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Love. Fear. Anger. Confusion. Atlanta's [minus] Channels all of these feelings into its unique brand of melodic, modern metal on its debut album, Structure of Simplicity. The [minus] sound is complex and dynamic, balancing the intensity and energy of hardcore with more passionate, beautiful moments. "We just try to write great songs, bring something new, and connect with our audience," says bassist Lee March. "We really like to get the crowd moving and feeling what we're feeling."
Audiences have certainly been feeling [minus]- both locally and nationally. The band's incendiary live performances regularly draw crowds of 300-400 in Georgia and Florida and was recently captured for an episode of the Farmclub.com TV show. The national TV appearance, coupled with a growing word-of-mouth buzz and features on tastemaker websites including theprp.com, have earned [minus] fans nationwide. [minus] also attracted the attention of super-producer Ross Robinson (At The Drive-In, Slipknot) and Far/Onelinedrawing vocalist, Jonah Mataranga. Robinson hand-picked [minus] to win an opportunity to demo with him in a Shoutweb.com demo contest. Mataranga lent guest vocals to the band's emotional metal epic "Hesitant And Polite". "Working with Jonah was amazing. We all have the ultimate respect for him as both a musician and a friend- it was an honor to have him come through on that track," says drummer Matt Donald.
[minus] was formed in 1996 by childhood friends March and vocalist Jordan Williams. The two joined forces shortly thereafter with Donald and guitarist Dusty Kirchner, both veterans of Atlanta-area bands. Influenced as much by The Beatles and The Police as by hardcore favorites Quicksand and Bad Brains- the band immediately began writing songs that set them apart from the nu-metal pack. Explains Kirchner, "We don't think in terms of 'crazy riff- scream part- rap part'. We're obsessed with writing solid songs with verses, choruses and bridges." "Not that we get caught up in formula- we're just committed to writing music that will stand the test of time," says March. Lyrically, [minus] deals in themes that all young people can relate to. Love. Fear. Anger. Confusion. "I just try to write about my life or situations that are close to me and keep everything honest. All of the songs mean something very specific to me, but I like to word things vaguely- so that everyone can interpret them in their own way," says Williams.
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