Netherwind

So I'm sitting here in my 7th period study hall. Nothing to do, and no one to talk to besides the white box I can put words into. I think there's a class in here. Way more people than usual. The system here is so screwed up with how they go about their passes to the library. Regardless, anything is better than Drake's room. At least here I can go on a computer and do this.

So, it's time I explain the picture at the top of this blog. That is a picture of me and my band, Netherwind. I think it was about...tenth grade that a friend asked me if I wanted to be in his metal band with another one of my friends. I of course accepted and started playing guitar for it. Now here's the fun part, I suck at guitar, and  quite frankly we were all pretty bad at the time. But I can't explain how cool it was to say that I was in a band! A metal band! By the end of middleschool all I could listen to was metal. So the first arrangement, and I say arrangement because the band never happened, was Her Void. A fictional post-hardcore project me and two other friends had made with the discovery of our instruments. At the time I was with Aaron, my best friend and the guitarist of my current band, and Dan who later became the vocalist of my next endeavor. That, was of course, Aggro. A shoddy line-up of mulitple people that had either been in the fictional band or helped bring us together. Just with our luck, The Invasion was created the year we started. It was a school fundraiser to show off your band and help the school rake in a little cash. I'll explain a bit further on, but I will say that not once have we successfully (In any line-up) played The Invasion. We worked with a temporary drummer until the show, which I will post the video below. It was in every essence, a bombshell. But everyone in the crowd who liked us loved it, because I guess they couldn't understand a damn thing that was happening. Shortly after that, we lost our drummer and picked up a new one. Unfortunately as well, we lost our lead vocalist and I was bumped up to the lead. I had a lot of fun too. Although I was hardly any good at it and would often get extreme headaches from doing the screamed vocals improperly. A few month before the second Invasion, our drummer had a bit of a fallout with the rest of us and he left. We were luckily able to adopt a new one, Alex who is now the drummer of a pretty successful local band named Jonestown. It was then I made the suggestion that my friend Daulton be bumped to lead vocals and I go to bass guitar(which we had been lacking throughout our time together) However, due to various circumstances, the rhythm guitarist Kyle was put on lead and we were a four man act. After the drastic line-up change we had become, Look At You.

Now, I'm not saying I didn't enjoy my time in Look At You. Because I learned a lot from it. But damn was it high-tension for the bandmates. Practice time and transportation was always a problem, we weren't very efficient with our writing regiment, amongst other things. But for a time, it was the most fun shit I had. We had a decent setlist, a few original songs, and The Invasion was right around the corner. The Invasion was less of a bombshell than the last, but a bombshell nonetheless. Which again is due to various reasons I'd rather not discuss. Then came our first real show at the local Youth center. And lemme tell you what, nothing felt cooler than being on that stage with the crowd in front of me jumping up and down. I had fun playing the bass, and doing back-up screaming. Everyone who went was proud, everyone who went thought we were cool (or at least it seemed it.) For a time I was on top of the world, happy that we had this going for us. Then prom came around. Which may I add, was the absolute WORST time of my life. Although I did get 300 dollars at the after-prom party haha, score. So we had a show the same day. And due to more of these unfortunate circumstances that kept happening for me, I couldn't go. Our vocalist was furious, and if I didn't already have a good bit of money spent on prom I wouldn't have gone. The other two were understanding, but that's where the wall between all of us started. Alex and Kyle didn't get along and for reasons I won't discuss nor go into high detail about, eventually that led to Alex leaving. With him gone, Look At You slowly died, even though some new drummer prospects came along, our guitarist was already long gone, and it was over.

I would post a video of one of Look At You's shows, but unfortunately they all have been taken off the web and erased from existence shortly after Netherwind was created.

And so I went along with my life, bummed, remembering the cool times of the band. Wishing things would've gone a little better. Especially after I saw Alex's new band and the headway they were making around our town. (We didn't get along for a long time after L@Y's breakup) It wasn't until one day, Aaron had talked to me about a band idea. I thought it was highly far-fetched, but he asked me to be the vocalist. Me, missing the role I once had, was more than happy to take the offer. We started out with several original songs, just me him and our drummer, Dale. And eventually got our second guitarist and bassist.

Our first show was a little rough, to say the least. But overall everyone who went had a great time. I mean even with all the mistakes, it was just fun. Definitely cool to be on the same stage Look At You had once played on again.

 We started making, no, cranking out originals one by one. It was incredible! Everyone was so much more fit to be in a metal band. I can honestly say i'm more proud of my band today than any other accomplishment I may have made haha. Today, we are rather successful, making new songs, finding sources to record an EP. And often have shows locally (If you're reading this you should attend one, they're a great time!) We've even played with Jonestown and me and Alex talk frequently about the bands. Regardless. My time in bands have helped me become better as a vocalist and guitarist as well as increased my understanding of music. I'm all too grateful for that.