              Tom Buechel uses  DRUMSTICKS! |
Interview - Wednesday Elektra @ Aid For Bands / Space Junkies Magazine Wednesday Elektra: 1993 seems like such a long time ago, how do you
feel you have progressed so far in your career as a band from Sacramento,
California? Who are the current members and what role do each of them play
in the band? Curtis Cox: Musically we are more coherent
& definitely more focused as a band. We've became more tight as a
unit, & have come to understand are strengths as individuals. Which
allows us to bring our top abilities to the plate. Zoey Walton--vocals,
Alex Hall--guitar, Tom Buechel--drums, Leon Marcelis--bass. Wednz: "Taste of Reality" is such a cool song, where did the
idea/concept behind it originate? What were your influences when writing
the track? CC: Actually, the song came about as an
accident to be honest. Tom found it going over some old recordings of
practice. That's how the music came about. The lyrics, now that's another
story. They mainly stem from Zoey's urban experience's in a San Francisco
upbringing. "You're coming fake & you don't know what is real, you're
like glass breakable & see through", quote, unquote. Wednz: How many albums do you currently have out? What has been the
reaction in comparison between your demos and your full length
("Insignificant" & "Tenth of Never") releases? Any future full lengths
in conception? CC: We currently have 2 full lengths
completed, 'Insignificant' & 'The Tenth of Never'. The Tenth of never
is being released January 10th, 2003. As far as reactions go,
'Insignificant' has nothing but solid reviews. The demos of 'The tenth'
have been very promising, live as well as recordings. We have already
began writing new material for the next full length. Wednz: In general what are some of your influences? Any favorite
artists, or styles of music that you'd like to share? CC: Our influences???? It would take us half
a day to answer that question. Each member brings a variety of styles
& taste to create the sound that is, 'INRUIN'. Wednz: You seem to be very involved with your fans (at least from
the looks of your website and yahoo club), do you ever do anything
extraordinarily special for them in return for all that they've given you?
How does your fan's feedback help you as musicians? CC: We love are fans for the dedication
& support over the years. We've had fans tell us we're bad ass &
others say we suck. You can't listen to what people say. When you do, it
doesn't become your own project anymore. Then we start writing music for
other people & not for ourselves. That's why we feel our connection
with our fans is so solid & close. We do what we want, not what we
think people want. Let's face it, there would be no 'INRUIN' with out our
fans. They're our backbone. Wednz: How is your promo tour for "The Tenth of Never" coming
along? What areas (geographically speaking) have you covered so far and
which areas would you like to cover in future tours? What was your
favorite venue so far to play at? CC: The tour is going well. We just returned
from a short venture to southern Cali, San Diego, & Las Vegas. The
show's were tight, we made a lot of new fans. It seems our stage show gets
better with every gig. Lets face it, it is pretty damn hard to get people
to sit and listen to music that they have never heard before. The out of
town energy that flows is incredible. The actual CD release is set for
January 10th 2003, in Sacramento. So far so good. We plan on hitting it
hard here in northern California over the next 5 months then heading back
up to the Seattle area in late May. And finish off the year back in
southern Cali. Wednz: How did you find out about Aid For Bands/Space Junkies
Magazine? CC: We heard a buzz about it on the web. Wednz: Do you use the internet for promotional purposes? How do you
think it fares in comparison to off-line street team promotions? Which do
you prefer and why? CC: Yeah, we use the internet for promo. It
is pretty much the main way we promote all of our out of town shows, as
well as local shows. We use the street team as much as possible, we try to
hook them up with some merchandise and free shows. We definitely prefer
the street team because it is face to face promotions, and it lets us see
reactions from member to member. Wednz: What do you have planned for the future? CC: Future endeavors are to promote the new
album, put together a couple more road trips to spread the word, and
continue to write music. Wednz: How can people get in touch with you for more
information? CC: To reach us on upcoming shows and just
the general goings on check the website at http://www.inruin.com/. Our
mailing address is: Inruin For booking and management contact Curtis Cox @ 916-997-1297
INRUIN - Insignificant
Show Review: Lodi Metal Fest at Lodi American Legion Hall
... "The third band to the Legion Hall stage was the Sacramento act Inruin who appear on these pages for the first time since departing with guitarist Bob Trevaskis as they brought their trademark bounce-groove sound to now fully arrived audience. Right off the top, Inruin's show suffered, due entirely to the sound coming through the PA. The band pumped through their usual high energy stage presence and hook laden, chunk riddled riffing, but the overall noisy sound made it tough to discern the guitars, bass and overall sound.
- Mario Perotti
... "Spilling over from the Mahalah set and into the last band of the evening, the club activity hit it's highest point as the popular Inruin stepped on stage and tore through an extended set of their blend of upbeat metal with the slightest hip-hop tinge. From the outset, this was obviously a pumped up band as these guys put together their number one best showing on these reviewed pages. With a club full of activity and a violent crowd killing each other on the floor, bassist Angelo Lavagrino, drummer Tom Buechel, guitarist Alex Hall, guitarist Bob Trevaskis and the wiry, skinny, incredibly entertaining vocalist Zoey Walton, performed a collection of songs both from their currently available full length disc "Insignificant" and newer tunes that will undoubtedly appear on a future recording. Included in the list of tunes were live show staples "Taste of Reality" which features a bouncy rhythm, "Corporate Devil" which features a strong message, "Misanthropic", newer tune "Zero Below" and closing with an encore as Inruin performed the popular "In The Grind". The obvious focal point of this band is Walton as he writhes on the stage floor, bounces from side to side and sings / barks / screeches the lyrical content of this band's music. Inruin, with this particular show, brought their entire game with them and performed their best show to date on these pages. Great way to end a strong night of pure metal on The Boardwalk's stage."
