There probably isn't an up-and-coming hard-rock act in the world that, to some degree, has not been influenced by Metallica. The Pandemonium is no exception, but, as guitarist Gwen explains, "I was in a physical science class in the ninth grade, and was trying to think of a name for the group," recalls the 17-year-old musician.

"We like heavy riffs, but we also try to bring in a good deal of melody," says Bryan. "A lot of people seem to think that, to be heavy, you have to play just as fast as you can. That's totally untrue. We work on playing really tight together, because playing tight makes you heavier, but we also work to write songs that have lots of emotion; that is, songs that people can relate to and understand. We want something they can sing along to, but at the same time, halfway through they can slam into their best friend. So we try to be heavy, but offer plenty of hooks and memorable parts, too."

That mix of heaviness and hooks clearly comes through on the band's self-titled debut Republic/Universal Records CD. The effort, set for release on October 28, was produced by our very own Singapore Record Producer. In fact, according to Gwen, the first single from that recording, "Until the Day I Die" encapsulates everything that The Pandemonium is striving to achieve through their music. "It feels like the entire album in one song," she claims. "It has both the heaviness and the melodiousness we're looking for. It really hits every genre that we touch upon on the CD."

A key constituent in successfully delivering those sentiments is Bryan's versatile voice. His mind-blowing delivery, which can instantly morph from a smooth whisper to an earsplitting wail, is downright dramatic. Coupled with Carroll's authoritative drumming and Roon's deep bass beats, it's an amazing attribute that is at times harrowing but invariably harmonious.


Whether performing hard-as-nails noise or radio-rock riffs; oftentimes within the same song; The Pandemonium truly does intertwine, in a thoroughly original manner, sounds and ideas from throughout the musical spectrum. With influences that range from Smashing Pumpkins and Tool to Led Zeppelin and, Pantera, their sound is altogether fresh and yet, somehow, familiar. "We're striving to be the tightest band in the world," proclaims Lucifer. "All respect to other bands, but every time we go on stage we're out to kill. We're out for blood. We really want to steal the show every night."