I've been rediscovering the many gems (or Jems, as is sometimes the case) in my Winamp playlist over the past few weeks. It might be because the fiance is moving in and I know I'm not going to have a chance to listen to a lot of my tracks in the comfort of my home as often anymore. Either way, I started to remember why I liked bands like Static-X, Dope and Rammstein as much as I did in the past; it's metal to move to. I'm all for some good old Seek and Destroy speed thrashing once in a while, but throw in one evil mo'fo synth, and I get suckered in. This New Year's Eve, I'll be trying to convince my much better half to check out 55 Stitches at Kathedral on December 31st, 2006.

--
55 Stitches have everything needed for some solid disco metal; dark nail polish, dark make-up, dark lyrics, dark pseudonyms, and the awesome music to back up the camp. I really don't mean to complain, as all this stuff can only add to the band's stage presence. the last thing I wanna hear is someone named "Timothy Sunshine" sing about cadaver freak shows. The four members have only been together as a group since later in 2006, while the band as an idea has been in the works of J.S. Kain's mind since 2003. Alaric, Jenocyde (lawlz, awesome name!), and Pain completed the group as the bassist, keyboardist, and percussionist respectively.

Before jumping into the track discussion, I gotta get this out. Any non-major label artist with a Myspace page damn well should have at least one track for visitors to download from the page. In the age of music sharing and iPod swapping, people need to be able to get the music into other people's ears. Myspace is OK for that, but the frequent track buffering is more than a minor annoyance when a genuine fan wants to get the goods into their friend's hands. 55 Stitches, put one song up for public download, and we'll call it square. That said, I managed to find their online Press Kit, wherein you can download a few tracks. Linked at the bottom of the entry. Who da man?

Sideshow, the first track, made 55 Stitches' mention in this special NYE Edition of Theirspace mandatory within the first 30 seconds. Ya start off with a brooding sample of ugly, add the flick of a lighter, and get neck deep into what the band calls its most commercial track to date, recorded for an "Adult" company in Toronto. I find it hard not to draw comparisons between Kain's vocals to that of Wayne Static's. And the quality of the recording doesn't hinder that, for sure! Pray lets you know that you always need what you can't have, so cruci-fuck him upside down. Pain hits the skins like a veritable TR-909. Almost Human has Jenocyde open up things with a dash of evil, bringing things down to a Manson/Reznor level, while the rest keep things at a noticeably lower tempo. Slowing down for a minute is mandatory, and even when the overdriven guitars kick in to Kain chiming that you're almost human, you get a few minutes where the mosh pit is gonna slow down, but only in anticipation, not boredom. The Whip and the Rod brings everything back to speed. If you asked me, which you know you did, this is the most "commercial" sounding track to my ears, but perhaps Sideshow gets that honor because, well, it is a commercial track. Definitely not my favorite of the four tracks on 55 Stitches' Myspace page, but something I'll be listening to with great frequency in the coming weeks nonetheless.

When it comes to New Years Eve in Toronto, there aren't a lack of options with how to spend your time. If you feel the need to get messed up with some industrial-disco-metal freaks, might I suggest heading on over to Kathedral this weekend. When 55 Stitches takes the stage, they're going to be in frack-ing charge of the pit.

- 55 Stitches' Myspace Page, with 4 tracks for on-site listening.
- The band's homepage
- The band's EPK, with a few songs for download (in the audio link, select "standard" to download)

--
55 Stitches play with headliners Deadlines, as well as Lambaste, and Circus of the Damned

December 31st at Big Bop's Kathedral floor (ground level)
651 Queen W. 416-504-6699.
20$

Image taken from band's gallery page.

Know any local acts with shows in the coming months that you think are worth my time? Email me at ryan[at]blogto[dot]com.