No Cover Magazine (December 2000)

Milwaukee's Best (Featured artist and cover story)

From the earliest stages of human evolution, early man was known to take various forms of sticks and spear-like objects and whack hollowed out tree trunks, rocks, and most popularly, the heads of their neighbors. Of these, the tree trunks emitted the most pleasing sound and quickly became a form of communication over distances, as well as entertainment on those long and chilly nights in front of that new “fire” thing while roasting chunks of wooly mammoth on the ends of the very same implements. This could be why the band and the cooks were lumped into the same sociological rebellious groupings that set them apart from the slick, mate-worthy hunters and builders. Unbeknownst to the group at large, the artsy. 

Neanderthals were getting play on the side, as the first groupies, sneaking away from the leaders, had to know what else Thag and Zorak could do with those hands besides play a mean razorback skin. These secret interactions could very well be the generator of the melodies that floated over the beating of the drums as the lusty young babes sang the joys of the true, original rock stars.

Melody played an integral part in the creation of music, from the dawn of mankind to the release of Blondie's “Rapture”, when the art form of reading poetry over music started to slowly ease the need for singing lessons. Now that we have explored every possible rhyming combination and self-described atonal brooding, we have no choice but to return to the guttural, noteworthy, and extended windpipe exhalation of the melodic vocal line. 
History lesson complete.

From Milwaukee, WI comes Bender - four modern, heavy rock men with an old-fashioned idea. Mixing huge guitar, angry bass growl and coliseum drum power, with a vocal that really, truly sings - even through the most aggressive palpitations of rhythm - is what happens when it's time for the quartet to sit down and compose their brew. They've been compared to everyone from Bush to Bono and take the comparisons, not as threats to their originality, but as compliments, and tributes to some of their influences and idols. “It's not like we're breaking any new ground here,” says bassist Tim Cook, who formed the band in 1995 with guitarist Matt Scerpella in 1995. Singer Kent Boyce and drummer Steve Adams complete the lineup. 

Their TVT release Jehovah's Hitlist contains everything you should expect from a well-rounded rock album, including very uppity ups with gale force shriekers like the angry anthems “Sharon Stone” (not a love anthem, by the way) and the relentless “Prick”, to the gentle downs found on the strings-enriched ballad “Body and Soul” that will have you wiping tears from your nose ring, and the poppy “Isolate”, which better be a smash or it's time for a Menudo reunion. 

Coming onto the scene in the wake of what could be called the angry boy bands as rap metal infiltrates and saturates the heavy rock genre, Bender sees themselves in a less heralded position, having songs both melodic and non-melodic as the music sees fit. As opposed to riding the wave, they simply do what they do and enjoy it. “There are so many bands doing it now and you don't know how to decipher who it is,” explains guitarist Scerpella. “They're starting to stretch it out a bit, but I love all that music. I dig listening to it. It's undeniable. For us, Kenny is the singer and that's his style."

“I like Staind, i like Godsmack, Limp Biskit,” interjects Cook, “It's the heart of America right now. Keep in mind, at some point Ratt was a very cool band, but somewhere along the line it begat Trixter. So, I think that's what could be happening in the near future.” That's a troubling thought. 

A most difficult task to manipulate the stream and influence the trend, they appear to use the culmination of their unique influences to create a sound pleasing to own ears. Scerpella, a metallist to the core and a Van Halen fan, also lists “cheesy pop” as something he enjoys. Drummer Steve Adams was recruited into the fold of musicality when he saw Peter Criss. “I saw him do his drum solo and that was it,” explains Adams matter of factly. “It was Kiss. That was the first band I ever saw in concert. Also Led Zeppelin and Motley Crue.” Always the drummers.
Former hair metal child, bassist Tim Cook list Ratt, Kiss and Van Halen as his early forefathers. “I went through the evolution. After it became all Whitesnake and Danger Danger I got more into Faith No More and Jane's Addiction. Then I went back and started appreciating all the music my mom listened to when I was young that I hated. Al Green, ya know.” Eyes mist as memories return for young Tim. 

Thus laying the solid base of stone and mortar. Now for the dessert topping, which doubles as floor wax in its diverse range and appeal. Frontman Boyce sees the elephant through somewhat different eyes. “I like any singers that sing from the heart and are emotional. I'll get goosebumps. Basically, what it comes down to is I hated everything the band said they liked…but they got all the women!” Also listening The Cure and The Cult as early influences, Boyce came from the east side of town in Milwaukee, while the rest of the band came from the west. “The east side was more legitimate<” clarifies Cook, “the west side was the long hair Alice In Chains side of town, but we really did get all the women.”
“And I've always regretted it,” muses Boyce.

Together, Bender make quite a creation of metallic roar with a pop humminess that could very well reshape the direction of the spiral back to upward from its current horizontal slouch. Already appearing on the airwaves in this town (Los Angeles) and in the motion picture Scary Movie, this could be the year for Bender and a chance for us to forget that awful song that Laverne & Shirley sang at the beginning of that show…but it did have melody.