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Rolling Stone 2/20/01

Review of "Head trip to nowhere"

Canada's flybanger has many of the standard elements of garden -variety heavy metal. Singer Garth alternates between a gruff baritone and a standard-issue enraged howl, singing lyrics full of extreme pessimism and condemnation (though the expletives come frequently the album has not been given a parental warning sticker.) Guitarist Bryan Fratesi, meanwhile, play's a series of simple power cords. But what set's Flybanger apart from other heavy metal bands is it's rhythm section, particularly drummer Rob Wade. Where too many bands indulge in plodding tempo's and simple patterns, Flybanger always's has a propulsive bottom, as Wade continually pushes his fellow musicians forward and manages some surprisingly agile playing within the relentless patterns of the songs. His work makes some surprisingly agile playing within the relentless patterns of the song's. His work makes the band's music for more impressive than it would be otherwise. Whatever nonsense Garth is going on about, however conventional Fratesi's playing, it's hard to avoid moving to Flybanger because, like the rest of the band, the listener is continually prodded by drumming. That may mean that Flybanger has a long way to go to catch up to it's most gifted instrumentalist, but it also means the group has something to build on. (The CD is enhanced to include a video of the song "Outlived", not otherwise heard on the album that can be played on a personal computer.) ~ William Ruhlmann

Posted by a fan on the "Official Flybanger Club" msg. Board

11/23/00

Just got back from the show from the starfish...I have only one thing to say to all of you fans who didn't manage to go.. You missed a fucken hell of a show, it was amazing, flybanger was simply PERFECT. They were keeping the audience on the trash scene from the first to the last second of the gig.

And let's all thank God Awakens Petrified while were at it cause they were also very good. (Jeremy, you gave a fucken' great performance.)

And for Tom and Brian spitting at each other (beer, water, or ....spit) what a better way to show their mutual affection to the whole crowd. I just loved every minute of it!

It was my first Flybanger show and let me tell you something, it's definitely not the last one, and you have my word on this one. ~ six at home

T . H . E .
G . A . U . N . T . L . E . T .

In an era when rock raps more than it rolls, the fundamentalists in Flybanger--vocalist/lyricist Garth, guitarist Bryan Fratesi, drummer Rob Wade and bassist Tom MacDonald--fill a huge void by taking the genre's basics to new heights. Headtrip To Nowhere, the group's high-density Columbia Records debut, clears a path with an amp-taxing blend of super-chunky guitars, atom-smashing beats, and vice-grip hooks. By cushioning their crunch with moody atmospherics and dark, swirling melodies, Flybanger succeeds where others merely flail.

What's most impressive about Headtrip To Nowhere is its accessibility--despite its sheer sonic heft, the album's dozen tracks are hooky enough to feel familiar after a single listen. From the gut-crunch of "Radical" and "Haul" to the dark, churning tones of "Company" and "Pull," Headtrip resonates with both ear-grabbing melodies and bone-breaking riffs.

Posted by A music fan from Bungle Land

December 7, 2001

FLYBANGER RULE, PRETTY MUCH!
when i first bought this CD it was a random buy, down at a record shop where i manage to find many good random american / canadian bands who don't get any notice over in the UK. when i first listened to it i was relieved because i was expecting more of a nu-metal feel to it, which it doesn't have. what i got was more of a nu-rock feel. i think i like every song on the CD but especially 'crackballs' and 'when are you (gonna die)?' anyway if u like rock with a bit more power and heaviness in it, then this is probably for you.

Layne N

July 11, 2001

Just good music
Like many, I first heard Flybanger off the Dracula 2000 sound track, I liked their sound, so I bought the CD. I was not dissapointed, they are original and have some very worthy songs that derserve a listen to. Calvary (a great song) starts off this album, and the best songs..Radical, Blind World, and Pull follow up. Throughout the rest of the CD no songs make the record lose a step, the whole CD is good. Flybanger is an underated band that deserves some attention, any rock fan should pick this CD up and give it a try

Matt from USA

March 7, 2001
AWESOME BAND!
Flybanger, a band that totally rules. I love this CD as It's not your regular nu-metal CD. Sure, this CD is harsh, heavy and loud but a lot of the songs such as my favorite "Blind World" use melody to create an original wall of sound. The guitar riffs made of just simple power chords are backed up by Rob Wades confident drumming and Garths powerful melodic vocals. Since I got this CD which was about a week ago, I havn't stopped listening to it. I own a lot of CD's from bands like Korn, Creed, RATM, Sevendust and all that nu metal stuff but I rank Flybanger at the very top. Although this Flybanger have been around in Candada a long time this is there major label release. I predict that they will go very far and they deserve to. Original, melodic and powerful but the main thing is it doesn't get old quick. Go pick it up and enjoy!

AMZ

June 2001
Head trip to Nowhere review Gotta love the title first of all, I mean, "Headtrip to Nowhere…" like who hasn't? "Cavalry" is the first up and so far I dig it -- it's got this opening riff and lets it be known that this is a band, while indeed new and in tune with modernity, they pay attention to the importance actually playing their instruments. Where others regurgitate the same triad of raging guitar riffs through muddy mixes and down-tuned discord, Flybanger deftly takes the high road, not happily by any means but we might say the next level up from the many antsy Rap-core/angst Rock emulators seeking fame and fortune through the usual associative recording principles.

"Radical's" got a feverish vibe running through it, nearly Pantera-ish in overall make up, not quite so rash and not better than the opener, but still okay. "Blind World" has a catchy riff going for it, nearly hooky I'd say and their formulaic use of verse before punctually arriving at their choral point is rather adept -- hey, there's a reason they've turned up on a major here right? They've got the "big" sound many listeners are accustomed to but again adding another element to the songs widening the structures from the standard form of acceptance, they've got direction but they're open to suggestions.

