History Blyndsyde

There are 2 bands listed on this page - Blyndsyde (UK) and Blyndsyde (USA).

Blyndsyde (USA) are a Metal band from Leesport PA.

Blyndsyde (UK) are a technical rock band from the UK.

BLYNDSYDE (UK)

Blyndsyde were a technical rock band from the North West of England, hinting at Rush/early Yes, with very strong and original vocals by their pretty female vocalist Paul van Wijngaarden.

Their debut album Into the Storm of the Eye was released in Feb 1993 and was engineered by Roger Boden (who has produced Charlatans/Stone Roses).

They gigged extensively and supported bands such as Pendragon, The Enid and IQ, and earned a lot of respect from fanzines with their powerful and extremely tight live performances.

Band Members Paul Van-Wijngaarden (vocals, flute) Andy Whitehead (bass, guitar) John Brooks (guitars) Tony Doyle (drums, percussion) Silhobbit Album Review - silhobbit.com

Blyndsyde - Into The Storm of the Eye "Heavens to murgatroyd, was it really a whole year ago that I was ranting and raging about Blyndsydes demo 'Where Extremes Meet".

It most surely was! So now their debut CD is out, and we have to ask ourselves, 'Is it any cop?" Well, the short answer is 'YES'.

Then again, the long answer is 'YESYES'.

Anyone who has seen the band will he able to tell you that they are heavier than the demo suggested that they were.

Ah, the problems of a four-track! Anyway, their "sound" on this CD is much more metalliprog, imagine Marillion 'rocking out" and you'll be nowhere near matey-boy! No, they sound much better than that.

This is getting on to the excellent Dream Theater / Mentaur / Threshold sort of sound.

Thumping rhythms mix casually with shearing guitars, and on top of all that, and yet at the same time, in the midst of it all, comes Paules remarkable voice, at once sweet and innocent, yet menacing and evil.

Teasing the lyrics through a satin veil to cut the listener with their inbound barbs.

Just check out the title track and "Spiritual Itch", Progging together to make a 10 minute epic that Marillion wouldn't have been able to do, It's not all shade.

There's plenty enough light as well.

Listen to "Kiss This Rose", an excellent song written about a couple of friends o'mine.

The CD hangs together so well it's hard to pull out individual tracks.

It's good to see that there's currently a growing "Heavy Prog" scene growing into a scene at the moment, stretching progs boundaries at its very limits." Rating 91%

Reviewed by Charlie O'Mara

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BLYNDSYDE (USA)

We are blyndsyde, a Metal band from Leesport PA, just outside Reading. Our mission is to bring the most metal we can right in your face every time we grace the stage. We are a group of well seasoned musicians with at least 10 years in music individually that came together in the fall of 2011 to fill a void that has been in the industry for far to long. You see there is a whole generation of metalheds out there that used to rock out to your Overkill, Metallica, Anthrax, etc, and are still doing just that because there has been nothing fresh for them to get excited about in 15 years…Enter blyndsyde

BLYNDSYDE (USA) PERGATORY REVIEW

Genre metal

Members

Vincent Santonastaso (Lead vocals )

Mike Ditizio (Guitar/Backup vocals)

Bryan Stiver (Guitar/Backup vocal)

Shawn Cooper (Bass)

Ken Rothrock (Drums)

Current Location leesport PA

Website

http://www.blyndsyde.net

Blyndsyde are a band that have only been together since 2011. This took me by surprise, because of their style of plying has jelled together so well in such a short space of time. The 5 tracks I was sent to review have a live feel to them, in which I mean I could actually see the band playing the tracks live on stage whilst listening to them. If this is what Blyndsyde sound like in a studio then they must be totally devastating on stage.

Where Did We Go Wrong has a slow mo thrash element to its structure which in this day and age is a rare thing to pull off. Most bands try to out thrash the other, not the case here what so ever, the band do their own thing. Originality is the key here, I really can not say that the band sound like any other, strange for me to say that seeing as I have been around for nearly 30 years as a metal fan. There is some old school hardcore influences sneaked in too which I think is awesome.

My Pain has some of the most slamming riffs I have heard in a long time. This track takes on a slightly different perspective to Blyndsyde´s style. The vocals have a touch of anxiety about them, making the track more authentic. To be honest if I had to put the band in to a genre I would say they are more of a power groove band; simply due to the riffs written and orchestration of the other members. Solid riffs and the rhythm section hold everything together perfectly.

Dreams is another one of those ear worm tracks u just can’t shake off. The vocals for some reason remind me of old Mötley Crüe, just the first two albums, where in my opinion Vince was at his best. The slow mo thrash track is certainly one for almost any metal head on the planet. A certain contender for my favourite track, mainly due to its diverse styles and moving solos.

3am has a catchy riff to it that just makes me want to mosh, and destroy things. After the lengthy instrumental part, (with a weird echo sound on the drums which I can’t for the life of me understand why its there) the thrash kicks in. on this track I hear some old school Hallow’s Eve influences kicking in, not sure if that’s what the band were after, or if it was pure coincidence. None the less an awesome track.

Last track is March Of The Penguins, slightly strange title I must admit. I wish I had the liner notes to this track so I could work out exactly what it’s about. I am assuming it is about nuns, or some form of religion, don’t quote me on this please, as I said just a wild guess. Musically the track has to be the heaviest track I have reviewed from Blyndsyde. The vocals take on a guttural aspect at times giving the track more depth, and structure.

Blyndsyde have proved that they can create some quality tracks in such a short period of time after forming last year, I am sure that if they keep up the hard work, they will be a massive band in the not to distant future.

ANDY

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