The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of USA.
- Mario Perotti
"Finally this week is Inruin, another Northern Californian band, hailing from Sacramento. What
the hell is in the water up there in NoCal? Whatever it is, Northern California is producing
some of the finest metal bands in the world right now. Inruin's self-description does them
some justice. As they say "Inruin's sound is something like 2 tablespoons of Pantera, 1
full-grown Soulfly, 4 diced Red Hot Chili Peppers, a dash of Mr. Bungle and two cups of
broken glass. Toss in a blender on 'shred' and Voila! Inruin a la carte." I personally didn't pick
up on any RHCP in the tracks I heard, but I did hear a metal band that's heavy on grooves,
features plenty of chunky rhythms and time changes, and has vocals that are actually good!
Great stuff. Don't be surprised if you hear these guys on KNAC.com soon."
- Long Paul
Show Review: Concord Depot
... "Sacramento natives Inruin took to the Depot floor second and performed their brand of heavy music with a blend of hip-hop style to create the rather unique Inruin sound. The last Powerslave.com reviewed show on March 18th, 2000 was at the now closed Big Shot's, and that venue offered more of the stage / crowd fine line with a full blown stage. However, at the Depot, in this very personal setting where the crowd is at an equal level with the band, different aspects of a band become evident. The two things that really stood out with the Inruin set was the high level of talent of bassist Angelo Lavagrino and the quick hand / foot work of drummer Tom Buechel. Lavagrino and Buechel, along with guitarist Alex Hall, guitarist Bob Trevaskis and the spry, strung out presence of vocalist Zoey Walton, produced a a mixture of old and new tunes including "DA DA", "How2Play" with it's funky mid-section, and their easily most impressive song "Taste of Reality". Inruin produces the bouncy, groove based feel with Walton's half rap-oriented, half bark, scream vocals to produce their sound. The only real gripe with Inruin's set was their general lack of organization with their set list. They spent a good amount of time between each song looking at each other trying to figure what was the next song performed. Really a minor gripe, but the delays between songs can kill the overall momentum a band has on stage. Still, Inruin did what they do, and that's simply put together a solid show."
- Mario Perotti
... "Finally, the headliner took to the stage. By the time the last band took to the stage, a small portion of the audience had tired from a long night and gone home. But those who remained were treated to one of Sacramento's finest acts. Inruin, who hadn't played a show in quite some time, brought with them a slew of new tunes which should be appearing on their next CD. Inruin blends solid, straight ahead metal with some hip hop vocal styles and a small tinge of punk. Comprised of guitarist Alex Hall, guitarist Bob Trevaskis, bassist Angelo Lavagrino, drummer Tom Buechel, and vocalist Zoey Walton, Inruin moved through their set like a veteran act should with good chemistry and solid music. For the most part, this band has a good stage presence and energy, especially the excitable Walton, except for Lavagrino. While the band rocked around him, Lavagrino looked rather disinterested with being on stage and paid more attention to some friends off to the side of the stage than the crowd. With the amount of talent this band has and the high energy of the music, the band's stage presence should reflect that and four of the five members held the necessary elements to produce an entertaining live show. These guys performed a few tunes from their first release "Insignificant" including the upbeat "Taste of Reality" which features a harmonic mid-section which bridges the two ends of the song together. Inruin has a load of talent, a solid stage presence, and a high octane sound and definitely provided the remaining crowd with a solid set to end the show."
- Mario Perotti
I had a chance to go to 98 Rock CD release party at the Citrus Heights Tower Records. and witnessed the coming together of resources to benefit others who are less fortunate. Sony Music provided free food and drinks for the free concert, as 98 rock provided the chance to have CD's signed by the many talented soon to be signed bands who played that day. Those who had their CD's signed by public music enthusiasts, can say "I knew these bands back when...."
Surprises of the day were "INRUIN" with their rock/rap style heated lyrics and screaming energy that could wake up the dead. They had a triple guitar sound with riff's and vocal sounds similar to Faith No More. The lead singer with eyes lifted to the sky, broke it down and turned my head.
- Yasa Henson
January 14, '99
Combining guttural growls from death metal, blast beats from metal, vocals from hardcore, and vinyl scratching from hip-hop, INRUIN's new release Insignificant is a blend of musical styles mixed together to form a significant new CD.
INRUIN was formed about five years ago in 1993. After years of personnel changes, the current incarnation played its debut in 1997 at the Boardwalk. That lineup is Alex Hall, Leland Feleciano, Zoey Walton, and Bob Trevaskis. They released a demo, appeared on the 98 Rock compilation album, and are about to release their first EP, Insignifiant. The lyrics and the music are not for the faint of heart. The music is loud, brash, and angry. So are the lyrics. On "Does Nothing," they sing: INRUIN will be celebrating the release of the new CD at many upcoming shows around town. Their live shows are even more intense than Insignificant.
- Bob McClenahan
December '98
As I always do when I first get a CD in for review, I put it in and listen to a few seconds of each song. Usually not enough to make
much of a judgement, but enough to get a taste. My intitial reaction to Insignificant: Fuck Yeah! I got excited (well, not that kind of excited...). The band formed in 1993, and
has been playing with its current line-up since '97. Their sound is kind of Pantera meets Anthrax meets Slayer in a back alley. From the opening riffs of the album I knew I was going to like it.
Heavy as fuck this thing is! I kept this one in my CD player for a few days. This album is another perfect example of what is right in the Sacto music scene.
- Kim Callahan
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