METRIC HALO

METRIC HALO Bio:

A NEW ODYSSEY BEGINS: THE STORY OF METRIC HALO

Ben Lukas: Vocals
Tom Tribolt: Guitar
Billy Vassiliadis: Bass/backing vocals
Joe Mitch: Drummer/backing vocals

Despite only being together for a year and a half, Metric Halo’s career is moving at an impressive clip. Former members of "Dead Letter Box," which disbanded in August of 2008, Billy [Vassiliadis] and Tom [Tribolt] started on a new adventure. After months of trying to find a new drummer and vocalist, Joe [Mitch] and Ben [Lukas], Metric Halo has set their sights on becoming one of the biggest bands to ever come out of New York City. As luck would have it, they landed a dream gig playing the Jones Beach Side Stage at a New York Creed show in August 2009.

“It was excellent,” bassist Billy said. “We were playing the side stage, as people were walking in. We decided to put aces up our sleeves and have a couple of covers early on, so people would recognize the tune, stop and check us out. The whole floor, where the concession stands were, had hundreds of people.” The show came together in a whirlwind with only five days notice and prep time, but it was quite the coming out party for a band that had recently gotten together. “We had a great time connecting with our new fans. It’s the beginning of a dream for us.”

With a huge gig at a Creed show under their belt, the band continues to take the necessary steps to continue actualizing their dream. In September 2009, their single, "Show Me a Reason" was featured on Q104.3's "Out of the Box," and they were also the only band asked to play at the NYC Stop Child Trafficking Now Walk in Lincoln Center, which received national coverage. In the meantime, Metric Halo has been playing shows, all while focusing on recording.

“We are recording and mixing on our own, in our apartment in Queens, New York, since we have all the equipment necessary to record quality tracks,” Vassiliadis said. “I went to the Institute of Technology and majored in Audio engineering. Our guitarist Tom [Tribolt] was Saxon's guitar tech in 1997 and Suzanne Vega's guitar tech during her 2002 world tour. Tom also worked at Euphoria in Manhattan for a few years and stayed on top of the latest technology, so we really have all we need.” There are distinct advantages to recording on their own, the bassist said. “We can make the production better, instead of rushing and paying hourly rates. Having the luxury of doing all the recording at our own pace allows us to focus on putting the interests of this band at the forefront of our musical ethic.”

The band is currently working on an as-yet untitled album, full of admittedly different-sounding songs. Joe [Mitch] says, "Everyone in this band is a prolific songwriter on their own. In addition to playing the songs I've written as a solo Artist in the past, it's fun to play these new songs because we all have different styles and influences. So, I find that I come up with beats that I normally wouldn't. It helps me grow as a musician and opens my perspective on what's possible." On his entrance into the scene as vocalist, Ben comments, "I was completely blown away by the imagination & creativity of these guys. They gave me the opportunity to craft poetic stories around their epic orchestrations & allowed me the freedom to go off the wall with my melodies and harmonies."

The bassist also has a varied background that no doubt contributes to Metric Halo's eclectic songwriting style, saying, “I was born in the States but also lived in Greece and Germany and travelled all over Europe my entire life. I taught scuba diving for a British hotel in Greece, made a lot of friends and wrote acoustic songs, songs which I have not been able to use until this band formed." The Greek folk elements blended with rock, reggae, and a "quarter stick of American edge" are exemplified in such songs as "Underwater Odyssey," "Shadows," and "Running Man."

Currently, Metric Halo is working on their very first music video, produced and directed by Adam Ultimo (Ultimo Productions / Signature Hits TV). The rock n' roll epic, "Underwater Odyssey," will be a musical adventure of the story of Odysseus. Billy says, “Ben wrote a parody of the Iliad, where Odysseus avoids the sirens and asks what if he battled with Poseidon and got sucked into the realm of Hades? What would've happened? It’s a timeless tune that always comes back to the chorus.” An epic that will include out of this world visuals and musical interludes, this is a story you can't miss.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/metrichalo