Garage band finds name, needs drummer

This UCLA three-member garage band was formed less than a year ago and have seen how fast things move in the music world! Already, the group has compiled a CD called "Undone," but they don’t have a label yet. The CD features punk, metal, rock and jazz.

Their CD isn’t the only thing undone. The band’s name has changed four times since I began writing this article! They first called themselves Faded, inspired by a song by the heavy metal group Sepultura. They later changed their name to Soma. Next they became Dementia, a mental deterioration of the brain. Still, that didn’t quite fit. They picked Sound of Fury, because they thought that of all the names this one represented them the most.

"The word ‘sound’ has a calm connotation to it. That’s how our songs start out. Then our music becomes chaotic, distorted and loud. That feeling aligns with the word fury," said the band’s bass player Alex Usmanov, 21.

In addition, band members said their group isn’t quite finished either. They’re looking for a drummer. Currently, Arthur Ayvazian, 18, pounds on the drums, but he’s actually a singer and wants to resume that role with lead singer Daniel Ananyev, 21.

Ananyev and Usmanov write most of the songs and admit they’re inspired by other bands like Rancid, Nirvana and Sepultura. But Kurt Cobain, 27, the former lead singer and guitar player for Seattle’s grunge band Nirvana, remains the band’s biggest influence. Cobain committed suicide with a gun in 1994. Nirvana, famous for "Smells like Teen Spirit," was a multi-platinum garage band from the ’90s and heavily influenced by English punk bands like the Sex Pistols.

Sound of Fury members don’t like to say they have just one particular music style. They focus on playing metal and punk. Their music may be too heavy for the average punk listener or average person who watches MTV.

One remarkable song on their new CD is called "Anti-American Anthem." The song begins with a distorted version of the National Anthem. As it continues, the song breaks up and transforms into extremely heavy music. Anti-government and anti-establishment lyrics attached to this sound encourage anarchy, Alex said.

Another popular song is "Abyss." This tune implies something infinite and endless, like the bottomless pit in "Alice in Wonderland." The lyrics describe the pain and meaning of everyday life, Alex said.

Currently the band is creating a new song that’s quite unique, because it incorporates two moods at the same time. While the guitar sounds awfully happy and upbeat, the bass’s tune is slow-moving and depressing. This song is about changing moods, Alex said.

"This song is like those times when you think that something is one way, but it’s actually the other way," Alex said.

Although the band is on the upswing, even they have problems. Between medical school and other commitments, the band has a difficult time getting together for practice. They currently jam about 10-15 hours each week and usually practice at a local studio, but the band thinks it isn’t enough.

"Everyone lives fairly far from each other," Alex said. "It takes a long time to pick up one another and get together."

To learn more about Sound of Fury, send Alex an e-mail at webman@ucla.edu

Looking for some new bands? Or just plain curious about some? Here are some cool Web sites to check out.

www.punkrock.org
This is a directory to bands, labels, zines and stores.

www.punkbands.com
News, bands, lyrics, reviews and message boards are listed on this site.

www.metalindex.com
This is a search engine with new releases and heavy metal news.

www.thegauntlet.com
Biographies, videos and full mp3s are featured here.

www.52ndstreet.com
This site contains jazz reviews, features, news releases and forums.