Allied Threat
ALLIED THREAT CAME INTO FRUITION IN EARLY 2005. CLASHING BETWEEN PUNK/GRUNGE INFLUENCED GARAGE ROCK AND MID-70'S HEAVY RIFF GUITAR ROCK, THEY HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN STYLE OF POST AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK. TAKING INFLUENCES ANYWHERE FROM SOCIAL D, NIRVANA, AND THE PIXIES, TO THE CULT, BLACK SABBATH AND BLIND MELON, YOU EXPECT TO HEAR A MESS OF CULTURE, BUT INSTEAD YOU GET A WELL EXECUTED, INVENTIVE, AND NOSTALGIC ASSAULT ON YOUR SENSES AT ONCE, AND SOMEHOW IT WORKS. EMOTIVE STAGE PRESENCE, HIGH ENERGY SHOWS, AND A TOUCH OF CHAOS, MAKES ALLIED THREAT A "MUST SEE AT LEAST ONCE" ACT TO LOOK FOR.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
STARTED BY ALEJANDRO ARMENDARIZ AND MAT QUIRING IN EARLY 2005, ALLIED THREAT HAD SOME LESS THAN STELLAR LINEUP CHANGES IN THEIR BEGINNING STAGES. IN JULY OF 2005, D.C. NATIVE MARK LOGAN JOINED THE BAND WITH THEN DRUMMER JD REEVES TO BE THE THIRD AND FINAL BASSIST OF THE GROUP. AFTER A LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS, AND THE NEWS OF JD MOVING TO CHARLOTTE, NC TO ATTEND COLLEGE, IT WAS DECIDED BEST FOR THE BAND TO DROP JD AND PURSUE ANOTHER DRUMMER MORE RELATIVE TO THEIR WORK ETHIC AND UNIQUE STYLE. CHRIS GRASS JOINED THE BAND IN SEPTEMBER OF 2005, AND ALLIED THREAT BEGAN CREATING THE SOUND THAT YOU HEAR TODAY. THE FOUR MEMBERS CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AT MAKING THEIR MUSIC AS TRUE TO THEMSELVES AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT STEPPING ON EACH OTHERS TOES, OR DIMISHING ANYONE'S CREATIVITY. "FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYONE GETS THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE UPON THE BAND. LIKE, NO ONE'S GONNA TELL SOMEBODY THAT HE SHOULDN'T DO A SOLO, OR PUT A TOM ROLL IN THAT PART OF THE SONG, OR SING IN SOME SILLY VOICE DURING THAT BRIDGE. WE'RE JUST LUCKY TO LIKE THE SAME THINGS SO ANY GOES." ----MAT QUIRING/LEAD SINGER
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
ALLIED THREAT MADE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES AT LOCAL OPEN MIC SHOWS. BUILDING A FOLLOWING WITH LOCAL SUPPORTERS IN THAT SCENE WAS QUITE BENEFICIAL WHEN THE TIME HAD COME TO START VENTURING INTO BOOKED SHOWS, PAYING GIGS, OPEN ACTS, AND EVENTUALLY, SMALL STATE WIDE TOURING SCHEDULES. THEY ALSO CUT THEIR TEETH ON HOUSE PARTIES, AND LITERALLY ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR MUSIC TO PEOPLE IN DIRE NEED OF A CHANGE FROM THE MAINSTREAM.
Your musical influences
GRAB A BOTTLE OF SNAPPLE, (YOUR CHOICE) HAVE A FEW REFRESHING SIPS. NOW,
ADD ONE PART PIXIES
ONE PART SOCIAL DISTORTION
A SPLASH OF IN UTERO
GARNISH WITH JOHNNY CASH
THE CULT, AND BLACK SABBATH SERVE ON A PIPNG HOT PLATE OF MANIC STREET PREACHERS. ... HOPE SANDOVAL, TORI AMOS, TANYA DONNELLY, AND BRET ANDERSON AS COCKTAIL WAITRESSES
What equipment do you use?
MAT- IBANEZ GUITARS AND AMPS, ELECTROHARMONIX PEDALS, DADDARIO/ERNIE BALL STRINGS
ALEX- SQUIER GUITAR (CUSTOM), FENDER TWIN AMP, A VIRTUAL BUFFET OF ASSORTED PEDALS, DADDARIO STRINGS (CHROMES .13'S)
MARK- IBANEZ BASSES, IBANEZ AMPS
CHRIS- TAMA DRUMS, SABIAN CYBALS
Anything else?
WE PLAY FOR TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE: THOSE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BRAINWASHED BY YOUR LOCAL SUPERCOOL DJ TELLING THEM THE NEW HIP MUSIC THAT'S OUT. AND SIMPLY THOSE WHO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTO MUSIC THAT CAN APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE BANDS OUT THERE DOING THEIR OWN THING AND DOING IT WELL. THERE IS A LOT TO BE SAID FOR A BAND THAT FOLLOWS ITS OWN PATH, THE ONE LESS TRAVELLED.
