The spirit of the halcyon days of hard rock is alive and well in the band Several; a tight knit collective that commands the stage with an undeniable presence. The songs are aggressive and dynamic, chock full of heavy rock riffs and distinctive melodies. The story begins with a band called Crash Landing, who claimed both drummer Dave Robinson and guitarist Ben O'Sickey in their ranks. After Crash Landing's demise, Robinson and O'Sickey recruited bassist Frank D'Arcangelo and the trio gigged instrumentally before recruiting Neil Nathan as their frontman in May of 1994. The band originally took its moniker from a High Times centerfold and dubbed themselves My Secret Sativa. A year later they were crowned with the title 'Best Band Name' by the very same magazine. Excited about capturing the rock n' roll vision of guitarist/songwriter Ben O'Sickey, the four piece recorded a demo that included two live favorites, 'Theme' and 'Losing.' A year later, the Prefix EP hit the streets and included four tracks; 'Gravity Scare,' 'Poseidon,' 'Unfound,' and a live version of 'Losing,' released to appease fans seeking material from their blistering shows. Two years of heavy gigging ensued; CBGB, Wetlands, and The China Club, as well as The Lowdown (where they once opened up for CMC International Recording Artists, Overkill). They also staged several shows at a German Temple in an attempt to visually capture their musical experience. Replete with a light show and slide spectacle, Several made a ceremony out of their gigs. In the fall of '97, bassist Frank D'Arcangelo and the band parted ways and the remaining trio, now Several, set out to record the six song EP Crap Shoot with O'Sickey doing double duty on guitar and bass. It was comprised of songs that spanned their three years together, 'Unfound,' 'Losing,' 'In the Haze,' 'Come Back Tomorrow,' 'The Wah Song,' and Nathan's first rocker, 'Amazon Love.' The band then dug in for what they thought would be a long and arduous search for a new bass player. Astonishingly enough, Frank Caira, only the second man to audition, had the class, attitude, and chops the band was looking for. The newly formed quartet raced to put down two new tracks, 'Casual Rock Song' and 'Nietzsche,' both of which show a power and maturity only hinted at in their previous recordings. Recently, Crap Shoot caught the ear of K-Rock Music Director Mike Peer, who brought the band into K-Rock's NYC studio for an interview on 'The Buzz.' The band chatted it up with DJ Radio Raheem as he played both 'Losing' and 'Amazon Love.' These songs along with 'The Wah Song' are currently climbing the charts on MP3.COM . Simply put, Several Rocks! And they do so with a swagger and style inexplicably absent in the world of hard rock today. They have the songs, the attitude, the musicianship, and most importantly, the vision to take rock 'n' roll into the new millennium. - by Nevin Martell