"Pull" is another one to highlight here, less inclined toward tenacity, more so of melody, still gripping but an overall complete song. Having already experienced life's ups and downs on the road that either takes you to ruination or redemption, theirs has been a well rounded existence -- having taken their lumps along the way while not necessarily hitting us repeatedly over the head telling about them!

They've toured with some pretty staunch performers in their relatively short existence and have proved they can handle the spotlight and hold up with today's stand outs with an extra degree of musicality better associated with traditional Hard Rock… a marketable name, flighty compositions, they play like seasoned veterans misplaced in the new age -- tempered aggression and attention to detail. They'll probably turn up on an indie before this one's got a chance to really take off, but such is the case with Rock and Roll music with expressive tendencies that deviate from the norm of a society dictated by angry sixteen year olds. Angry enough, they're doing something right here usually reserved for screaming and obligatory 3-chord chaos, and it's worth a couple of listens before passing full judgment by which time you'll have found something to latch onto.

Flybanger "Outlived"

(Gotham Records)
In case you couldn't tell from all the hints they lay out, these guys are hard rock. Garth (just Garth) bellows his vocals like a practicing Satan worshiper. Guitarist Bryan Fratesi pounds his guitar like prime-`80s Metallica, adding a bit of the druggy decadence of Alice In Chains. But the real clincher (and what almost is the band's saving grace) is the album photo of the group -- Garth's face frozen in a silent, cathartic scream while another band member wears a shirt that informs, "You Suck." Yep, these guys are hard rock at its most antisocial and humorless. You almost have to admire them for the stone-cold sincerity of bromides like "Mind Alone" and "When Are You (Gonna Die)." But all those aforementioned bands had a discernible personality, and Flybanger doesn't as of yet.
Tim Grierson

New rock direction

Amen, Flybanger give heavy music a future
Calgary Sun
If you want a concise illustration of what the climate of rock music might be like for the next few years, head down to the Warehouse tonight.

There (with cotton crammed inside your auditory organs, if you know what's good for you) you'll catch Amen and Flybanger, two bands that are getting a big push from their respective major labels which apparently see a future in hard heavy music.

But, you say with a great deal of self-satisfaction, we're already being inundated with hard heavy music thanks to Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and Korn and their modern rock brethren like Creed, Third Eye Blind, and Seven Mary Three.

Ah, replies I with a condescending tone that would certainly infuriate you, t'ain't even kind of the same thing.

Slowly, surely, the winds of change are blowing, and, if you listen carefully, you can hear hard rock literally losing its bad rap and muscling up a little.

"Change is hard," says Paul Fig, guitarist for L.A. punk metal band Amen, which features former members of Snot and Ugly Kid Joe. "There's the attitude that if it's not broke don't fix it.

"But hopefully if we keep doing what we're doing ...."

Amen's current touring mates, Vancouver band Flybanger (formerly Jar) have just released, Headtrip To Nowhere, their debut Metallica metal CD for Sony.

They, too, are hoping the label had access to a crystal ball when they inked their deal, and that their disc is coming out at exactly the right time to catch the wave.

"I think what's going to happen is that we can establish ourselves this summer as far as touring goes and get our spot in there if consumers' tastes start to change," Flybanger's lead singer Garth says.

He points to south of the border -- always a smart thing when you're looking at musical trends in this country, as our industry has always played catch-up -- and the success some acts have been having down there as a good indicator of what we can expect to be hearing on the airwaves very soon.

"I find there's been some radio stations in Canada that have changed their format because there's a lot of stations in the States that are playing hard rock, and a lot of money's getting generated from hard rock," he says.

"I think you'll see by summertime a lot of Canadian stations taking a little more of a chance and playing some heavier stuff.

"So I think we're going to be fine."
MIKE BELL

Drop-D Magazine

May 1, 1997
Favourite Local CDs
~ the Circus in Flames, Self-Titled
~ Jar, Harsh and Discord (especially "Flybanger")
~ Knock-Down-Ginger, Take Out
~ The Molestics, Tropic of Hokum
~ Queazy, Hurk - of course
~ Removal, Untitled

Harsh and Discord

Jar are treading familiar territory: angry, intense, melodic. They take elements of Alice in Chains, particularly the harmony vocal fifths, and parts of Anthrax, particularly the Scott Ian MOSH!! mindframe, to create nothing overly fresh, but an impressive noise nonetheless. The guitars follow the same path as Pantera or Corrosion of Conformity, but without the southern tweak that put Dimebag Darrell over the top. Powerful and derivative, this is another heavy album from another heavy band. You will hear tunes from this EP on the radio, and, given the frequency that these guys play, they will be opening up for one of your favourites sooner or later. Worth checking out. Darren Kerr

Headtrip To Nowhere

PopMatters Music Critic
Hyeaaahhhh! Whoaaaaaahhhh! ROOOOOAAAR! (and other exclamations!)
Columbia Records' latest heavy metal baby Flybanger sure has a lot to offer in the God of Thunder vocals department. Thanks to vocalist "Garth", we are bludgeoned with many a clichéd blast of guttural grunts and shouts, a-la Glenn Danzig. Of course, other comparisons have been drawn. Metallica, Pantera, and basically any early '90s metal that you might care to reel off have all been mentioned in the same breath as Flybanger. But Garth also reminds me of Layne Stanley and Chris Cornell. Whomever he's sounding like in whichever of Headtrip To Nowhere's 12 tracks you'd care to choose from, one thing is certain: the album's title suits it quite well.

