October Fist razes, rages through Athens scene
By Dani Purcell, Staff Writer
March 6, 2008 | 9 a.m.
October Fist, a genre-bending rock band of epic proportions, exploded into the Athens music scene this February. With freshly recorded songs and a new bassist to boot, the four-piece instrumental outfit is gaining momentum locally.
Like most bands the Fist began with modest roots. In the fall of 2005 guitarists Jared Kurzawa and Brian Wenner met and began playing guitar together. The songwriting process, sound or concept was never an issue between the guitarists, Wenner said. The two possess a bizarre, natural chemistry, both musically and socially, that fuels the duo's artistic ability and gift for synchronization.
The lack of percussion, however, hindered the pair's ability to move forward musically. In the fall of 2007 the two combined forces with Kyle Truitt, and the band began to grow into its own entity. The members solidified the band’s reality by christening themselves October Fist.
In December Kurzawa recruited Zack Gemmell with the intention of Gemmell’s providing vocals. The two began playing together, and Gemmell wrote bass lines. He strove for perfection, even in tweaking the small transitions between parts of songs, Kurzawa said.
Gemmell slipped into his position effortlessly, and October Fist became a four-piece band in January.
As a creative unit, October Fist unintentionally makes itself difficult to classify. The use of aggressive style, fast tempo and licks are reminiscent of '80s-era metal but reflect a dissonance found only in the most obscure of indie music. The addition of Truitt’s drumming, which draws from nu-metal roots, only increases the complexity of bestowing a label upon the band.
Regardless of genre, October Fist is blessed in terms of technicality. Its true talent, however, lies in its prodigious ability to invoke a near-cathartic state from its audience.
“We more or less want people to be focused on the music but feeling the energy from the people around them,” Wenner said. “I think we play as though we’re not some hotshot rock band to show everyone how good we are.”
In mid-February, October Fist re-recorded three of its most outstanding songs, including a recent addition, “Sex Thirsty,” as well as previously written tracks “Autumn Odyssey” and “Egg Man Strikes Again.”
“Egg Man Strikes Again” was playfully named for a Mega Man character. However, the title does not tentatively reflect the strength of the song. The music of “Egg Man” barrels forward with contrasting force -- Wenner’s use of high-octave riffs and harmonic developments, layered over Kurzawa’s dynamic chord progressions, blend flawlessly over Truitt’s driving drum beats and Gemmell’s subtle bass fills.
The band employs a loop station to add electronically produced loops as introductions to several of its live songs. The combination of complex hooks and challenging progressions create an energy-driven vehicle -- a melodic melting pot of hardcore, electronica and old-school metal.
October Fist radiates energy live. Although Wenner and Gemmell appear as slightly more stationary figures, Kurzawa often wags his hips and dances with his guitar. Truitt’s traditionally shirtless form fills the space between songs with a series of drum rolls.
The band’s notability is growing at a rapid pace, and show-goers across Athens seem impressed.
“I’m still wiping my face off the floor,” an enthused fan said after October Fist’s set on Feb. 25 at The Union. “I’m saying they’re boner fuel.”
A major part of the initial confusion surrounding October Fist is the collision of image meets sound. Despite the initial shock, the Fist is growing in popularity, and the members still remain collected and overtly modest as individuals.
The future appears bright for October Fist. Members hope to record more tracks, and Kurzawa and Gemmell are working on writing lyrics for vocal parts.
“We really want to integrate the electronic stuff in what we want to do,” Wenner said. “We didn’t have the time or ability until now. We’re really only running on 50 percent of what we want now.”
The band played five shows over the course of February and plans to play at least two more in March. Kurzawa and Wenner both expressed extreme enthusiasm around the possibility of touring with Bolth this summer.
---
October Fist will play a show at 19 South with Red Dahlia and Space6oy on Thursday, March 6.
Click here for more information and dates.