Infernophonic 'Spark It Up' album

New Jersey rock band INFERNOPHONIC has been thrust into the midst of the latest wave of “Star Wars Mania” with the arrival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It’s no accident that “Eye of the Jedi,” the classic hard rockers’ richly melodic and spiritually topical Star Wars tribute, now has become the most popular track on its acclaimed new debut album, SPARK IT UP.

“Eye of the Jedi” easily is the most downloaded song on the band’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/infernophonic), and it’s also the one song fans consistently have been demanding in concert all summer long. No INFERNOPHONIC show is complete these days, without “Eye of the Jedi” as the final encore. The audience simply won’t have it any other way.

“The reaction to ‘Jedi’ has been phenomenal,” says Kevin Bolembach, the band’s bass-playing ringmaster. “It’s a catchy tune with a nice, simple arrangement, and I think the subject matter catches listeners and stays with them because it’s something they grew up with and have heard of before. I mean, who doesn't want to be a swashbuckling Jedi, swinging a light saber around? It’s amazing how these names and mythologies from the Star Wars movies have become permanentlyembedded in our culture.I believe that it attests to the strength of the concepts behind them.”

Inspired by the timeless philosophies in Jedi mythology, INFERNOPHONIC wrote “Eye of the Jedi” in 2002 as Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, was hitting theaters. Six years later, the band made “Eye of the Jedi” the final track on its debut album. Released in June, SPARK IT UP, has been hailed by Guitar Player, Guitar World, Music Connection and a fast-growing list of others, and has charted in the Top 5 Most Added at FMQB and CMJ. INFERNOPHONIC’s lyrical themes –written almost entirely by head-turning lead vocalist Elaine Tuttle – primarily center around spiritualism, self-help and resistance to oppression through free-thinking. As Bolembach notes, those ideas have a kinship to the pure and noble Jedi lifestyle and its somewhat vulnerable focus to withstand the corruptive pressures of outside forces.

“I think one of the lines in ‘Jedi’ sums it up best,” he says. “It goes, ‘No time to debate with all the ones that hate - won't even try to relate, I'll find a better way to levitate.’ In other words, evil is all around you, but you need to rise above it.” Heavy without the metal and meticulous in its musicianship, INFERNOPHONIC returns the swaggering spirit and soulful splendor to hard rock in a funked-up, female-fronted fury on SPARK IT UP. With Tuttle being singled out as “red hot singer” (Guitar World) who “conjures comparisons to Grace Slick, Ann Wilson and other ballsy banshees” (Music Connection), INFERNOPHONIC is a true musician’s band that’s pummeling rock’s current conventions with a wallop reserved for the hard-hitting giants of the past four decades. Stacking contemporary influences such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Audioslave on a firm foundation of forefathers Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, the ferocious foursome is rounded out by. Fortifying the attack are the lightning licks of guitarist Pat Piegari (Lourds) and the deep, dirty backbeat of drummer Ross Kantor.

After two years of burning up the Northeast with their incendiary live shows, INFERNOPHONIC was asked to record Spark It Up by Alan Evans of Soulive. Evans brought the band into world-famous Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY (Coheed & Cambria, King Crimson, Medeski Martin & Wood) to plug into its coveted vintage gear, clandestine recording techniques, and cutting edge mixing technologies. Those studio qualities held special meaning for Bolembach, a selfprofessed gear head who is also founder and president of Godlyke, Inc., an equipment company obsessed with tonal quality. It should come as no surprise that SPARK IT UP is a sonic smorgasbord that will leave every musician wondering: “How did they get that tone?”

Able to melt and meld a diverse audio arsenal to create a new sonic experience, INFERNOPHONIC is a breed apart. SPARK IT UP is sure to ignite the molten core within any hard rock fan, regardless of age, by a band that is glorious in all its heavenly rage.

press quotes
“A breathing, live sound that will remind you of when music was played by bands.” – Guitar Player

“Think Wolfmother fronted by Heart’s Wilson sisters.” – Sea of Tranquility

biography
The sounds of INFERNOPHONIC burn away the conventions and pretensions of an ailing industry, leaving behind a groove-laden, hook-heavy molten core that captures all the spirit and splendor of classic hard rock.

