turned into a friendship. Merlin and Alan have both been big supporters of Gun Metal Gray ever since. It just goes to prove you never know who’s watching and it’s good to always put 100% into every show!

GMG has also opened up for Stephen Pearcy and Kix. They are getting another opportunity to play at Kix’s Album Release Party on August 16th at the Greencastle American Legion Picnic Grounds. That show is going to be epic! I’m sure Gun Metal Gray will take full advantage of every second. They have a pretty jam packed summer. They will also be opening for Skid Row at Tubby’s on July 25th. They don’t only play the “big” shows, there are plenty of other smaller shows happening too. They play a good amount of charity events. One will be Gettysburg Rocks on August 9th for the 4 Diamonds fund and August 30th for Helping Little Hands. They enjoy playing benefits, they want to make sure people know they are good guys, after all they chose to use the spelling of “Gray” with an A because A stands for America!

They also take advantage of every contest they possibly can. In May of 2014 they were the Top band in the Buffalo Trace Contest, they won a $500 cash prize for having nearly 5,000 shots (or votes). The finals for that contest are in September and they could win $10,000. Get ready to vote to help them win big! They’ve been wanting to play the Philly area, so in May they went down to play a Battle of the Bands contest at The Rusty Nail in Ardmore and won! They will be playing in the finals for that in August at World Café Live. As of press time they are eagerly awaiting the news to see if they will be playing as part of the Warped Tour in Scranton on July 9th. They also have a big announcement to make very soon about a possible international tour in December! Gun Metal Gray is on fire! They have so much going on. Make sure you like them on Facebook www.facebook.com/GMGband for all of their latest updates and announcements.

Gun Metal Gray wouldn’t be anything without all of the love and support they have from their family, fans, and all the other local bands and venues that have given them the opportunity to perform. A special shout out to all the wives, and Colleen and Gary Wright, for helping them get started and supporting them along the way. Also, to Silvertung from Baltimore, for their great friendship and sharing shows along the way. Last but not least, HUGE thanks to Dean Ghoweri who is a major fan and long-time friend who eventually turned into their official manager allowing Gun Metal Gray to focus all of their efforts on giving their fans their best music and best performances. One thing for sure is there is more music on its way! They are already talking about recording a full album. They said it best when they said, “The best way to pay tribute to those who paved the road before us is to pave the next section ourselves.”

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ them on Facebook at facebook.com/GMGband. You can also check them out on YouTube so you can see what you’ve been missing! To get them booked at your show or venue, give “The Dean” a call at 717-877-4433. - Pennsylvania Musician Magazine

It was Saturday night and the Hummels Wharf Fire Company in Snyder County was hopping.

After an introduction by "Amish Mafia" star Merlin, Harrisburg-area band Gun Metal Gray got the party started.

People were dancing, heads were bobbing and more than one hand was in the air giving the "rock on" sign as the group busted out metal classic after metal classic.

"Why are they the opening band?" a woman in the crowd asked, genuinely appearing puzzled.

It was high praise - especially considering the headliner was metal favorites Slaughter.

It's been a big year for Gun Metal Gray. Not only did they open for Slaughter, one of their biggest shows to date, but they have formed contacts with people on the show "Amish Mafia" and may have one of their performances featured on the Discovery Channel series.
"You don't just sit there and listen to metal music, you rock out. You bang your head and you love it."

"If you had told me a year ago that this is where I'd be, I'd be like 'I don't think so,'" Nick Wright, guitarist for the group, said. "I wouldn't have believed it."

But perhaps the most exciting news for the band is the release of their first original song, "G.M.G."

It's all part of the grand scheme to make the switch from "cover band" to just "band."

"It's the national progression of things," said Milhouse, the single-named bassist of the group. "You can only ride someone else's coattails for so long."

But those coattails have helped Gun Metal Gray create a solid fan base, which they hope will take to their song "G.M.G."

At the Slaughter show, the crowd definitely seemed to, dancing along and cheering loudly at the end.

The goal is for this to be the first of many original songs.

"It has always been my dream to release a full original album," said Nick Wright, guitarist for the band. "It's what I want to do before I die."

Now he's on his way to accomplishing that dream - but can't help but look back to what set him on that path to begin with.

It was love at first sight for Wright. "When I picked up a guitar for the first time, I pretty much knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, whether it'd be playing at home in my bedroom or playing on a stage or a 20,000 people arena," he said. "It didn't matter - I would still be playing the guitar."

Everyone in the group has a similar love for their instrument and for metal music in general.

"It's fun and it's rebellious and it's honest," said Christian Koch, the other guitarist of the group. "You don't just sit there and listen to metal music, you rock out. You bang your head and you love it."

It's an enthusiasm they hope comes across in their music. Right from the get-go, the group has been focused on delivering an epic show for their audience.