The press kit that went along with this album was pretty amusing. Thrill to the fact that "Back in 1996, while touring Canada...[the band's] vehicle flipped over and landed in a snow bank off the side of the highway. The freak accident left drummer Rob Wade with a serious leg injury, their former bass player with liver damage, and what was left of the mangled equipment needed repairs." But did that stop them from gigging? Hell, no! "With the help of passing motorists, they managed to pull the van out the embankment, got back on the road, drove several hours to Toronto, did the gig, and then went to the hospital." Yes, Flybanger has indeed lived out their very own Spinal Tap moments.

But Garth insists that "This isn't like the typical metal records making the rounds these days." I wish that were true. It may not be rapcore or of the Limp Bizkit/Korn school of rock, but it's definitely nothing new. You've heard it before; tough guy screams, nearly constant shouting of lyrics, chunka-chunka guitar riffs, and a pounding beat with a very deep thud. I do admit that Flybanger hits the occasional glimmer of melody like they do in the opening "Cavalry" and "Radical". But all too soon, they drift into macho territory as the goofy "jazz" intro to "Blind World" slips away to allow Garth to declare "Yeah...check this one out, bitch! Hehehehe...." (he sounds decidedly Dr. Evil-ish during this moment) and then goes straight into the sillier "When are we gonna finally meet / When are we gonna finally meet / When are we gonna finally meet/Disoooooooorder?"

"Evelyn" is an even bigger waste of time, with it's "Fuck you and your fucking shit!" coda. Man, that's just downright tough. Not typical? I think that theory just went down the toilet completely. Later on, we are treated to another typical slab of rawk, this time in the drug song guise of "Crackballs". A tale about coming across a female crack smoker who promises bliss through the drug, and plenty more pointless punctuations of the word "fuck" (sorry, but I really can't keep a straight face when it's trying to be seriously taken as a tough expletive in tunes like these) fill out the song.

In case you didn't know, Flybanger used to be known as Jar. Again, the press kit really wants to sell this band to us. "So how devoted are their fans? Let's put it this way, some of them are so dedicated, they actually had 'Jar' tattooed on their bodies. When legal matters forced the band to change their name, the group set up a promotion with a local radio station in Vancouver, offering free Flybanger tattoos to those who needed to 'update their skin'." Well, if that doesn't move a few thousand units of Headtrip To Nowhere, then I'm not sure what will. The kids really love 'em though, so I'm led to believe from their home page. Oh yeah, and the album was produced by Matt Wallace (Faith No More). As for me, I'll be banging my head (and my flies) to something a bit more legit. Fuckin' A.
Jason Thompson

Headtrip To Nowhere

Chart Talk
Feb. 21 2001
Headtrip To Nowhere may not be the most original metal out there, but it does bring the sound back to its true, unadulterated form. Stacked with anger and stories of despair, Headtrip is charged with energy. The lead-off track, "Cavalry," demonstrates the band's knack for creating furious songs that, when poweredbyBryan Fratesis super-human riffing, turn into monsters. This track also yields the ultimate statement of rebellion as vocalist Garth growls throught what sounds like gritted teeth, "Cut my horse loose from the cavalry." Headtrip To Nowhere feels comfortable and although its sound is crushingly heavy, the songs have an anthemic twist that'll have you pumping the devil's salute and celebrating the return of real metal. If youre looking for rap-metal, look elsewhere because Flybanger are laying down the groundwork for the next onslaught of real metal. Tim Melton

94.1 WJJO

James Wright


Originally as an independent you were named Jar and did approx. 8 Cross-Canadian tours under that name then changed it to Flybanger. Why the change the band name now?
Garth: Legal reasons. Just before we signed the deal with Columbia we did a name search and found there were a few groups with the name Jar who had been around for awhile. We hadn’t made our mark in the US yet so we figured it would be easier to change the name then to get sued down the road. We changed the name to Flybanger which, was the name of one of our songs, and it just fit and Canada wasn’t too pissed off about it so…

How has the Canadian tour with Amen been going?
Tom: Awesome. This is an awesome tour and their awesome guys. When you see the show tonight you’ll know why we love them so much. They’re crazy! They just go nuts and break everything!

Has this Canadian tour with Amen been any easier now that you guys have a deal with a major label like Columbia in place?
Garth: No! (Laughs) If you had asked that question before our 36-hour drive from Winnipeg to here then my answer would have been different! (Laughs)
Tom: It’s more or less we don’t have to worry about selling ,000 of merchandise every night so we can make it to the next town. It’s easier for sure when you have the backing of a major label because if something goes wrong then it’s ok and we don’t have to worry as much as we would independently.

What is the worst part of doing Canadian tours? The long drives?
Garth: Long drives and winter driving.

Do you fee it necessary for Canadian artists in the hard rock scene to take their art to America?
Tom: No I don’t really think so. I think that the decision we made was that if we were going to join the “evil corporate rock world” then we were going to do it as big as we can and we went for the biggest shiniest deal possible. We decided that if we were going to go that route than we had to go all the way or nothing and we waited but we had a lot of deals for a long time but we waited and got the deal we wanted. We’re not trying to put down bands that want to go the independent route or sign to a Canadian label or whatever because it’s all cool if that fits into your plan. We were making a living doing this independently and we hadn’t worked in years cause we were touring Canada and selling our Cd’s out of our Van! There are definitely ways to go about doing this but we figured if we sign with an independent label that we could make more money on our own because we could already pay our bills the way we were doing this so there was no sense. We wanted to take it to the next level and I think in order to do that that we had to go we had to go to the US.
Garth: We’re pretty fortunate in that the deal we have in place is one that allowed us to go on the road with COC before our record was released. We bugged them a bit but it didn’t take much persuading because they know we’re a live act and we put out an EP just to sell off the stage in the mean time and just to get our feet wet in the States. The album just came out and we’ve already went through the states a few times so we don’t have to get through the whole introduction stage as we already have some fans and a buzz down there about us. That’s the coolest thing about this whole deal with Columbia is our support from them to get out there on the road. The rest is up to us but we do have the opportunity to do something big here.
Tom: We’re a loud band like Garth said and we’re just going to take it to the people and get in their faces. Being Top 10 on MTV’s TRL is not what we’re about because if you’re a heavy band you have to get out there and play some fucking shows!

