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When the lights roll down, there is only one place they want to be. Right where we are, says Bassist Josh Spatafore, minutes before he takes the stage with his band mates. The only moment that matters is the one youre in. This sense of urgency is evident in every area of the bands sound. There is no wasted space or flash for the sake of show. What you will find is a commitment to the craft of writing and a belief that good songs will always have a place in music.
For this band, Songs are king. When a song begins to come together it is less about molding it into something and more about discovering what it already is. Writing music is like watching a train barreling down the tracks; it has a course its on and you are foolish to try and change it., says singer/songwriter Andrew Cruz. This method keeps unnecessary bells and whistles on the sidelines and allows for the heart of the song to be front and center. When you combine this belief with pounding drums, bass, and guitar, what you have is a perfect concoction for heavy hitting hard rock.
The music is heavy, make no mistake about it. But, despite its weight, it manages to soar at astounding heights all while maintaining its wall of sound feel. The music comes in loud and clear without ever feeling cluttered. While most hard rock acts have polish applied to them that makes their music sound more glossy than real, this band feels as if it has been put through a rock tumbler. Their shine has come through abrasion, friction, and lots of time.
The vocals are rough and raw and dont pretend to be anything else. From the growl found on the verses of Line Chaser and Pilot Talk, to the range-testing chorus of Nine Count, the singing closely mirrors the sound and feel of the music.
For as heavy as the guitar riffs are, they slink around more than enough to feel alive. Its this sense of awareness that keeps the guitars aggressive and steady, never boring.
Their rhythm section hammers around with enough bottom end to satisfy even the most devout low frequency lovers. Not often do you find a bass player with the sense of touch and inspiration of a lead player who also fully adopts and exploits his role of bringing the thunder. The drums dont disappoint either. Somewhere, between the exploding snare work and the unrelenting smash and grab feel of the beats, is always a groove that shows just how experienced and versatile the playing really is. Devastating enough to break cymbals and smooth enough to make it look oh so easy.
With 40 Down, you know what youre getting yourself into right away. They hit hard, play big, and have enough musical surprises to keep you guessing. Through all of this though they stay true to the songs and their singer/songwriter core. Add all of this in with their give you everything they have and a little more live show, and youve got a hard rock band that pleases more than just hard rock fans.
