OVERSCENE

Overscene Is:
J.R. Munoz: vox
Justin Berry: guitars
Erin Denis: bass
Toby Bittenbender: guitars
Michael Glass: drums
(Dallas, TX) – It’s no surprise that Dallas modern-rockers Overscene have matured in leaps and bounds between the release of their 2008 debut album The Moment Of Change and their latest, 2010’s Bringin’ All My Friends EP. An extensive touring stint with the heavily seasoned Sevendust, as well as an exhaustive list of artists that Overscene ultimately hope to join ranks with: Puddle of Mudd, Drowning Pool, Fuel, Three Days Grace, Seether and Papa Roach among others. These road savvy bands have more than tunes on display to help inspire Overscene, as their appetites for live performance and exhaustive work ethics prove that it takes more than a radio-friendly sound to garner praise and fans these days.
With this understood, into the fold comes former Pantera and current Hell Yeah drumming legend, Vinnie Paul Abbott. With his mastering skills as a focal point, Overscene was able to trim the fat and curate a sound that is one-part hard rock, one-part melodic harmonies. No where is this more prevalent than the opening track from Bringin’ All My Friends, “Off The Wagon”, a tour de force of battle ready rhythms, haunting backing vocals and precise guitar riffs that bands like Godsmack and Shinedown made their fortunes on. Whether it’s the continued growth of vocalist J.R. Munoz and his ability to convey the sincerity in his lyrics or the low end of the drummer Glass and bassist Denis combo, whatever the case may be, the songs all have a punch to them that may have lacked prior. Inspiration can be found in the headliners they’ve shared stages with or the man behind the studio glass but ultimately it is Overscene wanting to up their game and earn their place in the echelon of rock bands that are taking guitar-driven music into 2011.
Overscene’s maturation and stage craft have paid dividends so far for this past year as the band was the overwhelming winner for the Cabo Wabo “Your Shot To Rock” national competition that garnered the band national exposure that leaked back into the Dallas market as the #1 rock radio station KEGL 97.1 dubbed Overscene “the best unsigned band in Dallas” and in a city that has bands forming on every corner that is quite a feat. Considering it’s mentors, the aforementioned Pantera and Drowning Pool all rose in status due to their praise within this major Texas musical landscape. But it’s not just radio and touring heads that are taking notice of the bands melodic rock charge and professionalism, the independent film Bad Faith, the Winner for Best Drama Feature by the International Film Festival/Pasadena used their 2008 track “Healing” for it’s soundtrack.
For the remainder of 2010 and heading into 2011, Overscene will continue to develop its sound as it goes into pr-production for their next full-length release. The interim finds the band continuing to promote Bringin’ All My Friends thru live performances and promotional opportunities. And in keeping with the times, the band paid homage to Oklahoma’s biggest star as it’s cover of Garth Brooks’ show stopper “Thunder Rolls” sits as one of the highlights of Bringin’. For those who think that young bands can’t look back a few decades for direction, then check out the Iron Maiden/Thin Lizzy harmonics on the closer “The Battle Within”. For a band that may look at some of the darker aspects of life, the future is looking surprisingly bright.