by Bob Suehs

Ok, so as a collective, the Baltimore Music Scene was a strong force for 2008...there hasn’t been this much action & attention in the local scene for many years & if I’m being very honest with you, over the past few years, the local scene really went through a dry spell, but in 2008 the local music scene really got a much needed jolt in the rock department!

I compiled a list of the top 5 local rock bands from the Maryland area based on a few simple things: How much of an impact the band made on the scene & it’s fans, How much the band achieved overall, & this list is based solely on which bands did the most to promote their brand & their music, which bands kept doing what they do without compromise, & overall, this is a list of the top 5 bands in the area that have the best shot at rock stardom & success, so if you’re in a local band in the Maryland area & didn’t make the list this year, read below to see what you can do to make the list for 2009, because these 5 bands busted their asses, poured their blood, sweat & tears into what they believed in & they proved that Maryland still has a thriving scene & they give music fans a reason to go out & see live music! With that said, here’s my list of the top 5 local rock bands from Maryland for 2008....drum roll please:

Number 5:

FALL BACK PLAN

Fall Back Plan burst onto the local music scene last year playing their first show ever (which I was at I might add!) & ever since that point they’ve consistently played live shows non-stop, promoted their band heavily via fliers, posters, & perhaps the most interesting thing I witnessed this band do was, the bands guitarist got into a boxing ring & literally boxed for the chance to open up for a national act at Power Plant & he actually won! Musically, the band is female fronted, & their singer brings a soulful/pop driven quality to their music & the most interesting fact is, their music is NOT pop at all, it’s actually good harder edged rock that maintains pop value & singable choruses, while also keeping a very guitar driven sound. Fall Back Plan brings a nice sized crowd to ever show, they play out alot & the bottom line is, they kick ass as a live band, their music comes across well in their studio recordings & they definitely made their presence felt in the local scene.

Number 4:

BURN THE FIELDS

Musically, Burn The Fields are an interesting band....there’s moment where I hear hardcore, there’s moments where I hear jazz influence, there’s moments where I hear rock, yet they are totally original with their own sound, & as a unit, each member brings their own vibe...the vocals can be clean one minute & aggro the next, there’s super complex guitar leads, & the rhythm is tighter than a 2 year old! The live shows I’ve seen from the band this year were interesting...whether it’s a suspension show or just the band rockin’ out, Burn The Fields have an original show everytime they play & they are known for the movie’s that play in the background of their live shows...the scene’s playing as the backdrop to their live shows always change & it can be anything from random movie clips, old horror movies, porn or just some odd patterns....Burn The Fields live show can be appreciated on a visual level & a musical level, & there’s no denying that the bands rhythm guitarist, Nik aka SuperNik is one of the most visual people on the local music scene...whether he’s dj-ing at a night club or just hanging out at a random bar, he’s the best advertisement EVER for Burn The Fields, because there’s no way in hell you can’t NOT remember him or know him because he’s covered from head to toe in tattoo’s & he’s definitely a local rockstar if ever there was one! The band also recently opened for Avenged Sevenfold & played to a sold out crowd!

Number 3:

AFREUDIANSLIP

Honestly, it was hard to really call the #3 & #2 bands because BOTH of these bands are working their asses off, they play out constantly, keep their faces out there constantly & are legendary on the local scene. Afreudianslip have been playing in the Maryland for a few years & I remember seeing an early show from the band & it was very whatever...they were working on getting their act together, still writing songs, still figuring out what they were about...over the past year though, Afreudianslip played a ton o’ shows, were named 98 Rock local band of the month, released a new cd that sounds killer, & they recently opened for Mudvayne at Ram’s Head Live. The bands collective members are always out & about, Billy is probably the most recognizable face at most local rock shows & the band definitely passes out more fliers & postcards for their shows than any other band in this area....you have no idea how many times in a week I am handed Afreudianslip advertisements & probably the one day I won’t forget was, being at the Mayhem Fest in Bristow, Virginia, & seeing tons of Afreudianslip’s fliers all over the place for their upcoming shows....I’ve never seen another local band go to that extent to get their name & their show dates out in another state, I mean literally! The other thing that I have to mention is, when the band played Angel’s Rock Bar this past Summer in downtown Baltimore, that was easily the MOST packed I’ve ever seen that place when they had live shows in there....the place was nuts to butts packed & the Afreudianslip fan base is constantly growing due to the bands non-stop promotion, live shows & overall love for music. They definitely did their part to keep the Maryland music scene alive in 2008.