At the same time the video for “Outlived” is still getting spun on Much Music!
Tom: That was a little frustrating because they granted us a Videofact grant for the song after we had signed away the rights for the album! The cool thing is that it was getting played as much as just about anything out there on the charts but they couldn’t put it on the charts because we didn’t have anything out there to sell! So their hands we’re kind of tied but it was really cool to see them play the song even though it is on the EP and not the album. Everytime we go across Canada we obviously play “Outlived” and it’s really cool to see people’s reaction to that song cause they just go off.
Garth: That actually made it into Billboard magazine! Not the most phenomenal number but it still made it on the charts for and for an Indy video to get in there is kind of unheard of. Little things like that showed that label we’re here to work since we did that on our own and with Videofact money. Stuff like that shows them that there is a reason why they signed us and the whole time this was going on we were still doing other shit which just kind of got the label to think “Fuck man! These guys got a lot more going on then we thought!” which generated a lot more interest in us from the label.
Tom: I think we’re gonna try and do a video right away which I think is going to be an animated video for “Cavalry” so hopefully they can change mediums a bit and submit it to video stations. I’m not sure of the logistics but hopefully you’ll see it on Much Music or something like that. The problem we faced with Outlived is that you can only apply for a Videofact grant for a song once. We had applied for all the songs that we wanted as singles on the record and got rejected but then when we got our deal then Much Music agreed to kick in some cash but we had already applied for everything! We obviously would have loved to do something like “When Are You (Going to Die)” or “Cavalry” or something like that but we couldn’t so we decided to do “Outlived”. We figured it wasn’t the greatest representation of the band but the fans seemed to really latch onto that song.

Taking at look at the album lyrically is “Cavalry” sort of your call to arms musically?
Garth: Well Tom was talking about us not working for awhile but when we were working I had a job in a furniture factory and I just sat on a bench and started thinking of a renegade guy in the future of who just didn’t conform after a nuclear holocaust; kind of like that movie Escape from L.A. This guy is just sort of like a lone rider who just breaks off from everything else just doing his own thing and trying to get some justice happening in the future world!

How did you guys manage to nail Jim Martin (Ex- Faith No More) to help record guitars on “Cavalry” and “When Are You? (Gonna Die)”?
Tom: Through Matt Wallace and us being big Faith No More fans. Matt asked us whom we would like to get to play on the album and right away we said that if we could get anyone from faith No More to come in and play we’d be blown away! It’s kind of funny cause you wouldn’t think that you could just call guys in bands like that and say “Hey do you wanna come down to the studio an jam with this band?” but Matt phoned him and he flew in a few days later and jammed with us. It turned out really cool because he brought a new element to the songs he was on and it was rad meeting him cause I’m such a Faith No More geek! I was taking pictures of his guitar case because it still says Faith No More on it! (Laughs) He is such a really nice guy and we still fortunately keep in touch with him.

Would you be interested in doing something for the Faith No More tribute record?
Tom: Hell yes!
Garth: Fuck yea’! I would love to do something like “Surprise Your Dead”. That would definitely be my choice.
Tom: That’s a crazy question for me! I would be losing sleep trying to decide which song to cover. I’d love to do something like “We Care A Lot”. It would also be cool to pull something off like “Introduce Yourself”. Faith No More out video called “Fat Bastard” and that was the name of my last band because we stole the name off of the video. (Laughs)

”Evelyn” seems to be another album stand out and I’m trying to figure out what that track is about and where the lyric/album title “Headtrip To Nowhere”?
Garth: That song is kind of half personal, half fictional. It’s kind of like a broad spectrum of anyone who would or has gone through an emotional spiral or is confused about life and not agreeing with the way the world is run. The line and name of the record, “Headtrip To Nowhere”, is kind of saying that there are ways to preoccupy yourself without thinking about that kind of shit. One of them is to go out there and do chemicals, which, is a “Headtrip To Nowhere”, but it’s more to do with people concentrating on the negative aspects of life and that will kin of fuck with your psyche. That is really kind of pointless because your just sitting there not doing anything about this and all these outside things that are out there destroying you and most of them you can’t really do anything about it. It’s pretty grim song with a hopeful kind of ending giving you hope that you can you get out of this dark room you’ve sort of created for yourself. The title just kind of fit in with the cover art we had and on top of that it’s good when critics want to slam us can they can say “It really is an album to nowhere!” or something like that. (Laughs)

I know the song “Crackballs” is pretty self-explanatory but I’d love to hear the story that inspired it.
Garth: You really want to know the story behind that one? (Laughs) Actually we were just sitting around and Tom came up with this funky ass bass line and I just put this lazy man’s rap to it, which, is what it really is. I knew I had to tell a story to the song then the chorus comes up and we came up with the line crackballs but we were like “We can’t call the song Crackballs! There’s no way!” So I came up with the rest of the lyrics to the song and in Vancouver, like an other city, there is a place where there is a lot of drug dealers and stuff like that so I wrote this story about a guys who wakes up and decides to take a couple days to go hang out down out and just do what everyone else is doing. The song is just based around his experience down in that part of town. We’re definitely thinking that probably won’t be a single though because it may not go over well with the Wal-Mart crowd. (Laughs)

What separates Flybanger from the rest of the pack when it comes to hard rock?
Tom: The most obvious thing is that we have a lot of melody but we are still pretty heavy but with a kind of rock edge. Rap/Rock or Nu-metal, whatever you wanna call it, is what’s really big right now but the people that get what we’re trying to do really get it and the people who don’t get it just don’t get it and that’s cool. We were offered record deals by companies that were like “Throw in some break beats and a turn table and we’ll pay you the cash right now!’ We don’t want to jump on any bandwagons or be a flavor of the month we just want to play the same music we’ve been playing for years. When all the different trends are over we’ll still be playing the same music we always have and if we can make other people feel it then great! We stuck to our guns and signed with a major label, which is kind of a pat on the back, but at the same time it’s just the start of it all for us. We just got the first little feedback about sales and it looks like kids are digging it so… We just wanted to create something that when we looked back at in 10 years we wouldn’t say “Man were we ever flavor of the month or what!” we want to look back and say “Hey these are still a good songs!”