When Wright joined, he remembered thinking "if I'm going to join this band, it's going to be a band where it's music I like. It's going to be different from anybody else and we're going to put on a show," he said. "We're going to be an act, like a performance. We're not just going to be a bunch of guys getting up there and playing songs - and we're going to do it well."

That's where frontman Dave Damone comes in. Inspired by Steven Tyler and the theatrics of metal frontmen, he puts his all into shows - even if it means guzzling a bottle of fake blood on stage. "We just really love what we're doing," he said.

John O'Connor, the founder and drummer, agreed. "We just want to put on a freakin' big ass rock show," he said. "We want to put on a bigger show than anybody else in town. Bigger, faster, stronger, more balls. A no-holds-barred rock show."

What's next for Gun Metal Gray? More concerts, more original music and more rock. Otherwise, they'll just see where things go.

"When I started the band, I didn't exactly have an end game," O'Connor said. "I wasn't like, 'We're going to go so far and then we're going to make it.' It was more like, 'Put this thing on the rails and lets see where we go."

But at the same time, he sees the band going far. "I'd put us against anybody," he said. "Wherever our journey goes, we're going to be good. We have the talent to go as far as we can possible take it."

For more information on Gun Metal Gray, check out its Facebook page. The band is giving away physical copies of its single "G.M.G" at its shows. The next concert is Nov. 2 at Fat Daddy's, 2510 E. Market St., York. - The Patriot-News / PennLive

The smattering of folks milling around the Fat Daddy's bar an hour before the Jan. 19 Gun Metal Gray show look up from their beers, conversations and a bar-side game of electronic shuffleboard when Gun Metal Gray launches into the band's unique sound-check.

No one-two-check-checks or un-amped bar chords for these guys -- they blast into a full-out rendition of "Round and Round" by Ratt to get their sound levels right.

"It's the only song we play well," jokes frontman Dave Damone.

And, they say, it's just a rockin' song. That's of the utmost importance for the members of the Harrisburg five-piece rock band, which will host an EP launch party at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Their founding principles aren't very complex, but they set a high bar for themselves.

"I wanted to put on just a full-tilt rock show, y'know," says drummer John O'Connor. "At the time I didn't really know of another band in the area that just put on, like, an arena rock show on a small stage."

He and Nick Wright, one of the band's two guitarists, met in Harrisburg and quickly bonded.

"We met up over drinks and stuff, and pretty much laid the groundwork for what we wanted to do as far as a band." Wright says. "We both have the same viewpoints, which helped."

The longer the band members spoke, democratizing every interview question into a five-man conversation that more often than not took a turn down obviously well-worn conversational paths about various other bands and what music means to each of them, the clearer it became that what Wright said was an understatement. Their viewpoints about music, about old bands, new bands, about what's really important in a performance have a deeply foundational place in the existence of Gun Metal Gray.

Up to this point, the band, which took its name from a paint color, has exclusively played rock and metal covers; the new EP will feature the first original content they've released.

The band put out its first single, "G\m/G," a couple months ago.

As the song's stylized title suggests, with the "m" and the slashes forming the classic metal "devil horns," the song's lyrical content focuses on the genre of metal, and what it means to the band, Wright says.

"It's in your face; it's in your groin," Wright says, gesturing toward both to illustrate his point.

The band members want to capture the emotion and attitude they feel made people enjoy the 70s and 80s big-time arena acts like AC/DC and Guns n' Roses.

In the eyes of GMG, the arena rock and hair metal era of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s is pretty much the zenith of modern music. The songs they enjoy feature the finger-shredding guitar solos, epic performances and technically exacting musicianship of the time.

They didn't like the grunge movement that followed (Wright: "That's when everyone forgot how to play their instruments well."); nor are they wild about the state of rock right now (Wright quotes Alice Cooper: "'Half the people in rock and roll these days need to eat a steak.'"). They don't normally listen to much electronic dance music or hip-hop, either.

But they don't aim to make their music exclusive. It's not just for metal fans -- it's for anyone who wants to have a good time, the members of GMG say.

"We can get people who are into, like, hip-hop, or into whatever, and they'll still come out and see the show because they have a blast doing it," Damone says.

For Nick Wright, who's seemingly one of the group's more loquacious members, it's all about the passion.

Showmanship and musicianship make or break a show, but neither's enough if the band doesn't share a bond onstage.

"You've gotta vibe off each other," Wright says. "It reflects in the writing, it reflects in the playing, and people see that.

"When they go to see us they see we love what we're doing; they see the we have a great time doing this," he says.

It comes down to this: They want to rock, and they want you to, too.

"We just want people to start headbanging again," says Damone. "We want you to go home and have your neck hurt the next day." - The York Dispatch

Just call Merlin a metalhead.

The "Amish Mafia" star was rocking out at the Slaughter concert on Oct. 5 at Hummels Wharf Fire Company in Snyder County.

But the band he was really there to see was opening group Gun Metal Gray, a Harrisburg-area band that is known for its wicked metal covers and, more recently, its foray into the original music scene.

