A DECADE AFTER… It was during the late 90’s when pop culture dominated the social environment. From fashion to slander, food to music, it was all mainstreamed as influenced by foreign trends. For the music scene, most bands played Top 40 hits and “similar-sounding” originals. It was simply stereotypical. As the decade came to an end, the whole Philippine music scene was blown away with one demo recording catching airplay in a radio station — it was NU107’s In The Raw program where they feature new and unsigned bands. “PIGFACE” was the title of the single and “GREYHOUNDZ” was the name of the artist. Brave, bold and aggressive, is the best way to describe both the song and artist. Everyone who had taste was shocked and amazed on how to define what they had just heard. It was the first time in Philippine airwaves that this “type” of music was played. The audience’s acceptance was incredible, and the sound was acknowledged as a new alternative. The “New Metal” genre was conceived or how Greyhoundz’s fans and critics would say, the HU-POW movement. That was how powerful “Pigface” was as it spread throughout the scene. Now the Pinoy eksena has a new sound to feast on. Hordes and hordes of fans were collected from all over the country, resulting into one gargantuan number of followers. The eksena really took off when Greyhoundz released their debut album, 7 Corners Of Your Game in 1999. Released under Sony Music Philippines, this album contained the rawest and most powerful yet appealing tracks. Songs like “Mr. P.I.G.”, “Leech” and “Party At 802” displayed the band’s versatility in song writing. Heavy rock meets hip-hop --as we all know how the two norms clashed then. Needless to say that it was Greyhoundz that bridged the gap. The album went on to hit Platinum status, making Greyhoundz the meanest and heaviest band in the country. In 2001, Greyhoundz released their sophomore album, also from Sony Music Philippines. This self-titled second LP had all the fans and media expecting an equally good or even better album. To all, it was a maturity and evolution of their young brooding aggression from the first release. The songs “Jack In The Box”, “Hole” and “Your Puppet And Clown” became instant favorites. And as a twist from the loud and raging theme of the band, “Karmic?” was a surprise tamed-favorite. Not to mention “Even” making it in the Spider-Man movie music compilation, making Greyhoundz the only Asian artist to be included in an international project. And the fans grew… Mid-year 2005, the “wave” never stopped…”APOY” was released. Despite the untimely joining of a brother to our Creator, Greyhoundz never halted. The band even got more fuel from all the hardship, joy, frustration and positive energy they had. “Apoy” was even dedicated to the brother who went ahead, knowing that that was what he wanted the band to do…move on and be the best they can be. At present, Greyhoundz is still a force to be reckoned with, earning top bragging rights from the scene as a respected group. They’re also getting as much attention as the “pop” bands do from corporate sponsors. Now, the mainstream stigma is only a genre shared across the scene and the industry. Many “rock” bands have sprouted, as aggressive as how Greyhoundz did it then. Fearless and ambitious as the band were…and still is. This is how Greyhoundz do it. And the fans grow even bigger… - Bubi Sanchez