Well what happens when Rap/Rock fades away?
Garth: We get asked that question a lot and it’s really hard because we can play the same song as another group and any person could like it or hate it from either group. When people buy or album and they like it, they really like it and we just want everybody who buys our album to like all the songs and not just one or two songs with the rest being filler. We just hope people like the whole thing because I’m sorry to say but there are a lot of records out there right now with one or two songs that are just killer and you play them over and over but the rest of the album is crap.

Where can we expect to see Flybanger throughout 2001?
Garth and Tom: Tour, tour, tour, tour, and tour!
Tom: Everything is unconfirmed at this point so we’ll have to wait and see what comes up.

Flybanger (formerly Jar)

Saturday, Feb.19
at Rebar


Ring! . . . Ring!



"Good morning, Rob Wade’s grandma speaking. Oh, Hi, Mabel! How are you? You’re calling to brag about your own grandson, Randy? He just got laterally promoted to another middle-management position at some cold, faceless corporation that specializes in statistical analysis? Well that’s really nice, Mabel. Oh, my grandson? Nothing much, really, unless you consider his band signing to Columbia Records in the U.S. and heading out on their last Canadian tour before they go down to Los Angeles to record a kickass new album with Matt Wallace-something. Yes, the Matt Wallace who produced Faith No More. So you do know what you can do with your Randy stories, don’t you, Mabel?"

Though you may rightly question the authenticity of the above conversation, there should be no questioning either the facts of the matter or that Rob Wade’s grandmother must be very proud. After all, the three years of solid touring, working day jobs and playing all kinds of showcase gigs at their own expense has finally come to fruition for Jar, er, Flybanger.

It must have been pretty good for the band’s collective ego when at the peak of the feeding frenzy, there were 10 or 15 labels in discussions with their attorney, but you might have noticed, dear reader, that the deal the band signed was not with a Canadian label.

"We just found that a lot of record labels up here in Canada didn’t give a rat’s ass about us because we were too heavy," says Wade. "The Canadian labels were just more or less sitting back and seeing what the American labels were going to do."

But big record deals aren’t the only story of the day for Jar, um, Flybanger. Though you might find it hard to believe, our heroes from Vancouver were not the only band in the world laying claim to the name Jar.

Says Wade, "There’s a few of them. We’ve had the name for about five years now and we only just now decided to do the big, worldwide name search."

After the name popped up a few too many times, the group decided to fend off any potential problems by making the change to Flybanger. Isn’t it a drag that there can’t be rock ’n’ roll playoffs or street fights or something to settle issues like this?

"That’s what we thought about doing, at first."

A rock ’n’ roll playoff, or a fight?

"Well, both," he laughs, but in the end, as usual, the lawyers win and Wade and bandmates Garth Allen, Bryan Fratesi and Tom MacDonald are left to practise their introductions all over again. "For the first week it was totally like, ‘Hi, I’m Rob from Jar, I mean, Flybanger.’ We’re getting used to it, though."

All that remains now, besides the tour and the recording and the superstardom, is taking care of all those fans that got the Jar logo tattooed on themselves, and you can’t say the band hasn’t tried. They invited their Vancouver and/or travel-minded fans to a Vancouver tattoo parlor last Friday for free Flybanger tattoos. It went well, with around 30 people taking them up on the offer, but it did not go entirely as expected. Though the promotion was intended as an upgrade for those who had already marked themselves indelibly with the old name, "None of those people showed up for Flybanger tattoos," says Wade. "These were totally different people and for some of them it was the first tattoo that they had ever gotten."

I wonder if Mabel was among them.

All articals used without premission blah blah blah....If I've pissed you off by posting something typed by you Email me and I'll take it off and post apoligies

Street Beat

Flybanger, Headtrip to Nowhere (© 2000 Sony Music)
While lately most metal bands veer toward hardcore, or use DJs to inject hip-hop life into breaks, Flybanger chooses to interject melody and hooks. Sure, they're still kind of angry, as vocalist Garth screams at times, in a gruff, standard metal-belching delivery, but they seem more intent on rocking than threatening the listener. Maybe it's a Canadian thing, since the band hails from Vancouver. Guitarist Bryan Fratesi rips some solid leads, and can chunk out the power rhythm chords, while Rob Wade on drums and Tom McDonald on bass keep the low and steady groove happening. Produced by Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Deftones) with a guest appearance by Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin on two cuts, the dozen songs here are a sound addition to your metal collection. Party on guys.