Number 2:

BERETTA JANE

This one was based solely after the fact that the band kept it together through tough times in 2008, the core of the band has been together for a while, back when they were known as Havok In Hollywood their old singer left to try & make it in California, so the core of music had to continue, the band changed their name, found a new singer & they lived happily ever after...right? WRONG!!! Beretta Jane played it’s debut show last year & the live show was great...loads of energy, gritty rock n roll music & a decent fan base, BUT, the band parted ways with their singer abruptly, had to reinvent themselves somewhat & Evan took over the lead vocal duties. What ended up happening was, the new material they released with Evan singing was the strongest material the band ever recorded, 98 Rock immediately picked up the debut single, “Die 4 U” & they got MAJOR radio play all day & all night long, the bands shows were promoted on-air, the band members were everywhere, they did their part to keep the scene rockin’, they had some of the best merch that ANY local band has ever had, the band diligently made every effort to make sure their name, their shows, their merch...it was ALL distinctly Beretta Jane & they filmed a video at Bedrock in Baltimore for “Die 4 U” that I can only describe as decadent! The booze was flowing, the camera’s were rolling & this was a rock n roll party that you had to see to believe! “Where I Call Home” is the bands ode to Maryland & even it borrows a little from “Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi, it’s an anthem for the area & Beretta Jane reinvented their brand, kept the music alive & that’s why they are #2 on the list!

Number 1:

CHARM CITY DEVILS

Ok, so you might say, why are is John Allen’s Charm City Devils #1 on this list? Well, the obvious reason is, they are a kick ass rock n roll band & their brand of blues based rock n roll is distinctly Baltimore in sound...it’s got groove, attitude & energy with soul, feeling & reckless abandon, PLUS, Charm City Devils accomplished what EVERY band dreams of...their song was played in heavy rotation on 98 Rock & “Let’s Rock N Roll” got the band a record deal with Nikki Sixx’s label, Eleven Seven Music! With a record that’s slated for release in the Spring of 2009, the band is tightening things up by playing a flurry of shows which will be the start for their upcoming 2009 tour of the US. The band was originally called 40 Acre, then Chosen Son for a brief moment before settling on Charm City Devils as their new name. What sticks out in my mind too is that I got to witness the band play a show where John Allen was extremely sick...I can’t recall the temperature he told me he had that night, but I remember him telling me that it was the highest temperature he’d ever had & even though he was not in good health on this particular night, he got up there, did his job, rocked the crowd & if you didn’t know he was sick you could never tell it...that’s devotion to your band, devotion to the fans & Charm City Devils are clearly the top local Maryland based band for 2008 because if you look at the obvious connotation, the bands name is derived from the nickname for Baltimore, “Charm City”, & on a musical level, I had this conversation driving home one night after one of the bands shows....when I think of the “Baltimore Rock N Roll Sound”, Charm City Devils embody every nook & cranny of that sound....raw, dirty, sweaty, pure rock n roll.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

As with any list, there’s the “top”, then there’s the one’ who came close to making it or did their part, so I wanted to make sure & list a few acts that came close to making the list, but missed out just by a hair.

CINDER ROAD toured their asses off, released their major label debut release, I saw them play the Warped Tour in Maryland & New Jersey, they opened for KISS overseas & they really got their name out there...infact, in the newly released TESLA dvd, if you watch the bonus clips you’ll see the bands singer!

SEVENTH SEAL released new music this year, played some strong shows, & there’s even been some label interest in the band.

EVOLVER made a splash on the local scene, were a 98 Rock local band of the month, & they are poised to have a big year in 2009!

MATT DAVIS & NOISE IN THE BASEMENT ...no, it’s not a band, but Matt & his local’s only radio show on 98 Rock every Sunday night @ 11 PM deserve a quick nod, they kept the scene alive more than anything else & where else could you hear “Aging” Ralph? Rob Heckman is also equally responsible for keeping local music on 98 Rock too I might add!

I know there were alot of local bands playing out in 2008, but these were the one’s who did the most, achieved the most, kept the spirit & vibe of the Baltimore Music Scene alive & hopefully, any local band reading this list will take the initiative to get their shit in gear, to see what IS possible from the local scene when there’s bands keeping it alive & honestly, 2008 was a great year for local rock music in Maryland!

Tags: Afreudianslip, Beretta Jane, Burn the Fields, Charm City Devils, Fall Back Plan