Formed in early ’06, INFERNOPHONIC is the brainchild of Kevin Bolembach, former bassist for NJ doom-rock legends Non-Fiction. Seeking an outlet for his ‘70s style sub-sonic assault, Bolembach cherry-picked the tri-state’s most formidable musicians to reincarnate the classic power trio of yesteryear. Lifting guitarist extraordinaire Pat Piegari from NYC femme-metale´ Lourds and A-list drummer Ross Kantor from his seat behind a plethora of area acts, all that remained was to find the voice that could contend with this awesome amount of firepower – enter Elaine Tuttle.

It's impossible to deny Elaine Tuttle's impressive, singular voice. With seemingly unlimited vocal ability she delivers clever, catchy, courageous melodies with unrelenting energy and cool confidence, bringing to mind legends like Aretha and Janis; Ann Wilson and Pat Benatar. A multi-dimensional creator of profound sounds both rhythmic and lyrical; inspiring and inspired; passionately powerful and deeply soulful, Elaine is much more than simply a singer - she is her voice.

A collection of diverse talents with a common goal, INFERNOPHONIC embodies the concept that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The band members draw their inspiration from a laundry list of influences as wide ranging as Black Box and Black Sabbath, as diametric as Yes and No Means No. Unlike bands that “Frankenstein” multiple genres into unwieldy musical monsters, INFERNOPHONIC is unique in its ability to seamlessly blend a variety of sounds and styles into a potent presentation. Not easily lumped into the convenient categories of today, INFERNOPHONIC more readily draws comparisons to the multi-tasking rock giants of the past such as Deep Purple, Heart, and Led Zeppelin.

Following a long string of incendiary live shows around the northeast, INFERNOPHONIC caught the ear of Soulive drummer Alan Evans, who offered to produce the band’s debut album. Spark it Up was recorded and mixed at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY – a world-class facility that has housed such multi-platinum acts as Coheed & Cambria, King Crimson, and Medeski, Martin & Wood. Applehead’s blend of coveted vintage gear, clandestine recording techniques, and cutting edge mixing technologies proved to be the perfect vehicle for capturing INFERNOPHONIC’s ferocious live energy and preserving it for all to hear. Mastering at award-winning Turtletone Studios in NYC provided icing on an already tasty audio treat.

The material on Spark It Up highlights INFERNOPHONIC’s ability to locate a common denominator among various musical styles and multiply it to exponential effect. Expansive song structures spotlight the individual talents of each member as both songwriters and musicians without detracting from the power or performance of the band – a rare feat accomplished by few save the greatest of ensembles. Musically adroit without overindulgence; heavy without the metal and effectively infectious without selling out to the pop (sub) standard so many other groups are ruled by, Spark It Up offers something for every listener. Whether it be fiery guitar solos that channel Hendrix (“Thank You”) and Page (“Take Aim”); deep, dirty bass grooves that span styles from Maiden (“Yeah Yeah Yeah”) to the Meters (“Hear Me”); or a pounding backbeat that would make Bonham (“Karmakaze”) or Paice (“Be Here Now”) proud, INFERNOPHONIC manages a spontaneous synthesis of sounds that runs the range of the audio alphabet from Audioslave to ZZ Top.

At the apex of this molten mountain of music sit the eloquent, effluent words of Elaine Tuttle. Her logical, accessible lyrical approach invites provocative pondering of universal themes that affect our lives daily. Whether inspiring self-love and independence (“Anyone Else”) or raising awareness and inciting action against inequity (“Take Aim”), Elaine fearlessly wears her heart on her sleeve to exemplify the benefits of self-expression and communication (“Hear Me,” “Say Watcha Mean”), boldly delving deep within to face the most basic human fears (“Karmakaze,” “Be Here Now”). Elaine leaves no social stone unturned, sharing a wealth of experience and wisdom reminiscent of her primary influences - Bob Marley and John Lennon. Able to melt and meld a diverse audio arsenal to create a new sonic experience that excites as it ignites, INFERNOPHONIC is a breed apart – indefinable, undeniable, unforgettable. Spark one up, then Spark It Up and embrace the fire.

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Infernophonic - Spark It Up