Chart Attack

Review
Headtrip To Nowhere may not be the most original metal out there, but it does bring the sound back to its true, unadulterated form. Stacked with anger and stories of despair, Headtrip is charged with energy. The lead-off track, "Cavalry," demonstrates the band's knack for creating furious songs that, when powered by Bryan Fratesis super-human riffing, turn into monsters. This track also yields the ultimate statement of rebellion as vocalist Garth growls throught what sounds like gritted teeth, "Cut my horse loose from the cavalry." Headtrip To Nowhere feels comfortable and although its sound is crushingly heavy, the songs have an anthemic twist that'll have you pumping the devil's salute and celebrating the return of real metal. If youre looking for rap-metal, look elsewhere because Flybanger are laying down the groundwork for the next onslaught of real metal.
Tim Melton

Shout Web

Feb. 2001
Flybanger: Talking Headtrips
By James Wright

A lot of bands say they worked their asses off to get where they are today, but how many of them can say they did it totally the hard way without conforming or following any trends? Very few, but luckily Vancouver, British Columbia's Flybanger is one of them. When they decided to break out of the local scene they did it the hard way and toured Canada sleeping under bridges and in parking lots. After a few tours of Canada major labels finally came around, but when they did they asked them to change their music to make it more marketable. After considering the options Flybanger did what comes naturally and gave those labels the middle finger salute and sent them packing. The result of all their years of perseverance and dedication? Their major label debut on Columbia Records "Headtrip To Nowhere". Twelve tracks that prove you don't need to have baggy pants and weak raps in the music to show you can kick some ass. We had the privilege of catching up with Garth from Flybanger before they head out on a Canadian tour with Amen to talk about the record, the harsh Canadian weather and their new deal with Columbia records.

Shoutweb: One of my biggest regrets of 1999 was not going to see you guys here in London, Ontario when you played with Kittie. The girls from Kittie invited me down to the show because it was their first show with their new Bass player (Talena) but I was busy and was under the impression you were some kind of "Death Metal" band.

Garth: I actually remember that show! (Laughs) We've played up there in London, Ontario a few times actually. We did one with SNFU and a few on our own plus the Kittie show. We're playing there with Amen on the 26th of February too so hopefully a lot of people come check us out. I don't know how big Amen is in Canada but not a lot of American bands will do Canadian tours, so just having them do a tour is cool.

Shoutweb: We're trying to build some kind of scene here but it's hard when big name bands never come to Canada.

Garth: Well there are a few bands that have done alright like Nickelback and us for instance. Those are two bands that I know of from the hard scene that have gotten some American deals but we're both from the West coast and I don't know much about the East coast.

Shoutweb: It's starting to change with you two and bands like Slaves On Dope, Kittie and Finger Eleven though.

Garth: Ya' Slaves on Dope for sure.

Shoutweb: Why the name change from "Jar" to Flybanger?

Garth: Legal hassles really. There were three or four bands that had that name and we were only known in Canada as that but nobody else in the rest of the world knew us. We just figured we'd cut our losses cause we knew we'd get sued down the line with our lawyer telling us that it would happen eventually. We just didn't want any messy situations so we figured the album's not out yet so we picked a new name. Flybanger is a name of one of our old songs so it was kind of appropriate. We passed it on to the label and they loved it and we just got used to it and here we are.

Shoutweb: I had read that a lot of labels were willing to sign you guys in the early days but they wanted you to add a DJ or rap. Any truth to the powers that be asking you guys to conform to the current rap/metal trend?

Garth: Well it was actually only one label that had sat us down and talked to us and said "What would you guys think about putting a DJ in the band?" and we just looked at him straight in the eye and said it would never happen. There were a few others that we felt that vibe from as well and we thought we'd be getting that vibe from Columbia as they're one of the bigger labels but they didn't touch us! We got 100% complete creative control. They obviously put in suggestions for image and stuff but not to the point where they were laying out our clothes for us or anything. They pretty much left us alone to do our thing, which is what we wanted. It's like you can get signed to a nice major label but if they're not down with what you're already about then it's fucking pointless; it's just a dead end really. With these guys they knew we had already toured and all that so they didn't mess with us at all really.

Shoutweb:You guys did something like eleven cross-Canadian tours before you got signed right?

Garth: Yeah something like that.

Shoutweb: What is the hardest part about doing that since there aren't really major markets right beside each other like in the US? Here you may have to drive thirteen hours to your next gig.

Garth: The drives for sure and obviously the first few times we went out the money wasn't good at all. We basically paid for our own tours with friends helping us out and shit as we had a lot of friends and people out there supporting us. They knew what we were doing and that we were determined so it was like everytime we went on tour we were sleeping under bridges in the van or sleeping in parking lots and then it gradually made its way to we could afford to sleep in hotels. It was cool cause every time we went through it continually grew and we were like "Ok we're a Canadian hard rock act beating the odds here!" We had no radio except for in select cities and it was hard and we'd get like college papers to write about us ya know? Now we're kind of doing it in the US but the bonus is we're doing it for bands that have a following so at least we're up there in front of people. The other night we played with Soulfly in Idaho and it was the first show of the new year so we thought we would be rusty and shit but people went nuts! It was amazing! After the show we had like fourty kids out by the bus getting posters and shit signed! It was crazy!

Shoutweb: Who is the real road warrior in the band? Who can last the longest without food, water, shelter or a shower? (Laughs)

Garth: I think we're all in the same boat on that one. Now with the label we have tour support but we're not out ordering hookers or drugs by any means! (Laughs) We got no money like that but we're getting by and we're having fun cause we can go out and get a new vehicle and don't have to worry about it breaking down.

Shoutweb: Where did the name of the album "Headtrip To Nowhere" come from?

Garth: That's a lyric that comes from the song "Evelyn" and it just suited the picture on the album. The guy on the cover is actually our art director Shawn Evens and while we were in the dessert doing a photo shoot and there was an old gold mine near by with all these weird mechanical things inside the one room. I don't know if he found the eyepiece or if they brought it out on the set but it was just appropriate and one lyric kinda suited the picture.

Shoutweb: Is "Evelyn" slated to be a single? I think it would make a great single after "Cavalry".

Garth: "Evelyn" is kinda like our little jewel in our back pocket we're going to bring out later.

