| Stylistically a semi-reincarnation of early 90s metal in the vein of such trailblazers as Helmet and Tool, SECURITY are, in a word, tenacious.
Having taken their revivalist sensibilities from Northern California to hotspots in areas as far away as New York City, the South Bay quartet has demonstrated with utmost clarity that they do not intend to be taken lightly.
"We just set out to be musicians playing metal," says drummer Dave Gary. "Keeping a groove and doing it the way we wanted to do it."
The earliest incarnation of SECURITY began some four years ago as an on-again, off-again project between Gary and bassist Dave Craig. At one point, says Craig, SECURITY experimented with a two-guitar configuration.
“It was good for what it was,” he says, “but I think right now, this is definitely the most solid lineup we’ve had.”
That lineup, the band agrees, finally came into its own with the addition of guitarist Ryan Fuller, who was hired by the band to play part time during his tenure with Campbell’s now-defunct Mindeye.
“They parted ways with their last guitar player, and said 'hey man, can you fill in for these three or four or five shows?’” Fuller says.
He agreed, and began playing with both Mindeye and SECURITY when they appeared on the same bill, as they often did.
“The funny thing is,” Gary interjects, “he says we wanted him for four or five shows, we were like, 'four- or five-hundred shows.’”
Mindeye would later break up in early August, making Fuller a fulltime member of SECURITY, a role the band says they’ve always wanted him to fill.
“I remember seeing Ryan play two years ago and going, ‘that guy,’” says lead singer Adam Bannister, pointing his finger.
“Even though the band SECURITY has always been the band SECURITY, when we wanted to change the sound it wasn't even personality conflicts, we just wanted to change the sound,” Gary says. “And we just knew a certain guitar player was going to sound a different way."
Gary is especially proud of SECURITY’s diverse musical background, which benefits from Gary and Craig’s past ventures into jazz and punk music, respectively.
Having played since junior high school, Gary also spent time in jazz band and the drum corps during his high school years.
“I remember I spent one summer between my sophomore and junior year, did nothing but practice all summer, didn't even see the sun,” he says.
From there, he worked as a studio jazz musician, though he says he always was “a headbanger at heart behind the scenes.” He later decided to completely devote his abilities to playing metal.
“I wanted to see if I could physically do it,” he says. “Because metal, more than jazz, it's physical, it's athletic.”
Craig, like quite a few fellow bass players, started out as a punk rock guitar player before deciding to switch to bass.
“Ever since I switched to bass, I realized that the rhythm section's where I belong.”
After stints in a few punk bands, Craig joined SECURITY on what he calls a “non-permanent basis” before he opted to cement his spot in the band. |
"I think we locked as a rhythm section,” Craig says of the musical chemistry between he and Gary.
To a lot of people, a band is unfortunately only as good as its frontman. Luckily for SECURITY, Bannister fits the bill quite nicely, his melodically snarled lyrics and menacing, bended-knee posture becoming a staple of every show the group puts on.
Bannister, who originally had ambitions to be a drummer, says he took to singing naturally.
“I'd never sung a note before, and I filled the shoes well,” he says.
Possessing a rather calm, mild-mannered offstage persona, Bannister claims that the two Adams are still the same person.
“I think it's sort of two sides of my being,” says the tall, raven-haired vocalist. “It's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and people have called me that before. They've asked, 'Who are you tonight?’
“It's just me. Everyone has their yin and yang and their good and evil, and that's when that gets to come out, and that guy stays up there,” he says.
Adam’s own perseverance onstage seems to be an external reflection of the band’s work ethic as a whole.
“We've played with Sevendust, Machine Head, Meshuggah; I mean we've played with crazy bands, sold out shows, big venues; and we play no different there than we play in rehearsal,” Gary says. “We don't know any other way to play.
“It's almost like we have no other choice, you know? We owe it to the instruments.”
In addition, Gary says that each member of the band can always remain confident that everyone is doing their job, making it easier for each individual to perform at his personal best.
"And it's so nice to feel like I know everything's covered," Bannister says.
“When you have four men stepping on a stage, and everyone's willing to do what it takes to put on a show and lay down the law, it's a good thing,” says Fuller. “It's a really great feeling.”
Currently, the band is in the pre-production stage of their first full length album, which they hope to have out by the end of November.
Gary says the band is taking this opportunity to experiment before they set out for Trident Studios in Concord, where the recording will begin in earnest.
“Basically we come in with a foundation, and then there we go,” he says. “We play it and then we hear things. Some things we take out, some things we add.”
SECURITY have also planned a tour of the Northwest, with plans to return to the east coast later on.
The out-of-town reaction to the band has been very positive, which Dave Craig says prompts the band to keep going back.
“If we went out there and got a poor reaction or felt like we didn't connect with the people out there, even though they didn't know who were because it was the first time we played there, we probably wouldn't be as inclined to do it,” Craig says. “Because I would say just about every trip that we've done outside this area has been successful, it just drives us to keep doing it and to try new places.”
Whatever is in the cards for SECURITY, Gary insists that neither mainstream adulation nor financial gain have ever been the band’s top priorities.
“Our goal was never to be on MTV or tour with Slayer or anything. We just thought we had something to say musically, so we just put it together that way.”
Gary also remembers some words of wisdom handed down to them by the Atlanta band Sevendust, whom he says has helped SECURITY immensely.
“(Sevendust drummer) Morgan (Rose) told us the quote of all quotes when he said, ‘You guys, just step out there and make sure you kick ass and leave a footprint.’” |