"I've just been really fascinated by Gun Metal Gray because they're so good at reproducing the songs that I grew up listening to while I was still in Rumspringa and at the hut parties," Merlin said, adding that he and co-star Alan Beiler are friends as well as fans of the group - although Beiler was not at the show due to the fact he is currently in Perry County Prison.

Merlin introduced Gun Metal Gray in the beginning to much applause, before heading up to a VIP area to watch the remainder of the show - occasionally interrupted by people wanting photos.

But before the show began, we nabbed him for a few quick minutes to talk his love of metal ("Just good face-melting metal is something that is awesome for me") and grab his three favorite metal bands of all time. Here they are in no particular order.

1. AC/DC - specifically the song "Thunderstruck." "The reason 'Thunderstruck' is powerful to me is because for a lot of things in life we need this dunamis power - it's actually a kind of spiritual thing, it means a power that's beyond you and bigger than you," Merlin said. "A lot of Amish kids like 'Thunderstruck' because it's just a song that feels very empowering and just takes your mind to whole other level of thinking."

2. Def Leppard - especially the album "Pyromania."

3. Poison, who he has seen in concert before.

As for his involvement in the Discovery Channel series, Merlin had this to say. "My main goal is to break the myth about the Amish that is not true and to show the world that we are people like anybody else." He also said that through the filming of the show he has gained "better respect for the people in my community and my culture."

Unfortunately he was mum when it came to spoilers for the Christmas special, only saying it would air in December and "show what an Amish Christmas is really like." - The Patriot-News / PennLive

Q: What was it like to open for a big rocker last month?

A: Stephen Pearcy (is) the original singer for Ratt. We played at The Village before with other bands. They've always said they want to put us in front of a major act. We opened up for Slaughter last year. I'm pretty sure (that's) every musician's aspiration — to open up for somebody that they idolize growing up. We're working on getting bigger shows.

Q: How did the band form?

A: We've been together for two and a half years. We started in the fall of 2011. (John) came to me ... and he wanted to start up a band. He was looking for a guitar player. It just so happened that I had the same ideas and was interested in the same thing. I was in previous bands before this. We all did the Top-40 cover music. It was fun traveling but the music wasn't exactly my favorite. It was refreshing to have someone with similar interests. From there, we put out an ad. It kind of just blossomed.

Q: Have you always been into metal?

A: I didn't grow up listening to it. I'm 26. John's a little bit older, so he was listening to that in his younger years. He remembers certain Metallica albums ... coming out. It's the music that I like. When I grew up ... the grunge era and that kind of stuff was happening. When I started playing guitar is when I started listening to (metal). It's very guitar-driven music. I've been playing for about 11 years now.

Q: It seems to be big in this area. Have you found that?
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A: When John and I started the band, we sat down with some rules and goals. We wanted to (bring) metal back. We're trying to make heads turn. A lot of bands now (don't have) much showmanship. That kind of got lost, too, as time goes on. We're trying to bring that back as well. When you come to see us, it's not just a bunch of guys standing on stage playing metal — it's a show. (We wanted) to get everyone to realize (that) metal takes talent. It takes dedication.

Q: Since you're from Harrisburg, was it exciting to book the Millennium Music Conference?

A: That will actually be my first time playing. I've been in cover bands all my life. Gun Metal Gray is a transitioning cover band. We'll be out with a five-song EP ... in the next few months. Millennium Music (is) an original showcase for bands to show off their original music and to meet industry people and get advice. We're really going into this guns loaded and guns blazing — no pun intended.

Q: You'll celebrate the EP release in March at the Strand-Capitol, right?

A: It was really cool when we got the call from the President and CEO (Ken Wesler) at the Strand. I think he saw (that) we opened up for Slaughter. He called us and he kind of offered (to have us) have our CD release at the Capitol.

Q: Is this area becoming a second home for you?

A: We're trying to even go farther South. A few years ago, it was hard for us to break out of the state. We're trying to really branch out. The whole original side of music (is) going to open more venues for us. York has been a good place for us. Every time we go back to Fat Daddy's there (are) more people. I think another goal ... is to write a full album (and keep) playing bigger shows (and) developing more of a fan base. (The Internet) makes it so much easier for bands to get their music out to people. But you still have to go out, and you have to play the shows.

Millenium Music Conference & Showcase

The 18th annual event runs Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 20 to 23, at the Best Western Premier, the Central Hotel and Conference Center and 30 showcase venues in and around Harrisburg.

The conference includes panels, workshops and a trade show focused on various aspects of the music industry. Registration is $100. More than 300 local, regional and national bands will take the stage for showcase performances. Some venues charge a small admission fee.

Gun Metal Gray will take the stage midnight Sunday, Feb. 23, at Tubby's Night Club, 6 Inn Road, Duncannon. Admission is free. The event is 21 and older.

For details about the conference and showcase performances, visit www.musicconference.net. - FlipSide PA