Shoutweb: You guys have stated that out of anywhere you've played Winnipeg, Manitoba put Flybanger on the map. The only things I can even think of to come out of Winnipeg are Canadian rockers the Watchmen and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL team. Why did Manitoba put you guys on the map?

Garth: You know what? I really don't know. With Winnipeg something just happened and we possessed them ya know? After a couple times of being there we'd just built up a following and the last time we were there we had like three sold out nights there with people just going apeshit! When we go to town it's like "Oh it's time to party! Flybanger's here!" and we'd have like fifty people in our hotel room and shit! It's just crazy! That whole town is going to go out and get our album ya know?

Shoutweb: That's cool cause a lot of bands would never even consider playing there but you guys have managed to build a following there.

Garth: Yeah Definitely!

Shoutweb: Why is it you released the "Outlived" EP on Gotham Records and before the full length on Columbia? Was that just done so you can get out onto the road?

Garth: That was done just so we'd have product out there to sell off the stage. It was just kind of like a side deal where they approached Columbia to press our product and while we're on the road we'd have something to sell. There is a limited amount of those things out there and they came with an extra CD with two tracks off of "Headtrip To Nowhere" so it was just something to get people geared up for the album. It's cool cause the album was going to come out but got pushed back and the marketing plan just kept on getting bigger and bigger. I guess we were just one of those Canadian groups people wanted to get behind.

Shoutweb: I noticed when Canadians are doing ok here in Canada we as Canadians support them but when they take their music to the U.S. we're very pessimistic when it comes to wishing them well in the U.S. and supporting them.

Garth: There were rumors saying we moved to L.A. to get signed and even on the website there were messages saying "You guys are sell outs and now you're all American!" and it's like our business is all American but we're still Canadian! The reality of it is if we were a Canadian band trying to make it in Canada with the music we played, I'd probably be living in a cardboard box when I'm 40! Our mentality was that we didn't just want to take over Canada and by all means we haven't exactly "taken over" Canada, but our mentality is the world is all one big piece and we want to play everywhere!

Shoutweb: I noticed you guys did a video for "Outlived" off the EP and had some success with Much Music, which was really cool. It's weird tuning in to a Spice Girls video then right after seeing "Outlived".

Garth: We did the video for the song "Outlived" all by ourselves and the video made it into Billboard magazine and onto Much Music. It got requested a lot and probably half the people in Winnipeg phoned in and requested it cause it was filmed there at "The Zoo" there in Winnipeg. We got onto the channel because it's based around requests for independent videos but it didn't take much convincing really. I just think there is a lot of people in Canada that want a band to represent "Hard Rock" in Canada like Kittie. Kittie had to face a lot of barriers with like their age and stuff but if you put their album on it sounds pretty fucking good! Better than a lot of shit out there too. I haven't seen 'em live in a while but of course they went straight from the "Call The Office" stage there in London to fucking Ozzfest! That's one band I think the younger kids will grasp onto, but I think with us with us we'd get the older kids as well as the younger crowd.

Shoutweb: It was very cool to see your video in rotation on Much Music during the day, as it's hard enough to see a heavy band during the day let alone a Canadian heavy band.

Garth: Every time something like that happens the label says "Well we got something more to work with here!" So with the EP the label said "Well we'll put you guys out there for a little while and see how it goes and there was a big buzz about us cause of all this. Some bands won't even go out before the album gets released unless they're established, so we've been doing things a bit out of the norm just because of our dedication and the fact that we already have a semi-established fan base in some markets. A lot of times people will be like "Oh here is this Canadian band Flybanger!" and then we get up there on stage and then they're usually like "Oh shit! These guys can rock!" So it's a little bit of a respect thing, little bit of the buzz thing and the fact that us Canadian bands are just so damn nice we get along with everyone! (Laughs)

Shoutweb: Nobody can resist the Canadian "niceness" factor! (Laughs)

Garth: A lot of bands will be like (Impersonates American) "Fuck you guys got a lot of snow up there eh!" (Laughs)

Shoutweb: I was listening to KNAC radio today and they were complaining about it raining in California and not being able to wear halter-tops! (Laughs) It's funny cause if you were to wear a halter top up here today you'd probably catch your death!

Garth: Yeah I know what you mean!

Shoutweb: Your music is kind of different from what's out there right now as it's totally devoid of rapping and downtuned guitars. Metal has become just as much about fashion and rapping with its trends. Do you feel your album is going to be a little bit of a harder sell to kids cause you're not wearing the latest fashion or rapping and following the trends?

Garth: Is it pretty straightforward. Someone else asked me this and said "Is it hard to write songs without doing rap/rock?" and we listen to a lot of different stuff and obviously influences do come into play but it's just a natural process. Right from our first demo we've always wrote music that's kinda "chunky" and hard but also has a lot of melodies and singing to it. We don't really think about and just do what comes natural. The riffs we write are by no means rocket science but it's what you do around those sounds and we just know what sounds like us.

Shoutweb: For someone out there reading this who's heading to the record store this Tuesday how would you convince them to buy your record instead of the new Slipknot re-release or something like that?

Garth: I would say it's an album that if you're interested in hard music even if you're closed minded. My goal is to have people buy our CD, come home and listen to it and won't be going "next!" or "that song's cool but the rest of them suck!" This album to me is something you're going to like or something you're just not gonna like at all! You're gonna like it from start to finish and not for one song like I find with a lot of platinum selling bands that have one or two songs and the rest is filler. I would have to say there is absolutely no filler on our album.

Shoutweb: Absolutely not! The first time I heard it I'll be honest and say I didn't like it but I gave it a few more listens it went from "That's ok..." to "They're fucking incredible!"

Garth: That's cool because most of the albums I love and still love to this day are albums that I was ready to throw against the wall when I first heard them. It's funny how that works but I think it's because you are expecting or want to hear this and then you get something totally unexpected.

