Thursday, May 31, 2012

Time to hit the playground


Escape to Everything drummer Mike Scapiccio says maintaining consistency has been his band’s biggest struggle since forming in 2004.

“We have four albums and gone through four different guitar players along the way,” Scapiccio says.

But the band’s new record, “Devil’s Playground,” sheds light on how Escape to Everything handles this problem: it simply dives into diversity. “Devil’s Playground” isn’t a bunch of songs sounding different from one to the next; rather, the different influences and contrasts bubble up within individual tunes themselves. “Dead Behind the Eyes,” for example, has a doom-y melody floating across the beginning of the song that gives way to a quaking, crazed thrash attack.

Escape to Everything celebrates the release of “Devil’s Playground” with a show Saturday, June 2 at The Palladium in Worcester. The show is happening in the upstairs room and begins at 6 p.m. Till We Die, Silent Season, Death Rattle, and Devil’s Feedback are also on the bill.

Scapiccio says that each member of the band brings a different emphasis into the mix. Guitarist Ronnie DiScicio likes the brutal elements of Lamb of God, while singer Mike Nota is a fan of dynamic contrasts found in Soulfly’s music. Scapiccio says he likes the leaner sound of Sevendust and its timekeeper Morgan Rose.

“We all like different kinds of rock and we try and get that in there,” Scapiccio says.

Bassist Steve LaGrassa and former 21st December guitarist Al Capone, who is the newest recruit, round out the lineup.

Based in Boston, Escape to Everything toured nationally with Bobaflex and headlined its own East Coast jaunt.

Experience shows on “Devil’s Playground,” with punchier songs opening the record then yielding to darker, heavier stuff, all without sounding erratic.

Among the highlights, “Final Goodbye” sounds like a twisted psychological thriller.  “Not Followed” blurs sparse dreariness with caustic blurts, creating a jarring closing number. Earlier, on “Built to Fall,” the bands plays around with similar contrasts but cooks up something that sound more defiant than despairing.

Scapiccio says Escape to Everything handpicked the openers for Saturday’s show, banking on each band to bring a little something different to the concert.

“Silent Season is in a league of their own and we’ve been dying to do a show with them,” he says. “Devil’s Feedback has some screaming in it. Death Rattle are good friends. And Till We Die we’ve known for a long time and know how good they are live.”

“Devil’s Playground” is available on iTunes as well as other digital-music services. Physical copies will be available at the show.


           

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