Shoutweb: Same thing happened to me with bands like White Zombie and Prong for me! First time I heard it I was like "These guys suck!" then it went to "Hey that's not so bad." All the way to them being my favorite band. Same thing happened with you guys and honestly I still haven't gotten the album out of my CD player and it's been two months since I got the advance.

Garth: That's cool that it happened to you and to me that's a success! As long as you're not listening to it times times later and still hating it! (Laughs)

Shoutweb: Any final comments you'd like to add for people hearing about you guys for the first time?

Garth: Just don't be shy to the unknown ya know? If you're curious please by all means check us out! Everything is kind of in place and there's no excuse cause it's just us heading out saying "Here is our album. Hope you like it." Hopefully we'll get onto bigger tours.

Shoutweb: Well you're heading out with Sepultura in March right?

Garth: We're confirmed for that tour but I'm not sure when it's going to start. It's funny cause last night we played with Soulfly and now we're heading out to play with Sepultura and we kinda get both ends of the spectrum but I love and respect both bands ya know? It's like when we went out with Clutch and COC those were two of the groups that we played with that were already established and we learned a lot from them. Playing shows with like Soulfly and Sepultura while watching them you learn shit and I try and feed off that and pick up new things.

Shoutweb: Well thanks a lot for taking the time to talk to me Garth. When I see you guys on the 26th we'll hook up and have a few beers.

Garth: Great. Thanks a lot.

eye

FLYBANGER Headtrip to Nowhere (Columbia/Sony) *** Before nü-metal, there was plain old new rock. Vancouver foursome Flybanger (formerly known as Jar) bring back the early '90s with melodic, AIC/STP-inspired grooves on its slick major-label debut. Traces of metal toughness in the intros, solos and extros, but with a commercial, sensitive core. Vocalist Garth mimics a Yankee drawl and doesn't really rap, but he tosses in a couple of curse words for the kiddies, too. Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin guests on two tracks.

Bungle on music

Flybanger-Headtrip to Nowhere I only bought this album cause I found it for $3 (promotional). Not to say this album's bad, cause it's not. In fact, Flybanger is one of the more true rock bands out there now. No rapping, minimal shreiking, leaving the album to be far away from the categorization of "nu-metal". Sadly, the album isn't well-rounded and not all the songs are great, and none masterpieces. But, if you like hard rock... REAL hard rock, you might be satisfied with Flybanger. Grade: B

Review by Murph

Ok, I know what your thinking. "What the hell kind of name is Flybanger for a laundry detergent?" Well, jokes on you, IT'S A BAND!! BAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!@ IDIOT!! And unlike the name would suggest, there are no songs about sexual relations with insects, or any type of bug for that matter. So putting your sick fetishes aside, let us take a deeper look into this group of four people that play instruments and make music. No! They are better than just a group of four people that play instruments and make music, they are a BAND!

The first Flybanger song I heard was Blind World off of the Dracula 2000 Soundtrack, and after hearing it, I was curious as to what the rest of Flybanger would sound like. About a month later I noticed the release of Head Trip to No Where and bought it on the spot. Upon first listen I decided that it really jammed. Sevendust like vocals and layout with a much more varied riff pattern, close to that of old hard rock or slower thrash tunes.

The vocals were a good mix of melodic singing and in your face growls and chants. The album kicks off with the fast and heavy song, Calvary, that really starts to show what your in store for. Tracks like Radical, Pull, and Evelyn provide a good mix of singing and yelling, while the harder tracks like When Are You? (Gonna Die) and Company were a lot more brutal and closer to the art of Pantera.

One track I didn't care for was Crackballs. While having more hip hop elements and less of the regular quick, continuous riffs, this song sounds like it was thrown together and jammed into the album, seeming misplaced. But one down song doesn't much damage to one of the better new bands that have been surfacing. If it's one thing Flybanger isn't out to just make another trendy rap/rock band. And unlike the stinky trends, Flybanger will hopefully be sticking around for a while.

Rating: 4 / 5

HEADTRIP TO NOWHERE

Flybanger
(Sony)
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When you hear the sound of a 60-cycle hum during a rock song, you think: Yeah, man, this is a kick-ass garage band so into what they're doing, they don't care about properly grounded amplifiers - which means they don't care about the evil establishment, either. Grrr. Down with the man!

However, when said sound is carefully inserted into the production of a major-label CD ... how lame. Yes, it's a small thing, but it's a symptom of what's wrong with Flybanger's debut album. Every power chord, scream, atonal riff, gritty lyric and thundering groove - there's way too much going on, that's another thing - has been polished to perfection, sucking the life out of what could've been a worthy new hard-rock record.

There are good songs lurking under the clutter and sheen, like Crackballs, painting a vivid picture of Vancouver's drug scene, and this band will undoubtedly take off live (Flybanger plays Wednesday at the Rev). But on CD, it's like middle of the road metal.

VOX veiws

Review of Headtrip

With a title that belies it's contents, Headtrip to Nowhere is really a groove-fest all over the metal map. The Canadian foursome is like a blast of northern wind - stinging, cutting to the bone, but all the same it snaps you to attention and makes you take notice. "Pull" does just that, reaching up through the ice, grabbing you by the ankles and hauling you under. Headtrip is raw metal, without moving off in some hybrid direction. Lead throat Garth's beefy vocals are exactly what the metal needs. Creating the punishing sound is guitarist Bryan Fratesi (who will have an impact on the guitar scene) along with bassist Tom MacDonald and drummer Rob Wade, who provide the thickest, heaviest grooves possible. With well-written, intelligent and intelligible lyrics and aggressive but melodic metal, Flybanger are poised for success.

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(All article's re-typed by me unless other wise stated)
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